Cardio Vs Strength Training?

Kimjanebrooks
Kimjanebrooks Posts: 253 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
When I go to the gym I am currently doing 40 mins of various cardio work. Afterwards I do strength training on various machines. If I never use my extra cardio calories, is it THAT important that I do them? Should I be doing more cardio or concentrate more on the strength training? I have just ordered 30 day shred so if I do this in the morning I could do just strength training at the gym? I'm not very clued up on exercise so all opinions would be much appreciated.

My food diary is open for all to look at if it helps. I am not struggling at all sticking to it (although it is very early days)

Replies

  • Courtney_7790
    Courtney_7790 Posts: 56
    I personally loathe the weight room and would rather do anything else then those machines, so i do cardio at the gym and then i come home and do pilates and workout videos that use hand weights along with some body weight excerises such as push ups, squats, lunges ect.. (i just got back into it about 2 weeks ago) however when i was in the best shape of my life and super tone i did about ran for about 30 minutes 3 days a week and did different videos for about and hour a day.
  • mock743
    mock743 Posts: 19 Member
    Good Luck with your exercise program. Not really sure what will work for you better. I just know for me I am going slow and steady. I do 3 days of Cardio for 45-60 minutes and 2 days of strength training using free weights or doing circuits. Hope that someone can give you some better answers for the results that you desire.:happy:
  • shoneybabes
    shoneybabes Posts: 199 Member
    I think it depends what sort of figure you want.

    When all I did was cardio (running) my muscle shape changed and I got thinner and longer muscles. I think strength training will shorten the muscles.

    Doing both would be better. I do that currently but am looking to do heavy weights at the gym as I want to be able to do a pull up and get ripped :)

    I love running so I wouldn't give it up for anything. If you aren't sure I would speak to a gym instructor.
  • amateurdude
    amateurdude Posts: 44 Member
    20-30 mins of cardio a day, and if you're going to do weight training (you really should, 'tis amazing) I would strongly suggest sticking as close as possible to your daily calorie intake making sure to hit your protein requirements. If you want to build muscle you really need to be eating at a calorie surplus which isn't ideal for weight loss, but even still you should build strength (although I've read and heard a lot of people saying you can get the surplus calories required from stored fat, no idea how true that is, seems to be a lot of conflicting arguments on the matter?).

    tl;dr - Do both., srsly.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    20-30 mins of cardio a day, and if you're going to do weight training (you really should, 'tis amazing) I would strongly suggest sticking as close as possible to your daily calorie intake making sure to hit your protein requirements. If you want to build muscle you really need to be eating at a calorie surplus which isn't ideal for weight loss, but even still you should build strength (although I've read and heard a lot of people saying you can get the surplus calories required from stored fat, no idea how true that is, seems to be a lot of conflicting arguments on the matter?).

    tl;dr - Do both., srsly.

    Yep.

    Re your last sentence/question, I'm on a mild deficit and have noticed increased strength gains and muscle growth throughout. I'm not "big", though. Perhaps it is harder to grow on a deficit for seasoned bodybuilders and weight lifters. Or it's possible that those dieting who don't experience similar aren't monitoring their calorie intake so closely and guessing so may be eating very much under their daily requirements.
  • dominikaro
    dominikaro Posts: 86
    Do cardio every day (or almost every day) and strenght training 30 minutes 3 times a week. But a real strenght training, not girls strenght training. And than slowly figure out what works best for you and modify your training accondingly. That's the easiest way.
  • MonkeyBars
    MonkeyBars Posts: 266 Member
    try not to solve the solution ;)

    1. define what you wish to achieve
    2. be specific, gain 2lbs in muscle over 6 weeks, or lost 5lbs of fat over 5 weeks
    3. build your training to accommodate

    peeps on MFP (me included) will help you work out a plan, then execute it!
    plans go stale every 6 weeks, your body "adjusts" ;)

    otherwise get a PT (personal trainer) or do some googling ;)

    ciao
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    general weight loss and cv endurance - cardio

    For body re composition? Nothing touches strength training imo.
    Re your last sentence/question, I'm on a mild deficit and have noticed increased strength gains and muscle growth throughout. I'm not "big", though. Perhaps it is harder to grow on a deficit for seasoned bodybuilders and weight lifters. Or it's possible that those dieting who don't experience similar aren't monitoring their calorie intake so closely and guessing so may be eating very much under their daily requirements.

    Gaining strength does not require the building of new muscle tissue in the short term. most people "'look" bigger at lower body fat % as the extra definition brings through what muscle you do have. The actual amount of new lean tissue you will have built will be little or none.

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