How much cardio vs strength/weight training should I be doing?

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RainySeattle
RainySeattle Posts: 14 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm 4'11" and 174, so I'm considered obese. I'm currently trying to drop 2 lbs/week. Im eating around 1200 calories. I've been doing 15 minutes of cardio twice a day (split brcause of foot issues) and 30 minutes strength/weight training in between. Goal is to work out at least 3 times a week, but so far I've been able to do it nearly every day. How much cardio vs strength/ weight training should I be doing?

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  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    There's really no exact answer. Time spent weight training is much less relevant than what you are actually doing in that set time. Follow an established beginner program and you should be fine
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    As you get closer to goal, strength training becomes more important.

    But, right now it's more important to focus on what you like to do, the thing(s) you will do consistently. Cardio will burn more calories than strength training....but you are eating very low calories already. Just do workouts you like.

    MFP as designed expects you to eat a portion of exercise calories back. This keeps a moderate deficit. A moderate deficit is more important closer to goal also. Moderate deficit, strength training, and eating enough protein work together to help preserve lean muscle mass. You don't have to worry about that for a little while though.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    Strength training is vital to loosing weight. You want to keep the muscle mass you have during your weight loss especially since you have a deficit of 2 lbs a week (1000 calories)...

    There is no set cardio and strength amounts. As you progress (keep doing it) you will get stronger and stronger every day and will be able to do more. Your cardiovascular system will get stronger and stronger so you will have to devise a plan based on how much time, how fit your are getting and set goals. These goals may change weekly, monthly.

    Just do not get too aggressive with the weight loss and exercise. To loose weight, your deficit is the key, but to keep the muscles you have, just keep working them... Find a beginner weight lifting program, and also it depends how and where you are exercising (at home or gym) on your program.
  • _reno_
    _reno_ Posts: 87 Member
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    Right now I would focus on building a consistent hour devoted to exercise 6 days per week. This can be split up and include some stretching and warmup / cool down time.

    The split of time really depends on what your goals are. There are many exercises that combine benefits of both. Things like stair climbing, cycling uphill in a high gear, hill sprints, cross fit, tibatta, body combat, rowing, all will lead to some muscle developent and toning especially for those new to exercise and obese.

    my advice would be to 70% n cardio including warmup / and cool down. Then 30% on an efficient full body workout focused on large compound movements such as squats, pullups, pushups, bench press, deadlifts, lat pulldowns. Do body weight or free weights. Try to not do much resting or standing around during the strength portion. Especially if you are time constrained
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    RainySeattle wrote: »
    I'm 4'11" and 174, so I'm considered obese. I'm currently trying to drop 2 lbs/week. Im eating around 1200 calories. I've been doing 15 minutes of cardio twice a day (split brcause of foot issues) and 30 minutes strength/weight training in between. Goal is to work out at least 3 times a week, but so far I've been able to do it nearly every day. How much cardio vs strength/ weight training should I be doing?

    You're going to get a full range of answers from no CV work and entirely heavy lifting, through to entirely CV. You'll get far fewer of the latter as the entirely lifting school tend to be more vocal.

    In practice it's about a balance of the two that support your objectives, and of course your preferences. It's no good trying to do something you don't enjoy as you won't sustain it, so what works for someone else isn't always going to work from you.

    Resistance training of some kind helps to retain lean mass while you're in deficit, but it doesn't help you with significant deficit. That includes both lifting things, and bodyweight work.

    CV training helps you drive an increased deficit, helps endurance and stamina. There are several different approaches to CV work and some people will espouse the magical benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), whilst others have a more sophisticated understanding. Again to get most from CV work you need a range of different approaches; longer duration steady state, lactate threshold and high intensity all have different effects.

    Personally my preference is for long distance running and cycling, with some predominantly bodyweight resistance work. That suits my objectives and preferences. Others have their own approaches. None of them are inherently wrong, they're just less appropriate for some objectives.
  • brb2008
    brb2008 Posts: 406 Member
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    I like to do youtube workouts like fitness blender. I get variety, lots of options, and best of all most of them are the mix of cardio and body weight exercises that accomplishes the goals of torching calories and using my muscles to prevent them being eaten up as fuel.

    Do a search and look around! Today I did a 24 minute video that had some lunges, side kicks, mountain climbers, and planks. It mixed things up and was upbeat and easy to follow along. Some arent as easy to keep up with at first but you watch a few times and you get it :)
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    80 percent weights, 20 percent cardio.
  • _reno_
    _reno_ Posts: 87 Member
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    I agree with
    Meanderingmammal's comments. Long term consistency is by far the most important thing to changing your life. On the fitness side this can only be achieved with workouts you enjoy (at first this may be workouts you don't dread). Keep changing it up and trying new activities. This will keep it fresh and allow you to discover what works for you.
  • RainySeattle
    RainySeattle Posts: 14 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the advice. I'm actually really enjoying the workouts. I feel like I'm finally accomplishing something! I'll try and keep it up as consistency seems to be key at tjis point in my journey.

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