Lowering bodyfat

angellak
angellak Posts: 68 Member
edited 6:55PM in Fitness and Exercise
Is it better to just do cardio or should I also strength train. I'm looking to lower my bodyfat percentage. It currently is 29%. I've been doing some strength training and I have a lot of muscle, but still have too much fat. I especially don't like the fact that my thighs seem to be getting bigger and I would like to tone them down. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • villaman77
    villaman77 Posts: 1 Member
    A mixture of both.As much as you can fit in.
  • jutermo3
    jutermo3 Posts: 1
    Current theory is cardio first, interval sprints for example, then some strength afterwards. Supposedly women release testosterone during high aerobic activity then it's coursing through your body while you lift. This program allows you to burn fat for hours post workout instead of just for one hour when you only do cardio.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    To burn off more fat, your body has to utilize it. And that's more about calorie deficit than what exercise you're doing. Believe it or not, you burn more fat sleeping a good 8 hours than you do doing a 2 hour cardio exercise.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    Diet for calorie control
    Cardio for fitness
    Lift for strength

    You lower your BF% by consuming fewer calories then you burn. i.e. Calorie Deficit or calories in vrs calorie out.
  • branflakes1980
    branflakes1980 Posts: 2,516 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    To burn off more fat, your body has to utilize it. And that's more about calorie deficit than what exercise you're doing. Believe it or not, you burn more fat sleeping a good 8 hours than you do doing a 2 hour cardio exercise.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    I knew I loved sleep for a reason! Naps all day every day! :smiley: YES!!

  • keyofnight
    keyofnight Posts: 12 Member
    Someone will correct me if I'm wrong (I hope), but from what I've read, the only way to lower body fat is to be at a caloric deficit. That is, you have to burn more energy than you take in. Cardio is just a very reliable way to use up a ton of energy, diets are just a way of cutting back on how much energy you take in, and strength training is a way of making sure you have lean muscle mass that shows through when you lose the body fat.

    I'm doing high-rep kettlebell training in the hopes of killing two birds with one stone. The weight gives me enough resistance to build muscle, the high-reps make the work out cardiovascular enough to make me out of breath after 30 minutes. Lots of people here do similar things with body weight circuit training. Maybe you could do something similar? My GF does a lot of bodyrock.tv's videos, and they really kick *kitten*—she's getting pretty lean. :)
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    branflakes1980 wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    To burn off more fat, your body has to utilize it. And that's more about calorie deficit than what exercise you're doing. Believe it or not, you burn more fat sleeping a good 8 hours than you do doing a 2 hour cardio exercise.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    I knew I loved sleep for a reason! Naps all day every day! :smiley: YES!!

    Don't go trying to steal my idea. I am opening up a national chain of fat loss clinics called Nap It Off ! Ok well maybe not clinics but I will rent you a room at a nearby motel 6 at only a 50% premium.
  • kcjchang
    kcjchang Posts: 709 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    To burn off more fat, your body has to utilize it. And that's more about calorie deficit than what exercise you're doing. Believe it or not, you burn more fat sleeping a good 8 hours than you do doing a 2 hour cardio exercise.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Depends on the intensity. A average two hour bike ride for me is around 1600 (based on virtual power & lower than MET estimate), minus resting it's still 1000 cal. 8 hours of sleep nets me 576ish (estimate base on 0.9 MET at 168lbs). More if I'm motivate but season's still early and I'm not planning to race anytime soon but just focusing on finishing a century within 5 hours.

    Incidentally I would shy away from you kickboxing training if you are teaching anywhere close to meeting your assertion. Only during testing did I get anywhere near that lax in the four years that I trained in Shotokan (JKA).
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    keyofnight wrote: »
    Someone will correct me if I'm wrong (I hope), but from what I've read, the only way to lower body fat is to be at a caloric deficit. That is, you have to burn more energy than you take in. Cardio is just a very reliable way to use up a ton of energy, diets are just a way of cutting back on how much energy you take in, and strength training is a way of making sure you have lean muscle mass that shows through when you lose the body fat.

    I'm doing high-rep kettlebell training in the hopes of killing two birds with one stone. The weight gives me enough resistance to build muscle, the high-reps make the work out cardiovascular enough to make me out of breath after 30 minutes. Lots of people here do similar things with body weight circuit training. Maybe you could do something similar? My GF does a lot of bodyrock.tv's videos, and they really kick *kitten*—she's getting pretty lean. :)

    You may want to study up some more on lifting for strength vrs lifting for muscle mass. They are separate disciplines and require diffrent techniques and workouts. That said I love kettle ball as it is my main lifting workout.
  • twinsbabyweight
    twinsbabyweight Posts: 20 Member
    For body recomposition (to lower your body fat) you'll need to watch your Macro screen more closely. Protein should be at about 30% per day. From what I've read you should get at least one gram per lb of body weight. More like 1.2 grams tho. This will allow you to continue to gain muscle or keep current muscle without losing it while losing fat. Strength training is pretty important as you will burn cals throughout the day afterward. Add in cardio afterwards to help bump it up. If you don't lose any weight after 7 days you may need to lower your caloric intake by 50 calories & monitor for another 7 days.
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
    edited April 2015
    kcjchang wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    To burn off more fat, your body has to utilize it. And that's more about calorie deficit than what exercise you're doing. Believe it or not, you burn more fat sleeping a good 8 hours than you do doing a 2 hour cardio exercise.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Depends on the intensity. A average two hour bike ride for me is around 1600 (based on virtual power & lower than MET estimate), minus resting it's still 1000 cal. 8 hours of sleep nets me 576ish (estimate base on 0.9 MET at 168lbs). More if I'm motivate but season's still early and I'm not planning to race anytime soon but just focusing on finishing a century within 5 hours.

    Incidentally I would shy away from you kickboxing training if you are teaching anywhere close to meeting your assertion. Only during testing did I get anywhere near that lax in the four years that I trained in Shotokan (JKA).

    Right, and as cyclist using advanced monitoring equipment we know our stats, her statement was a generalization for the OP and applies to most women who go to the gym and do their cardio .
  • terizius
    terizius Posts: 425 Member
    Its not quite as simple as eating less calories. When someone does cardio or strength training, the body burns calories. However, with cardio, the body tends to shed both fat and muscle mass. With strength training, it tends to keep the muscle, and burns mostly fat. So, while the weight will decrease quicker with cardio, it may not be the best way to lower body fat.

    I am currently bulking, and as I do, my body fat is increasing. When I begin my cut to decrease my body fat, I will begin to incorporate more cardio, but it is very important for me to continue lifting so that my body maintains the muscle that I'm building.

    If your overall goal is to lose weight, cardio is the most efficient way to do that. However, if your overall goal is to decrease body fat, strength training is going to be a very important part of your workout routine.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Keep lifting, eat a little less. Do some cardio if you like it. Preferably shorter, more intense sessions.
  • jamesmorin59
    jamesmorin59 Posts: 37 Member
    rybo wrote: »
    Keep lifting, eat a little less. Do some cardio if you like it. Preferably shorter, more intense sessions.

  • zeinmr
    zeinmr Posts: 79 Member
    It is all about your insulin. Insulin is a lipogenic hormone and more we release insulin more we shut down fat burning. To reduce insulin production you need to go with low carb diet. I don't believe it is just a matter of calorie in Vs Calorie out. Does that make sense
  • angellak
    angellak Posts: 68 Member
    Yes, it does. Thank you everyone.
This discussion has been closed.

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