Whats better?

Is it better to lose weight first by doing tons of cardio and then strengh train when u reach your goal OR should you cardio/strengh at the same time to lose weight (even though the strengh training might slow weight loss down). YOUR input is highly IMPORTATNT! :)
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Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    if you care more about what you look like when you're done, do the weights.
  • junipearl
    junipearl Posts: 326 Member
    unless the ONLY aspect of weight loss you care about is the number on the scale, strength training is 100% NOT going to hinder your goals. do both !
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
    Strength train and eat a deficit. Cardio optional.
  • Fat2Fit145
    Fat2Fit145 Posts: 385 Member
    Is it better to lose weight first by doing tons of cardio and then strengh train when u reach your goal OR should you cardio/strengh at the same time to lose weight (even though the strengh training might slow weight loss down). YOUR input is highly IMPORTATNT! :)

    I think do cardio alone until you reach your goal, or are really close to it.... then do the strength training, lightly.... and when you have reached ur goal do heavy strength training....... thats just my opinion... :)
  • PattyC64
    PattyC64 Posts: 56 Member
    Do both. You can do cardio every day. You should strength train a few times a week (more if you alternate muscle groups).
  • iiijeniii
    iiijeniii Posts: 82 Member
    DO NOT WAIT TO START STRENGTH TRAINING!!! Do it now!!
  • nturner612
    nturner612 Posts: 710 Member
    u strengh trainers you....yall win...
  • iiijeniii
    iiijeniii Posts: 82 Member
    Strength train and eat a deficit. Cardio optional.

    This is pretty much how I lost 91 pounds. I hate cardio and did it grudgingly and in the smallest amounts my trainer would let me get away with (30min x 3x a week)
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Strength & cardio compliment each other.....don't wait, do both.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
    THIS IS WHAT I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT IS BETTER!! :)

    Is it better to lose weight first by doing tons of cardio and then strengh train when u reach your goal OR should you cardio/strengh at the same time to lose weight (even though the strengh training might slow weight loss down). YOUR input is highly IMPORTATNT! :)

    I think do cardio alone until you reach your goal, or are really close to it.... then do the strength training, lightly.... and when you have reached ur goal do heavy strength training....... thats just my opinion... :)
  • blakejohn
    blakejohn Posts: 1,129 Member
    Do both. You can do cardio every day. You should strength train a few times a week (more if you alternate muscle groups).

    amen sister
  • Nefetete
    Nefetete Posts: 343 Member
    both, I've been losing steadily doing 3 x strength training and cardio while eating at a deficit. Just balance your workouts with eating not to feel tiered all the time.
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    It's harder to gain muscle than lose it, so I suggest doing both cardio and strength training to maintain your LBM while losing weight.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    Is it better to lose weight first by doing tons of cardio and then strengh train when u reach your goal OR should you cardio/strengh at the same time to lose weight (even though the strengh training might slow weight loss down). YOUR input is highly IMPORTATNT! :)

    I think do cardio alone until you reach your goal, or are really close to it.... then do the strength training, lightly.... and when you have reached ur goal do heavy strength training....... thats just my opinion... :)

    As someone who followed this exact path, I'll be perfectly honest and say this was a very poor choice on my part, and I'd discourage this approach.

    I lost a lot more muscle than I thought possible, and it's been a real struggle trying to restart building muscle that I should have been retaining in the first place. I'm a lot lighter, but my body fat percentage (which is thankfully only a little bit high) didn't budge a bit.

    If I could turn time back a year, I'd have shoved myself off the elliptical and on the weight bench.

    Cardio is beautiful, but not generally as important as a good solid and proper-form weight regimen.

    Learn this the easy way by reading about what I did, or learn it the hard way by doing what I did.
  • kf4vkp
    kf4vkp Posts: 164 Member
    I say do both, it's easier to firm as you go rather than wait and have a lot of work to do....

    Also building the muscle lets you change your Body fat percentage as you go.
  • amann1976
    amann1976 Posts: 742 Member
    dont take this comment personal it is not meant directly towards you but when you lose weight and dont do any weights like most of those biggest loser people you go from looking like a fat blob with no muscle tone to a medium blob with no muscle tone...

    you have to lift along with your cardio for ideal results


    like in the success story area i can always tell the folks that just do cardio and lose vs the ones who strength train along with their cardio
  • well TONS of cardio is never necessary. I say to do what you can do consistently and that you enjoy so that you continue with it long term. If you enjoy weight lifting I'd recommend incorporating it all along.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Do both. You do not need to do either to lose weight but both have different benefits.
  • bradphil87
    bradphil87 Posts: 617 Member
    Lifting is more important in terms of looking better. If you have a good diet plan and stick to it cardio will do nothing for you that eating at a deficit will do. Burn 600 cals running just to eat them back? No thanks. Lol. Lift hard for an hour and feel your body change over this journey? Sign me up. Just my 2 cents.
  • JasonDetwiler
    JasonDetwiler Posts: 364 Member
    THIS IS WHAT I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT IS BETTER!! :)

    Is it better to lose weight first by doing tons of cardio and then strengh train when u reach your goal OR should you cardio/strengh at the same time to lose weight (even though the strengh training might slow weight loss down). YOUR input is highly IMPORTATNT! :)

    I think do cardio alone until you reach your goal, or are really close to it.... then do the strength training, lightly.... and when you have reached ur goal do heavy strength training....... thats just my opinion... :)

    You were taught wrong.
  • Sailatsorf
    Sailatsorf Posts: 161 Member
    I do 30 minutes of weight lifting either twice or three times a week, depending on how busy I am with class, and do 30-60 minutes of cardio (in the form of walking) 4-6 times a week, once again depending on class. I would definitely recommend this method. I lose much more quickly doing weights than when I am doing cardio alone. And I notice more body parts getting smaller. It really, really helps.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    I busted my butt doing cardio only for a while, but my body adapts to it quickly and I would plateau and stop losing time after time.

    Now I lift (heavy for a girl, I think - lol) 50 minutes 3xweek and do HIIT 15 minutes 3xweek on the treadmill. (I'm always beat on Fridays. :laugh: )

    Good luck with your journey!
  • paijing
    paijing Posts: 184 Member
    Strength training while eating at a deficit will allow you to preserve lean muscle mass throughout your weight loss journey. It will transform your body in all the right ways.
  • BSchoberg
    BSchoberg Posts: 712 Member
    Strength train and eat a deficit. Cardio optional.

    ^^^ THIS!
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
    Do circuit training (a combination of cardio and strength training in one workout). The combo will keep your heart rate higher to burn at a cardio level but you'll also get all the toning/muscle building benefits of weight training (and you won't LOSE any muscle while you're losing weight which can happen)
  • perfectingpatti
    perfectingpatti Posts: 1,037 Member
    You must be new. If you aren't eating within 200 calories of your TDEE and lifting heavy weights, you are a skinny fat LOSER. Just ask the people here... they will tell you.
    Over... and over... and over... and over....

    See, you can lose 100 lbs and still be considered fat on MFP if you didn't do it the "right" way. If you just did cardio and ate less, you may have lost weight, but you're still skinny fat and don't look good. :huh:
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I've been a runner for years (minus the 18 months or so when I gained all my weight) and I've always stayed relatively fit by running alone, but never was happy with my body really. This time around I got serious with weight training AND running, and my body has never looked better, even though I still have a few pounds left to lose. I vote both.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Strength train and eat a deficit. Cardio optional.

    Strength training while losing weight helps maintain muscle. You could lose a high percentage of muscle without strength training. Muscle is good.
  • opus649
    opus649 Posts: 633 Member
    You must be new. If you aren't eating within 200 calories of your TDEE and lifting heavy weights, you are a skinny fat LOSER. Just ask the people here... they will tell you.
    Over... and over... and over... and over....

    See, you can lose 100 lbs and still be considered fat on MFP if you didn't do it the "right" way. If you just did cardio and ate less, you may have lost weight, but you're still skinny fat and don't look good. :huh:

    I prefer "medium blob"... that was a particularly nice one. :grumble:
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    What's better? What's better depends on what YOU want.

    I just want to be skinny. I don't care if I'm 'skinny fat'. I just want to be in a weight range that is considered 'healthy' for my height. I don't care if my stomach is flat, if my arms are ripped, if my back looks crazy toned. I just don't care about that. So for me, eating at a deficit with cardio is all I'm doing.

    I DO want to weight lift as well but not because I think that's better or because I'll look better. I want to weight lift to feel STRONG. Not for any other reason.