I could use help from the weight lifters on here.

mrhonesty
mrhonesty Posts: 274 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been working out 2 hours a day with half of that being cardio and the other half weights and staring into space! All my gym rat buddies tell me the best way to lose weight is to cut the cardio and lift instead with minimal breaks in between sets. What do you all think of this concept? I'd like to be muscular but my priority is seeing my weight drop..
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Replies

  • felonebeats
    felonebeats Posts: 433
    How tall are you and how much do you weigh?
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  • Ryderod
    Ryderod Posts: 103 Member
    They have a valid point, not only will you benefit from the EPOC after weight training, but as you increase muscle mass your body will use more calories.
    Here is an interesting link written in layman's terms:

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/02/01/what-burns-more-calories-cardio-intervals-or-weight-training/

    Take note of the emphasis on the correct eating!
  • mrhonesty
    mrhonesty Posts: 274 Member
    Thanks for the link
  • mrhonesty
    mrhonesty Posts: 274 Member
    How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

    6'02 and 353 lbs
  • mrhonesty
    mrhonesty Posts: 274 Member
    You lose weight by eating at a deficit, not working out.

    You may be right but that's not what I am asking.
  • kaikea
    kaikea Posts: 27 Member
    Just a basic overview, but if you want to keep/gain Lean Body Mass while you drop weight and actually add some muscle while losing weight I would look into lifting heavy with the major movements like Squat, Bench, Deadlift, and Shoulder Press. For the heavy stuff your probably gonna want to rest at least 2 minutes. You can add accessory movements to these lifts with shorter rest periods like your friends suggest but I would start out with a heavy strength based exercise first. If you are new to weight lifting then you can also take advantage of “noob” gains and with your weight you can also take advantage of probably being able to add a lot of muscle while at the same time losing a lot of weight.

    I've seen alot of people regret they didn't try to build muscle while undergoing major weight loss because 1. they lost that time to build muscle over the year or so they took to lose weight and 2. they weren't totally happy with the new body they shrunk down to. I know losing weight is the bottom line but if you can come out the other side with a stronger more muscular body then I think it’s worth maybe not losing quite as fast in order to do so.

    Your friends suggestion of having very little time between sets is not going to allow your body to recover enough to build optimal strength. It’s not a bad suggestion for something to do to burn calories. You can train that way some of the time but I would mix that up with some heavy strength based training as well. You will thank yourself 6 months to a year down the line.

    If you just want to burn the absolute most amount of calories, medium intensity cardio for 2 hours would probably be the best.

    There are many ways to go about it and you can lose weight as long as are eating less calories than you burn. Is that 2 hours a day every day? For me I have to remember that weightloss is a marathon and not a sprint. We are all anxious to lose weight as fast as we can but it takes patience.
  • mrhonesty
    mrhonesty Posts: 274 Member
    Just a basic overview, but if you want to keep/gain Lean Body Mass while you drop weight and actually add some muscle while losing weight I would look into lifting heavy with the major movements like Squat, Bench, Deadlift, and Shoulder Press. For the heavy stuff your probably gonna want to rest at least 2 minutes. You can add accessory movements to these lifts with shorter rest periods like your friends suggest but I would start out with a heavy strength based exercise first. If you are new to weight lifting then you can also take advantage of “noob” gains and with your weight you can also take advantage of probably being able to add a lot of muscle while at the same time losing a lot of weight.

    I've seen alot of people regret they didn't try to build muscle while undergoing major weight loss because 1. they lost that time to build muscle over the year or so they took to lose weight and 2. they weren't totally happy with the new body they shrunk down to. I know losing weight is the bottom line but if you can come out the other side with a stronger more muscular body then I think it’s worth maybe not losing quite as fast in order to do so.

    Your friends suggestion of having very little time between sets is not going to allow your body to recover enough to build optimal strength. It’s not a bad suggestion for something to do to burn calories. You can train that way some of the time but I would mix that up with some heavy strength based training as well. You will thank yourself 6 months to a year down the line.

    If you just want to burn the absolute most amount of calories, medium intensity cardio for 2 hours would probably be the best.

    There are many ways to go about it and you can lose weight as long as are eating less calories than you burn. Is that 2 hours a day every day? For me I have to remember that weightloss is a marathon and not a sprint. We are all anxious to lose weight as fast as we can but it takes patience.

    Thanks for the info. I have to examine my routine better. It is two hours a day for me but the first hour is on the elliptical which is what started my discussion at work. And the second hour is weights but at a leisure pace. I see I need to take it to the next level!
  • felonebeats
    felonebeats Posts: 433
    How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

    6'02 and 353 lbs

    Until you lose quite a bit of weight I'd personally keep doing what you're doing.Keep up the cardio and def keep up the weights because muscle burns calories so the more muscle you have the more calories will get burnt just by having that muscle.At that weight I'd be going all out.Track your calories and eat at a deficit,I cut at a deficit of 500 calories.Keep going mate you'll get there
  • felonebeats
    felonebeats Posts: 433
    You lose weight by eating at a deficit, not working out.

    Correct but the weight you will lose will be muscle also
  • mrhonesty
    mrhonesty Posts: 274 Member
    How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

    6'02 and 353 lbs

    Until you lose quite a bit of weight I'd personally keep doing what you're doing.Keep up the cardio and def keep up the weights because muscle burns calories so the more muscle you have the more calories will get burnt just by having that muscle.At that weight I'd be going all out.Track your calories and eat at a deficit,I cut at a deficit of 500 calories.Keep going mate you'll get there

    Thanks, down 70 and going strong.
  • ColtyHan
    ColtyHan Posts: 59 Member
    My trainer recommended that I do 10-15 minutes of light cardio to warm up, then lift weights, and then do 30 minutes of my regular cardio. She said to get the maximum benefit from the weights, you don't want to lift on muscles that are tired from the cardio. Also she said that it is better to do 30 minutes of hard cardio rather than an hour of light cardio. If you can still move after 30 minutes, you didn't work hard enough. That is of course the plan she worked up for me based on my goals. Your plan may be different based on your fitness level and your goals.
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  • phatguerilla
    phatguerilla Posts: 188 Member
    I would do weights first and then cardio, that in itself should help reduce your rest times as you'll be fresher for your lifting.

    After that I would time your rest periods and gradually reduce them. Over time you should be able to shave a minute or two, maybe more off those times (you did specify a leisurely pace). This will help speed things up in the gym and increase your cardiovascular activity, so win win imo.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

    6'02 and 353 lbs

    Then keep doing the cardio too
  • felonebeats
    felonebeats Posts: 433
    You lose weight by eating at a deficit, not working out.

    Correct but the weight you will lose will be muscle also

    He said his priority is seeing the weight drop.

    I specifically answered the exact question he was asking, but he doesn't understand that. You shouldn't lift if your priority is weight loss. You lift for more body recomp so when the fat is lost, you're left with a body that looks good naked. If your priority is weight loss, you don't have to do anything except eat at a deficit. Any exercise is fine, it doesn't matter.

    Lifting could potentially cause the weight to increase over time.

    Of course you should lift to lose weight.Resistance training burns calories and the more muscle mass you have the more calories your body will burn by itself.If he's in a calorific deficit he's not going to build much muscle if any.Weight training and cardio is the way for this man.If he just does cardio he might end up skinny fat with no muscle
  • Unknown
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  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    I have been working out 2 hours a day with half of that being cardio and the other half weights and staring into space! All my gym rat buddies tell me the best way to lose weight is to cut the cardio and lift instead with minimal breaks in between sets. What do you all think of this concept? I'd like to be muscular but my priority is seeing my weight drop..

    as mentioned, the real deciding factor i losing fat will be your diet.

    you can burn calories with either cardio or resistance training, but resistance training will have the added benefit of helping you keep the lean body mass you already have. By keeping the lean body mass, you will burn more calories while at rest.

    How much faster this will help you lose weight is open for debate.

    Personally i feel as though you can burn a lot more calories doing cardio if done a certain way. And if being phsically fit is important to, then you should be doing it.

    But I also feel as though its a mistake to ever not be lifting except when taking planned breaks or injury, etc.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Personally for me I want the weight I drop to be fat..not sure if you want the same but if you do...

    to do that you really do need to be doing the resistence training or a heavy progressive load lifting program...with compound movements 3x a week...

    Cardio is good for heart health and getting extra calories if you do NEAT method but to be frank eh...doesn't do much for muscle retention.

    I wouldn't do cardio first...always after...preferably on non lifting days...
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    You lose weight by eating at a deficit, not working out.

    You may be right but that's not what I am asking.

    Uh, yeah it kinda was what you were asking.. You asked us what we thought of the concept of lifting weights to lose weight, several people responded. And responded correctly, I might add.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    FYI you can get a reasonably adaqute resistance workout WHILE doing cardio.

    Insanity is a good example of this. All of the push ups and jumps are resistance training. There isn't much for your back tho.

    personally i did a full body routine 2-3 times a week on top of it.

    but insanity in itself should be enough to at least slow down the loss of muscle thats inevitable with a decent calorie defecit.

    aggressive circuit training or cardio dumbbell routines can also get the job done and give your heart a good workout.
  • SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish
    SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish Posts: 831 Member
    First off, from your loss already, it sounds like you are doing a good job. I'd modify by this simple thing though: do a warm up of cardio maybe 10-20 mins, lift weights, then go back and finish your cardio. You will have more energy for the lifts, leading to more muscle stimulation, and maximize muscle retention. Doesn't sound like with the kind of losses you are having you need much help at the moment with your goals, but more info on lifting routine and diet would be required for that anyways.
  • felonebeats
    felonebeats Posts: 433
    Personally for me I want the weight I drop to be fat..not sure if you want the same but if you do...

    to do that you really do need to be doing the resistence training or a heavy progressive load lifting program...with compound movements 3x a week...

    Cardio is good for heart health and getting extra calories if you do NEAT method but to be frank eh...doesn't do much for muscle retention.

    I wouldn't do cardio first...always after...preferably on non lifting days...

    I agree
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    You lose weight by eating at a deficit, not working out.

    You may be right but that's not what I am asking.

    um. that's exactly what you were asking.
  • mrhonesty
    mrhonesty Posts: 274 Member
    Thanks that seems to be working.
  • mrhonesty
    mrhonesty Posts: 274 Member
    Um no that did not answer my question. Clearly I know how to lose weight. The question was thoughts on the theory that cutting cardio and increasing weight training will lead to faster weight loss.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Um no that did not answer my question. Clearly I know how to lose weight. The question was thoughts on the theory that cutting cardio and increasing weight training will lead to faster weight loss.

    the problem is that you don't understand your own question well enough to realize when it's been answered.
  • jhc7324
    jhc7324 Posts: 200 Member
    Um no that did not answer my question. Clearly I know how to lose weight. The question was thoughts on the theory that cutting cardio and increasing weight training will lead to faster weight loss.
    Faster weight loss <> efficient weight loss.

    Your body has a lot of muscle that it needs to keep you moving at a higher weight. You can set your diet at a 500-1000 daily calorie deficit, stick with some high intensity cardio for an hour a day and you're going to lose weight pretty quickly. But part of what you lose will be all those nice muscles that you don't really get to appreciate right now.

    Instead of that, if you eat tat the deficit, and work on a beginner weight training routine, progressive loading and make those muscles stronger, you might not lose the weight as fast, but you'll probably get to a point where you like how your body looks faster.

    In other words, diet and cardio will get you down to 200 lbs faster, but diet and heavy lifting will get you to a point where you look better than the 200 lb cardio you even though you'll be heavier (and much stronger).
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    You lose weight by eating at a deficit, not working out.

    Correct but the weight you will lose will be muscle also

    He said his priority is seeing the weight drop.

    I specifically answered the exact question he was asking, but he doesn't understand that. You shouldn't lift if your priority is weight loss. You lift for more body recomp so when the fat is lost, you're left with a body that looks good naked. If your priority is weight loss, you don't have to do anything except eat at a deficit. Any exercise is fine, it doesn't matter.

    Lifting could potentially cause the weight to increase over time.

    Of course you should lift to lose weight.Resistance training burns calories and the more muscle mass you have the more calories your body will burn by itself.If he's in a calorific deficit he's not going to build much muscle if any.Weight training and cardio is the way for this man.If he just does cardio he might end up skinny fat with no muscle

    His priority is weight loss. Not muscle retention.

    if his priority is health, as it should be, and as it is for most people, then he should seek to avoid muscle loss

    most people, when they say "lose weight" what they want to do is lose fat, and just fat, and they either want that to be more healthy, or they want to look good naked, or very often it's both. Retaining lean muscle mass is important both for health, and for looking good naked. Which is why it's a good idea to seek to avoid fast weight loss.

    There's no logical reason for someone to want to lose both fat and lean mass. It's bad for health and the results don't look good.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Um no that did not answer my question. Clearly I know how to lose weight. The question was thoughts on the theory that cutting cardio and increasing weight training will lead to faster weight loss.

    no it won't............ but it might lead to faster *fat* loss and protect you from losing lean mass in the process.

    fast weight loss isn't healthy, doesn't make you look good and sets you up for rebound weight gain....... on the other hand if you change your focus from *weight* loss to *fat* loss then you'll understand the importance of looking after your lean mass, and aiming for all the weight you lose to be fat... doing less cardio usually helps with preventing loss of lean mass and ensuring that the weight you lose is just fat. Although it depends, as it's more a question of what you eat.... if you do lots of cardio because you enjoy it, then you can eat more to compensate and stop your deficit from being too high.

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