Cardio or Weights?

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StacyJuneAudrey
StacyJuneAudrey Posts: 4 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

I was working out quite diligently a while ago and have fallen off the wagon. As I start to gain more motivation to get back to it, I've been wondering what my best workouts might be. I'm looking to lose a significant amount of weight and am wondering what is the best route to go? Did you have more success with weights or cardio or is it a solid combination of both?

Any input or advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
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    To lose weight you need to stick to a reasonable calorie deficit.

    To answer your question - both cardio and weights.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    You can lose weight without exercising but there's a pretty solid body of research suggesting that people who exercise regularly manage to do better keeping it off in the long run.

    Ideally you would do a combination of cardio and strength , the mix being dependent on what your goals were (I run so it's way more cardio that weights but someone looking more at body composition may focus more on the strength side)
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,144 Member
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    Both!
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
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    StacyJuneAudrey wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I was working out quite diligently a while ago and have fallen off the wagon. As I start to gain more motivation to get back to it, I've been wondering what my best workouts might be. I'm looking to lose a significant amount of weight and am wondering what is the best route to go? Did you have more success with weights or cardio or is it a solid combination of both?

    Any input or advice would be much appreciated!

    Thanks in advance!

    Since you're looking to lose a significant amount of weight, and since weight loss is a function of caloric deficit and since cardio burns more calories per hour than lifting your answer is cardio. BUT, a caloric deficit is best maintained through controlling intake, and a healthy body is a strong body, so you should do both. I like to alternate days, heavy on the lifting one day and emphasis on cardio the other. All days usually have a mixture of both, however.
  • elizabethmcopeland
    elizabethmcopeland Posts: 167 Member
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    Both.

    With a heavy serving of what you find you enjoy the most.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
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    Dovars wrote: »
    If you really want to lose weight fast, do both while you are on calorie deficit ... To spice things up, introduce low carbs to your calorie deficit plan... Less than 20g of Carbs per day. You'll be there in no time.

    LESS THAN 20g a day? I feel bad for anyone who is around me if I had to endure that.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    I would say both as well.

    Cardio is great for health and helping add to your calorie deficit.
    Weight lifting is also great for health, as well to help to maintain the muscle you have as you lose and have very positive effects on your body composition when you get to goal
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    Dovars wrote: »
    If you really want to lose weight fast, do both while you are on calorie deficit ... To spice things up, introduce low carbs to your calorie deficit plan... Less than 20g of Carbs per day. You'll be there in no time.

    These types of diets that are excessively restrictive are why a lot of beginners quit their weight loss efforts after short durations. The Greek yogurt I ate for breakfast had 20gs of carbs - so the rest of the day would be all fat and protein? :/
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
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    Bry_Lander wrote: »
    Dovars wrote: »
    If you really want to lose weight fast, do both while you are on calorie deficit ... To spice things up, introduce low carbs to your calorie deficit plan... Less than 20g of Carbs per day. You'll be there in no time.

    These types of diets that are excessively restrictive are why a lot of beginners quit their weight loss efforts after short durations. The Greek yogurt I ate for breakfast had 20gs of carbs - so the rest of the day would be all fat and protein? :/

    It doesn't matter what you eat as long as you have a calorie deficit. I could eat 1400 calories of pizza day and still lose weight. Not that it would be the healthiest option from a nutrient standpoint, but I could still lose weight.
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
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    Dovars wrote: »
    If you really want to lose weight fast, do both while you are on calorie deficit ... To spice things up, introduce low carbs to your calorie deficit plan... Less than 20g of Carbs per day. You'll be there in no time.

    Restricting carbs will not lead to more weight (fat) loss compared to any other diet. Initially there will be more water weight loss, however, in the long run a low carb diet is not superior to any other diet. Caloric deficit and time...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Both are important as a matter of general fitness. Neither will default to losing weight...your losing weight will come down to your diet and consuming fewer calories than you expend. Regular exercise has the added benefit of increasing your energy expenditure to some extent, but really, unless you're training like an athlete, that energy expenditure pales in comparison to the calories you burn merely existing and going about your day to day...
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    midlomel1971 wrote: »
    Bry_Lander wrote: »
    Dovars wrote: »
    If you really want to lose weight fast, do both while you are on calorie deficit ... To spice things up, introduce low carbs to your calorie deficit plan... Less than 20g of Carbs per day. You'll be there in no time.

    These types of diets that are excessively restrictive are why a lot of beginners quit their weight loss efforts after short durations. The Greek yogurt I ate for breakfast had 20gs of carbs - so the rest of the day would be all fat and protein? :/

    It doesn't matter what you eat as long as you have a calorie deficit. I could eat 1400 calories of pizza day and still lose weight. Not that it would be the healthiest option from a nutrient standpoint, but I could still lose weight.

    Yes, I understand CICO, I live it. I also understand that eating bizarre macros ratios is a recipe for misery and failure for beginners who want to lose weight. Suddenly eating carbs as 5-10% of your diet is a bad idea and unnecessary, IMO, especially for people who have probably had carbs as 50-60% (or more) of their diet for most of their lives.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    edited August 2017
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    I agree with everyone!
    Exercise is great.
    But cardio or weights?
    What do you like?
    Whatever one you can enjoy, and stick with, and dedicate yourself to, that'll be best.
    Many people get motivated to lose weight and they want to lose it all and they want to do so fast, so they set unreasonable goals.
    Do what you like. Ease into it gradually. Eventually, it will become a habit and you will want to ramp up your efforts.
    But it does not do you any good to set super lofty goals for an exercise program right off the bat, if you are going to find you hate it and stop doing it in a month, two months, six months, whatever.
    You might be different because you worked out before (or maybe not?), but I would be interested to know if there is actually anyone here who was sedentary and/or overweight who suddenly took up a rigorous program and has no kept with it for at least a year or more?
    I'd train for a 5k, which is a fairly short distance race. There are many 5k programs you can find that will give you direction.
    Or, I'd get an easy circuit program for the gym.
    Both can come later. Working out is hard when you first start.
  • Penthesilea514
    Penthesilea514 Posts: 1,189 Member
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    I lift 3 days a week and I run 3 days a week- I love it :D
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    StacyJuneAudrey wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I was working out quite diligently a while ago and have fallen off the wagon. As I start to gain more motivation to get back to it, I've been wondering what my best workouts might be. I'm looking to lose a significant amount of weight and am wondering what is the best route to go? Did you have more success with weights or cardio or is it a solid combination of both?

    Any input or advice would be much appreciated!

    Thanks in advance!

    The pie-in-the-sky answer is both. Cardio burns more calories which can help you manage your deficit better. Weights help you to maintain your muscle mass so you don't look droopy when you reach goal weight. And with a reasonable amount of muscle on you, you may find you don't need to get to as low a weight as you thought to look the way you want to look.

    If you must choose one or the other, it may depend on how you are managing your deficit with your diet. If you are comfortable eating to your non-exercise calorie goal, I'd say weights are more important - they will burn a little bit of extra calories and will maintain your muscles. If you are struggling to get to a reasonable deficit, cardio may be more important to get your calories to the right number - I'd say this is the worst case scenario though.

    They are both important for health too, along with flexibility and balance! I also find they both relieve stress in different ways - cardio helps me to clear my head and work the physical tension out, and when I finish a strength workout I feel like an invincible Wonder Woman :smiley:
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    The benefits of cardio and strength training are different whether you are, gaining or maintaining.

    Both is the answer if you want optimal results and overall health.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    Both>weights>cardio

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