Strength training or cardio to get the weight off?
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »I see cardio as just a way to create a calorie deficit. Weight lifting is a must if it's possible. Cardio is optional, but you can create a deficit with diet.
It's also important for cardiovascular health. You don't need either to lose weight. But if you want to actually be healthy, you need at least some cardio.
Depending on how you lift, you can get the cardiovascular health benefits. My heart rate was through the roof this morning while doing squats and barbell lunges.
That heart rate increase is not indicative of a cardio training effect. It occurs via a completely different physiological process that is not aerobic.
Heavy lifting has the aerobic effect of a mild to brisk walk, i.e. 3-4 METs. If you alter the strength movement to make it more "aerobic-y", then you will get a compromised strength effect.
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OP, all you technically need for weight loss is a calorie deficit. But honestly the best answer to your question is both.
Cardio burns more calories so you can eat more food. It's also really important for all-around health.
Strength training will help to limit the amount of muscle you lose while eating at a deficit and can help you look "firmer" when you get down to your goal weight. It's also really important for all-around health.
So it kind of depends on what your priorities are and how much time you have. Strictly looking at calories in the here and now, cardio is probably more useful. I tend to take a couple of 15 minute walks on strength training days, so I still earn enough calories to eat what I want
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »I see cardio as just a way to create a calorie deficit. Weight lifting is a must if it's possible. Cardio is optional, but you can create a deficit with diet.
It's also important for cardiovascular health. You don't need either to lose weight. But if you want to actually be healthy, you need at least some cardio.
Depending on how you lift, you can get the cardiovascular health benefits. My heart rate was through the roof this morning while doing squats and barbell lunges.
That heart rate increase is not indicative of a cardio training effect. It occurs via a completely different physiological process that is not aerobic.
Heavy lifting has the aerobic effect of a mild to brisk walk, i.e. 3-4 METs. If you alter the strength movement to make it more "aerobic-y", then you will get a compromised strength effect.
Okay.0 -
DapperDassie wrote: »Both
This^
It's not a matter of one or the other.
You can lose weight just doing CICO w/o cardio or strength training BUT strength training helps maintain (and maybe even increase) LBM and cardio is useful in burning cals to keep CO higher than CI but also has other health/physical benefits -
- such increased respiratory endurance and reduced cholesterol and blood pressure levels - - not provided by only strength training.
How much you do of one or the other will vary. There's no "one fits all" program but generally speaking one should probably do more cardio early on until your weight goal is reached while also doing progressive linear strength training until you plateau in both weight and strength, when you can decide whether you want to switch to maintenance (or set a different weight/strength objective).
Bottomline, in order to lose weight AND achieve a better level of health and fitness, you need to do both strength training and cardio while losing (and later maintaining) your weight via CICO.2 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »Cardio burns more calories than strength training, though adding some strength training will help preserve muscle.
Personally, I would hold off on the trainer. Start a simple strength training program on your own, even if it is body weight exercises or a circuit of machines at the gym. Add in lots of cardio. Once you get to the point where you have lost a good amount of weight and are switching the focus to strength, if you don't feel you are progressing as you would like to with the strength training you can hire someone then to help you improve (though there are many great books and websites that will give you the same guidance for little or no money.)
Cardio is not essential for weight loss, it's only a tool to help you achieve your deficit. I am proof of it, I lost 25 lbs in 4 months without doing any cardio for a good 3 months . I only needed to add cardio on my last month when I didn't want to lower my calories any further. What matters most in weight loss is being in a caloric deficit, stuff like cardio, Intermittent fasting, keto diets, paleo diets or whatever diet is out there, they are all tools to be used to help one acheive a caloric deficit, but the most important thing is to know what your TDEE (aka calories that you burn per day) is and be in a deficit in order to lose weight.
I highly suggest to not go crazy, I see many women eating under 1200 calories and doing 6-7 days of cardio, that is too excessive and at one point you will get frustrated because you will hit a weight loss plateau.
I did not say cardio is essential for weight loss, so I'm not sure why you are even responding to me in this fashion. If you read the OP you would realize that we were specifically asked what we recommended in terms of exercise to help with weight loss. That is what I addressed.
I wasn't accusing you or attacking, I just wanted to inform the OP, that's it...sorry if it sounded like I was attacking you, I wasn't. My message was for informational purposes because many people I know believe a lot of myth like cardio = weight loss guaranteed and stuff like that.
Thanks. Sorry, I just misinterpreted and overreacted. Walls of text with no voice or body language cues make online deciphering tricky...hazard of message boards!1 -
Thinking of exercise in terms of what it will do for your weight loss efforts is looking at just one of the benefits of it, and it's really only a secondary benefit.
The main approach, I think, should be to look at it from a fitness perspective.
It is recommended that individuals to both cardio and resistance work for fitness, and OP, you should do some of both.
A lot of people on these forums are quick to recommend certain methods as being the only ways to do either of these things, but there is more than one way to get a cardio workout, and there is more than one way to get a form of resistance training. Not all of them will accomplish the same things, but not everyone has the same goals.
If your main focus is calorie burning, for example, then you'd want to maybe make your resistance work some sort of circuit-based weight training and do additional cardio.
If your main focus is on building strength, then you'd want to do a progressive lifting program and do some light cardio.
Think about your goals, and come back and ask more questions!1 -
Calorie deficit for weight loss, a mixture of both cardio and strength training is optimal for health and all round fitness.
Try to make all three components sustainable and enjoyable - or at least bearable.
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The best results come with a total package approach: calorie deficit + cardio+strength training.1
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Any exercise that you will do is the best exercise for you. I lift 2-3 times a week, do yoga 2-3 times a week (usually at home, occasionally I take a group class), and walk on my lunch break everyday at work..
Strength training is something I added after my weight loss because my brother's pelvis cracked through but didn't move after a deer hit his motorcycle. The ortho asked me if he lifted weights while he was out cold. "yes, since he played football in high school". "That would explain it. This usually requires surgery." since I am the family klutz and most likely to fall and break a hip, lifting seemed like a good preventive measure. Turns out I also love it.0 -
Both! Cardio burns more calories (typically) than weight-lifting in a session. However, consistent lifting with a progressive program will yield long term benefits.
Think of cardio like investing in the stock market--great possibility of quick, high returns. Think of lifting like investing your money in a CD with a 3.5% interest rate. It'll take a while, but with patience will yield great results in the long run.1 -
DapperDassie wrote: »Both
+1. I lost 60 pounds last year. I tried to mix it up. A lot of HIIT sessions will cover both. I think when you're starting the journey, its easy to get lost in the specifics of what this day what that day how many macros, etc etc. What worked for me was eating less and moving more.1 -
You should do both. There are plenty of workout routines that incorporate both strength training and cardio.0
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The best results come with a total package approach: calorie deficit + cardio+strength training.
This has been my experience, too.
I lost over 100 lbs through a deficit. I've been sick and injured for a while, and only very recently have I been able to exercise and lift weights. I do not notice the scale moving down any quicker adding resistance training, but my body is changing quickly: losing inches, looking "toned," etc. I'd do all three mentioned above.0
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