Cardio AND strength training?

Danielamarie4
Danielamarie4 Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
So on a daily basis I mostly focus on Cardio because I hear that is the fastest way to burn fat. Now, i still have a bit of unwanted belly fat but I still want to tone my body and stomach so it'll be less jiggly. Can incorporate some easy beginner weight workouts? I plan on running around the lake that is behind my house and then doing cardio workouts I got off of Pinterest which sound really amazing and effective. After that I have a medicine ball and some ankle weights that i will be substituting for dumbells. I plan on doing a couple of moves with them and hope fully "tone" my body a bit. Should I do this routine everyday to see some small changes? Thanks for the feedback. :smile:

Replies

  • EricaFaythe
    EricaFaythe Posts: 37 Member
    You're going to have a lot of people tell you that you should be lifting something that's more substantial than an ankle weight, and I tend to agree with them. If your purse weighs more than the ankle weights that you're using, then you need to upgrade. Also, you shouldn't do the same exercises or target the same muscle groups every single day. You should be alternating or giving yourself rest days to allow muscles to repair themselves, because it's during the rest days that your muscles actually grow and regenerate. Also, in order to truly build some muscles and increase the tension of your muscles (aka: tone), you need to do more than a couple of moves. :) If you're looking at lifting, I love Muffin Topless's website--specifically, her summer weight lifting challenge is awesome and a great point of reference for beginners.
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
    Do cardio and lift heavy. You'll get good results from lifting heavy and unless you start taking obscene amounts of testosterone you won't get all big and bulky. Doing both will only help, not hurt you.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    So on a daily basis I mostly focus on Cardio because I hear that is the fastest way to burn fat. Now, i still have a bit of unwanted belly fat but I still want to tone my body and stomach so it'll be less jiggly.Can incorporate some easy beginner weight workouts? I plan on running around the lake that is behind my house and then doing cardio workouts I got off of Pinterest which sound really amazing and effective. After that I have a medicine ball and some ankle weights that i will be substituting for dumbells. I plan on doing a couple of moves with them and hope fully "tone" my body a bit. Should I do this routine everyday to see some small changes? Thanks for the feedback. :smile:

    Easy? Probably not going to get a lot of results if its easy but you may want to look at a beginner body weight workout routine to get you started.

    Here is a decent one.
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    So on a daily basis I mostly focus on Cardio because I hear that is the fastest way to burn fat. Now, i still have a bit of unwanted belly fat but I still want to tone my body and stomach so it'll be less jiggly. Can incorporate some easy beginner weight workouts? I plan on running around the lake that is behind my house and then doing cardio workouts I got off of Pinterest which sound really amazing and effective. After that I have a medicine ball and some ankle weights that i will be substituting for dumbells. I plan on doing a couple of moves with them and hope fully "tone" my body a bit. Should I do this routine everyday to see some small changes? Thanks for the feedback. :smile:

    Doing moves with ankle weights is poor cardio, not strength training. Well, unless you have spent the last year in a coma or cast.
  • Danielamarie4
    Danielamarie4 Posts: 5
    Actually im going to be doing both separately. I know cardio with ankle weights is bad. I'm not going to be wearing them AND doing cardio. I'm going to lift the ankle weights AFTER cardio.
  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
    Actually im going to be doing both separately. I know cardio with ankle weights is bad. I'm not going to be wearing them AND doing cardio. I'm going to lift the ankle weights AFTER cardio.

    Regardless. You say you want to "tone" there is no such thing as toning, it's called muscles and they are built by lifting heavy. When I say heavy I mean the bar weight 45lbs before you even add the weight on it. Ankle weight won't do anything but frustrate you in the long run..

    I suggest you look into starting Strength (SS) or Stronglifts (SL 5x5) and drop the cardio a bit
  • Quieau
    Quieau Posts: 428 Member
    In for the advice ... :heart:
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Getting 'toned' is essentially decreasing BF%, for which you should be strength training. Lifting anything that is ''easy'' is unlikely to achieve the results you are looking for. The weights should be challenging, and the weights should increase progressively so that you are constantly being challenged.

    Body weight exercises are a good place to start but sooner or later you will need more weight to continue seeing results.

    As already suggested, look up Strong Lifts or Starting Strength as beginner routines.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    cardio is a great way for people to create a calorie deficit, and some people lose weight like that. strength training will burn fat, while also helping you achieve the body you probably desire.

    a medicine ball is good for some exercises. check out wall balls and ball slams. ankle weights... eh. i feel that they're more of a hindrance than anything. you can use them on some floor exercises like flutter kicks, and leg raises, but i wouldn't use them for anything more high impact.

    if you aren't going to a gym, i suggest you check out "you are your own gym" for ideas on body weight work outs.

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