Running or Weights

NaomiBusler
NaomiBusler Posts: 26 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Gals out there, which is better for losing weight? Cardio, lifting weights, or both?
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Replies

  • ChiliPepperLifter
    ChiliPepperLifter Posts: 279 Member
    Weights! I do strong lifts 5x5.
  • meghanttu08
    meghanttu08 Posts: 158 Member
    Both! I alternate running days and cross training days where I use weights to work several parts of my body. Weights make you get stronger and gain muscle, and helps you run faster/longer! Both will be good for weight loss.
  • SammyDee2015
    SammyDee2015 Posts: 285 Member
    IMO... do a regime with both and you'llend up where you want to be faster, healthier and stronger than if you only did one.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I think both. Personally, I lost more when I kind of quit running steady state and focused more on diet and lifting but yeah...that's just me. Calorie deficit for weight loss, weights to maintain LBM, cardio to eat a bit more or pad your deficit.
  • BramageOMG
    BramageOMG Posts: 319 Member
    edited May 2015
    Weights are great, but cardio is where you will see more rapid weight loss. To maintain muscle, both would be perferable and 5X5 is a great starting program CRAP, I'm not a gal.... ignore my post!!
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I do both!
  • NaomiBusler
    NaomiBusler Posts: 26 Member
    Great I'll mix it up! I've mostly just did cardio for an hour and didn't want to focus on lifting because of avoiding too much muscle mass. Now I've gained all this weight (240) because I've stopped lifting altogether!!!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    BramageOMG wrote: »
    Weights are great, but cardio is where you will see more rapid weight loss. To maintain muscle, both would be perferable and 5X5 is a great starting program CRAP, I'm not a gal.... ignore my post!!

    Not necessarily. You have to be in a deficit. Easy to do cardio and not be in a deficit. Also people have different levels of fitness. When I do cardio it's nothing to write home about...30 minutes here or there. Don't even log it.
  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
    it's all about a calorie deficit for weight loss

    but lifting will elevate your heart rate while also getting you ripped
  • meghanttu08
    meghanttu08 Posts: 158 Member
    Running will tone your legs fast if you run a few times a week.
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
    I think it's good to do both. My goal is to do 20 min of cardio in the morning and 20 min at night. I also do strong lifts 5x5 Mon- Wed- Fri. They both serve a purpose. Cardio is good for your heart and conditioning while weight lifting is for strength and toning your body. Building muscle is good and will help you to burn calories faster. Stop worrying about getting bulky. It's not gonna happen. It will help you so get some basic weights you'll be amazed how much you'll enjoy it.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    I do both
  • kiwigirl007
    kiwigirl007 Posts: 28 Member
    General rule of thumb: Weights change your shape. Cardio changes your size. So, depends what you want. ;)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I'm seeing the T word a lot, so I'll just leave this here:
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/toning/
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
    I do both, but the proportion of time spent on each has shifted along with my needs and goals.

    In the beginning, I mostly did cardio. After many years of over-eating and suddenly being thrust onto 1400 calories per day, I needed the extra cardio calories in order to make the transition a bit easier and not feel bitter about my calorie restrictions. I probably missed out on some early muscle retention, but I made the right choice for me. I'm not sure I could have made this a lifestyle change otherwise.

    As I started to get out of bad habits, and especially as I started to figure out which foods were more satiating for the calories, I didn't "need" as many of those exercise calories and felt comfortable taking more time for strength training.

    I now allocate my workout time slightly more proportional in the favor of weights.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    If you have time do both.... If you don't have time I would suggest just weight lifting.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    NaomiBusler wrote: »
    Great I'll mix it up! I've mostly just did cardio for an hour and didn't want to focus on lifting because of avoiding too much muscle mass. Now I've gained all this weight (240) because I've stopped lifting altogether!!!

    If you're eating at a deficit, you won't add mass if you start lifting. You'll retain more of the muscle you have, so more of the weight lost is fat.

    I lift because I love it; I do cardio so I can eat pizza.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    I think both. Personally, I lost more when I kind of quit running steady state and focused more on diet and lifting but yeah...that's just me. Calorie deficit for weight loss, weights to maintain LBM, cardio to eat a bit more or pad your deficit.

    ^This is exactly how I feel. I love how lifting weights makes me feel, and I think my body shape is so much better for it (thanks to muscle retention). And I do LOTS of cardio because I like to eat LOTS of food.
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
    meghanttu08 wrote: »
    Both! I alternate running days and cross training days where I use weights to work several parts of my body. Weights make you get stronger and gain muscle, and helps you run faster/longer! Both will be good for weight loss.

    Agree!

    Don't be put off using weights because you fear getting 'bulky'. As a woman, you have to put tremendous effort into gaining a noticeable quantity of muscle mass, by following a specialised programme and eating a surplus of calories, so it's really not something you need to worry about happening accidentally. Resistance training certainly has a part to play in developing as a runner and avoiding injury. It will also help you to retain the muscle mass you have now as you lose weight, which will probably mean you're happier with your body in the longer term. There are lots of forms of strength/resistance training, so you are by no means limited to using barbells if this isn't your cup of tea.
  • Emilia777
    Emilia777 Posts: 978 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    I think both. Personally, I lost more when I kind of quit running steady state and focused more on diet and lifting but yeah...that's just me. Calorie deficit for weight loss, weights to maintain LBM, cardio to eat a bit more or pad your deficit.

    Exactly this. As someone who has lost a lot (e.g. 40ish lbs) of weight just with running and only started strength training recently (about a year ago), I highly recommend you do strength training from the get go.
  • rungirl1973
    rungirl1973 Posts: 2,559 Member
    I will always run. I enjoy running, and I've been running regularly for almost 20 years.
    That said, it isn't required for fitness. If you don't like running, there's absolutely no reason for it. I also do strength training ~3 days per week. The ST is what has given me the muscle and definition in my body that makes me look good naked. Running is just for fun (for me).
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    I do lots of both, but find that weight lifting is NOT optional.
  • NaomiBusler
    NaomiBusler Posts: 26 Member
    Eating at a deficit: does this just mean eating below your daily calorie requirement? Like, below 2000 or so (for me)?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I vote for both.

    I like doing cardio and its health benefits and I like that I can eat more when I do it, so I keep it up. But I like even more the physique benefits that I get from lifting weights. From a purely vanity standpoint, I've gotten a tons more "lookin' good!" comments since starting to lift weights (and losing 10 pounds while doing it) than I got after losing 45 pounds while mostly running.
  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
    cardio 3-4 days a week and strength training 2

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  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
    NaomiBusler wrote: »
    Gals out there, which is better for losing weight? Cardio, lifting weights, or both?

    The answer to that depends on your goals. If you want to mitigate muscle loss while eating at a calorie deficit then it's a very good idea to lift weights, I recommend a good beginners heavy lifting program like strong lifts 5x5 or the dumbbell stopgap program to get you started. These programs have you lifting 3 days per week.

    Remember, you can totally lose weight without doing a minute of cardio. I would focus on eating a good balanced diet, lifting weights to preserve muscle mass and squeeze in a little cardio here in there when able. I personally only find myself doing 1-2 days of cardio per week max depending on how I'm feeling, lifting heavy takes it out of me sometimes.

  • o2cnpl
    o2cnpl Posts: 23 Member
    I do both
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
    a mix of both :) I gained the most noticable difference in body by lifting weights, but doing cardio helped with my calorie deficiet.

    that is till i started marathon training and have actually gained despite running 4 days a week!
  • Roxiegirl2008
    Roxiegirl2008 Posts: 756 Member
    I do both. The weight training has helped my running which both have helped my weight loss.
  • CockneyLady2014
    CockneyLady2014 Posts: 199 Member
    kiwigirl007 wrote: »
    General rule of thumb: Weights change your shape. Cardio changes your size. So, depends what you want. ;)

    Exactly what I was going to write. I then combine it with diet.

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