Cardio vs. Weight Training When Losing Weight
cthakkar1985
Posts: 137 Member
I know that a combination of weight training and cardio is important when trying to lose weight. I'm having trouble determining how often I should be lifting weights and how often I should be doing cardio. Currently, I lift 3 days/week. I do ~20 sets a day on these days and hit all muscles in the 3 days. I do ~45 minutes of cardio 5 days/week and I'm eating in a caloric deficit everyday. Do you all think the amount of lifting/cardio I do is a good break out or should I be doing more or less of either? Thanks in advance.
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Replies
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For weight lifting, three full body workouts per week is a good approach for a beginner.
IMO, weight training is going to be more crucial during weight loss because it helps to retain muscle while in a deficit (for a beginner, possibly even gaining muscle).
Cardio is going to provide some extra calories so you can eat a little more but otherwise isn't necessary for weight loss. Its main benefit is cardiovascular health.
*edit to fix a typo0 -
3 days total body is fine for lifting, especially for beginners. The cardio is more dependent on intensity. For instance I would not do 5 days of high intensity interval training, but 5 days of low intensity is fine. As far as weight loss is concerned, cardio is just a tool to burn more calories. If you feel like you are recovering fine from the 5 days, then it's okay. If you start finding your recovery is becoming an issue, I'd cut back on the cardio first before the lifting.0
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cthakkar1985 wrote: »I know that a combination of weight training and cardio is important when trying to lose weight. I'm having trouble determining how often I should be lifting weights and how often I should be doing cardio. Currently, I lift 3 days/week. I do ~20 sets a day on these days and hit all muscles in the 3 days. I do ~45 minutes of cardio 5 days/week and I'm eating in a caloric deficit everyday. Do you all think the amount of lifting/cardio I do is a good break out or should I be doing more or less of either? Thanks in advance.
If your goal is to lose weight and be in generally good, healthy shape, what you're doing is fine. If your goals are something else, then I'm probably not the person to answer that question.0 -
Sounds like a great plan. Your body and your results will let you know what's best for you.0
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It would be too much for me ...I do 3 x a week of 20 mins cardio and weights ...so a total of about 180 mins a week. I'm just generally a walker the rest of the week
It's what suits you as long as you're hitting your calories and getting your rest in, do what you enjoy and are fuelled for
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Excellent advice so far.
It sounds like you've got a good balance going on. If you start to find yourself burning out or not recovering well from your workouts, I'd cut cardio a bit (intensity or time) before sacrificing the weights.0 -
Thanks guys. One thing I should've clarified is I'm not a beginner when it comes to lifting. I've been lifting consistently for a few years now so I'm not expecting any "newbie gains" while I'm cutting. My goal is just to retain the muscle that I have right now. Also, when I say 3 days and hitting all muscles I meant that within those 3 days I'm hitting all groups (not a full body workout each day) -
Day 1 - Back/Biceps
Day 2 - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Day 3 - Legs/Abs
Not sure if this changes your answer - Do you all think I should switch to 3 full-body workouts while cutting?0 -
Definitely weight lifting is important so keep the 3 days. Personally I think, unless you are an active athlete, 3-4 days lifting is enough. You need to give your muscles time to rebuild. As far as cardio, it is important, especially as you get older, to keep your cardiovascular system in good shape. So doing cardio 5 days a week for 15 minutes to 1 hour each day is fine. So much depends on what your goals are and your current condition. Doing something everyday is good for you ...i.e. run on days you don't lift.0
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So do you do 3 x weights/week and you need all 3 to hit each body part once?
What program are you running for your strength training?
If not a structured program I would urge you to look into Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5 assuming you are somewhat of a beginner.0 -
In my experience, cardio is pretty much optional and weight training is mandatory for losing mostly fat while losing weight. If you're trying to get sub 10% BF, then you'll probably need to do a bit of cardio because your calorie intake will be pretty low otherwise. But in general, some cardio is great for your health and good if you like to eat more.0
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cthakkar1985 wrote: »Thanks guys. One thing I should've clarified is I'm not a beginner when it comes to lifting. I've been lifting consistently for a few years now so I'm not expecting any "newbie gains" while I'm cutting. My goal is just to retain the muscle that I have right now. Also, when I say 3 days and hitting all muscles I meant that within those 3 days I'm hitting all groups (not a full body workout each day) -
Day 1 - Back/Biceps
Day 2 - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Day 3 - Legs/Abs
Not sure if this changes your answer - Do you all think I should switch to 3 full-body workouts while cutting?
I think it makes a dif, seems like too much time between hitting muscle groups for optimal results, though if program is structured right, and you enjoy it, it will do what your goal is (maintain lean muscle) provided you also get adequate protien.
If you are not following a structured plan I would suggest considering stronglifts, maybe Madcow version, or Wendler 5/3/1, or even PHUL.0 -
cthakkar1985 wrote: »Thanks guys. One thing I should've clarified is I'm not a beginner when it comes to lifting. I've been lifting consistently for a few years now so I'm not expecting any "newbie gains" while I'm cutting. My goal is just to retain the muscle that I have right now. Also, when I say 3 days and hitting all muscles I meant that within those 3 days I'm hitting all groups (not a full body workout each day) -
Day 1 - Back/Biceps
Day 2 - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Day 3 - Legs/Abs
Not sure if this changes your answer - Do you all think I should switch to 3 full-body workouts while cutting?
I'd stick with what you're doing. Myself, I'm cutting on a 4 day split (shoulders have their own day).
ETA: By that, I just mean that I don't think you need to switch to 3 days total body. I don't mean that you should be married to this program if you decide to switch things up.0 -
i do cardio 5-6 days a week and strength 3 times, focusing on my back and arms. but that is what fits in/works for my goals.
everyone is going to be a little different.0 -
Good thread. I have lost 60 lbs in 14 months (50 years old and weigh 294). I am an "experienced" lifter, but limited with a rec room gym at our complex. Motivation is not an issue. My workout is similar to yours cthakkar1985. I did plateau though a few months back. Stopped lifting, and the weight started to come off again? Should "we" change up the weight training from 20 reps, to maybe 10 reps (heavier) every so often? (Goal is to look good, "cut" my gawd, I can't believe I am saying that as I did not think it was possible, and not so much bulky.) Thank you.0
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cthakkar1985 wrote: »I know that a combination of weight training and cardio is important when trying to lose weight. I'm having trouble determining how often I should be lifting weights and how often I should be doing cardio. Currently, I lift 3 days/week. I do ~20 sets a day on these days and hit all muscles in the 3 days. I do ~45 minutes of cardio 5 days/week and I'm eating in a caloric deficit everyday. Do you all think the amount of lifting/cardio I do is a good break out or should I be doing more or less of either? Thanks in advance.
Not enough information.
Your goal weight is only 27 pounds away and your diary is not public, don't know your intake or macros.
You could be doing yourself a disservice by being so active, on to large a deficit, with the wrong macros.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fat-loss-for-athletes-part-1.html/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html0 -
cthakkar1985 wrote: »Thanks guys. One thing I should've clarified is I'm not a beginner when it comes to lifting. I've been lifting consistently for a few years now so I'm not expecting any "newbie gains" while I'm cutting. My goal is just to retain the muscle that I have right now. Also, when I say 3 days and hitting all muscles I meant that within those 3 days I'm hitting all groups (not a full body workout each day) -
Day 1 - Back/Biceps
Day 2 - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Day 3 - Legs/Abs
Not sure if this changes your answer - Do you all think I should switch to 3 full-body workouts while cutting?
I think it makes a dif, seems like too much time between hitting muscle groups for optimal results, though if program is structured right, and you enjoy it, it will do what your goal is (maintain lean muscle) provided you also get adequate protien.
If you are not following a structured plan I would suggest considering stronglifts, maybe Madcow version, or Wendler 5/3/1, or even PHUL.
I think I'm with Eric on this one0 -
cthakkar1985 wrote: »I know that a combination of weight training and cardio is important when trying to lose weight. I'm having trouble determining how often I should be lifting weights and how often I should be doing cardio. Currently, I lift 3 days/week. I do ~20 sets a day on these days and hit all muscles in the 3 days. I do ~45 minutes of cardio 5 days/week and I'm eating in a caloric deficit everyday. Do you all think the amount of lifting/cardio I do is a good break out or should I be doing more or less of either? Thanks in advance.
Not enough information.
Your goal weight is only 27 pounds away and your diary is not public, don't know your intake or macros.
You could be doing yourself a disservice by being so active, on to large a deficit, with the wrong macros.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fat-loss-for-athletes-part-1.html/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
My TDEE is ~2800. I'm eating 1800 cals/day 158C/158P/60F, so my goal is to lose 2 lbs/week and maintain as much muscle as possible0 -
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Good thread. I have lost 60 lbs in 14 months (50 years old and weigh 294). I am an "experienced" lifter, but limited with a rec room gym at our complex. Motivation is not an issue. My workout is similar to yours cthakkar1985. I did plateau though a few months back. Stopped lifting, and the weight started to come off again? Should "we" change up the weight training from 20 reps, to maybe 10 reps (heavier) every so often? (Goal is to look good, "cut" my gawd, I can't believe I am saying that as I did not think it was possible, and not so much bulky.) Thank you.
I currently only lift heavy, since I've read that even when you're cutting, you should lift heavy. I do 20 sets per lifting session, 3 days/week & 4-8 reps each set.0 -
cthakkar1985 wrote: »cthakkar1985 wrote: »I know that a combination of weight training and cardio is important when trying to lose weight. I'm having trouble determining how often I should be lifting weights and how often I should be doing cardio. Currently, I lift 3 days/week. I do ~20 sets a day on these days and hit all muscles in the 3 days. I do ~45 minutes of cardio 5 days/week and I'm eating in a caloric deficit everyday. Do you all think the amount of lifting/cardio I do is a good break out or should I be doing more or less of either? Thanks in advance.
Not enough information.
Your goal weight is only 27 pounds away and your diary is not public, don't know your intake or macros.
You could be doing yourself a disservice by being so active, on to large a deficit, with the wrong macros.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fat-loss-for-athletes-part-1.html/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
My TDEE is ~2800. I'm eating 1800 cals/day 158C/158P/60F, so my goal is to lose 2 lbs/week and maintain as much muscle as possible
I doubt your maintaining as much muscle as possible with that deficit.0 -
galgenstrick wrote: »cthakkar1985 wrote: »cthakkar1985 wrote: »I know that a combination of weight training and cardio is important when trying to lose weight. I'm having trouble determining how often I should be lifting weights and how often I should be doing cardio. Currently, I lift 3 days/week. I do ~20 sets a day on these days and hit all muscles in the 3 days. I do ~45 minutes of cardio 5 days/week and I'm eating in a caloric deficit everyday. Do you all think the amount of lifting/cardio I do is a good break out or should I be doing more or less of either? Thanks in advance.
Not enough information.
Your goal weight is only 27 pounds away and your diary is not public, don't know your intake or macros.
You could be doing yourself a disservice by being so active, on to large a deficit, with the wrong macros.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fat-loss-for-athletes-part-1.html/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
My TDEE is ~2800. I'm eating 1800 cals/day 158C/158P/60F, so my goal is to lose 2 lbs/week and maintain as much muscle as possible
I doubt your maintaining as much muscle as possible with that deficit.
Hmm...why is that? I thought that ~2lbs/week was a safe amount to lose without losing muscle.0 -
cthakkar1985 wrote: »galgenstrick wrote: »cthakkar1985 wrote: »cthakkar1985 wrote: »I know that a combination of weight training and cardio is important when trying to lose weight. I'm having trouble determining how often I should be lifting weights and how often I should be doing cardio. Currently, I lift 3 days/week. I do ~20 sets a day on these days and hit all muscles in the 3 days. I do ~45 minutes of cardio 5 days/week and I'm eating in a caloric deficit everyday. Do you all think the amount of lifting/cardio I do is a good break out or should I be doing more or less of either? Thanks in advance.
Not enough information.
Your goal weight is only 27 pounds away and your diary is not public, don't know your intake or macros.
You could be doing yourself a disservice by being so active, on to large a deficit, with the wrong macros.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fat-loss-for-athletes-part-1.html/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
My TDEE is ~2800. I'm eating 1800 cals/day 158C/158P/60F, so my goal is to lose 2 lbs/week and maintain as much muscle as possible
I doubt your maintaining as much muscle as possible with that deficit.
Hmm...why is that? I thought that ~2lbs/week was a safe amount to lose without losing muscle.
It depends on how much you weigh and your body fat %. 2 pounds a week is pretty aggressive, especially if you're in a healthy weight range.0 -
cthakkar1985 wrote: »cthakkar1985 wrote: »I know that a combination of weight training and cardio is important when trying to lose weight. I'm having trouble determining how often I should be lifting weights and how often I should be doing cardio. Currently, I lift 3 days/week. I do ~20 sets a day on these days and hit all muscles in the 3 days. I do ~45 minutes of cardio 5 days/week and I'm eating in a caloric deficit everyday. Do you all think the amount of lifting/cardio I do is a good break out or should I be doing more or less of either? Thanks in advance.
Not enough information.
Your goal weight is only 27 pounds away and your diary is not public, don't know your intake or macros.
You could be doing yourself a disservice by being so active, on to large a deficit, with the wrong macros.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fat-loss-for-athletes-part-1.html/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
My TDEE is ~2800. I'm eating 1800 cals/day 158C/158P/60F, so my goal is to lose 2 lbs/week and maintain as much muscle as possible
How tall are you, what do you weigh now, what do you estimate your body fat percentage to be?
That is an awful lot of exercise for such a low TDEE.0 -
I'm 5'7 weigh 195 my bodyfat is ~25%. My goal is to be 155 @ 12% bodyfat.0
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cthakkar1985 wrote: »galgenstrick wrote: »cthakkar1985 wrote: »cthakkar1985 wrote: »I know that a combination of weight training and cardio is important when trying to lose weight. I'm having trouble determining how often I should be lifting weights and how often I should be doing cardio. Currently, I lift 3 days/week. I do ~20 sets a day on these days and hit all muscles in the 3 days. I do ~45 minutes of cardio 5 days/week and I'm eating in a caloric deficit everyday. Do you all think the amount of lifting/cardio I do is a good break out or should I be doing more or less of either? Thanks in advance.
Not enough information.
Your goal weight is only 27 pounds away and your diary is not public, don't know your intake or macros.
You could be doing yourself a disservice by being so active, on to large a deficit, with the wrong macros.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fat-loss-for-athletes-part-1.html/
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
My TDEE is ~2800. I'm eating 1800 cals/day 158C/158P/60F, so my goal is to lose 2 lbs/week and maintain as much muscle as possible
I doubt your maintaining as much muscle as possible with that deficit.
Hmm...why is that? I thought that ~2lbs/week was a safe amount to lose without losing muscle.
It depends on your starting point. The more fat you have to lose, the lower a percentage 2lbs is from your total fat and the easier it will be to lose. If you're already starting at a fairly low BF% it could be difficult to lose just fat at 2lbs/wk. If you've got the time to do it slower, it's generally the better choice.
Stick to your weight training program if that's what works for you and your schedule, but if you can hit each area twice a week it would probably be better for muscle retention. I agree that you should still be lifting heavy, probably in the 3-5 rep range.0 -
Way too much cardio! Do twice a week, 20 min HIIT "Sprint 8" program ea time.0
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Thanks everyone0
This discussion has been closed.
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