Lifting Heavy or Circuit Training For Fat Loss?

ehte_h
ehte_h Posts: 297 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Which is better? The gym staff are really pushing me to do more circuits & running, saying i'll be in greater calorie defecit and lose bf quickly. I still however love heavy lifting & i miss the 'burn/feel' I get when I lift heavy. What should I do?

Replies

  • tiffaneenicole
    tiffaneenicole Posts: 12
    Ehte_h - How many days/week do you lift? I would lift heavy 3 days per week and throw in some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) 2-3 days per week. You can lift and do cardio on the same day, but I would think about 5 days/week would be good. Hope that helps!

    Tiffany
    tiffanystaples.com
  • HOSED49
    HOSED49 Posts: 642 Member
    I do heavy circuits..just a thought..
  • thinclo
    thinclo Posts: 164 Member
    sorry i dont have any advice just wanted to bump for later :)
  • SirZee
    SirZee Posts: 381
    If fat loss is your main goal, circuit training.

    If you want to get very fit and healthy and look at body fat percentage drop as measure of success (as opposed to pounds lost) then do weights.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    I've done both. I've seen better results with lifting, honestly. I do about 3 days a week and some cardio on my off days.
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Lifting heavy is the better option!!!!
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    I do heavy circuits..just a thought..

    I do the same. heavy circuit training. Why does it have to be either/or?
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    depends on how much fat you have to lose:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html
  • bbygrl5
    bbygrl5 Posts: 964 Member
    I understand right where you're at. I just finished up NROLFW and have gone back and forth a bit on what to do next. I have a personal trainer friend who is into Crossfit and he offered to design some workouts for me that involve some heavy lifting, but are more like circuit training than the previous workouts in NROL. He hasn't sent me them yet, but I'd be happy to email you with some ideas if you're interested in doing a mix of both. Hit me up with a PM and I'll get back to you, if you're interested.
  • stephaneb74
    stephaneb74 Posts: 151 Member
    I do heavy circuits..just a thought..

    I do the same. heavy circuit training. Why does it have to be either/or?

    same here
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    Why not incorporate a mix of both?

    If it's one or the other, I'd always choose heavy lifting. A calorie deficit through food only can make you lose fat just as easily as circuit training, as long as the overall deficit is the same for the day :)
  • Z_I_L_L_A
    Z_I_L_L_A Posts: 2,399 Member
    Which is better? The gym staff are really pushing me to do more circuits & running, saying i'll be in greater calorie defecit and lose bf quickly. I still however love heavy lifting & i miss the 'burn/feel' I get when I lift heavy. What should I do?


    Do em all. Do what you need to burn and also do what makes you happy. I do all of em.
  • amyy902
    amyy902 Posts: 290 Member
    circuits, depending on how hard you are willing to work. im a PT and base a lot of my training around circuits because you can do sooo much within them, a good circuit will include lifting, but i would say you need to be doing weight training on top to really boost fat loss :) so both really but i like circuits best! :)
  • kattiek
    kattiek Posts: 83
    I do heavy circuits..just a thought..

    I do the same. heavy circuit training. Why does it have to be either/or?


    Same. This is the only way I do circuits plus maybe 1 or 2 things thrown in to keep my heart rate up like squat thrusts, mountain climbers, etc.
  • slbeutler
    slbeutler Posts: 205
    Either one depending on how heavy you lift during the circuits. CrossFit is a form of circuit training, but you use heavy weights and move fast. I would go with what you like or mix it up.
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
    Which is better? The gym staff are really pushing me to do more circuits & running, saying i'll be in greater calorie defecit and lose bf quickly. I still however love heavy lifting & i miss the 'burn/feel' I get when I lift heavy. What should I do?


    Do em all. Do what you need to burn and also do what makes you happy. I do all of em.

    Exctly! Depending on who you listen to you'll get people pushing one or the other. Why not do both!? Heavy lifting is also very good for preventing osteoporosis and the old rule of thumb about women lifting lighter just doesn't apply anymore. Read "New Rules of Lifting for Women" for more info about that.
  • CanCur
    CanCur Posts: 9 Member
    What is the difference between circuit training and heavy circuit training? if any
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    I do heavy circuits..just a thought..

    I do the same. heavy circuit training. Why does it have to be either/or?

    I agree! I love heavy circuits, such an efficient use of my time!
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    What is the difference between circuit training and heavy circuit training? if any

    The lb value of the weights you are lifting.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    Which is better? The gym staff are really pushing me to do more circuits & running, saying i'll be in greater calorie defecit and lose bf quickly. I still however love heavy lifting & i miss the 'burn/feel' I get when I lift heavy. What should I do?

    If the staff is stating one exercise over another as way of losing faster, I'd have to question their knowledge. It's damn hard to exercise yourself into a calorie deficit to lose weight. It's MUCH easier to eat properly into a calorie decifict to lose weight.

    It's all good though. You need exercise. I'd say break down your week to do both
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    I did not realize the two were mutually exclusive.. . ...
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Like some of the others said, I do heavy circuits. Basically I superset. I'll do a leg and shoulders day, for example.

    Set of 8 squats
    no rest
    Set of 8 shoulder press
    Rest 30-45 seconds
    Repeat for 3 sets

    I'll work different body parts. I don't like to rest. I like to be out of the gym within 45 minutes.
  • ehte_h
    ehte_h Posts: 297 Member
    Thanks for the advice everyone :) for now i'll stick with heavy lifting and mix it up with circuits when I get bored
  • nealcross1986
    nealcross1986 Posts: 2
    Hello there, I agree totally with heavy circuits, do like 4 exercises in a circuit, do 2 upper body and 2 lower body exercises alternated.
    Do the circuit 3 to 4 times with 1 min rest, the reps you do should change every 2 week's to keep the body guessing and to keep things fresh, use body weight exercises and weights. I found plyometrics the best

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