Cardio vs weights?

hailie08
hailie08 Posts: 87 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
If I only have time to do cardio or weights, which should I choose? I'm looking to lose about 70lbs and am just getting restarted in this journey:)

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • guroprincess
    guroprincess Posts: 140
    Both. Cardio will burn calories (and make your heart healthy and a bunch of other good benefits) and weights will help you retain the muscle you already have so you won't be skinnyfat at the end of your journey.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    Ideally both tbh. They both do different things, cardio for heart health and weights to help maintain your muscle mass.

    Personally I'd do weights if I could only do one, a progressive lifting program like strong lifts or new rules of lifting for women (which I do) combined with plenty of protein will help you keep as much LMB as possible.

    But Honestly you should do the thing you enjoy and will keep doing for the long term.

    Lol I'm so helpful :wink:
  • elkahallick
    elkahallick Posts: 1,138 Member
    You have to do what you like, otherwise you will stop.... I cut my weight doing strictly weights and dieting...
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,883 Member
    both, I tried just doing weight lifting and my pants didnt fit anymore, they were too small, so I do half cardio and half strength
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
    If I only have time to do cardio or weights, which should I choose? I'm looking to lose about 70lbs and am just getting restarted in this journey:)

    Thanks in advance!

    Circuit training. You'll get the benefit of cardio and strength training in the same workout.
  • stt43
    stt43 Posts: 487
    If you can only do one do cardio. Both burn calories, and lifting weights will give you strength and a better looking physique, but cardio will also give you some muscle and strength, as well as more fitness, endurance, and generally better health than just weights alone would.
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    If you can only do one do cardio. Both burn calories, and lifting weights will give you strength and a better looking physique, but cardio will also give you some muscle and strength, as well as more fitness, endurance, and generally better health than just weights alone would.

    Cardio on a deficit will not give you muscle. A newbie on a heavy lifting plan will only make minimal muscle gains on a deficit at best.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
    Ideally both tbh. They both do different things, cardio for heart health and weights to help maintain your muscle mass.

    Personally I'd do weights if I could only do one, a progressive lifting program like strong lifts or new rules of lifting for women (which I do) combined with plenty of protein will help you keep as much LMB as possible.

    But Honestly you should do the thing you enjoy and will keep doing for the long term.

    Lol I'm so helpful :wink:

    This is excellent advice.

    Strength training will help you build muscle and be happier with your body when you get to goal (as well as all of the other health benefits that lifting will do for you). Cardio will increase your cardiovascular health and give you some extra calories to play with.
  • verodzrosas
    verodzrosas Posts: 84 Member
    Both.
  • hailie08
    hailie08 Posts: 87 Member
    I didn't even think to elaborate more on that. I'm sorry. I am planning on doing both on a routine basis, but I was thinking of days when I only have about 20-30 mins to fit in a workout, if it's better to do one or the other on that day. Sorry for the confusion!
  • Fit_Canadian
    Fit_Canadian Posts: 53
    I'm a fan of both, not because I think one philosophy wins over the other. Like a previous poster on this thread said it's all about what you enjoy doing, I've developed a real love of running so I try to do that when I can and make sure to get good weight training in a few times a week at the very least. At the end of the day it's all about what keeps you moving
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    I didn't even think to elaborate more on that. I'm sorry. I am planning on doing both on a routine basis, but I was thinking of days when I only have about 20-30 mins to fit in a workout, if it's better to do one or the other on that day. Sorry for the confusion!

    Honestly that depends on your routine. If your weights is a full body work out then you want at least a days rest in between lifting days. So if that is a day after lifting then cardio.
  • ramsx1991
    ramsx1991 Posts: 142 Member
    If I only have time to do cardio or weights, which should I choose? I'm looking to lose about 70lbs and am just getting restarted in this journey:)

    Thanks in advance!

    Circuit training. You'll get the benefit of cardio and strength training in the same workout.


    I second this!! If you really only have 20-30 mins try circuit training. You will be able to do both at once. Either that or I would alternate days, one day cardio and the next weights. Myself, I alternate days. I run 3 days a week and I do weights the other 3. This is what works for me.
  • WorkingMomGetsFit
    WorkingMomGetsFit Posts: 70 Member
    I used Focus T25 because you get a combo of both. And the workout is done in 25 minutes!

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