Is weight training sacrificing calorie burn?

bomski99
bomski99 Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello, I've been working out for awhile now. My goal at this point is to lose weight. I want to weigh 160 pounds. I am currently 171. After I reach this goal, I will change my goal to add muscle but it is important to me to reach that goal first. I was doing quite a bit of cardio, always judging my workouts by calories burned. I could burn 600 calories fairly easily, sometimes close to 1000 calories in one workout. I recently added weights to my routine. I pick 3 weight exercises that change depending on muscle groups, lift 3 sets of each until muscle failure, then I do 3 sets of plank on exercise ball, then I do my cardio workout. I am finding that I am only able to burn 400-500 calories on my cardio workouts now before exhaustion. Because, at this time my goal is strictly weight loss, should I be focusing on the cardio and ignore the weights until I reach my goal?

Thanks for any advice. My goals will change but weight loss is most important to me now.

Replies

  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    The difference in what you could have burned by doing cardio can easily be made up by eating a little less.

    Weight training has body composition benefits that can't be replicated by cardio.
  • angela9887
    angela9887 Posts: 26 Member
    weight training will help you burn more calories by gaining lean muscle mass. It's worth it. Not to mention you'll burn more calories during the day from having more muscle mass.
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
    No! Continue to do both. Based on your stated goal, I'd say do more cardio than strength training, but don't abandon the weights.
  • uscdrj
    uscdrj Posts: 18
    Weight training increases your calorie burn even when you are sleeping, and your muscles are repairing. It is cardio, especially when you are doing 2-4 sets, waiting about 30-45 seconds between sets, using good form, and breathing correctly. I do circuit training 3 x a week and cardio 3 x a week. On days when I do both cardio and weights, I don't have as much energy to put into the strength training. I feel so much better doing focused, correct weight training, and feel stronger every week.
  • MissPeppers
    MissPeppers Posts: 302 Member
    Do both.
    And take into account that your calorie burn during weight training is not possible to measure the same way as during cardio. The higher burn also continues after a weight training session, longer than after a cardio session.
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
    ZOMG here we go with today's cardio vs weights thread!

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