How much cardio vs. strength should I do for weight loss?

You should lift weights three non consecutive days per week. Cardio optional. If you are not losing weight then you must not be creating a calorie deficit.

If you're thinking purely in terms of weight loss the biggest variable is diet but, again, purely in terms of weight loss ideally you'd opt for whatever burns the most calories which is cardio.

Without knowing what you're eating (your diary is closed) and specifically what exercises you're doing it's difficult to make any specific recommendations but in general terms if you're working out 4 times per week 2 of them should be fairly intense cardio (forget the "fat burning" zone) and the other 2 strength.

The basic principle of calorie in versus calorie out applies first , nutrition must come first then exercise . Although you wil benefit from the exercise you will not make gains in fat loss without creating the deficit first. You also need to do a combination of both where cardio has the burn it now effect, weights can burn fat for a couple of days . Try doing weights for 30-45 min then some cardio to follow then alternate the weighs but go for 45 minutes of cardio at least 4 to 5 days a week. Its better to eat and burn the calories off with exercise than not eat enough and over exercise. keep it simple and dont overthink this , eat right and exercise hard always keeping a small deficit, then stay consistent! good luck and drink water , lots of water and fiber!

The best advice I ever heard was "abs are made in the kitchen". Nutrition comes first, then strength/weights, then cardio. I usually hit the gym 3-4 days a week, about every other day. I'll do about a mile on the treadmill or elliptical just to get my blood flowing and get pumped up, then I'll head over to the weights, I try to make sure I'm lifting as heavy as I can without going to far too cause any type of injury. I LOVE squats and deadlifts. I also attend a trx class Tuesdays and Thursdays and a boxing class once a week. But like I said all this is not going to matter if your chowing down on big Macs all day. Hope this helped

I work out about 4-5 times during the week; M-F. I usually do 30 mins cardio (either elliptical high/low incline intervals, or high/low incline and speed intervals on the treadmill) and then 15-20 mins weight lifting. For weights, on Monday/Wednesday, I focus on legs and Tues/Thurs I focus on arms and abs. Heavy weights, low reps! I lift as heavy as I can for about 10-12 reps, 3 sets. Slow, slow, slow on the weights. On Saturdays/Sundays I usually walk or go hiking. If I do an intense hike on Saturday, then I'll always take Sunday off as a rest day. I'm also watching my diet closely, so I've seen great results. Just figure out a diet plan that works for you and push yourself at the gym. Remember - it's going to take you a few weeks to physically notice a difference, so hang in there!

I workout four times a week. I've been alternating each time doing cardio, then strength, then cardio, etc. But I'm not seeing any results with weight loss and have been doing this for at least three weeks. I know there are lots of other variables, but I'm wondering if anyone has any insight as to how much of each I should be doing for weight loss purposes. I'd like to continue doing the same amount of both each week, but how do I know if this is right for me?

As others have said, the most bang for your workout time is weight lifting for 3 days with rest day in between.

Weight lifting to failure on that last rep still in good form, whether that be 5 sets x 5 reps or 2 x 15 - last rep to failure if you even reach the 5 or 15 reps.

The one cardio day, if it is between lifting days, make it fat-burning zone. Much higher and you'll be short-circuiting your body making itself stronger from your lifting day.
Why do the lifting if an intense cardio day is going to ruin the effects of it - getting stronger comes mainly from rest and recovery and repair, and proper nutrition.
Fat-burning zone cardio just gets blood flow to muscles without adding more stress to prevent repair.

If you do the cardio before the first lifting day but after a rest day, make it enjoyable speed, but not intervals. Intervals are like lifting and need rest the next day to benefit from them.

Added benefit here is some extra protein after the lifting workouts is all you need to give body something to work with. Some before bed, some after the workout if you desire if next meal is a way off.

But the cardio you need to replenish glucose stores too - hence the need to eat back exercise calories because the deficit is already built into your daily goal. Too big a deficit is counter-productive.

have you heard about staci?? http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

I work with a girl who goes to the gym every day, for 2 hours a day. She eats whatever she wants, in huge quantities. She hasnt lost a pound.

I eat very little. I exercise for 40-60 minutes a day (alternating strength and cardio) every day. I have lost over 140lbs.

Going to the gym does little for you, unless you create that calorie deficiet - mine is larger than most, and I am now going gluten free, as my youngest son has celiacs (the whole house is going gluten free!!)

My point is, if you want to lose weight, cut out the things you know are bad for you - for me, its carbs. I can eat 1300 calories of veggies, fruits and meats, and lose 10 pounds, but if I eat that same amount of calories, and include carbs, I stall.

Learning your body can be hard - try different things. Cut out carbs for a week or two, and see what happens... it might be a huge difference. As for me, I dont miss the carbs at all, and get them in other places - yogurt, veggies and salads.

Good luck!!

BTW - I am a single mom of 3 kids... my daughter does the Insanity program with me (she is 17) while the boys play games in their rooms for that time. They know how important mom's "exercise time" is, and on off days, I will take them all for a run with me.. its helped them all a lot. I know how hard it is to fit it in, but if I can do it, anyone can (I work FT, an hour from home, transport 2 of my kids to and from school, go to college FT and raise my kids).

For "fat" loss I agree with the others above. Weightlifting 3-4 days a week. If you put your body in a calorie deficit you will lose weight. If the deficit is too large or you are not doing enough resistance training you risk burning lean mass instead of/along with the fat. Sure it looks good on the scale but you wont be happy with the results once you reach your goal. Use cardio to strengthen your heart and lungs. 20-30 minutes on lifting days is what I do. Rest days are for recovery and repair. More is not always better.

For a weightlifting program pick one that is proven and hits the whole body. Dont just wing it or make it up on your own. Too many people say they lift weights but then you find out the just do some dumbbell curls and thigh machines. : ) You need to be doing some squats, chest presses, rows, dead lifts and so on. Big compound movements with enough weight to challenge you for 3 or 4 sets of 5-8 reps.

Cardio burns fat. Keep the strength to once a week, it doesn't burn fat.

Bad advice.