Looking to lose body fat - Cardio vs Strength Training

smashley_mashley
smashley_mashley Posts: 589 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm looking to lose some body fat - I will be doing a combo of strength training and cardio - what should I be doing more of? cardio (elliptical & swimming) or weight training?

thx.

Replies

  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Doesn't matter.

    Eating at a deficit will lose body fat.

    Cardio & ST burn calories.
  • rosettafaery
    rosettafaery Posts: 102 Member
    At the gym I've been given a program containing a mix of both cardio and strength training.
    I warm up on the elliptical, do my main cardio on the bike, workout on the weight machines (pull down, chest press, leg press and some other machines) and then cool down on a handbike.

    As far as I understand both cardio and strength help burn fat but the strength training will help tone your body and ensure there is no loose skin after weight loss. But someone will be able to correct me if I'm wrong.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    It depends on how much time you have to devote to this. So...how much time do you have to devote to this?
  • xapril77x
    xapril77x Posts: 248 Member
    Bump for later
  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
    I'd suggest more strength than cardio. typicaly, I start with 5min cardio warm-up then my weight training plan which is usually 45-50 min and then end with HIIT cardio for no more than 20 min.

    It's best to do any cardio after a weight session because weight lifting typically depletes any glycogen stores(burns carbs) so doing cardio afterwards will probably yield better fat loss results. But, it all comes down to your DIET
  • somerisagirlsname
    somerisagirlsname Posts: 467 Member
    I do more cardio than strength, but I have A LOT to lose. I also can only manage lifting 3X a week right now due to my body not being used to it. Those squats are killer.
  • lannasster
    lannasster Posts: 49
    I'd suggest more strength than cardio. typicaly, I start with 5min cardio warm-up then my weight training plan which is usually 45-50 min and then end with HIIT cardio for no more than 20 min.

    It's best to do any cardio after a weight session because weight lifting typically depletes any glycogen stores(burns carbs) so doing cardio afterwards will probably yield better fat loss results. But, it all comes down to your DIET

    This. I focus more on strength training than cardio. My lifting sessions are 40-60 minutes long, then 20 minutes of HIIT...or on the one day a week when I'm not lifting, I do an hour long kickboxing class.

    I've had better results focusing on strength training than I have focusing on cardio.
  • SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish
    SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish Posts: 831 Member
    Weight training for strength and long term loss, plus maintenance after I reach my goal, plus balancing the amount of food I typically eat. Cardio afterwards for balancing your short term diet, or when you go over and eat half a pizza, that's how I look at it.
  • koing
    koing Posts: 179 Member
    People who predominately do cardio look between the first and second picture. The people who do weights and build MUSCLE will look between the second and third picture. You decide what you want to look like.

    http://emotemedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/emote-300x300.jpg

    Strength train 2-3x a week : Builds/ maintain muscle mass
    Cardio 2-3x a week : Helps to build a calorie deficit, e.g. you eat 2000cal, you burn 300cal today, your net cal is 1700 for today

    More focus on strength is more important imo.

    Your diet is the most important thing in losing fat. You can't exercise a bad diet away unless you are spending hrs and hrs in the gym and even then you will look more like the second image.

    Koing
  • rachjenn
    rachjenn Posts: 87
    Cardio will help you reduce the fat so you can see the muscle definition better.

    I'd suggest doing light weights, lots of reps, and lots of cardio. I wouldn't suggest doing heavy weights, as like me, it's made me heavier & increased my size, when I wanted to reduce my size. My fat has reduced but I still look the same due to the muscle replacing the fat.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Cardio will help you reduce the fat so you can see the muscle definition better.

    I'd suggest doing light weights, lots of reps, and lots of cardio. I wouldn't suggest doing heavy weights, as like me, it's made me heavier & increased my size, when I wanted to reduce my size. My fat has reduced but I still look the same due to the muscle replacing the fat.

    Cardio does not burn fat, it burns cals, so if you eat the cals back, for fat/weight loss there will be no difference whether you do cardio or not.

    Strength training on the other hand will help you retain the muscle you already have while eating at a deficit (other than losing fat and muscle) meaning you will be a lower BF% at every weight during the weight loss journey.

    and I 100% disagree with light weight lots of reps. I would suggest lifting in the 3-12 rep range, during a deficit I would suggest the lower 3-6 rep ranges for most exercises.
  • rachjenn
    rachjenn Posts: 87
    Cardio will help you reduce the fat so you can see the muscle definition better.

    I'd suggest doing light weights, lots of reps, and lots of cardio. I wouldn't suggest doing heavy weights, as like me, it's made me heavier & increased my size, when I wanted to reduce my size. My fat has reduced but I still look the same due to the muscle replacing the fat.

    Cardio does not burn fat, it burns cals, so if you eat the cals back, for fat/weight loss there will be no difference whether you do cardio or not.

    Strength training on the other hand will help you retain the muscle you already have while eating at a deficit (other than losing fat and muscle) meaning you will be a lower BF% at every weight during the weight loss journey.

    and I 100% disagree with light weight lots of reps. I would suggest lifting in the 3-12 rep range, during a deficit I would suggest the lower 3-6 rep ranges for most exercises.

    I didn't say cardio burns fat. She doesn't mention if she wants to reduce her size or not, whilst reducing b/f. Lots of reps would help to reduce her size increasing. I've been doing your way, which has increased my size but it's reduced my b/f.

    This website gives more info - it isn't a one-answer-fits-all. http://www.builtlean.com/2012/07/19/high-reps-vs-low-reps/
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    Ultimately, eating less than you need, will help lose/burn body fat.

    But in the long run, putting on muscle will benefit you.

    The more LBM (lean body mass) you have, the more calories you burn throughout your day......so you will require a higher caloric intake with the more muscle you have.

    So if you like cardio, then do about 2 days of cardio....but I would encourage you to push some iron around 3 - 4 times a week, and put on muscle.

    As you lose the fat, your body will be better defined. :wink:

    I don't do any cardio myself......except for when I do tire flips and sled pushes maybe once a week.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Cardio will help you reduce the fat so you can see the muscle definition better.

    I'd suggest doing light weights, lots of reps, and lots of cardio. I wouldn't suggest doing heavy weights, as like me, it's made me heavier & increased my size, when I wanted to reduce my size. My fat has reduced but I still look the same due to the muscle replacing the fat.

    Cardio does not burn fat, it burns cals, so if you eat the cals back, for fat/weight loss there will be no difference whether you do cardio or not.

    Strength training on the other hand will help you retain the muscle you already have while eating at a deficit (other than losing fat and muscle) meaning you will be a lower BF% at every weight during the weight loss journey.

    and I 100% disagree with light weight lots of reps. I would suggest lifting in the 3-12 rep range, during a deficit I would suggest the lower 3-6 rep ranges for most exercises.

    I didn't say cardio burns fat. She doesn't mention if she wants to reduce her size or not, whilst reducing b/f. Lots of reps would help to reduce her size increasing. I've been doing your way, which has increased my size but it's reduced my b/f.

    This website gives more info - it isn't a one-answer-fits-all. http://www.builtlean.com/2012/07/19/high-reps-vs-low-reps/

    How long have you been doing heavy weight low reps? And were you on a deficit? Did you just go by looks or did you actually measure yourself over a period of time? If you were cutting calories and were accurate on it, you wouldn't have gained much muscle other than the initial newbie gain. You might have swelled due to water retention for muscle repair. When I lift heavy, depending on the day, I can swell due to water retention a bit. After a while the high rep/low weight stops encouraging strength and simply helps with muscle endurance. Which is fine...but I can get the same benefit doing arm circles or running.
  • Ransyh
    Ransyh Posts: 1
    Came across this after browsing the web:

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/02/01/what-burns-more-calories-cardio-intervals-or-weight-training/

    Don't know how accurate it is, but seems to at least have some truth to it. In the end what you eat is the main factor for weight loss.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Cardio will help you reduce the fat so you can see the muscle definition better.

    I'd suggest doing light weights, lots of reps, and lots of cardio. I wouldn't suggest doing heavy weights, as like me, it's made me heavier & increased my size, when I wanted to reduce my size. My fat has reduced but I still look the same due to the muscle replacing the fat.

    Cardio does not burn fat, it burns cals, so if you eat the cals back, for fat/weight loss there will be no difference whether you do cardio or not.

    Strength training on the other hand will help you retain the muscle you already have while eating at a deficit (other than losing fat and muscle) meaning you will be a lower BF% at every weight during the weight loss journey.

    and I 100% disagree with light weight lots of reps. I would suggest lifting in the 3-12 rep range, during a deficit I would suggest the lower 3-6 rep ranges for most exercises.

    I didn't say cardio burns fat. She doesn't mention if she wants to reduce her size or not, whilst reducing b/f. Lots of reps would help to reduce her size increasing. I've been doing your way, which has increased my size but it's reduced my b/f.

    This website gives more info - it isn't a one-answer-fits-all. http://www.builtlean.com/2012/07/19/high-reps-vs-low-reps/

    Diet increases your size, not the lifting. If you were getting bigger, noticeably, you were eating in a caloric surplus, noticing noob gainz, mistaking "pump" for gains, or mistaking muscle definition for gains.

    Gaining muscle is extremely hard (especially for a female), takes an insane amount of work and dedication, and the building blocks to do it.

    Light weights at high reps is cardio.....
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    Light weights at high reps is cardio.....

    :laugh: :laugh:
    That is the best way, I have ever heard (or read) it stated....

    Clear, concise, and to the point.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Cardio will help you reduce the fat so you can see the muscle definition better.

    I'd suggest doing light weights, lots of reps, and lots of cardio. I wouldn't suggest doing heavy weights, as like me, it's made me heavier & increased my size, when I wanted to reduce my size. My fat has reduced but I still look the same due to the muscle replacing the fat.

    Cardio does not burn fat, it burns cals, so if you eat the cals back, for fat/weight loss there will be no difference whether you do cardio or not.

    Strength training on the other hand will help you retain the muscle you already have while eating at a deficit (other than losing fat and muscle) meaning you will be a lower BF% at every weight during the weight loss journey.

    and I 100% disagree with light weight lots of reps. I would suggest lifting in the 3-12 rep range, during a deficit I would suggest the lower 3-6 rep ranges for most exercises.

    ^^^^ This ^^^^
  • BodyReshape
    BodyReshape Posts: 4
    Doesn't matter.

    Eating at a deficit will lose body fat.

    Cardio & ST burn calories.

    Agreed.

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