Strength training or cardio? Help?!

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krazykate483
krazykate483 Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all!

I am getting married in September and would love some input on where to start. I want to lose 20lbs by March or so. So I am wondering if I should just focus on weight lifting or do I just do cardio until I get to my goal weight and then start lifting.

Thanks in advance!
Katie
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Replies

  • Saucy_lil_Minx
    Saucy_lil_Minx Posts: 3,302 Member
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    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:
  • Dnsnyder
    Dnsnyder Posts: 263 Member
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    I would recommend doing both! Maybe try circuit training? Do you have any plans about how and/or where you're going to complete your workouts?
  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
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    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:
  • JWnSD
    JWnSD Posts: 4 Member
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    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!
  • loriirol
    loriirol Posts: 7 Member
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    absolutely both. You will lose more weight, and tone at the same time.
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
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    You'll want to do both. Cardio will help you burn calories to help lose the weight while strength training (especially heavy lifting) will preserve muscle while you lose. It's better to be concerned about how your body looks verses the number on the scale.
  • Saucy_lil_Minx
    Saucy_lil_Minx Posts: 3,302 Member
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    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.
  • Saucy_lil_Minx
    Saucy_lil_Minx Posts: 3,302 Member
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    You'll want to do both. Cardio will help you burn calories to help lose the weight while strength training (especially heavy lifting) will preserve muscle while you lose. It's better to be concerned about how your body looks verses the number on the scale.

    This ^
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
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    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?
  • krazykate483
    krazykate483 Posts: 41 Member
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    Wow, thank you for the responses! I will definitely do both! So like 2 hrs of cardio per week and 3hrs of lifting?
  • ksmorck
    ksmorck Posts: 82 Member
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    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.
  • TriShamelessly
    TriShamelessly Posts: 905 Member
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    You'll want to do both. Cardio will help you burn calories to help lose the weight while strength training (especially heavy lifting) will preserve muscle while you lose. It's better to be concerned about how your body looks verses the number on the scale.

    QFT
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
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    I am a fan of both. I strength train 3x's a week and cardio 2-3 x's a week.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
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    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.
  • MaryJane_8810002
    MaryJane_8810002 Posts: 2,082 Member
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    Why can't you do both?
  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
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    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...
    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.
  • jensiegel39
    jensiegel39 Posts: 163 Member
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    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!
  • krazykate483
    krazykate483 Posts: 41 Member
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    Yes, March is dress shopping! Unless I get super eager to do it sooner :-)
    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?
  • Saucy_lil_Minx
    Saucy_lil_Minx Posts: 3,302 Member
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    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 :wink:
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
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    Both.

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