What is best?

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I have over 150 pounds to lose. Which is best for me.. Strength training or cardio?

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  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Moderate and sustainable calorie deficit over an extended period of time combined with both cardio and strength training.

    Exclude one or the other and it's no longer "best".
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    The best exercise is the one you will do. If you absolutely dread doing it, you are less likely to stick with it.
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
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    I agree with above posters.
    Calorie defecit is for weightloss.
    Cardio is for improving cardio vascular health.
    Strength is for maintaining existing muscle (lean body mass) which will help keep your bmr higher and better body composition at the end of your weightloss.

    Either way, for weightloss exercise is completely optional.
    If you want to exercise, do what you like, or pick an exercise goal and work towards it.
  • nickynoneck83
    nickynoneck83 Posts: 25 Member
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    Depending on how serious you want be, start off with general bodyweight excerises say for your first month of fitness do this and keep up a good diet.


    Do this set without stopping

    10 jumping jacks
    running on the spot to the count of 100
    10 sit ups
    10 Squats

    Do this 3 times
    Rest for 2 mins between sets

    Each week for your first month add 10 reps to each exercise and 25 counts to your running on the spot.

    After you succeeded with this look into another form of fitness.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I have over 150 pounds to lose. Which is best for me.. Strength training or cardio?

    Best is the one you like to do so you keep it up.

    I started walking a year ago, simple walking.
    Now i still walk, i jog and swim, and some very light weight lifting

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  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
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    If you are carrying around over 100 #s, you probably have some mean muscle! Try to keep as much of that muscle as you can by continuing to lift heavy things as you lose.

    I think 30-day challenges work well as far as building a habit. https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days
  • Peachypam5816
    Peachypam5816 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thank you everyone!
  • random5483
    random5483 Posts: 63 Member
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    1. Eat at a moderate deficit to loose weight without loosing too much muscle. If you are 100 lbs overweight, a 2 lbs/week loss should be fine.
    2. Do cardio for general fitness. While you will burn more calories and loose weight a little faster this way, don't count on it. Optimally, you will be eating back most of your cardio burn anyway.
    3. Do strength workouts to preserve muscle. Muscle takes a long time to build. It's much quicker to burn 1 lb of fat or muscle than to gain 1 lb of muscle.


    Only step 1 is needed for weight loss. Step 2 is good for general health and can somewhat help with weight loss. Step 3 will make you look better once your weight loss journey is complete. Step 3 will also slightly help with weight loss from the sense that you burn some calories lifting weights and muscles burn more than fat, but the gains are even less significant than step 2.
  • AppetiteControlFreak
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    I have over 150 pounds to lose. Which is best for me.. Strength training or cardio?

    At first probably diet and walking

    Then as you get used to that, add some simple weight exercises and elliptical trainer

    Lose more weight and more exercise gets easier

    When I lost my weight I did not eat the exercise calories back. But we are talking 300 a day.

    As others said, just stick with a reduced calorie diet and variety of exercises you can do and enjoy

    It will happen if you just stick with it

    No rocket science, just persistence.