Cardio First?

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prettymrsnelson
prettymrsnelson Posts: 27
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm in the beginning stages of losing weight and am figuring everything out. I was given advice that I should just focus on eating well and cardio right now. Once I've started losing weight and am closer to my goal I can start incorporating strength training to tone up and achieve the ultimate look and health that I want. Is this true? Should I focus mainly on cardio workouts? Or should I have a mix of both strength and cardio?

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  • smarieallen85
    smarieallen85 Posts: 535 Member
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    How much weight do you need to lose? I've heard that too but I think everyone benefits from strength training. Why don't you want to do both?
  • RangerRN507
    RangerRN507 Posts: 124 Member
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    you should always do both, there's no reason not to do strength training...at all
  • smarieallen85
    smarieallen85 Posts: 535 Member
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    I feel like because I strength train, I don't look as heavy as I am. Plus I can kick peoples *kitten*.
  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
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    It really depends on your ultimate goal and your timetable.

    Resistance training (weight lifting) is for body recomposition. The sooner you start that, the better. However, it doesn't have the calorie burn that cardio generally does when done for similar periods of time. So there's a trade-off.

    If you're in a hurry to lose as much weight as possible and are willing to wait until near the end to start the body recomposition process, then yes, the advice you were given is appropriate.

    However, many people who have gone through the weight loss process will tell you that they wish they had been doing resistance training all along. It does tend to slow your weight loss down, but it will also make sure that you're actually losing fat and not muscle (and thereby slowing your metabolism) along the way.

    It's a lot easier to keep the muscle you already have than it is to build new muscle later. But ultimately, it's going to depend on what you really want:

    If you're sure you're going to stick with it all the way to the end and you're willing to invest a little more time in the process, then I would say get started with a mix of strength training and cardio.

    But, if you're iffy on motivation and have put yourself on any kind of timetable that requires "quick" results, then stick with a program of heavy cardio for now and add in the strength training later on as you approach your goal.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    I think any normal person would suggest you do both, and say there is no reason to avoid one or the other until an arbitrary milestone is reached.

    Enjoy the beauty of your own ability to be strong. Or not, your choice.
  • heidels2
    heidels2 Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm sure you'll get lots of opinions on this one. I'm in the camp that you should do both. Strength training builds lean muscle mass, which is more metabolically active, that is, it burns more calories just to sustain itself than fat does. Anything you can do to increase your lean muscle mass will in and of itself help you with fat loss. And, the longer you work on building those muscles, by the time your fat loss does increase and you eventually get where you want to be, your toned and beautiful muscles will be waiting under that layer of fat.

    ...I think something that trips people up with strength training is that it can (and will) add weight to your body. You will feel better, be stronger, and your clothing will fit better. But Initially, when you are focused on "losing" it can be a little shocking working your tail off lifting weights and doing cardio and see the number on the scale go up. So I would say as long as you are not totally focused on that number, which is by itself a poor measure of your health anyway, there is no reason not to incorporate weight training as soon as possible into your routine. You can start small and go from there. You will be surprised at how quickly you build strength!

    Edit: Jim is spot on.
  • SEAFOODMAN
    SEAFOODMAN Posts: 342
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    starting out I would do cardio, if you do strength training in the begining you could get frustrated if you dont see results. of course depends how much you want to lose
  • prettymrsnelson
    prettymrsnelson Posts: 27
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    I have nothing against doing strength training. I'm just asking about advice I was given. I am a little restricted as I am a SAHM with no baby sitter options, limited space, and limited equipment. That being said...I do have a variety of DVD's that I think I could play around with. I was just wondering what would be the best method to attack my weight-loss. I'm interested in losing roughly 30 pounds. I'm not looking to build crazy amounts of muscle but would like to look lean while still looking "soft" if that makes sense.
  • ASH2038602
    ASH2038602 Posts: 215 Member
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    I do both. I am losing pounds, and inches, but really starting to feel and see my muscles more.
  • Joannah700
    Joannah700 Posts: 2,665 Member
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    Check out this post:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/987513-lifting-is-the-most-horrible-thing-to-a-woman-since-twiggy?hl=twiggy+&page=16#posts-21269539
  • isthisolivia
    isthisolivia Posts: 37 Member
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    Strength training or adding in some HIIT will help decrease the chance of getting injured. I hit the problem of doing mainly cardio a few years back and quickly learned how injury prone and weak my body was. Add in strength! It's really great and will boost your weight loss. Tons of ways to do it at home or out on your run as well -- apps galore, great dvd's (I'm a fan of Jillian Michaels and Suzanne Bowen/Mary Helen Bowers for more ballet/pilates-type stuff), and books like You Are Your Own Gym.

    Just find something you like and mix it in with your cardio. Have fun!
  • lshabazz
    lshabazz Posts: 28 Member
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    Thanks for that answer. I will do both now and see if I can kill two birds with one stone. :smile:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    In the absence of resistance training, you will burn a higher ratio of muscle with your weight loss than if you were to incorporate resistance training. I don't know why people think they have to weight to do resistance work...it makes no sense unless you're trying to burn lean mass (which some people are).

    Given that muscle is incredibly hard to build, it is far more efficient and effective to preserve what you have so that as you shed the fat, you start to achieve that "toned" look. It's very hard to achieve that look if you just diet and burn up your fat and muscle and then just have to rebuild later...talk about taking the long route.
  • mrastaffordML
    mrastaffordML Posts: 39
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    I think it depends on your goals. Cardio helped me lose fat, especially doing cardio in intervals. I started with walking on a incline and increasing and lowering the speed 5 minutes fast and one 1 minute slow and then worked my self to doing sprint intervals. I do 30 minutes cardio a day and then a 45-60 min weight lifting session. It's worked great for me but everyone is different.

    If your looking to just lose fat try HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) training. That's a some fat burning good stuff and it builds strength.

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