stop overdoing cardio and hit the damn weights!!!
Options
Replies
-
I've only been lifting for about 2 weeks but I LOVE it. I still do cardio but I've cut back on it a little in order to fit my weight training in. I have very advanced osteoarthritis in my right hip and lifting weights, strengthening those hip muscles, actually helps. I'm in a lot less pain since I've been lifting. I want to be fit and healthy, which to me means still doing some cardio to burn those calories but also lifting weights to be strong.0
-
Crafuse I love this article: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/yahoo-spotlight/why-your-cardio-routine-making-you-fat
Thanks for sharing :happy:0 -
Obviously with 15 pages of comments, tl;dr.
But has anyone entered Tae Bo or similar kick boxing workouts into the conversation? Yes, you may not get stronger doing them, but if you put force behind the kicks and punches, resistance bands, all the squats and some videos that have extensive ab workouts at the end..... shouldn't you be able to maintain your lean muscle mass this way too?
I'm not trying to insinuate anything, just asking for opinions. After college I lost 55 lbs doing several exercises including Tae Bo and I think I looked pretty good back then.
There is resistance to this type of exercise. However, you run into the challenge of being able to progressively load (needed to stimulate muscle which is needed to maintain/gain). It really depends on how much weight you have to lose and how challenging the workouts are to your muscles. You can incorporate body weight resistance training that includes progressive loading if you do not want to do 'formal' weight lifting (You Are Your Own Gym and Convict Conditioning are popular).
That being said, one of the ladies on my FL has fantastic body composition and she only just started lifting - she got her body mainly from boxing.
ETA: lol - just noticed that said lady actually posted earlier on this page.0 -
For myself, I do a combo. HIIT about 2x a week and strength 2x a week with walking or some sort of cardio machine thrown in for a warm up. For me, lifting weights helps me deal with pain issues. Wonky knee, bad shoulders and other various stuffs.
...Annnd I look like a beast when I lift heavier than some of the guys at my gym.
0 -
I use weights every so often, but my main goal is to lose the weight I want to lose and then really focus on the weights.
0 -
I use weights every so often, but my main goal is to lose the weight I want to lose and then really focus on the weights.
I don't intend to beat this horse to death...but if you intend to start weight training it is more advisable to start a bit now and try to retain as much lean muscle as you can. Cardio is not going to retain it - it is going to burn some of it off. You can still do cardio but slowly start incorporating some weight/resistance training in now is my advice.0 -
I happen to combine both. Cardio first and then end my work out with weights....
I have been doing that but I think I am going to swap the order. I can run for hours but Oh dear lord those weights will kill me.
Generally it's best to lift weights first. Mainly because when you lift, you want that to be the focus and not be to tired. Also, tired and heavy weights are not a good combo. However, as always it depends on context and what your main focus for your session is.0 -
I use weights every so often, but my main goal is to lose the weight I want to lose and then really focus on the weights.
When you do that, you lose both LBM and Fat. When you lift in a deficit, the scale may move slower, but you will (should) lose inches just as fast. The weight doesn't come off as fast because you're losing mostly fat rather than fat and LBM. Maintaining that LBM is where the "tone" comes from once the fat covering the muscles has been stripped away.
If you lost LBM and fat, then you need to work that much harder in the weight room to get that LBM back. Muscle Mass is extremely hard to gain, and it's even that much harder to gain for women. Why not incorporate strength training now to maintain what you have rather than gambling that you'll be able to put it back on? My 2 cents.0 -
I happen to combine both. Cardio first and then end my work out with weights....
I have been doing that but I think I am going to swap the order. I can run for hours but Oh dear lord those weights will kill me.
Generally it's best to lift weights first. Mainly because when you lift, you want that to be the focus and not be to tired. Also, tired and heavy weights are not a good combo. However, as always it depends on context and what your main focus for your session is.
I really just want results so i think weights will get me there faster than hours of running. I also notice i burn more calories if I lift then go do cardio. Is that accurate or in my head?0 -
Obviously with 15 pages of comments, tl;dr.
But has anyone entered Tae Bo or similar kick boxing workouts into the conversation? Yes, you may not get stronger doing them, but if you put force behind the kicks and punches, resistance bands, all the squats and some videos that have extensive ab workouts at the end..... shouldn't you be able to maintain your lean muscle mass this way too?
I'm not trying to insinuate anything, just asking for opinions. After college I lost 55 lbs doing several exercises including Tae Bo and I think I looked pretty good back then.
There is resistance to this type of exercise. However, you run into the challenge of being able to progressively load (needed to stimulate muscle which is needed to maintain/gain). It really depends on how much weight you have to lose and how challenging the workouts are to your muscles. You can incorporate body weight resistance training that includes progressive loading if you do not want to do 'formal' weight lifting (You Are Your Own Gym and Convict Conditioning are popular).
That being said, one of the ladies on my FL has fantastic body composition and she only just started lifting - she got her body mainly from boxing.
ETA: lol - just noticed that said lady actually posted earlier on this page.
:smooched:0 -
I use weights every so often, but my main goal is to lose the weight I want to lose and then really focus on the weights.
When you do that, you lose both LBM and Fat. When you lift in a deficit, the scale may move slower, but you will (should) lose inches just as fast. The weight doesn't come off as fast because you're losing mostly fat rather than fat and LBM. Maintaining that LBM is where the "tone" comes from once the fat covering the muscles has been stripped away.
If you lost LBM and fat, then you need to work that much harder in the weight room to get that LBM back. Muscle Mass is extremely hard to gain, and it's even that much harder to gain for women. Why not incorporate strength training now to maintain what you have rather than gambling that you'll be able to put it back on? My 2 cents.
0 -
The scale moves slower in a weights-only routine because you burn fewer calories, leading to slower weight loss progress given the same diet.
Neither muscle nor fat instantly synthesizes or metabolizes.0 -
I have lost over 150 pounds and kept it off for several years. As someone who has been a cardio junkie for years, I can attest to the fact that in the last 2 months of cutting cardio down to almost nil and doing weight training 3x week, I have lost 10 pounds. I had plateaued for so long that I had pretty much just given up and figured my body didn't want to lose anymore. i will admit it took a bit of getting used to because i felt the elliptical or Insanity or the treadmill were the only ways I could lose, but the definition of insanity is doing the same over and over and expecting different results.0
-
I had the same thought about resistance training. I know the tae bo, insanity, PX90 type of workouts help with body sculpting and definition. I don't think they incorporate weights. Could be wrong because, I've never done them. But I like light weight lifting (no more than 50 lbs) kickboxing and resistance training. A combo of cardio, weightlifting and resistance works well. I must agree that everyone should do what best suits them. Perhaps as each person reaches a plateau they can switch things up to include something they haven't done before. Just a thought.
Monique0 -
OK, this seriously cracked me up! :drinker:Lift your weights. I'll do my cardio, but if the zombies start chasing us I'm tripping you.
You may outrun me, but if I catch you, I can dead lift your @ss and toss you into the pit. :laugh:
A- I don't have to out run the Zombies. I just have to out run you.
B- Can't catch me with Zombies munchin on your @ss.
C- The pit? Seriously? I'm 51yo and have nooo ploblem jumping in the pit. of course it freaked my kids out the first time they saw mosh....
NOW GET IN THE PIT AND TRY TO LOVE SOMEONE!0 -
I had the same thought about resistance training. I know the tae bo, insanity, PX90 type of workouts help with body sculpting and definition. I don't think they incorporate weights. Could be wrong because, I've never done them. But I like light weight lifting (no more than 50 lbs) kickboxing and resistance training. A combo of cardio, weightlifting and resistance works well. I must agree that everyone should do what best suits them. Perhaps as each person reaches a plateau they can switch things up to include something they haven't done before. Just a thought.
Monique
Just to interrupt...P90X incorporates weights, body resistance, cardio, kickboxing, yoga, stretching, plyo....it's not a bad system if you are at home IMO......end of interruption.0 -
at 300+ lbs, and a former cardioholic..i say lifting>cardio anyday. I have seen people literally look like someone else in a little over a year by losing weight doing nothing but lifting and eating at a deficit. one woman in particular on my FL lost 120 lbs, and maybe did cardio once a week. She doesn't even look lik eshe carried tha tmuch weight on her. I believe her Success Story was on MFP.
I have lost a total of 8 1/2 inches since I started lifting. I am down a pants size, but weigh exactly the same as when i started. The issue there is with my calorie counting. Which i have hopefully worked out. I have lost and gained the same 10 lbs since starting in september. It is frustrating but that is on me. Not everyone wil llike lifting..but its proven that it can help. I tried running.walking. Treadmills are mind-numbingly boring. And I literally have zero time to walk outside after or before work (when its pitch dark out)
I lift with my boyfriend 4-5 times a week now. he sees improvements, i see improvements and hell, it simply makes me feel like a BEAST. I can deadlift more than some men at my gym! :P
Do what works for you, but i have read article after article about how stale cardio isnt the best option. And for the girl who said she never sees runners with the kind of problems obese people have.. thats just because you cant see it doesnt mean they don't have issues... Read up on Cardiac issues with Marathon runners, knee, joint and tendon problems etc. I know people who are overweight and are perfectly healthy aside from being overweight. I am 300+ lbs, i have normal blood preassure, no Diabetes (nor am i near having it), no heart or liver problems. The only issue i have is my knees, which can mostly stem from a Softball career, and then the extra weight. Overall though I feel great. Id probably feel a hell of a lot better with 100 lbs off me though.
Lifting is giving me my strength back, I don't want to lose 100 lbs and THEN decide its time to start toning..Why can't i just tone WHILE i lose weight..so when i get to my GW im fit and toned. Seems like a win win to me!
Best of luck to everyone no matter the route they choose. Everyone deserves to be healthy and Happy. Find your own way and make your Jouney about you!
good luck to you!!!!0 -
Lift your weights. I'll do my cardio, but if the zombies start chasing us I'm tripping you.
Lol!!!0 -
The confusion is that a lot of people will pitch their own workout plan without listening to the poster's goals or desires. It's more of an ego thing that 'my workout is best.'
There are multiple ways to skin a cat when it comes to fitness. They all have advantages and disadvantages. The key is sticking to a plan that you will consistently execute and that will match with your fitness goals.
If your goal is weight loss, it makes little sense to attempt to bulk with weights. That doesn't mean there are no benefits to lifting weights while losing weight, it just means you have to decide which of the two goals you would prefer to achieve.
Lifting during weight loss allows you to retain more muscle while dropping fat. This gives you a better look at a heavier weight than you'd achieve with just diet or cardio alone. You may actually put on up to 5 lbs of muscle if you are completely untrained, which will (slightly) help your BMR get higher. But the act of traditional weight lifting doesn't burn many calories, particularly if you are a beginner starting with light weights (I'm talking about something like a starting strength or strong lift routine, not the aerobics class done with 5 or 10 lb dumbbells which will burn calories, but are ultimately ineffective at building strength). Your best bet is to not account for weight lifting at all until you have a few weeks of data on how it's affecting your weight loss, then adjust your TDEE accordingly.
Cardio burns more calories than lifting weights during a constant time period, provided you push yourself and aren't reading a magazine while walking on the treadmill. The benefits of cardio are that it burns more calories to contribute to weight loss, it improves muscle efficiency, and it improves blood circulation. But just like weight training routines, you need to select an effective cardio routine that will help you achieve your goals. Just hopping on a machine for 30 minutes (or even worse, 60 minutes)* with no plan is not going to get you from A to B effectively.
So, doing a very cardio-heavy routine will allow you to drop weight faster, assuming your workout time and diet remains constant. However, a higher percentage of that weight loss will be from lean body mass, which means you'll have to lose more total weight to get the body you desire. Doing a weight training routine means the weight will come off more slowly, but you will retain more muscle and thus have to lose less overall weight.
However, the two are not mutually exclusive. Many people like to say that you can't/shouldn't do cardio and strength training in the same day. I think that is hogwash, I have seen many people do it and do it myself.
* Why is it worse? Because a key point of fitness is intensity. Doing an activity for 60 minutes at an easy pace is not the same as doing it really hard for 20-30 minutes, and people don't have the endurance to do an intense 60 minute cardio workout as a beginner. But many people fall into the trap that 'longer is better' for weight loss, which isn't true. What's better for weight loss is to get into shape, and to do that you need to go all-out, even if it's only for 15 minutes.
Good points here!!!!0 -
I love the way some people say the best way to burn more calories is to add more muscle, by lifting weights. Then others say, women don't bulk -- that is, they really do not put on much muscle when they lift.
Gah! I find myself wondering about this, too. Say if a woman wasn't aware of the impact nutrition could have on her results, decides to exercise by lifting heavy weights but not drop the calories, indeed you only build muscle in a surplus. Couldn't she then get bigger, more shapely muscles, but with the fat over them just appear bulkier? With cardio only they probably just wouldn't by smaller but the look of the muscles would not really change. But when some women say this is their experience they're told to shut up and only the ones who got sexy from lifting can speak. Also when people point out women who've indeed got muscly and ripped from lifting, they're told to shut up and leave those women alone.
Bulky or not has nothing to do with why I don't lift 140lbs, just thought the information out there can tend to be a bit one sided, and perhaps we let it be since lifting is, after all pretty great for your health
Here's what you're confusing. If you're eating in a deficit and not lifting, you're losing LBM along with fat. If you're lifting and eating in a deficit you're maintaining as much LBM as you can. You're not gaining muscle, you're maintaining what you have. So yes, it is extremely difficult for a woman to gain muscle mass and/or get bulky, but by lifting you're maining that muscle mass you already have, rather than losing both fat AND muscle.
It's not necissarily that the best way to burn more calories is to add more mass (as stated, it's really....really hard for a female to put on mass due to testosterone levels), it's to maintain what you've got.
I think you've addressed a caloric deficit quite well, but what about a surplus? This is evidenced by people on here asking why they're exercising but either gaining weight or losing no weight. Also, the sub 150lb women who gain weight but get smaller would have to have built muscle, regardless of how hard it is, correct? So it makes me wonder if it's really impossible for a woman to feel "big" or "bulky" because although she may have exercising her diet is not entirely in check and the muscles have grown. Or even in other cases what if the muscle does grow or get some definition, but the fat decides not to come off that location at first? I just think there's a bit more to the, "you're stupid, women can't gain muscle" that I usually see in response to people who say weight lifting has made them look or feel bigger0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.8K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 395 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 960 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions