Strength training or cardio? Help?!

If you a looking to just drop the weight cardio. I you do not care if the scale goes down, but want tone, and lean your body lifting, My personal fav is a little of both! :happy:

I'm a fan of both. Cardio helps you to create/increase a calorie deficit, while lifting will help to tighten everything up.

Both have benefits, so why not get everything you can? :bigsmile:

absolutely both. You will lose more weight, and tone at the same time.

A combination of both with an emphasis (at least initially) on cardio works best for me. The weight training tones and shapes and also helps with burning calories but the real calorie burn comes from cardio. Good luck!

This is wrong! Sure with cardio you get to burn more calories while your doing the exercise, but with weight training consistently you my not drop the pounds, but you will drop inches, and become well muscled (not bulky), and since you have gained muscle mass you burn more calories all day long!


If you eat at a deficit, but lift heavy you get to keep the muscle you already have while losing weight.

If you just do cardio you lose fat, but you also lose some muscle. So while you drop the weight on the scale you may not get the desired result of a thin more fit body.

I would suggest both especially. I always do weights pre cardio. Right now I'm doing mostly circuit training. If your wedding is September is March goal dress shopping?

I just wrote a blog post. Its really long but towards the end, embedded are some good references for a few programs that should help you.

Why can't you do both?

My trainer said to do strength training 3 - 4 times per week, giving yourself a day off in between each. Then, she said to do your cardio after strength-training on the days that you lift. She said you'll burn more calories. I'd been doing it backwards. On the days I do not strength train, I do just cardio. So, for strength training days, I do about a half-hour of lifting, trying to increase what I did from the previous time. Then I do 30 minutes - 45 minutes of high-interval cardio on an arc trainer or elliptical. On non-lifting days, I do at least an hour on the elliptical with high-interval intensity. I also do Zumba 4 days a week and ride my bike, but these are more just for fun (although I do burn major calories with Zumba). So, as most said, I'd combine the two. When you strength train, you've probably heard that you burn calories even when doing nothing!

Good luck to you and congrats on your upcoming marriage!

A combination of both with an emphasis (at least initially) on cardio works best for me. The weight training tones and shapes and also helps with burning calories but the real calorie burn comes from cardio. Good luck!

This is wrong! Sure with cardio you get to burn more calories while your doing the exercise, but with weight training consistently you my not drop the pounds, but you will drop inches, and become well muscled (not bulky), and since you have gained muscle mass you burn more calories all day long!


If you eat at a deficit, but lift heavy you get to keep the muscle you already have while losing weight.

If you just do cardio you lose fat, but you also lose some muscle. So while you drop the weight on the scale you may not get the desired result of a thin more fit body.

Actually..he is kinda right and you are kinda saying the same thing he is after you say he is wrong.

I see what you mean. The first time I read it. I interpreted his meaning differently, I re-read, and see what you mean. Silly me for reading too quickly. :blushing: , and with divided attention.

My apologies

BOTH!!!

EDIT TO SAY:

Don't forget to eat at a mild deficit though....

^^^love that commercial

Both with a calorie deficit!

Do both. You'll get better results faster

Sure with cardio you get to burn more calories while your doing the exercise, but with weight training consistently you my not drop the pounds, but you will drop inches, and become well muscled (not bulky), and since you have gained muscle mass you burn more calories all day long!

Actually, the amount of calories burned from muscle vs fat is negligible considering you really won't be adding that much muscle...


OK apparently you made the same mistake I did skipping words.... see the word Consistently.... of course muscle is diffcult to add that is why she won't get bulky :happy: Silly man! Even guys have a hard time gaining muscle. Woman, even a harder time b/c we lack the testosterone levels needed for great bulk. Hence, the reason weight does not go down but inches do, and even a negligible calorie burn makes a difference long term if you are burning more calories all day vs. a few hours. :happy: Especially beneficial for a woman wanting to be lean, and gorgeous in a wedding dress. :flowerforyou:

If you eat at a deficit, but lift heavy you get to keep the muscle you already have while losing weight.

This is true. Adding cardio means you can eat more too One of the reasons most people recommend both.

If you just do cardio you lose fat, but you also lose some muscle. So while you drop the weight on the scale you may not get the desired result of a thin more fit body.

If you are doing both cardio and weight training, your muscle loss will be minimal/non-existant.

Ummm, yeah that's why you should do both..... did not read my first post did ya! :happy:

Again, suggested both b/c you want to fit into a smaller dress, and look good not just lose 20 lbs. just to find out that dress size did not go down like you want it to.