Today go extra hard or light ??

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esn222
esn222 Posts: 24 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been doing cardio (on elliptical mostly) followed by 30 min of strength training. Was doing 20 min interval workout, but increased to 40 min this week (Tues, Wed, Thurs). Yesterday, I made the full 40 minutes but didn't get my cardio as elevated because my quads felt very fatigued. Knowing I may or may not work out at home this weekend, would it be better to back the cardio to 20 min today and go hard at it and follow with some yoga, keep up with the 40 min and give as much as I can ( and maybe yoga after), or just warmup with some cardio and do some strength training?

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  • time2cutnow
    time2cutnow Posts: 150 Member
    edited February 2016
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    What are you goals? To lose weight or to build muscle?

    I would recommend doing cardio after rather than before you lift. Although is really only a preference, most like to do it after as they're usually pretty exhausted after cardio and their form for lifting may not be on point.

  • esn222
    esn222 Posts: 24 Member
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    I'm trying to do both, I'd like to drop about 25 more pounds, while building muscles. I feel energized after the cardio but can't go right to wall sits or squats...
  • time2cutnow
    time2cutnow Posts: 150 Member
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    I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but you can't do both at once. You need to eat at a surplus to gain muscle and a deficit to lose fat.

    I definitely recommend to continue lifting to preserve what muscle you do have while losing the 25 lbs.

    As for your original question, go as hard as you can, but don't overdo it of course. Since your primary goal is to lose I would get in as much cardio as possible to speed things up. Lifting is also great for losing weight, but in my own experience I find cardio speeds up the process significantly.
  • esn222
    esn222 Posts: 24 Member
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    Thanks for the advice - I should clarify - I don't want to be bulky with muscle just strong and toned and healthy!
  • time2cutnow
    time2cutnow Posts: 150 Member
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    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    Unlike the advice you got above, lift. That's all. Long term, lifting is the way you lose. More muscle mass, more food you eat, more you weigh, but the leaner you look. If you think long term, lift. If you just want a quick fix, cardio away in the endless circle of loss and gain.

    So lift, eat more and weigh more. That's pretty common knowledge, but not what OP is wanting. OP wants to lose 25 lbs. How can you say adding cardio isn't going to help?


  • time2cutnow
    time2cutnow Posts: 150 Member
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    OP do some research online. Figure it out for yourself. You will get a lot of "experts" on here telling you what to do, but it's up to you to decipher the crap advice from the good advice. Good luck.
  • esn222
    esn222 Posts: 24 Member
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    Yeah - I do a lot of online research -just hoping someone had a suggestion for my specific situation ;)
  • time2cutnow
    time2cutnow Posts: 150 Member
    edited February 2016
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    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    time2cutnow wrote: »
    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    Unlike the advice you got above, lift. That's all. Long term, lifting is the way you lose. More muscle mass, more food you eat, more you weigh, but the leaner you look. If you think long term, lift. If you just want a quick fix, cardio away in the endless circle of loss and gain.

    So lift, eat more and weigh more. That's pretty common knowledge, but not what OP is wanting. OP wants to lose 25 lbs. How can you say adding cardio isn't going to help?


    Sometimes what someone wants is not really what they want. I want to eat today, so do you give me a fish, or teach me how to fish?

    People don't know how to ask for what they really want. I provide long term solutions. Not quick fixes.

    OP doesn't really want to lose 25 lbs of fat? Never would have guessed.

    Your advice to OP is to lift more, eat more and no cardio. So...a permanent bulk? That is going to give them the best long term results? lol
  • sventheviking
    sventheviking Posts: 45 Member
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    Cardio and Strength training go hand in hand.
    Each should be focused on more for the specific goal.
    To answer the original question OP

    Don't always go hard, back off from time to time slow and steady wins the race. Dropping 25 lbs should take 25 weeks roughly. Especially with HIIT it can beat you up take a light day every few sessions and just do some steady state jogging.

    I do agree any lifting should be done BEFORE a cardio session. Theres no reason to be overly fatigued when handling weights. Save the running till after you lift.

    A toned look is achieved by having low body fat.
    You can build a small amount of muscle when you first introduce strength training but it's for a short time period and to gain anything more than that will take a dedicated lean mass phase.
  • time2cutnow
    time2cutnow Posts: 150 Member
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    sventheviking wrote: »
    Cardio and Strength training go hand in hand.
    Each should be focused on more for the specific goal.
    To answer the original question OP

    Don't always go hard, back off from time to time slow and steady wins the race. Dropping 25 lbs should take 25 weeks roughly. Especially with HIIT it can beat you up take a light day every few sessions and just do some steady state jogging.

    I do agree any lifting should be done BEFORE a cardio session. Theres no reason to be overly fatigued when handling weights. Save the running till after you lift.

    A toned look is achieved by having low body fat.
    You can build a small amount of muscle when you first introduce strength training but it's for a short time period and to gain anything more than that will take a dedicated lean mass phase.

    Yes. Great advice.

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