Cardio vs weights??!! Which do you do & WHY?

bradthemedic

Both. Because you should.

postrockandcats

I'm pretty sure I can sharpen my kitchen knives on Joey D's abs. I has an impressed. O_O

That said, cardio does NOT make you soft. I dare anyone to call someone who runs 5Ks and marathons soft. So, I do both. I see the value of dedicated cardio as a different form of training for my body. Just as weight lifting is.

That said, if I had to give up one, I'd give up cardio in a second.

MommaKit79

I do both I am over on my BMI and would like to get back into the healthy range so the cardio is to burn fat, I do strength training because I want to be toned and wont get there only doing cardio.

^^^^^This is me too^^^^^^^ Once I get my BMI a little lower, I will incorporate more lifting. But, I need the cardio for strength/endurance for my heart & lungs, not just for losing weight.

I do both.
Cardio is like weight lifting for your heart and lungs.
Weight lifting is like weight lifting for your muscles.
The more muscle you pack on your body, the more calories your body burns every day.

^^Exactly!!!!^^

cedarghost

Cardio is better than sitting on the sofa all day, as someone else pointed out, but I would rather lift. If I need cardio, I just don't rest between sets....

supernaturalfan_91

Cardio mixed with strength training for me! Though I do have to say strength training is more fun!

Riddickeye

i like this! very informative and well said. thansk for sharing!

No Prob! It was a very interesting article IMHO

kikih64

bump

mercymarque

I do both because cardio will drop the weight and lifting will give u the shape u want (tone u up).

SylentZee

Cardio = can help lower high blood pressure, increase good cholesterol, improves your body's ability to move nutrients and oxygen to tissues and to dispose of waste products, will improve heart function, and of course it is a great way to lose weight with the right diet plan. This said I lift heavy 5 days a week and am not trying to lose weight, I am currently trying to gain some muscle mass so I have been limiting my cardio but will NEVER stop doing it!

Both.

Arrive at the gym, stretch, cardio for 10m (warmup), strength training (1hr approx), then 20m of High Intensity Interval Cardio (treadmill or elliptical) I can definitely see the progress...I've hit my goal weight and then some and lost 2 more inches off of my waist by doing this method.

Originally, I was just trying to lose weight, now that I've lost 50+ lbs, I'm trying to cut fat and gain muscle.

mustgetmuscles1

Both. I do some high intensity cardio so I can lift better without running out of gas. : )

I eat less to burn fat though. Cardio just burns calories not necessarily fat.

dare2love81

Article was a bit harsh. I've actually spoken to my DOCTOR and she supports the fact that cardio, at least one hour a day is awesome for your body and all around health. It's better than sitting on the sofa all day long. I have yet to incorporate weights into my work outs, but I'm planning on it. I love cardio. I love sweating my butt off. It makes me feel accomplished

I think the point of the article was that IF you're only doing cardio, it's been found that weight lifting promotes better weight loss. But if you're not doing anything, then yes, cardio is better than sitting on the couch. Weight lifting has just been found to be more beneficial, because (as a few earlier posts said) if you're lifting the right way, it's a cardio workout as well.

If you only do cardio and pay no mind to lifting weight, yes, you will lose the weight, but you'll be the dreaded "skinny fat" and your body won't have much definition. Personally...running on a treadmill or elliptical for hours on end bores the crap out of me in about 5 minutes. I'd much rather spend my hour lifting and working up an intense sweat that way. But to each their own.

KristenE83

Great post! I love the swift-kick-in-the-*kitten* attitude too lol I definitely need to add more lifting to my routine. I do, however, have a question for "heavy lifters". I am relatively new to this stuff, so can anyone answer a quick question about lifting? Why is "heavy" lifting better than "not heavy(?)" lifting and what is the difference? Just curious....

JenniBaby85

I do both. I do strength training 3-4 days a week, and cardio every day. I just recently started incorporating lifting though, already seeing some results, so I'm a happy Mama.

sunraew

Both! Weights to build/maintain muscle for core strength and bones, and to burn the fat with. Pumped muscle ups your metabolism for increased passive calorie burn throughout the day.

Cardio improves your endurance and circulation, lung capacity (proper breathing burns too - ask free divers) and produces an active calorie burn each time you do it.

So, pump it, work it, wiggle it... it's all good!

3foldchord

I do both. I do bodyweights (often with dumbbells 5-20#) on 3-4 days a week. The other days I go for a brisk walk.
I can't do much more cardio than a brisk walk , no jumping jacks or elliptical machines for me. I have a mild heart condition, my heart gets a bit spazzy with cardio.

Next month I might go to my dad's once a week and lift heavier weights.

Riddickeye

Great post! I love the swift-kick-in-the-*kitten* attitude too lol I definitely need to add more lifting to my routine. I do, however, have a question for "heavy lifters". I am relatively new to this stuff, so can anyone answer a quick question about lifting? Why is "heavy" lifting better than "not heavy(?)" lifting and what is the difference? Just curious....

READ THIS AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lbrooks2.htm

BigGuy47

Cardio eats muscles???

C'mon now, this myth been dead and buried for a long time.

Do both without fear of this eating that.

bpotts44

Cardio eats muscles???

C'mon now, this myth been dead and buried for a long time.

Do both without fear of this eating that.

Yes, "skinny fat" is a myth. Doing cardio with moderate caloric deficit and proper protein will not consume muscle.

AnvilHead

Cardio eats muscles???

C'mon now, this myth been dead and buried for a long time...

Read any clinical studies lately?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10204826

Here's an excerpt (emphasis on the bolded portion):

RESULTS:

Maximum oxygen consumption (Max VO2) increased significantly (p<0.05) but equally in both groups. Body weight decreased significantly more (p<0.01) in C+D than R+D. The C+D group lost a significant (p<0.05) amount of LBW (51 to 47 kg). No decrease in LBW was observed in R+D. In addition, R+D had an increase (p<0.05) in RMR O2 ml/kg/min (2.6 to 3.1). The 24 hour RMR decreased (p<0.05) in the C+D group.
CONCLUSION:

The addition of an intensive, high volume resistance training program resulted in preservation of LBW and RMR during weight loss with a VLCD.

mustgetmuscles1

Cardio eats muscles???

C'mon now, this myth been dead and buried for a long time...

Read any clinical studies lately?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10204826

Here's an excerpt (emphasis on the bolded portion):

RESULTS:

Maximum oxygen consumption (Max VO2) increased significantly (p<0.05) but equally in both groups. Body weight decreased significantly more (p<0.01) in C+D than R+D. The C+D group lost a significant (p<0.05) amount of LBW (51 to 47 kg). No decrease in LBW was observed in R+D. In addition, R+D had an increase (p<0.05) in RMR O2 ml/kg/min (2.6 to 3.1). The 24 hour RMR decreased (p<0.05) in the C+D group.
CONCLUSION:

The addition of an intensive, high volume resistance training program resulted in preservation of LBW and RMR during weight loss with a VLCD.

Was jut about to post on this. Cardio alone can lead to loss of LBW and lowering of RMR according to this study. Now whether that LBW was muscle or not was not specified and since all LBW is not just muscle we dont know for certain but since the RMR was lower it is a pretty safe bet.

http://fitnessblackbook.com/dieting_for_fat_loss/maintain-muscle-mass-on-800-calories-per-day/