When you start lifting, is it counterproductive to continue doing cardio workouts?

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LovesDogsAndBooks
LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've lost about 30 lbs since I started on MFP, but a lot of it was probably muscle, even though I've been doing some strength training with dumbbells and kettle bells. After reading so much from women here about lifting, I decided to try it myself. Now, I would like to continue losing weight (slowly, I'm not in a hurry), maybe another 20 - 25 lbs, and I feel that the cardio workouts have helped me losing in the first place. I would like to have stronger and thicker legs, though, because they have thinned out the most. If I start lifting and still do cardio, will that slow the muscle gain, especially in the legs?

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  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    It's going to be very difficult to gain muscle while in a calorie deficit. But cardio is still important to your overall health, so if you still want to do it on your days off from lifting go ahead.
  • marygraci999
    marygraci999 Posts: 1,917 Member
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    I do both..
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    I've always done both.

    Don't worry about gaining muscle right now. You can gain some in a deficit but your main goal is fat loss.
  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    edited December 2017
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    depends on how intense your lifting program is. Intense full body compound exercise programs like Starting strength, stronglifts 3 days a week combined with high intensity cardio plus caloric deficit is too much stress on the body imo. Imo, an intense lifting programme should be combined with low intensity cardio.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    LovesDogsAndBooks wrote: »
    I've lost about 30 lbs since I started on MFP, but a lot of it was probably muscle, even though I've been doing some strength training with dumbbells and kettle bells. After reading so much from women here about lifting, I decided to try it myself. Now, I would like to continue losing weight (slowly, I'm not in a hurry), maybe another 20 - 25 lbs, and I feel that the cardio workouts have helped me losing in the first place. I would like to have stronger and thicker legs, though, because they have thinned out the most. If I start lifting and still do cardio, will that slow the muscle gain, especially in the legs?

    Lol...doing cardio doesn't slow muscle growth...but really, you have to be in a surplus to put on much muscle mass. Lifting in a deficit is going to primarily result in maintaining what muscle you have with maybe some short lived noob gains.

    A lot of people who lift to put on mass don't do a lot of cardio because a lot of cardio means eating a lot more food to maintain a consistent surplus...the cardio itself doesn't slow muscle growth...the lack of a calorie surplus is what does that.
  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    Hm, I didn't really want to wait with the lifting until I have reached my goal weight. I bought the books Strong Curves and Thinner, Leaner, Stronger because they were mentioned here on the forums a lot. Since I wouldn't trust myself to start lifting on my own, I booked sessions with the owner of a small local gym that I've been going to on and off for years, but I didn't mention any specific program to him, I don't really know enough or have an opinion about the programs out there. Anyway, I'll start next week, and I guess I'll just skip the cardio at least for the first week or two and see how it all goes. And I don't plan to be in the kind of deficit that helped me lose weight so far, I've actually been more or less maintaining the last 2 or 3 months.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    You should lift to improve your ability to do cardio. Why would you stop cardio? That's the fun stuff.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    You should lift to improve your ability to do cardio. Why would you stop cardio? That's the fun stuff.

    I lift because it's fun and for aesthetics.. am I doing it wrong? ;)
  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Lol...doing cardio doesn't slow muscle growth...but really, you have to be in a surplus to put on much muscle mass. Lifting in a deficit is going to primarily result in maintaining what muscle you have with maybe some short lived noob gains.

    I probably phrased that wrong. If it is true that lifting makes your leg muscles grow bulkier and running makes them leaner, then wouldn't doing both types of exercises mean that you're wiping out the gain from one exercise by doing the other? Not sure this is any clearer ;)
  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    You should lift to improve your ability to do cardio. Why would you stop cardio? That's the fun stuff.

    I lift because it's fun and for aesthetics.. am I doing it wrong? ;)

    I kind of get bored easily, so for me a variety of exercise types would probably work best. I hope it turns out that I like lifting!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    LovesDogsAndBooks wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Lol...doing cardio doesn't slow muscle growth...but really, you have to be in a surplus to put on much muscle mass. Lifting in a deficit is going to primarily result in maintaining what muscle you have with maybe some short lived noob gains.

    I probably phrased that wrong. If it is true that lifting makes your leg muscles grow bulkier and running makes them leaner, then wouldn't doing both types of exercises mean that you're wiping out the gain from one exercise by doing the other? Not sure this is any clearer ;)

    Neither of those are true so there's nothing to worry about. Eating over maintenance causes your legs to get bigger. Eating under maintenance causes them to get smaller. In addition, the benefits include added strength, muscle retention, improved cardiovascular health and endurance, and just plain old feeling better. It's not just about growing muscle or burning fat.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    is true that lifting makes your leg muscles grow bulkier
    No

    and running makes them leaner,
    No

    then wouldn't doing both types of exercises mean that you're wiping out the gain from one exercise by doing the other?
    No

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,509 Member
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    LovesDogsAndBooks wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Lol...doing cardio doesn't slow muscle growth...but really, you have to be in a surplus to put on much muscle mass. Lifting in a deficit is going to primarily result in maintaining what muscle you have with maybe some short lived noob gains.

    I probably phrased that wrong. If it is true that lifting makes your leg muscles grow bulkier and running makes them leaner, then wouldn't doing both types of exercises mean that you're wiping out the gain from one exercise by doing the other? Not sure this is any clearer ;)
    Thing is, neither are really true IF one's diet isn't conformed to do the two. Lots of people lift hard and heavy, but don't gain muscle because they don't eat enough to support it. And lots of people run, but put a kibbosh on their weight loss by eating up to their TDEE.

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  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
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    Whether you lift and do cardio or not depends on your goals.

    I am in maintenance and am doing both.

    Still doing compound lifting 3-4 days/wk to maintain (and maybe increase) LBM and also doing cardio (mainly rowing) for heart & respiratory health but also for a full body workout and to burn cals to keep net cals at daily limit to remain in maintenance.
  • LovesDogsAndBooks
    LovesDogsAndBooks Posts: 190 Member
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    Thanks all for your replies! Even though I've spent quite a bit of time on this website since March, I still seem to have a lot of beliefs about nutrition/exercise that turn out to be false. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

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