cardio vs weights

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Julie3ang
Julie3ang Posts: 96
in Fitness and Exercise
i am about five pounds away from my goal and have included weights now. I don't know if i should back off the cardio or if i should continue doing cardio everyday along with weights. I also am having a hard time taking a day off of exercising. How often do most people exercise.

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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    If you want the focus on lifting to make the biggest changes, you'll either need to back off the cardio or make sure it stays in the Active Recovery HR zone (mis-named fat-burning zone).

    Otherwise you just tire out muscles you are trying to put a heavy load on. And they only get the most improvement with a heavy load, and proper rest afterwards.

    Both those things can be screwed up with too much or too intense of cardio.

    So light cardio after lifting for 15-20 min as cooldown fine.
    Light cardio day after lifting to aid repair but not kill it is fine.
    Easy cardio day before lifting for aerobic system, but not tiring out muscles to use the next day is fine.

    And you will gain weight initially. Water weight. To minimize that false gain, only weigh the morning after a rest day eating at normal sodium levels. If still sore, not valid weigh-in.
  • ValerieMomof2
    ValerieMomof2 Posts: 530 Member
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    I was going all cardio and hit a huge standstill so I added weights and lost 2.5 lbs in 2 weeks so I personally am keeping with the weights and cardio, but there are people mixed on this so I am sure you will get varied replies. I also hate taking a day off and usually don't. If I do, I still take a walk or do something active, just not strenuous.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    ditch the cardio and go to lifting. I started a lifting regimen about three months ago (I previously did cardio and weigth lifting and plyo). I probably do one session of HIIT a week or a long run just depends on my mood..Mon - Friday is weights..I have gone from 16% body fat to 13% body fat and have seen nice strength gains..

    Get into a program that has you deadlifting, squating, over head presses, chin/pull ups etc...

    I have added some water weight..but I have also increased my dedlift from 150 to 300 #!

    and good luck to you!
  • BreakingOath
    BreakingOath Posts: 193 Member
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    Keep doing them both in combination. Doing 20 minutes of cardio a day is not going to hurt you at all and it's recommended to keep a healthy heart. Remember, your heart is also a muscle :)

    Just make sure you are eating enough and you won't have any problems :)

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