To Lift or Not to Lift?

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tameka1220
tameka1220 Posts: 517 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
October is the month i need to step my strength training up. So the muscle heads at work said i need to increase my weights. But the fitness trainer said to increase my cardio which ive been doing for 1 month.

Is it true that lifting weights is more effective at losing weight and inches than cardio?? I'm so perplexed!!

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  • Amarillo_NDN
    Amarillo_NDN Posts: 1,018 Member
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    cardio as a rule is always better, but if you do weights for toning and not musscle mass, then it can be cardio as well.
  • sniffles
    sniffles Posts: 295
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    I'm no expert but here's what I remember about weight lifting vs. cardio.

    Cardio is a weight loss tool.

    Weight training.... well, it depends. Of course the more muscle you have the more calories you burn BUT you can't gain muscles properly if you're on a restricted diet AND you probably WON'T lost pounds (but you will lose inches) when you're working on building up those muscles (because muscle weighs more then fat? Or something like that...).

    Personally if your goal is weight loss I'd suggest kicking up the cardio and switching up the strength training.

    Again, I'm not expert, but from what I've read strength training is NOT the most effective weight loss tool (if you're talking lbs) but it is great for trimming inches.
  • haleighallen
    haleighallen Posts: 209 Member
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    they say you actually need a mixture of both cardio AND weight training. cardio for calorie burn, and weight training to build muscle, because the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.
  • introvert
    introvert Posts: 28 Member
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    they say you actually need a mixture of both cardio AND weight training. cardio for calorie burn, and weight training to build muscle, because the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.

    This statement is true. Most people usually only do one or the other due to the time required for both. In general, for weight loss you should focus more on cardio but it is always a good idea to have some resistance training mixed in as well.
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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    Best way to fight gravity is to lift.
  • atynk
    atynk Posts: 400 Member
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    Lifting weights creates bigger muscles, which equals more calories burned at your resting rate so weight loss as well. Cardio is good for burning calories, so weight loss also... Both together are amazing! If you aren't trying to lose weight then add more calories.
    I don't see why you can't increase your strength and cardio.. once your weights are getting too easy you should either 1) increase your weights or 2) increase your reps...

    I don't know exactly what your goal is, but good luck !
  • vtboomamj
    vtboomamj Posts: 4
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    Something that has worked for me is a different type of strength training. Instead of lifting a set and resting for 30-60 seconds, lift a set like a dumb bell bench press. As soon as you finish the bench press, do a standing back exercise such as bent over reverse dumbbell fly, then top it off with a quick set of abs on the bench such as laying down leg lifts. Apply that principle to your entire workout routine and you will end up burning many more calories due to the increase effort. You may have to decrease the amount of weight you usually use at first since your muscles may not be use to the steady succession of sets, with little break in between. I believe the reason why cardio is associated with weight loss is because of the number of calories you are burning while say running. For most people it's a lot easier to do 6-15 reps of a certain weight and then rest for 30 seconds. When you are doing cardio, there is no rest until you are done (unless you are interval training) . Cutting the break in between sets makes the amount of effort you are putting into your strength training increase there for burning more calories. That being said, I still recommend doing cardio and weight training but this method of weight training should increase the amount of calories you are burning during your weight training workouts. I hope this helps.

    Disclaimer: I am no expert :-) I hope this helps you!

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  • exercisesucks
    exercisesucks Posts: 102
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    Best way to fight gravity is to lift.

    Seconded.

    I also want to add, my wife and I have done both P90X (weight training) and Insanity (cardio). I lost 30 lbs doing P90X and 6 lbs on Insanity. In my opinion, weight training creates a greater stress on the total body while cardio has the greater load on the heart and lungs. The increased stress on the body requires a higher calorie burn that lasts well into the next day or two while cardio calorie burn lasts for a few hours at best. Any increased caloric intake will only fuel a higher level of performance for the workouts.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    A number of studies have shown benefits from a combination of strength training and cardio exercise for weight loss, although the mechanisms are not completely understood. It's not because of an increase in resting metabolism, nor is due to "muscle burns more at rest than fat" -- most people cannot gain that much muscle mass and the muscle itself is not as "metabolically active" as people think.

    However, strength training is just good for your overall health and fitness. That should be reason enough.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    October is the month i need to step my strength training up. So the muscle heads at work said i need to increase my weights. But the fitness trainer said to increase my cardio which ive been doing for 1 month.

    Is it true that lifting weights is more effective at losing weight and inches than cardio?? I'm so perplexed!!

    Both might be true. There is no single answer--different bodies respond differently, and the same body can respond differently depending on where you are in your routine.

    The most important factor in losing fat is maintaining a negative energy balance. Cardio contributes to that and so than strength training. They are also good for overall health. I find that a lot of people get a psychological boost from strength training and greater motivation and adherence that far outstrips any physical benefits.

    Strength training and cardio are not "either/or" -- it's not a zero sum game where one can only benefit at the expense of the other.
  • tameka1220
    tameka1220 Posts: 517 Member
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    Thanks pals! Right now my goal is to lose more lbs, decrease my clothes size and tone up become more defined. When I hit my slump (no weight loss as far as lbs) i wonder what to do.

    Here's what i do currently: 50 mins cardio everyday (either intervals on the treadmill for 45 mins and 5 mins on the stair stepper or 45 mins intervals on the elliptical and 5 mins stairs or sometimes i do 25 mins elliptical and 20 mins treadmill and 5 mins stair), 20 mins strength training on a different part of the body each day (2 sets of 12 reps).

    I stick to my 1200 calories everyday, never eat my exercise calories. I used to and noticed when i do, i dont lose or gain lbs, so i went back to just sticking to 1200 cals no matter what.

    What do you all think?
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
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    A couple of articles I like to link when questions like this come up:

    http://www.stumptuous.com/lies-in-the-gym
    http://www.stumptuous.com/no-fat-chicks

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