Cardio vs strength training as short girl

Options
foxygirl14
foxygirl14 Posts: 158 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm 5' 2" and I read an article that said shorter girls should focus on strength training instead of cardio because cardio makes us hungrier and we have a lower calorie allowance (mine is 1000 cal). Is that true or is a balance of both the most beneficial? I only have about 1 hr and 15 min a day to exercise so I want to get the most out of my workouts. Thoughts/suggestions?
«1

Replies

  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    Options
    That sounds like nonsense. Do both. 30-45 minutes strength training and 30-45 minutes of cardio.
  • anthony150paolucci
    anthony150paolucci Posts: 85 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    kwtilbury wrote: »
    That sounds like nonsense. Do both. 30-45 minutes strength training and 30-45 minutes of cardio.

    I agree. I don't know where you heard that foxygirl14, but a combination of cardio and strength training is the most beneficial.
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,719 Member
    Options
    foxygirl14 wrote: »
    I'm 5' 2" and I read an article that said shorter girls should focus on strength training instead of cardio because cardio makes us hungrier and we have a lower calorie allowance (mine is 1000 cal). Is that true or is a balance of both the most beneficial? I only have about 1 hr and 15 min a day to exercise so I want to get the most out of my workouts. Thoughts/suggestions?

    Depends on what your goals are...

    but I will say personally, cardio suppresses my appetite while lifting makes me what to eat a 15 oz steak every day.

    But guess what, I do very minimal cardio. I have a limited time to work out and for me and my goals, lifting gives me more "bang for my buck" during that time.
  • tdeaux
    tdeaux Posts: 36 Member
    Options
    A combination of strength and cardio with a balanced, healthy diet is key to anyone. If you are trying to lose weight, it's all about being in a caloric deficit. That article is BS. Also, I would consider eating more calories per day. 1,000 is rather low.
  • RebeccaNaegle
    RebeccaNaegle Posts: 236 Member
    Options
    I am 5'4" and 120lbs. I do strength training and there is no way I would give it up for cardio. PLUS, putting on more muscle, means you get a higher calorie allowance, since muscle weighs more than fat! Right now, my allowance is around 1200. Once I stop cutting it will be around 1500. I only lift heavy, I don't do cardio.
  • StacyChrz
    StacyChrz Posts: 865 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'2" and do a balance of both. I actually find I am more hungry on my weight training days. I think every person will have their own experience and I, along with a lot of other people, believe weight training is important for everyone who can do it.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    Options
    all good advice here, I would also add that you should be adding calories to your "allowance" because of your workouts, you are burning more calories so you should be eating more. Also 1000 calories seems dangerously low, my wife is 5'2" 113lbs, and eats 1500 - 1800 a day, but also works out 6 days a week.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
    Options
    See, I'm the other way around. Cardio, especially any kind of extended cardio makes me ravenous and more likely to binge eat well over my calorie goal, whereas lifting doesn't increase my hunger in any noticeable way and my calorie goal is easily maintained.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Options
    LISS cardio doesn't make me hungry. HIIT does. Lifting does too. Do what you want to do.

    How'd you get a 1000 calorie goal, btw?
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    First off I highly doubt your calorie "allowance" is 1000. That is WAY too low.

    As far as your other question, weight lifting does give you more bang for your buck, as the OP put it. I burn more calories and my heart rate is higher doing heavy lifting than when I'm on the treadmill. (I wear an HRM and my HR is tracked during my whole workout)

    A little cardio is fine, don't get me wrong, and I like to incorporate both every workout, but if it was between one or the other I'd pick weight training.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    Options
    I had put on a few pounds, so I started commuting to work by bike (16miles). I figured that all things staying the same, I would HAVE to lose weight, right? Nope. I actually PUT on weight. I think it made me hungrier and I ate more than I thought I did. I now limit my biking to twice a week and lift weights the other three days.
  • aimeelav
    aimeelav Posts: 26 Member
    Options
    Your calories seem pretty low
    I'm also 5'2" and do strong lifts 3 days per week and very little cardio. I eat around 1800-1900 per day. (and continue to lose inches!)
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Options
    jemhh wrote: »
    LISS cardio doesn't make me hungry. HIIT does. Lifting does too. Do what you want to do.

    How'd you get a 1000 calorie goal, btw?

    I was about to ask this.
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,288 Member
    Options
    If forced to choose, weight training is going to give you more bang for your buck but you can fit both in a 1 hr 15 min block of time by doing HIIT sessions or super setting your weights. Also, I wouldn't recommend eating only 1000 calories a day, that's below what a sedentary female's recommended daily allowance is. I typically get hungry after any kind of workout, cardio or strength training, less for strength training though. I think it's because you typically burn more calories as you exercise with cardio than you do with weights but weight training requires a good amount of energy in the recovery phase.
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
    Options
    That's silly. I'm sorry.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    A) I agree with everyone that you need to rethink your calorie intake (I'm 5'1 and I've never had less than 1430 calories on non-workout days, and I still lost weight). B ) everyone needs strength training and cardio. Some people do 1 more than the other, but both are important for overall health.
  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,288 Member
    Options
    quinndeborde wrote: »
    That's silly. I'm sorry.

    I think she came here looking for advice, not ridicule.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    Options
    Look at it from an overall fitness POV...they're both incredibly important to your overall fitness, not to mention your general wellbeing and neither have anything to do with your height. My wife is 5'2"...she lifts like a boss and she runs marathons. My wife loses weight pretty easily eating around 1500-1800 calories per day. and maintains easily at 2000-2200 depending on what she's up to training wise.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Options
    Do both - eat more - win.
  • tinywonder25
    tinywonder25 Posts: 148 Member
    Options
    4' 11" I gained so much weight, muscle AND fat lifting with little cardio. Cardio doesn't make me hungry but lifting makes me famished! It sounds like you're just going to have to experiment and see what's up for you.

    I just learned that I have to focus on what my goal at the moment is.... Right now it's losing fat so I'm doing cardio and some body weight stuff like planks and push ups to keep my muscle mass.

    My next goal is to gain muscle so I will start lifting again and eating at a cal surplus to feed the muscle building process.


Categories