Strength training vs Cardio

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  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    No reason it needs to be different for males vs. females.

    agreed.
  • carberrie
    carberrie Posts: 12 Member
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    It's actually very different for males vs. females due to hormonal makeup, especially during the weeks before/after your period. My advice is do 3x week HIIT cardio no more than 30 minute per time, and up the weights to 4-5 days per week. Check out a class like BODYPUMP or at home Les Mills PUMP for a great total body weights class. Focus on cutting as much sugar out of your diet as you can and amping up veggies and lean protein. The "fluff" will fall off and you will lean out. Chasing calories with cardio is unsustainable and can lead to metabolic damage.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    It's actually very different for males vs. females due to hormonal makeup, especially during the weeks before/after your period. My advice is do 3x week HIIT cardio no more than 30 minute per time, and up the weights to 4-5 days per week. Check out a class like BODYPUMP or at home Les Mills PUMP for a great total body weights class. Focus on cutting as much sugar out of your diet as you can and amping up veggies and lean protein. The "fluff" will fall off and you will lean out. Chasing calories with cardio is unsustainable and can lead to metabolic damage.

    can you elaborate?
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
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    With weight training, you may not lose a lot of weight, but you will lose inches, and drop clothing size. You will burn fat with weight training, and it will also increase your metabolism. I would do the 3-4 days cardio, and 3 days weights for about 30-60 min's per session, like the other guy said. I do New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women, and it is AMAZING!!!! I've seen great results, and major changes in my strength. I've really had a hard time losing inches in my belly, due to my last pregnancy. Everything's really tightening up now. :) Someone recommended the book to me, and I love it! :D
  • carberrie
    carberrie Posts: 12 Member
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    It's actually very different for males vs. females due to hormonal makeup, especially during the weeks before/after your period. My advice is do 3x week HIIT cardio no more than 30 minute per time, and up the weights to 4-5 days per week. Check out a class like BODYPUMP or at home Les Mills PUMP for a great total body weights class. Focus on cutting as much sugar out of your diet as you can and amping up veggies and lean protein. The "fluff" will fall off and you will lean out. Chasing calories with cardio is unsustainable and can lead to metabolic damage.

    can you elaborate?

    Sure. Check out this article: http://www.metaboliceffect.com/female-fat-loss/ Once I started eating to balance my hormones, it became so much easier to manage cravings and energy
  • BenjaminMFP88
    BenjaminMFP88 Posts: 660 Member
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    I heard strength training increases your metabolism so I thought it might help in my weight loss. I need to lose about 18 lbs.

    Muscles will in a sense increase your BMR but mostly, fat loss will come from proper diet and the right kinds of exercies. I woulc recommend 3-4 weight days, and 2 HIIT cardio days on the days you don't lift. If you want additional cardio, try not to do them within a few hours before weights and opt for after weights.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I only skimmed the article as I'm at work, but my take away is this:

    1) It's harder for women to lose fat from their butt and thighs than it is for me, but it's harder for men to lose from the midsection (i.e. trouble areas typically associated with the genders).

    2) hormone cycles in women impact water retention.


    So, my response to your claim that is is different for men vs women... No, it's not.

    Calorie deficit and some exercise = fat loss. Where you lose it from may well vary person to person, gender to gender. But to this point, no one has split that particular hair. Similarly, hormone differences may well cause bloating... but that too is unrelated to fat loss.

    I'm not saying your points are wrong, I'm just saying they are irrelevant to the conversation, at least to this point given how general the posts has been.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    I only skimmed the article as I'm at work, but my take away is this:

    1) It's harder for women to lose fat from their butt and thighs than it is for me, but it's harder for men to lose from the midsection (i.e. trouble areas typically associated with the genders).

    2) hormone cycles in women impact water retention.


    So, my response to your claim that is is different for men vs women... No, it's not.

    Calorie deficit and some exercise = fat loss. Where you lose it from may well vary person to person, gender to gender. But to this point, no one has split that particular hair. Similarly, hormone differences may well cause bloating... but that too is unrelated to fat loss.

    I'm not saying your points are wrong, I'm just saying they are irrelevant to the conversation, at least to this point given how general the posts has been.

    Agreed. I am struggling to see the difference between women and men when it comes to strength training vs cardio. Every member has suggested an increase in ST and decrease in cardio, which is the same response we would give for a man. Weight training not only improves muscle retention, it will strengthen all parts of your body.


    Also, this article talks about increasing fruits (sugar) and veggies which is always a good option for nutrients and minerals (again this is suggested quite often).
  • Mr_Excitement
    Mr_Excitement Posts: 833 Member
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    I'd say do the one you enjoy more. It's a long haul, so the most effective exercise routine is the one you'll do consistently.
  • _Josee_
    _Josee_ Posts: 625 Member
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    I only skimmed the article as I'm at work, but my take away is this:

    1) It's harder for women to lose fat from their butt and thighs than it is for me, but it's harder for men to lose from the midsection (i.e. trouble areas typically associated with the genders).

    2) hormone cycles in women impact water retention.


    So, my response to your claim that is is different for men vs women... No, it's not.

    Calorie deficit and some exercise = fat loss. Where you lose it from may well vary person to person, gender to gender. But to this point, no one has split that particular hair. Similarly, hormone differences may well cause bloating... but that too is unrelated to fat loss.

    I'm not saying your points are wrong, I'm just saying they are irrelevant to the conversation, at least to this point given how general the posts has been.

    ^^^ This! You can lose 5 lbs of fat and weight the same because of water retention... But the 5 lbs of fat will still be gone...

    I hate those type of stereotypes!
  • nm212
    nm212 Posts: 570 Member
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    What is HIIT?? I'm not up with the lingo on here yet...thanks for the article . I will check it out!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    What is HIIT?? I'm not up with the lingo on here yet...thanks for the article . I will check it out!

    High intensity interval training... high spurts of all out cardio followed by short intervals of rest.
  • pavrg
    pavrg Posts: 277 Member
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    Muscles will in a sense increase your BMR but mostly, fat loss will come from proper diet and the right kinds of exercies. I woulc recommend 3-4 weight days, and 2 HIIT cardio days on the days you don't lift. If you want additional cardio, try not to do them within a few hours before weights and opt for after weights.
    I disagree with the general sentiment in this thread that you cannot do cardio and lift on the same day. Barring some kind of abnormal physical condition, you can handle doing both with only a 5-10 minute rest between cardio and lifting weights (and you should do both if overall fitness is your goal).

    So to answer OP's original question: it's not an either-or proposition. If you are going to strength train, however, you should be doing a full-body workout 3x/week, at least 3-4x a week if doing a two-day split, and at least 6 days a week if doing a 3 day split. Otherwise, you're mostly wasting your time.

    In case you needed to know, a 'split' refers to breaking up lifting days into certain body parts or exercises because few people have 2 hours a pop to do a whole body workout in one lifting session. For beginners, a lot of fitness experts recommend a two day split.
  • nm212
    nm212 Posts: 570 Member
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    How LONG do you have to lift in order for it to make a difference? I've been mixing up my routines more with 10-15 min weights and then 30-45 min cardio, but is that enough? I have resistance on my bike too when I do spinning, so that is also strength training or no?
  • pavrg
    pavrg Posts: 277 Member
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    If you do a proper routine/workout and eat properly, typically 1 month you'll see a slight difference, 3 months and people who know you will notice a difference, 6 months and strangers will think you work out.

    If you do an ineffective routine like lifting 5 lb dumbbells while balancing on a rubber ball, it could be much longer than that.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    How LONG do you have to lift in order for it to make a difference? I've been mixing up my routines more with 10-15 min weights and then 30-45 min cardio, but is that enough? I have resistance on my bike too when I do spinning, so that is also strength training or no?
    it varies. I have seen some big improvements in a month and that is even with maintaining weight for the last 6 weeks. It's going to depend on diet and routine.

    Spinning will probably count as resistance training for the legs but I am not sure it will provide the same effect as traditional weight training.

    Honestly, I would do 30-45 minutes of weight training and 15 minutes of cardio. It would be pretty difficult to maximize hypertrophy with only 15 minutes of training.

    BTW, whats your routine?
  • nm212
    nm212 Posts: 570 Member
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    LOL 5lbs on a rubber ball....funny. No I've been doing 8lbs or 7.5 for triceps and 12.5 for biceps (cause they are stronger and can handle). I started with 5 lbs but working my way up. I usually do alot with legs with my cardio and spinning, so that's why I've been focusing more on Arms for weights. I LOVE cardio so I know I will not give that up. It keeps me level-headed and the serotonin release does wonders for me. If I have to do weights for 30 min, on top of that, I will. I usually do 2 or 3 sets of bicep curls, 3 sets triceps (not sure what it's called...the behind lifting and then I do the one above my head for 3 sets too). 10-12 reps in each set
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    Drop cardio to 3 days a week and add 3 days of weight training.

    This is what I do. 3 days of each. The combination is what's getting me to my fitness goals.
  • conqkm11
    conqkm11 Posts: 62
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    Lifting sessions are way important than cardio ..a 30- 60 min cardio session 3 or 5 /week is more than enough to up ur metabolism..but u should mainly focus on lifting weight and eating enough wile losing to maintain ur muscles ...i would suggest 4 days lifting and 25 min cardio afterwards on the same day and one 30 -60 min cardio on any rest day .
  • nm212
    nm212 Posts: 570 Member
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    Thanks for all the support. I mean honestly, I am already pretty toned. I have gone to the gym pretty much since college, so that's like 10+ years...and am an avid Yoga practitioner.

    My main goal is to just lose weight as quickly and efficiently as possible. Strength training is totally new to me so that's why I posted this blog. I just have to see how I can fit it into my lifestyle and if it will truly be beneficial for me. I don't want to bulk up, I want to thin down :).

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