wieght training or cardio? Which is better for fat burning?
DustinSmith84
Posts: 19 Member
I'm the type of guy that does 90% weight training and 10% cardio. Mainly because I can't stand cardio 
I have lost around 50 lbs doing so but am wondering if adding more cardio will add to my fat burning? MFP doesn't really tell you what weight training does to burn cals so I figured I would ask you all! Thanks in advance!
I have lost around 50 lbs doing so but am wondering if adding more cardio will add to my fat burning? MFP doesn't really tell you what weight training does to burn cals so I figured I would ask you all! Thanks in advance! 0
Replies
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adding more cardio= adding more of a calorie deficit.
As for the title of your questions it all depends. Some many factors to consider.0 -
"Fat Burning" is primarily going to be driven by diet, and creating a calorie deficit. Exercise can help expand that deficit, but it's still going to be mostly a function of what you're eating.
That said, cardio tends to burn a few more calories than lifting for a given time period. But lifting is important to retain as much lean muscle mass as possible while shedding pounds.
Personally - I try to do 4 lifting days and 2 cardio days per week. You just need to experiment and find the balance that works for you that both achieves your goals and is sustainable (ie - if you HATE cardio, trying to do 50% cardio probably isn't going to be sustainable).0 -
weight training will burn fat. Exercise will burn fat, use energy. Exercise = health. Stop . Diet and calorie deficiency =Weight loss. Stop. If you want to add to your exercise arsenal> Find cardio you like. Join a fight club or MMA, bike, run swim, etc? the choices are endless. its not all Richard Simmons out there:) FYI (The the Rich) little man can move. I digress. what is your end game?0
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Cardio will burn more fat.0
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Not necessarily. Cardio will burn more calories minute for minute vs lifting. In that sense it creates more of a deficit. Lifting helps preserve lean mass so that when you are losing weight, more of a percentage of that weight lost is fat vs someone who does cardio only. I tend to think of cardio and weights separately rather than a one or the other type of situation. You use cardio to increase calories burned. If you can do that through diet alone, then you technically don't need to do any cardio at all. Lifting on the other hand is about mass preservation. That cannot be accomplished though diet alone, but ensuring adequate protein is taken in can help.Cardio will burn more fat.
So basically, while cardio does burn more calories, it does not have the mass sparing effect of weight lifting. I would do weights for sure, and add in cardio if you want slightly faster results, or want to be able to eat a little bit more each day, or if you enjoy it (which it sounds like you do not.)
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OP - if you are seeing results with what you are doing then keep doing it...
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are you on a structured lifting program or a self designed one?0 -
Both are important for fat loss. You want to lift weights, heavy weights, to add lean muscle mass. Think about it like this, muscle cells are cells in your body that can do work. They require energy (aka your calories) to stay. Fat cells, do nothing but sit there. They are stored energy. The more muscle cells you have, the more calories you will use sitting perfectly still just being alive. Lifting weights burns calories during, but it's the synthesis of new muscles, and the maintenance of current muscles that makes weight lifting beneficial. Not to mention it gives your body shape.
Cardio on the other hand, is fat torching during, and does pretty much nothing after. I highly disagree with the 4x/week weights 2x/week cardio. You need to make time for cardio every single time you are at the gym. And I don't mean bouncing up and down on an elliptical. Work on high intesnsity interval training. Sprints are a great way. A minute sprint followed by 30-45 second walk for 20-25 minutes is great. Look into what your max heart rate is for your age and try to stay in the high intensity range. It's going to suck, you're going to sweat, you're going to hate every second, but push through it. Most people hate cardio, especially running, because it's uncomfortable so they back off the intenisty. Don't. When it gets uncomfortable that's when changes are made. You'll know when you're just uncomfortable because you're out of breath, sweaty, maybe have a cramp vs when you've hurt yourself. Remember for everything you do at the gym, if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.0 -
You know it takes energy for muscle to repair right. So that added calories to repair muscles. Can you really say a hour long weight lifting session burns less than a one hour cardio session in a 24 hour period.
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OP - if you are seeing results with what you are doing then keep doing it...
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are you on a structured lifting program or a self designed one?
I have been lifting on a self designed program. 5 days a week. Usually a few miles a week on treadmill. And basketball/golf on the weekends.0 -
Not necessarily. Cardio will burn more calories minute for minute vs lifting. In that sense it creates more of a deficit. Lifting helps preserve lean mass so that when you are losing weight, more of a percentage of that weight lost is fat vs someone who does cardio only. I tend to think of cardio and weights separately rather than a one or the other type of situation. You use cardio to increase calories burned. If you can do that through diet alone, then you technically don't need to do any cardio at all. Lifting on the other hand is about mass preservation. That cannot be accomplished though diet alone, but ensuring adequate protein is taken in can help.Cardio will burn more fat.
So basically, while cardio does burn more calories, it does not have the mass sparing effect of weight lifting. I would do weights for sure, and add in cardio if you want slightly faster results, or want to be able to eat a little bit more each day, or if you enjoy it (which it sounds like you do not.)
Right, understood. Overall, for strictly fat burning (not considering muscle preservation, which he's already doing), cardio will burn more fat, though. But agreed it's not necessary.
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DustinSmith84 wrote: »OP - if you are seeing results with what you are doing then keep doing it...
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are you on a structured lifting program or a self designed one?
I have been lifting on a self designed program. 5 days a week. Usually a few miles a week on treadmill. And basketball/golf on the weekends.
I would highly recommend looking into a structured program like stronglifts, starting strength, or similar beginner program...
do you have access to barbells and free weights at home, or at the gym you go to?0 -
DustinSmith84 wrote: »OP - if you are seeing results with what you are doing then keep doing it...
-
are you on a structured lifting program or a self designed one?
I have been lifting on a self designed program. 5 days a week. Usually a few miles a week on treadmill. And basketball/golf on the weekends.
I would highly recommend looking into a structured program like stronglifts, starting strength, or similar beginner program...
do you have access to barbells and free weights at home, or at the gym you go to?
Yes I have over 1000 lbs of free weight at home and also belong to a gym in my town. I have never tried a structured program before. Where do I find one? Google?0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »
You know it takes energy for muscle to repair right. So that added calories to repair muscles. Can you really say a hour long weight lifting session burns less than a one hour cardio session in a 24 hour period.
I think the cardio still burns more fat, strictly speaking, all things being equal. I still do more weight training myself, for the reasons stated by y'all.
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DustinSmith84 wrote: »DustinSmith84 wrote: »OP - if you are seeing results with what you are doing then keep doing it...
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are you on a structured lifting program or a self designed one?
I have been lifting on a self designed program. 5 days a week. Usually a few miles a week on treadmill. And basketball/golf on the weekends.
I would highly recommend looking into a structured program like stronglifts, starting strength, or similar beginner program...
do you have access to barbells and free weights at home, or at the gym you go to?
Yes I have over 1000 lbs of free weight at home and also belong to a gym in my town. I have never tried a structured program before. Where do I find one? Google?
Thing is progressive overload is a easy concept. Now I do regret wasting my newbie gains years and years ago on my own program. If you have any lifting goals a structured program can get you there quicker.
You don't seem like a new lifter so how long have you been a lifter?0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »
You know it takes energy for muscle to repair right. So that added calories to repair muscles. Can you really say a hour long weight lifting session burns less than a one hour cardio session in a 24 hour period.
I think the cardio still burns more fat, strictly speaking, all things being equal. I still do more weight training myself, for the reasons stated by y'all.
Are we talking fat calories? Then yes I agree with you.0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »DustinSmith84 wrote: »DustinSmith84 wrote: »OP - if you are seeing results with what you are doing then keep doing it...
-
are you on a structured lifting program or a self designed one?
I have been lifting on a self designed program. 5 days a week. Usually a few miles a week on treadmill. And basketball/golf on the weekends.
I would highly recommend looking into a structured program like stronglifts, starting strength, or similar beginner program...
do you have access to barbells and free weights at home, or at the gym you go to?
Yes I have over 1000 lbs of free weight at home and also belong to a gym in my town. I have never tried a structured program before. Where do I find one? Google?
Thing is progressive overload is a easy concept. Now I do regret wasting my newbie gains years and years ago on my own program. If you have any lifting goals a structured program can get you there quicker.
You don't seem like a new lifter so how long have you been a lifter?
I lifted a few years ago and was able to get decent results 290 dropped to 250 but met a girl and pretty much stopped going to the gym. I recently started lifting again in early December when I was at my heaviest ever 330 lbs. I'm around 280 now the pounds dropped extremely fast but I have plateaud for the past few weeks. And injured myself this weekend picking up 100 lb dumbbells. So kind of knocked down right now 0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »
You know it takes energy for muscle to repair right. So that added calories to repair muscles. Can you really say a hour long weight lifting session burns less than a one hour cardio session in a 24 hour period.
I think the cardio still burns more fat, strictly speaking, all things being equal. I still do more weight training myself, for the reasons stated by y'all.
It doesn't with all things being equal.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10204826
Even with this unrealistic 800 calorie a day diet. The resistance trained group came out way ahead.
From Bret Contreras on this study:
"The cardio training group lost 28.2 lbs of fat, lost 9.0 lbs of lean body mass, and decreased resting metabolic rate by 210.7 calories per day. On the other hand, the resistance training group lost 32.0 lbs of fat, lost only 1.8 lbs of lean body mass, and increased resting metabolic rate by 63.3 calories per day"0 -
DustinSmith84 wrote: »yopeeps025 wrote: »DustinSmith84 wrote: »DustinSmith84 wrote: »OP - if you are seeing results with what you are doing then keep doing it...
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are you on a structured lifting program or a self designed one?
I have been lifting on a self designed program. 5 days a week. Usually a few miles a week on treadmill. And basketball/golf on the weekends.
I would highly recommend looking into a structured program like stronglifts, starting strength, or similar beginner program...
do you have access to barbells and free weights at home, or at the gym you go to?
Yes I have over 1000 lbs of free weight at home and also belong to a gym in my town. I have never tried a structured program before. Where do I find one? Google?
Thing is progressive overload is a easy concept. Now I do regret wasting my newbie gains years and years ago on my own program. If you have any lifting goals a structured program can get you there quicker.
You don't seem like a new lifter so how long have you been a lifter?
I lifted a few years ago and was able to get decent results 290 dropped to 250 but met a girl and pretty much stopped going to the gym. I recently started lifting again in early December when I was at my heaviest ever 330 lbs. I'm around 280 now the pounds dropped extremely fast but I have plateaud for the past few weeks. And injured myself this weekend picking up 100 lb dumbbells. So kind of knocked down right now
If you are even attempting to lift a 100 pound dumbbell you are out of the newbie range. So an intermediate program I know of is the 5/3/1 program.0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »
You know it takes energy for muscle to repair right. So that added calories to repair muscles. Can you really say a hour long weight lifting session burns less than a one hour cardio session in a 24 hour period.
I think the cardio still burns more fat, strictly speaking, all things being equal. I still do more weight training myself, for the reasons stated by y'all.
It doesn't with all things being equal.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10204826
Even with this unrealistic 800 calorie a day diet. The resistance trained group came out way ahead.
From Bret Contreras on this study:
"The cardio training group lost 28.2 lbs of fat, lost 9.0 lbs of lean body mass, and decreased resting metabolic rate by 210.7 calories per day. On the other hand, the resistance training group lost 32.0 lbs of fat, lost only 1.8 lbs of lean body mass, and increased resting metabolic rate by 63.3 calories per day"
This is very interesting, thank you. Hmm, so now I retract my statement, I don't know.
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yopeeps025 wrote: »
You know it takes energy for muscle to repair right. So that added calories to repair muscles. Can you really say a hour long weight lifting session burns less than a one hour cardio session in a 24 hour period.
I think the cardio still burns more fat, strictly speaking, all things being equal. I still do more weight training myself, for the reasons stated by y'all.
It doesn't with all things being equal.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10204826
Even with this unrealistic 800 calorie a day diet. The resistance trained group came out way ahead.
From Bret Contreras on this study:
"The cardio training group lost 28.2 lbs of fat, lost 9.0 lbs of lean body mass, and decreased resting metabolic rate by 210.7 calories per day. On the other hand, the resistance training group lost 32.0 lbs of fat, lost only 1.8 lbs of lean body mass, and increased resting metabolic rate by 63.3 calories per day"
There were only 20 subjects in that study, so I'm not blown away with that research. Do you know of any other valid studies that have come to similar conclusions?0
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