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

mmapags

I do both. Strength 2x to 3x per week. Same with cardio. Just makes sense for overall health and well being. The OP blog post was filled with misinformatio and broscience as other have pointed out.

Enigmatica

I do cardio because I *will* get my scrawny little butt out and run. Every. Day. Because I love it and it works for me. Sometimes I use little 2 pound weights instead of holding the handlebars when I'm on the elliptical, but that's as close to "weights" as I get unless you count wrestling 90 pound dogs while running 5-7 miles before sunrise. I hate weight lifting equipment, will NOT go to a gym and workout with people all around me - ain't gonna happen. I can't stand "trainers" yelling (forget it, Jillian) and won't do what I don't want to do when what I *do* want to do is working beautifully for me. I've had no problem losing weight let alone maintaining while basically just walking and jogging for exercise and being sensible about what I eat. All my health and fitness stats are excellent. I even found out recently that I can still do pull-ups on the bars out on the community exercise trail at 50 years old. My doctor says I'm super healthy and to keep doing what I'm doing. Every body is different. What works for me might not work for you. And vice versa.

schustc

I agree that weights are better than straight cardio - though a combo of both is good.

One thing though - I'm totally NOT opposed to a cheat day. Actually, not opposed to having them a couple times a week. it's all relative. All about how fast you want to lose - or how slow. the amount of calories you consume in say a week, is relative to how much you lose. Who cares if you eat 1400 today, and 2000 or 3000 tomorrow? even if you ate 3000 2 days in a week, if you burn an average of 2200, that's an extra 1600 in a week.

That's not even a pound. If you workout 5 days a week and eat at a deficit of 800-1000/day, guess what - you dropped 5000 and ate an extra 1600 --- AND... you're just about at a pound loss for the week.

So yeah, I don't do cheat meals, I don't necessarily do cheat days. I just monitor my calories, and if I know I have a special day - or even a really stress-filled over the top day, I know that I can eat an extra 500, or 1000 or even 2000 calories in a day, and the world won't end. my weight loss won't come to a crashing halt.

As long as I maintain a deficit for the week, I will lose. As long as I maintain an equal balance between calories in = calories out, I won't gain. So I don't follow some predefined schedule. Some months I lose 2 lbs, some months I lose 10 or 14. I'm not in a race, and I'm not gaining back my weight. I'm also not living my life totally by the numbers. I'm just LIVING. AND I love this freedom to be my own boss on my weight loss - my own success is directly measured by how much of a deficit I maintain for a period of time. My rules, my body, my success and I'm happy :flowerforyou:

Riddickeye

6) Your lift can be fat burning as well. I know why so many people fail at lifting programs. They do a set, wait 3-4 minutes then do another. Boring Boring Boring. Yeah I would quit too. Shorten rest periods to a minute or less between sets. If you are not sweating 5 minutes in, you aren't working hard enough!! Increase intensity!!!

7) You have a cheat day not a cheat meal. I guarantee the person that invented the term "cheat day" was a fat *kitten*. Its "cheat meal" have a cheat meal once every 10-14 days and then get your *kitten* in the gym and make it work for you!!

Turning your strength training into cardio no longer makes it strength training. :huh: There is a difference people. Circuit training is great, nothing wrong with it at all but it is not "strength" training anymore.

Cheat meals or days can have a beneficial effect on your health. Especially in you are in a prolonged calorie deficit. Refeeds is a more controlled way to do it but basically has the same effect as long as your total calorie deficit is negative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsSzl4ecluk

I agree sir

joe_d

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.

But this study was of people on a very low calorie diet (800 cals a day). You can't just generalize this one study to all situations. Is there any research that covers people who are doing a more modest calorie deficit? The reason I'm poking at this is it's counter to my own experience. In about 3 months, I did pretty much only an elliptical with intervals, lost about 20 lbs, and gained a pound of LBM (as measured by a BodPod) while dropping 5.1% of body fat.

So it all depends, right? It depends on what kind of cardio you're doing, how hard you push it, what your diet actually is, etc., etc. Is it possible to lose LBM doing only cardio? Sure, I believe that. Do I believe it to necessarily be the case? No...

imondrugz

weights are far more superior for fat loss

shortchange1

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!

Exactly! Both are important. Weight training is extrememly important, as is flexibility training AND cardio which is also strenght training for that all-important muscle...the heart.

I do both, and have been doing both for the last 25 years. I've also been a certified personal trainer since 2001 and make sure my clients include strength training, cardio, flexibility training and balance training.

Riddickeye

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!

Exactly! Both are important. Weight training is extrememly important, as is flexibility training AND cardio which is also strenght training for that all-important muscle...the heart.

I do both, and have been doing both for the last 25 years. I've also been a certified personal trainer since 2001 and make sure my clients include strength training, cardio, flexibility training and balance training.

makes perfect sense

justjenny

BUMP

missym357

I'm one that does both. I really don't love lifting though. In fact, part of me hates it- it is uncomfortable, boring, and often leaves me hobbling around like an old lady. I'm working on my negative attitude and having a great community at my gym really helps keep me doing it. It never hurts to be stronger and lifting gives my body shape that I otherwise would not have. BUT cardio does so much more for me- most importantly, it clears my head, helps relieve stress and makes me a happier person. How it makes my body look isn't even a part of it.

sm1zzle

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.

truth.

SHHitsKaty

Both.

3 days of weight training.
3 days of cardio.

mmapags

I'm one that does both. I really don't love lifting though. In fact, part of me hates it- it is uncomfortable, boring, and often leaves me hobbling around like an old lady. I'm working on my negative attitude and having a great community at my gym really helps keep me doing it. It never hurts to be stronger and lifting gives my body shape that I otherwise would not have. BUT cardio does so much more for me- most importantly, it clears my head, helps relieve stress and makes me a happier person. How it makes my body look isn't even a part of it.

I get how you feel. I'm completely opposite. Cardio is so boring to me, unless I'm on a bike ride in a fun trail or running somewhere where the run is fun and the scenery is changing. But lifting is different in that it's different stuff most of the time. Different routines, different auxilliaries, mulitple exercises. Always something to change before it get's stale. When I'm on the elliptical or the treadmill, I'm just waiting to be done.

TriciaAnnette

I do both as well...cardio is for fat burn and endurance. Weights for tone and definition, but also the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism stays through out the day...allowing for more fuel (food). Weights are also good for preserving bone denistiy and just functional fitness.

es2189

Here's what I don't get. Evolutionarily, why would it make sense that weight lifting would be important to overall health? What did our early ancestors do that would resemble this kind of training? What do other animals do that resemble this kind of training? Running or walking just seems so much more natural...obviously the body would need to be able to do that, for survival's sake. But why lifting enormous amounts of weight over your head 5 times? It seems so strange and unnatural.

That isn't to say that I'm against weight training. i believe the science and I dutifully do my lifting twice a week (heavy). I'm just wondering about the why.

mustgetmuscles1

Here's what I don't get. Evolutionarily, why would it make sense that weight lifting would be important to overall health? What did our early ancestors do that would resemble this kind of training? What do other animals do that resemble this kind of training? Running or walking just seems so much more natural...obviously the body would need to be able to do that, for survival's sake. But why lifting enormous amounts of weight over your head 5 times? It seems so strange and unnatural.

That isn't to say that I'm against weight training. i believe the science and I dutifully do my lifting twice a week (heavy). I'm just wondering about the why.

Interesting question. There are lots of things in evolution that dont have to do with health. Example:Bird plumage to attract mates.

The strong get the food. The strong get the mates. The strong survive the elements and the conflicts. Sometimes taking food is less energy than gathering it yourself and so on.

TommiEgan

I can't lift weights due to a back injury. So I stick to Cycling and walking. Keeps me happy, self paced and It isn't an effort to do.

Zumaria1

I've done a combo of things in the past, such as The Firm videos, which combine lifting and cardio. I now do Zumba for Wii, and absolutely love it, its probably because I love to dance anyway, so its perfect for me. I also think that for me, cardio is best, because I already have a good muscle mass, and when I lost 20 lbs in the past, it was due to walking and eating healthier, and I was very toned, and lean.

I think what works best will depend on each person's body. Some have very little muscle mass, and need to lift to build muscle while they lose weight. Others may already have a good muscle mass and just need to burn excess fat, and the natural muscle tone is already there, just hiding under the fat!

Ortegutz

I Do Both.

Run a mile for warm up, Do my weight routine and then stationary bike for 15mins as a cooldown.

wswilliams67

Both. Lift first then 20 minutes of HIIT cardio to finish burning out the glycogen stores and burn fat. On off days I do 40 minutes of HIIT cardio split between Treadmill, Arc-Trainer, reclined bike. I lift on a 2 on 1 off split.

Weight training keeps your body from utilizing muscle tissue for energy. Your body has a hierarchy of what it uses for energy and fat is last on the list. Gotta protect that lean muscle folks.

littlebutcurvy

interesting post

BigGuy47

Here's what I don't get. Evolutionarily, why would it make sense that weight lifting would be important to overall health? What did our early ancestors do that would resemble this kind of training?

Early Cardio: Chasing the animal (the hunt) or running from the animal.
Early Heavy lifting: Carrying the meat from the hunt back to the village. Carrying water in large ceramic jugs. Lifting logs or stones to build shelters.

Bakkasan

Didn't read, but I am sure there are about 90 people saying DO BOTH and I agree.