Weight Lifting for Fat Loss??

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  • lvtruu1
    lvtruu1 Posts: 211 Member
    Actually your calorie intake isn't a lot at all. Mine is at 1800 and I weight 163 and am losing weight. And yes strength training is where it is at. You burn more calories as a whole than you do with cardio. With cardio, your calorie burn session is pretty much done when you get done with the cardio. But with strength training, you can burn calories for hours after wards as your body works to restore the muscles you just worked out.

    I do both, only because I don't want to be that person who can lift a bunch of weight but can't run 1/4 a mile with out passing out (I have seen it).

    This has been proven to be mostly false. Burn after is a myth.

    This isn't a knock on lifting. I lift 5 times a week. I also do cardio 3-4 times a week in half hour sessions.
  • apriltrainer
    apriltrainer Posts: 732 Member
    I did a transformation contest...where I dropped all my cardio. Prior to that I hit a wall..nothing was working. I decided to concentrate on lifting...

    I now make lifting my "main course". Cardio is just my dessert.
  • angel101netta
    angel101netta Posts: 152 Member
    Bump for later :)
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Strength training is far more effective for reducing body fat than cardio exercise. Do 40-60 minutes of strength training with 15-20 minutes of high intensity interval training (cardio). Your total workout time will be 55-80 minutes and it will be far more effective than doing an hour of cardio.

    40-60 minutes of strength training? how many sets and reps do you do? do you focus on arms one day, then core, and then legs? i can't fathom spending 40 minutes on strength training, and usually, i'm pretty tired after plugging away on the elliptical for an hour, so i spend 25 minutes doing the weight machines and leave.
    I do the exact opposite - a full-body lifting routine (that takes 45-60 minutes) 3 days a week, and 30 minutes of light cardio on my non-lifting days (and I don't even always do the cardio). On lifting days, I spend 5-10 minutes on one of the cardio machines (elliptical, treadmill or bike) as a warm-up prior to lifting. I can't fathom spending 60 minutes on a treadmill or elliptical.

    To the OP - calorie deficit is what causes the fat loss. Strength training will help you retain lean muscle mass so less of it is lost along with the fat as you're losing weight. Cardio certainly has it's own health benefits, but it isn't necessary for weight loss and/or body recomposition.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    If you don't enjoy cardio then don't do it.

    True on paper, but not always feasible.

    I was going to suggest something along the lines of HIIT or sprint intervals but she said she was a beginner.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm all for keeping cardio to a minimum when body composition is the goal. But I find that women often have hard time maintaining a large enough deficit with lifting and diet alone.

    I agree. Cardio does give you a little extra room as far as a deficit was concerned.

    I was just trying to point out that it is possible to lose bodyfat without doing cardio.

    Although technically she doesn't need to strength train for that either. :happy:
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    I did a transformation contest...where I dropped all my cardio. Prior to that I hit a wall..nothing was working. I decided to concentrate on lifting...

    I now make lifting my "main course". Cardio is just my dessert.

    Funny.

    That how I view cardio as well.

    But then again I enjoy it.

    And it helps with fighting.

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