Good idea! Let's talk about cardio v weights again!!!

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2

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  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    The fact that you asked this question confirms my suspicions.


    Out of interest, is there any particular reason you feel the need to be a total *kitten* to her? Because, let's face it, you:

    a) Came to the opinion that she wouldn't be lifting heavy enough apropos of absolutely nothing stated in her post
    and
    b) When she then, rightly, calls you on how on earth you came to that conclusion based on absolutely nothing you take her query as confirmation for the conclusions that you've concocted out of thin air

    Op - if you've got 30 minutes I'd alternate a cardio day with a weights day.

    Does being an *kitten* make me wrong?

    And being helpful vs being an *kitten* is subjecting. Being right vs wrong isn't.
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
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    Does being an *kitten* make me wrong?

    And being helpful vs being an *kitten* is subjecting. Being right vs wrong isn't.


    a) You don't know whether you're right or wrong because you drew a conclusion based on zero evidence. You may as well have said "I know there's a pink teapot circling Mars...because I said so"
    b) The word you're looking for is 'subjective'.
  • okgal247
    okgal247 Posts: 68 Member
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    [/quote]

    You're right, I don't. So unless you want to provide that context when you ask questions, all I can do is make assumptions.
    [/quote]

    You're right. I do appreciate what you have just said- I was just confused as to what you would consider "heavy enough," I really don't get that. I would lift with a weight that would make my muscle physically fatigued at the end of the set.

    Thanks, again.
  • okgal247
    okgal247 Posts: 68 Member
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    Not sure if anyone said this because I didn't read all of the posts in between: Mix them up, make your weight lifting routine cardio in nature. Not that hard to do. Actually that is how I run all of my workouts.

    I like that idea, too! Thank you!!
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    You're right, I don't. So unless you want to provide that context when you ask questions, all I can do is make assumptions.

    You're right. I do appreciate what you have just said- I was just confused as to what you would consider "heavy enough," I really don't get that. I would lift with a weight that would make my muscle physically fatigued at the end of the set.

    Thanks, again.

    Lifting "heavy" would be dependent upon the size of the set. Lifting heavy is usually becoming fatigued at lower number of reps.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Does being an *kitten* make me wrong?

    And being helpful vs being an *kitten* is subjecting. Being right vs wrong isn't.


    a) You don't know whether you're right or wrong because you drew a conclusion based on zero evidence. You may as well have said "I know there's a pink teapot circling Mars...because I said so"
    b) The word you're looking for is 'subjective'.

    You're right... I should proofread before hitting the reply button. I apologize if my type-o made it difficult for you to understand my post. Or perhaps you're just being an *kitten*.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    I'll try to break it down a little with my thoughts....
    I know that muscle will burn more calories than fat.
    The difference is actually not that great (often wayyyyy over-stated!).
    If I broke up each 30 minute session into 15 min cardio/15 min weights (upper, lower, abs depending on the day) would it be worth it?
    IMO that's going to be largely a waste - 30 minutes isn't much time, let alone enough time do both properly. Cardio one day and weights another would be my preference. If you concentrate on compound lifts and work alternating opposing muscles with little time between sets then you could pack in a reasonable full body routine. Otherwise pick one of the established beginner routines.
    And if I do only cardio... does that make me skinny fat? I've literally never heard of that term until yesterday! :tongue:
    Depends what you have under the fat you are trying to lose. As you have trained in the past and assuming you retain the majority of your lean mass by losing weight at a steady/sensible rate you shouldn't be "skinny fat". Small amounts of cardio certainly aren't going to burn off lean mass if you have a sensible diet.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    You're right. I do appreciate what you have just said- I was just confused as to what you would consider "heavy enough," I really don't get that. I would lift with a weight that would make my muscle physically fatigued at the end of the set.

    Thanks, again.

    Lifting heavy is relative, and what's heavy for you may or may not be heavy for someone else. It's generally related to lifting to failure (at least in terms of form if not completion) in lower rep ranges. So for me, I can bench 185lbs 4 times. To me, that's heavy. To someone who can bench 225 10 times, it clearly isn't.

    And I'm not trying to be judgmental or insulting or anything else. But when people ask about mixing cardio with lifting, they are rarely talking about heavy lifting because both require significant effort, and whichever you do first will fatigue enough such that you can't do the second (speaking very generally, there are some exceptions). If you really think you can do a cardio workout immediately followed by a weight workout, neither is probably intense enough to be of significant value. That's why I said you probably wouldn't be lifting heavy enough for it to really matter.

    Again, anything is better than nothing. But if you want real benefit, real progress, break up the cardio and weights and give 100% to whichever you are doing on any given day.

    Ultimately though, it really comes down to the effort you give. If you give 100% effort to a "less efficient" program (like 15/15), you may well see better results than if you halfass a "better" routine. So the effort you give and you're willingness to stick with it play a role in your decision too.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    I only lift twice a week for 3-45 minutes. As heavy as I can, so about 135lbs for squat, 115lbs for bench, 185lbs for dead, currently.

    My routine:

    A:
    Squats: 3x5
    Bench: 3x5
    Dumbbell rows: 3x8
    Shoulder press: 3x8

    B:
    Deadlifts: 3x5
    OHP: 3x5
    Pendlay Rows: 3x5
    Bench Press: 3x5

    ETA: I do cardio very sporadically. Maybe a mountain bike ride once every two weeks, or jump on the stair climber in the basement whenever I drag myself out of bed early. Maybe sometimes I'll be more focused on it.
  • compgeek812
    compgeek812 Posts: 57 Member
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    Check out this article: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/weight-training-for-fat-loss-part-1.html
    Has some really good information relevant to your question as well as some training options on page two.
  • okgal247
    okgal247 Posts: 68 Member
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    The fact that you asked this question confirms my suspicions.


    Out of interest, is there any particular reason you feel the need to be a total *kitten* to her? Because, let's face it, you:

    a) Came to the opinion that she wouldn't be lifting heavy enough apropos of absolutely nothing stated in her post
    and
    b) When she then, rightly, calls you on how on earth you came to that conclusion based on absolutely nothing you take her query as confirmation for the conclusions that you've concocted out of thin air

    Op - if you've got 30 minutes I'd alternate a cardio day with a weights day.

    Thank you for the suggestion - and MY GOODNESS... I thought it was just me!! I'm not here to start a fight. I'm not here for drama, and just wanted to keep the peace. I just had a question. So thank you for that, as well.

    Maybe I'll go every other day with full body and cardio. Again- it'll be trial and error :smile:
  • p4ulmiller
    p4ulmiller Posts: 588 Member
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    And if I do only cardio... does that make me skinny fat? I've literally never heard of that term until yesterday! :tongue:

    post-8255-OH-HELL-TO-THE-NO-gifs-veiL.gif
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    I read an awesome article yesterday that cleared it up for me. It basically said that cardio makes you a smaller version of yourself, with all the existing strengths and weaknesses exposed. So if you have no muscle tone, it's going to show. The opposite also applies. I don't know about you but I'm not just going for a smaller version of myself here! :)
    hey, can you share that article?
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    Well, that escalated quickly. :D

    I'd say it won't have a big effect initially because you'll be lifting quite light (relatively) so your muscles will still be small (relatively). However, if you put the time and effort in, you'll reap rewards in the long run as you lift far heavier weights than you thought possible as you'll have a larger LBM. Also, WD = F x d.

    Tis a bit like a pension plan.

    There are some amazing women on here with great physiques who can shift heavy weights so it is certainly achievable in the long term. :)
  • okgal247
    okgal247 Posts: 68 Member
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    Well, that escalated quickly. :D

    ^This. Haha!

    Awesome, thank you for the advice. I've never been "weak" per say, but I definitely understand what you're saying. Thank you again!
  • doughnutwretch
    doughnutwretch Posts: 498 Member
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    IMO, I'd lift over cardio, but I don't have a love of cardio like is sounds like you do. That and like you mentioned, long term, you'll burn more calories throughout the day if you lift regularly, along with a whole slew of other health benefits.

    I'd aim for 2-3 lifting sessions a week doing either a full body or upper/lower split with super-sets if you can only manage 30 minutes, and 1-2 cardio sessions. Maybe go for a run early in the a.m. before starting your day.

    As for lifting not having a big impact since you're just starting out and may not be as strong as someone who's lifted consistently for years, as others have mentioned, that's a bunch of bull. If you take full advantage of the beginner's gains, you can make substantial improvements over 6 months.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    Well, that escalated quickly. :D

    ^This. Haha!

    Awesome, thank you for the advice. I've never been "weak" per say, but I definitely understand what you're saying. Thank you again!

    I'm not saying you're weak. Maybe you can squat 50kg (which I'd say isn't "weak") but if someone can squat 150kg they're going to do more work than you to lower and raise the load plus their muscles are going to be bigger so they'll burn more fat whilst they sleep.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Do an actual program...don't make up your own, you do not yet possess the requisite knowledge to do so. If you want to do a traditional "heavy" strength routine look at Starting Strength or Strong Lifts. These are geared towards the beginner lifter and you make rapid progressions starting from basically ground zero. These are both 3x weekly full body routines that offer a big bang for your time and energy buck. New Rules of Lifting for Women is another lifting program but it is more of a hypertrophy/physique routine than a "heavy" routine.

    Heavy doesn't refer as much to the weight as it does the rep range. Typically when people talk about lifting "heavy" they're talking about a traditional strength program as I've mentioned above that has you working in the 3-5 rep range for optimal strength gains where you're pretty much at failure on that last rep. Hypertrophy routines typically have you working in the 8-12 rep range and while it is lifting/weight training, most people don't refer to this as "heavy"...though some body builders refer to their 8 rep sets as their "heavy" sets.

    At any rate if I could only do one it would be lifting...LBM burns calories at rest...it is one of the main reasons men burn more calories in general than women...we tend to have more LBM. If it were me that's where I'd put my focus and then throw in some cardio as I have time. I do my cardio on non lifting days and it is often something as benign as taking my dog for a walk...but I ride my bike a lot mostly.
  • chatogal
    chatogal Posts: 436 Member
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    What I have noticed on this site in the forums is that some people (in general they appear to have a lot of posts) feel so superior that it gives them the right to patronise and generally belittle people who have been here for a lesser time. I realise that these same big-heads might have seen the same questions posed and might be fed up of answering, but they have the CHOICE not to answer...I would urge these people to take that choice if they are feeling in a sarcastic mood. OP, good luck with your choices ????
  • okgal247
    okgal247 Posts: 68 Member
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    Well, that escalated quickly. :D

    ^This. Haha!

    Awesome, thank you for the advice. I've never been "weak" per say, but I definitely understand what you're saying. Thank you again!

    I'm not saying you're weak. Maybe you can squat 50kg (which I'd say isn't "weak") but if someone can squat 150kg they're going to do more work than you to lower and raise the load plus their muscles are going to be bigger so they'll burn more fat whilst they sleep.

    To be honest, I was multi-tasking when I wrote that. I'm not even sure why I put that in there. Maybe I meant that, even without out-right weight lifting, I've always had muscle definition in certain areas- obviously not as much as I would like! Haha! End point: what you're saying makes sense. What you said what great advice.

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