Weights Versus Cardio
magarth
Posts: 2
Hi Everyone - I do mostly strength training and about 10-20 minutes of cardio per workout (about 5 times per week). I see so many people doing ALOT of cardio...do you find it really helps to get the weight off? I want to lose 5-10 lbs. Thanks for your insight! 
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Replies
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People do alot of cardio because they are uncomfortable with weights, think they will bulk up, or don't feel they have worked hard enough.. You should do what your doing if you have 5-10lbs to lose is my 2 cents.0
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Its all about the calorie defecit so i guess the easy answer is yes it helps a lot.
5*20 min = 1 hr 40 min a week, that seems pretty adaquet. I guess the more the merrier, but if you're doing something like jogging on a treadmill you could probably get the same or better burn out of some HIIT in less time0 -
It doesn't matter. You can't out train a bad diet. Not saying yours is, but all the cardio in the world won't reshape your body. A deficit, decent amount of protein and lifting will though.0
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People do alot of cardio because they are uncomfortable with weights, think they will bulk up, or don't feel they have worked hard enough.. You should do what your doing if you have 5-10lbs to lose is my 2 cents.
Nice judgement there!! :grumble:
Some people do a lot of cardio bc they like cardio. Some do more cardio than weights and soem do more weights than cardio. Its all about preference. I will say one should do both - but the ratiio of one to the other is a personal preference!!0 -
Personally, if you're going to do cardio, it would be better to head to a track and do 20 minutes of intense sprints as hard as you can, rest then repeat. Long duration slow cardio is going to do nothing for you other than raise stress hormones and hunger hormones. I would lift heavy weights any day before cardio.0
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If you want to be fit do cardio but if you want to be ripped lift weights0
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I do both, but I just love running... But....
Abs are made in the kitchen!0 -
I do both... a lot.
cardio is about more than burning calories. There are many other benefits as well. Cardio isn't going to make you look frail and lifting isn't going to make you look like the hulk.
It still boils down to creating a certain set of circumstances to allow your body to change the way you want it to.0 -
Personally, if you're going to do cardio, it would be better to head to a track and do 20 minutes of intense sprints as hard as you can, rest then repeat. Long duration slow cardio is going to do nothing for you other than raise stress hormones and hunger hormones. I would lift heavy weights any day before cardio.
I couldn't agree with this more. My PT and I had a long discussion about this the other night. Short bursts of intense cardio is beneficial but weight lifting ensure you are still burning off calories long after you have finished your session as you body works to repair the "damaged" muscle tissue.
I used to do loads of cardio, but wasn't seeing any significant results. I have started weight lifting and am seeing good results already. You won't bulk up because your diet is still calorie restricted.
Good luck! :-)0 -
I did both, but saw better results when I combined them rather than doing one or the other.0
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I do cardio because I am training for an Ironman. I do 15-20 hours a week of cardio
Lots of reasons to do cardio.. and yes it burns fat which equals losing weight, unless it also makes you hungry and you overestimate your calorie burn/ overeat. HUGE cardiovascular benefits to doing cardio, so why not do it, especially if you enjoy it?0 -
All I do is Zumba. Love that *kitten*.0
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I read this recently:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/14/weight-loss-exercise-what_n_2302392.html0 -
Wow! thanks so so much for your input! When i do cardio it is absolutely intervals -ie intense sprints uphill and then a little rest. I also try to incorporate cardio bursts (squat jumps, stairs etc) into my weight training as long as i am not lifting too heavy that day. Think I need to keep doing what I am doing, of course keeping diet in mind and be patient!! Fortunately I feel great but just want to lose the extra layer of fat as I know the muscles are there - want to show them off a little! JK.0
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I think cardio can speed up weight loss, but doesn't do much for shaping the body. Alot of people start with lots of cardio so the scale keeps moving and they say they'll start toning with weights when they lose a bunch.
But if you do them both at the same time then when you lose the weight, instead of being halfway there you've got a head start on the people who waited? The scale might move slower that way but you're accomplishing twice as much, I think. I could be wrong but a combo of the two works for me.
Sounds like you have a good routine going =]0 -
Personally, if you're going to do cardio, it would be better to head to a track and do 20 minutes of intense sprints as hard as you can, rest then repeat. Long duration slow cardio is going to do nothing for you other than raise stress hormones and hunger hormones. I would lift heavy weights any day before cardio.
Well, that's a load of crap. Long-duration cardio is a great way to burn calories while not overstressing your body - HIIT can fatigue you physically and mentally, and it can lengthen your recovery time.
Weights are a must. Cardio is good for keeping your heart in shape and burning more calories, and many people find it relaxing or stress-relieving, but what kind of cardio and how much you do is up to you as long as you get your heart rate up enough.0 -
Cardio helps getting your HR up into the fat burning zone and keeping it there for a while thus maximising on the effectiveness of burning those excess fat.
It also gives your metabolism the boost you need to keep burning fat long after you stopped your routine for the day, thus the reason you will become hungry much quicker.
The idea is to supplement a solid cardio training programme with a decent calorie controlled diet and in the process reduce the carbs as to burn away the fat you wish to burn away THEN bulk up on the muscle you want and then trim and shape to the final shape you want by doing the weight training.
Just my 2c0 -
Honestly the only reason I bother with cardio is for my heart health...well, I do also enjoy a good run these days and I love to hike and ride my bike now that I have a bit higher level of fitness. I've personally found it to make little difference in my weight loss considering I eat most of those calories back anyway and my deficit is built into my diet. Regardless of whether I do my cardio or miss it, I lose about 1 Lb per week on average...was losing that before I even started exercise of any kind.
Strength training is a must and if I'm short on time or whatever and can only pick one, I choose the weights.0 -
Cardio helps getting your HR up into the fat burning zone and keeping it there for a while thus maximising on the effectiveness of burning those excess fat.
It also gives your metabolism the boost you need to keep burning fat long after you stopped your routine for the day, thus the reason you will become hungry much quicker.
The idea is to supplement a solid cardio training programme with a decent calorie controlled diet and in the process reduce the carbs as to burn away the fat you wish to burn away THEN bulk up on the muscle you want and then trim and shape to the final shape you want by doing the weight training.
Just my 2c
Do weight training the entire time you're losing weight or you'll lose lean muscle mass. That's not what you want. You want to get the fat off and look awesome when it's gone. You don't want to still be flabby and have to eat over maintenance to rebuild the muscle you lost. Trust me, I know.0 -
People do alot of cardio because they are uncomfortable with weights, think they will bulk up, or don't feel they have worked hard enough.. You should do what your doing if you have 5-10lbs to lose is my 2 cents.
Yes.
Totally I do cardio because I'm afraid of the big scary weight room.0 -
Personally, if you're going to do cardio, it would be better to head to a track and do 20 minutes of intense sprints as hard as you can, rest then repeat. Long duration slow cardio is going to do nothing for you other than raise stress hormones and hunger hormones. I would lift heavy weights any day before cardio.
Well, that's a load of crap. Long-duration cardio is a great way to burn calories while not overstressing your body - HIIT can fatigue you physically and mentally, and it can lengthen your recovery time.
Weights are a must. Cardio is good for keeping your heart in shape and burning more calories, and many people find it relaxing or stress-relieving, but what kind of cardio and how much you do is up to you as long as you get your heart rate up enough.
Thank you. I thought I must be strange that doing cardio for me has the OPPOSITE effect....makes me less stressful and curbs my hunger a lot.
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Cardio does a lot to help me burn fat. I do a little bit of strength training and plan to increase that, but won't be stopping cardio. Great for your heart, fun, cheap and easy (I run and bike), doesn't require a trip to the gym (or a membership), actually curbs my hunger (makes others hungrier though), and allows me to eat quite a bit more.
They're both good for you, for different things and for different reasons. I wouldn't be 'fit' without cardio. Do both.0 -
I am following a similar workout style as you OP. I wouldn't be too concerned about increasing the cardio.0
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Personally, if you're going to do cardio, it would be better to head to a track and do 20 minutes of intense sprints as hard as you can, rest then repeat. Long duration slow cardio is going to do nothing for you other than raise stress hormones and hunger hormones. I would lift heavy weights any day before cardio.
Well, that's a load of crap. Long-duration cardio is a great way to burn calories while not overstressing your body - HIIT can fatigue you physically and mentally, and it can lengthen your recovery time.
Weights are a must. Cardio is good for keeping your heart in shape and burning more calories, and many people find it relaxing or stress-relieving, but what kind of cardio and how much you do is up to you as long as you get your heart rate up enough.
wrong. Long duration, steady state cardio actually increases your cortisol levels and is quite taxing on the body (believe it or not). Shorter, more intense HIIT sessions 2-3x a week are BETTER overall if you want to minimize gym time and accelerate fat loss.
Edited to add: I also recommend strength training 3-5x a week (depending on your split/workout regimen).0 -
People do alot of cardio because they are uncomfortable with weights, think they will bulk up, or don't feel they have worked hard enough.. You should do what your doing if you have 5-10lbs to lose is my 2 cents.
What? No. I do Cardio because I enjoy running. I do weights as well. Sweeping generalizations are usually not correct.0 -
People do alot of cardio because they are uncomfortable with weights, think they will bulk up, or don't feel they have worked hard enough.. You should do what your doing if you have 5-10lbs to lose is my 2 cents.
Funniest thing I heard all day! I do cardio because it burns calories, lots of them, more so then weights. Yes I lose fat faster. If I did nothing but weights I'd have lots of muscle, underneath layers of fat. I could just do cardio to lose weight, but I use weights to become shapely and strong. I am in no way scared of my weights, I was in fact just yesterday looking at some new ones seeing as how my handweight set is from 1992, plastic pastel color scheme and all, but I decided mine still work just fine.
In my opinion you should do more cardio and less weights to lose whatever fat it is you're trying to lose. But use weights for shape and strength.0 -
It's all about your total calorie deficit and making sure it isn't unnecessarily large. Cardio, though, is fine; but it seems excessive duration at a certain intensity may not lead to additional fat loss as indicated in this and several other clinical studies.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22855277Body fat loss and compensatory mechanisms in response to different doses of aerobic exercise--a randomized controlled trial in overweight sedentary males.
Abstract
The amount of weight loss induced by exercise is often disappointing. A diet-induced negative energy balance triggers compensatory mechanisms, e.g., lower metabolic rate and increased appetite. However, knowledge about potential compensatory mechanisms triggered by increased aerobic exercise is limited. A randomized controlled trial was performed in healthy, sedentary, moderately overweight young men to examine the effects of increasing doses of aerobic exercise on body composition, accumulated energy balance, and the degree of compensation. Eighteen participants were randomized to a continuous sedentary control group, 21 to a moderate-exercise (MOD; 300 kcal/day), and 22 to a high-exercise (HIGH; 600 kcal/day) group for 13 wk, corresponding to ∼30 and 60 min of daily aerobic exercise, respectively. Body weight (MOD: -3.6 kg, P < 0.001; HIGH: -2.7 kg, P = 0.01) and fat mass (MOD: -4.0 kg, P < 0.001 and HIGH: -3.8 kg, P < 0.001) decreased similarly in both exercise groups. Although the exercise-induced energy expenditure in HIGH was twice that of MOD, the resulting accumulated energy balance, calculated from changes in body composition, was not different (MOD: -39.6 Mcal, HIGH: -34.3 Mcal, not significant). Energy balance was 83% more negative than expected in MOD, while it was 20% less negative than expected in HIGH. No statistically significant changes were found in energy intake or nonexercise physical activity that could explain the different compensatory responses associated with 30 vs. 60 min of daily aerobic exercise. In conclusion, a similar body fat loss was obtained regardless of exercise dose. A moderate dose of exercise induced a markedly greater than expected negative energy balance, while a higher dose induced a small but quantifiable degree of compensation.0 -
People do alot of cardio because they are uncomfortable with weights, think they will bulk up, or don't feel they have worked hard enough..
Bullsh*t0 -
OP...I workout much the same as you. You may not lose 5 to 10 lbs (depends on how much you have to lose), but you will shrink in size if you're doing it right (which is probably what you are really looking for)0
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Lots of great advice here. Do both. You should lift first and then do cardio afterward (according to my trainer). You should only do long cardio one day a week and then do interval cardio for fat burning. When I lift, my body shrinks. My measurements in my arms and butt go down really quickly and my body looks more fit and younger. Cardio (especially long cardio) has never shown me improvement much, but I LOVE it. I do it when I need to think or am feeling depressed. It makes me feel sooo good to walk. When I want to watch a movie, I walk on the tready, bc it is just better than sitting and watching it. Long cardio may not be the greatest for your body, but I can never give it up do to how much I love it and how much it gets my endorphins going. I do know that long cardio increases your appetite so be aware of that.0
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