Weights vs. Cardio for fat loss...

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  • carenscuisine
    carenscuisine Posts: 15
    This is the part that eludes me also....its hard to log and get the amount of "calories burned" on your log. Might be another good question for the forum. I did a very intense workout today for an hour and know I burned a ton of calories but could only log like 100 on here.....so I just keep it in my head.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
    plyometrics- jump training. it's used by sprinters and many other athletes.

    jump squats, speed skaters-make sure you squat while doing those, different kinds of jumping side to side or in a box pattern,
    power lunges-jumping lunges,that's all I can remember. my fav and most challenging workout ever. Ever. is a 45 min plyo workout by Cathe Friedrich. I can post the link to the clip of it if you like. or the exercises. but basically you alternate one of the jumping exercises with weight training

    15 jump squats
    15 lunges with weights
    15 speed skaters
    etc. can't remember how many reps/sets, but it's something like that.
    super challenging. I have such a hard time challenging my legs,
    and that ish works.

    edit to add. not for beginers. need to already be an advanced level exerciser, or you could injure yourself.
    always take rest days after too. you WILL be sore.
  • Mighty_Rabite
    Mighty_Rabite Posts: 581 Member
    Both!

    The way I see it.. cardio helps to strip away the fat a little more efficiently.. weights helps to form and define the muscles, making the thinner body more robust.. but muscle gain also boosts metabolism, which is like turbocharging a car.
  • lilmzritz
    lilmzritz Posts: 176
    Combination of both works for me. I way I see it cardio helps with losing the fat and weights tones the muscles.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    What UCB says is so true....this is what they teach in military boot camp. This is why they actually have weight lifting in Coast Guard boot camp now, not just a CC screaming to do push ups in your face.
  • upgetupgetup
    upgetupgetup Posts: 749 Member
    Both, for sure.

    I know lots of people like just strength + deficit through diet, but I couldn't do it, wasn't able to control my appetite enough to do that - gained fat along with the muscle.

    So I do weights as the priority, and a bit of calisthenics on the same day, and easy cardio on off days for recovery, for 40-60 mins.

    In my case this is much easier than just dieting - my appetite's better controlled, heart and lungs feel better, helps with energy levels and sleeping, even digestion.
  • Buettner22
    Buettner22 Posts: 129 Member
    After scanning through everyones comments I didnt see where anyone mentioned why weight lifting is slightly more important then cardio is, so I wanted to throw this in there so maybe youll get a better understanding of it. The reason weight lifting is important is because when we do cardio our heart rate and metabolism both shoot up during the workout, but when we finish running or doing the elliptical or whatever cardio your doing our heart rate and metabolism both drop back down to normal pretty instantly. So when you lift weights our heart rate and metabolism go up during the workout and we make tiny tears all in the muscles that we are working (which is why its good to alternate like upper and lower everyday so you have a rest day for each one in between), so now your done lifting for the day, but even though your done physically lifting the weights your body is now going into repair mode and trying to repair the muscles that have been torn. From what I understand the repair mode can last anywhere from 20-24hrs meaning, your heart rate might drop back to normal after lifting but your metabolism will continue to stay high the entire time because your body is working as fast as possible to repair the muscles. So with that being said I believe lifting is a more effective way to lose weight but cardio is still very important because its what makes your heart and lungs stronger and those 2 things are extremely important in just overall health. I personally have a heart condition where my heart beats twice as fast as a normal person so its really important for me to strengthen that muscle so that it can handle the double duty it gets but for losing weight, weights are better for me, and just a side note you dont have to use weights to strengthen your muscles. Theres a crap ton exercises that use your own body weight which is just as effective and I think sometimes more fun. I hope some of this helps you figure stuff out cause for the longest time i was really confused myself until someone sat down and physically showed me why weights are so important. Good luck!
  • Dawn7664
    Dawn7664 Posts: 30 Member
    Strength training and cardio don't necessarily need to be exclusive from each other - you can get a cardiovascular and fat burning benefit from strength training both directly and indirectly.

    Indirectly, the more muscle tissue that you add through strength training the greater your basal metabolic rate (resting metabolism) will be and therefore you will be burning more total calories and fat at rest. This is more of a permanent solution to weight loss.
  • upgetupgetup
    upgetupgetup Posts: 749 Member
    Strength training and cardio don't necessarily need to be exclusive from each other - you can get a cardiovascular and fat burning benefit from strength training both directly and indirectly.

    Indirectly, the more muscle tissue that you add through strength training the greater your basal metabolic rate (resting metabolism) will be and therefore you will be burning more total calories and fat at rest. This is more of a permanent solution to weight loss.

    That's true, but, you can't lift every day. Moderate daily activity can help regulate appetite, and promotes systemic health. Also helps with recovery from lifting.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Cardio is better for fat loss:

    http://jap.physiology.org/content/early/2012/09/26/japplphysiol.01370.2011.full.pdf+html

    But you need strength training to hold onto your lean body mass.
    Cardio is better for loss of lean body mass (of which muscle is a component). Weight training spares LBM as you lose fat and also causes a significant increase in RMR:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10204826
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    This cut, I'm only doing my usual 5 day heavy lifting routine and eating at a 300 or so calorie deficit without cardio. So far, after two weeks, I'm pretty happy with the progress and will likely do two more cuts like this to recover a lot of the muscle mass I lost due to a self-experiment on VLCD and ruptured pectoral tendon. I want to try and preserve as much fat-free mass as possible so I'm opting for no cardio even if it takes a few more weeks to hit 7%.
  • runningfataway
    runningfataway Posts: 262
    ding ding ding ding
  • sfcoach
    sfcoach Posts: 2
    The big debate, cardio or weight training?
    One of the best ways is to combine them both into one exercise or one training method. An example of one exercise is the kettlebell swing, which is a 2 for 1 exercise in that it is a resistance exercise that has significant cardiovascular benefits, when done properly. The key is learning how to do this exercise the right way (unfortunately, most don't do the exercise correctly to get the maximum benefit).
    An example of a training method would be doing HIIT (high intensity interval training) which has been show to be more effective for fat loss that LSD (long, slow duration cardio).
    The bottom line is, no matter what your goals, weight training MUST be part of the program to address lean muscle building and joint health (which LSD does not do). And the impact of weight training on metabolism is a key component, as well. LSD burns calories only during the exercise while resistance exercise changes your metabolism for many hours post exercise.
    These are just some of the differences and benefits.
    Hope that helps.
    Cheers.
  • jenniebean1680
    jenniebean1680 Posts: 350 Member
    The answer is "both".
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    What works best for me is BOTH!
    I need strength training for lean body mass retention and cardio for heart health and calorie burn.
    I just can't imagine purposely leaving a hole in my fitness program.
  • frando
    frando Posts: 583 Member
    Weights encourage muscle development; muscle that has a greater muscle to fat ratio burns more fat whilst resting (ie doing your normal thing rather then doing a cardio routine) then muscle with a greater fat to muscle ratio.

    You'll also find that you get better toning with weight routines.

    Don't worry about becoming 'veiny' etc. because you pick up a weight or two- you'll have to lower your body fat down to something like 7%
  • jdaley90
    jdaley90 Posts: 259 Member
    Both at the same time.. DEFINITELY! If you do too much cardio and not enough weights you'll end up 'skinny fat'. Adding more muscle will make you burn more calories when you do caridio and in turn you will lose more weight.
  • rciszek
    rciszek Posts: 134
    Both together. I've done each separately and didn't really make measurable progress until I combined the two.
  • sherisse69
    sherisse69 Posts: 795 Member
    This is great info guys, thanks!
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    You don't need cardio for fat loss, but it will help. Cardio helps with general fitness levels. It's the best way to work that muscle known as the Heart. It will also improve your endurance, and can give you better energy levels.

    Weights are important to maintain lean muscle mass, or build muscle. The more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism, which will help you burn fat faster.

    The most important aspect of fat loss is Diet, though. If you are eating in a caloric surplus, you will never lose fat. Proper nutrition will help fuel your workouts, and maintain healthy bodily functions.

    I would do all 3.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    weight loss = calorie deficit
    fat loss = weight loss + muscle retention
    muscle retention = strength training* + sufficient protein intake

    So if a = b = c, then... drumroll please....

    fat loss = calorie deficit + strength training* + sufficient protein intake.



    * strength training can be supplemented with HIIT with good results.

    .
  • charaxid
    charaxid Posts: 16
    I started with cardio, because I was SEVERELY out of shape... I couldn't run a full mile. I also did simple PE exercises I remembered from high school (jumping jacks, sit ups, crunches with my legs lifted, push ups, etc). I started this about a month ago.

    After I worked up my heart and lungs to be able to run for 10 minutes, then I began with weights... started small (20lb on machines, 5lb dumbells), but continued with cardio. This portion started this past sunday.

    Now that I have some strength again, I've began pilates dvds, turbo fire program, Tone It Up series, and other random work outs that I consider to be fun & non-traditional.

    Sure, I will eventually plateau with my weight.... But as long as I continue to make healthy eating choices and continue to work out, my FAT percentage should continue to decrease.

    In just less than one week I've gone from 38% to 35%. I started Sunday December 30! I've also lost just over 4 pounds.
  • Navotc
    Navotc Posts: 97
    I really recommend the book "New Rules of Lifting for Women" if you're a beginner. I just started lifting weights using this book in late October, and it has really helped me a lot. It does a great job of showing how to do the exercises, and it gives you 6 months+ of detailed workouts (3x per week) to follow. It's been great for me. I agree with the other poster who said that a group weight lifting class is good. It really does help with form.

    I'm now just over 2 months into it and I'm a lot stronger, and already my body fat percentage has begun to decrease. (As measured by my cheap but effective $5 plastic caliper.)

    http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Lifting-Women-Goddess/dp/1583333398
  • peachhunting
    peachhunting Posts: 59 Member
    Great thred. I was just having this discussion with a colleague. I tend to do way more cardio than any strength training and I may just have to shift a little of my focus.
  • Mel1509
    Mel1509 Posts: 166 Member
    Why must it be either or? Mix it up, I do cardio to improve my endurance and weights to get lean. My goal was to get back to being fit and with that you need both, plus a clean diet. Plus doing cardio or weights for 6 days a week gets boring to me I like to mix up my exercises, it keeps me more engaged and motivated. Find what works for you :)
  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
    skinny people look good clothed, fit people look good naked.

    Do both, you'll feel better and look better.
  • Abells
    Abells Posts: 756 Member
    But should I start weights in the beginning to gain muscle when I still need to lose the fat? I feel like I should start to lose first then add in weights. Idk though, I am kind of new to this and just wondering.

    if you are eating in a deficit you are not going to gain muscle weight lifting -- you will build strength and burn body fat
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    both, not one or the other.

    I run, I do high intensity cardio, I do hiit training and I lift both heavy lifting and endurance lifting. I've also seen others with great results from dedicated heavy lifting and only hiit cardio.
  • aweigh2go
    aweigh2go Posts: 164 Member
    Calorie deficit for fat loss.

    Weights for muscle retention. (We lose muscle when when diet. This is sad.)

    Cardio for cardio fitness, and to help maintain calorie deficit while eating more.

    This!
    I do cardio but it's only because I WANT to. Not because I HAVE to.

    When I do do cardio, it's a challenge within myself. I'll tell myself I'm going to see how fast I can complete 2 miles. Each time, I try to beat my best time. Or I'll do a boot camp to see if I can stop one less time than the previous class.
  • Hksalex
    Hksalex Posts: 144 Member
    weight training, actually has been proven to be more effective than Cardio.

    but if you apply H.I.I.T either one your pushing your body to its limits regardless :)

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