Has strength training or cardio given you personally better results

Strength training for aesthetics, better diet adherence, confidence, strength, health (for me) etc. I do some cardio in a deficit but just enough to keep me fit and allow me to eat a bit more. I've lost weight before doing only cardio vs only strength training and I was much much much happier with the results of strength training on my body composition.

Lifting for sure. My body has an awesome shape thanks to the muscle I've gained while lifting and eating in a caloric surplus.

Lifting by far. I only do cardio in winter to mak up for the fact I'm not biking or swimming for fun or walking to get as many places as practical.

I have done and do both but have emphasized one over the other at different points in time based on my specific needs and goals at various points in time.

When I started my current weight loss effort 2 yrs ago, all I did was lift heavy 3x's a week in order to build/retain muscle and increase my strength.

I increased my strength significantly and was able to rank at the advanced and elite levels in the 4 main compound lifts for men my age/weight based on the Strength Level database.

I was also able to reduce my BF% from over 25% at 196# down to 8% at 155# which represents a loss of about 37# in BF and a minor gain of 4# in LBM while on a deficit and restrictive maintenance diet over the 2 yr period.

In the last 6 months, I have cut back significantly on the amount and intensity of lifting to the point that I have not done any lifting to speak of in the last 2 weeks.

Instead, I have been rowing 10k meters for an hr a day everyday which burns about 550 cals a day.

Since I am in maintenance, my goal is NOT to lose more weight doing this. The reason that I am doing this is to be able to eat more than my meager 1750 maintenance cal diet. Rowing daily allows me to eat about 2300 cals/day instead which provides me with more protein and nourishment that I believe I need.

So far, cutting back on lifting has not significantly reduced my strength based on the limited lifting that I am still doing and rowing helps to maintain the muscle tone and definition that I achieved previously.

So, to me, it's not a simply question of cardio vs lifting. It's a question of which best meets my needs at a specific point in time.

Both. Cardio for cardiovascular health, endurance, and overall weight loss. Strength training for aesthetics.

Cardio in the form of walking

Cardio - better for aerobic fitness, better for allowing me to eat more, better than using the car, better for taking me into beautiful countryside, better for endurance, better for CV health, often better for enjoyment unless it's indoor cardio (that's training, not fun).

Strength training - better for strength, better for physique, better for managing chronic knee and back injuries.

Both - better for me.

Both. I started strength training a year ago to preserve muscle while losing weight. I don't lift heavy; I've just bought a pair of 25-lb dumbbells, that I'll probably be ready for in a couple of weeks. My main cardio is walking. I also have a fitness glider in my basement that I use if the weather or the daylight aren't cooperating. (Where I live, in the winter, it can start getting dark around 3:30 in the afternoon; sometimes fitting in a two-hour walk can be difficult.)

This is what I've noticed:

-My walking speed has increased from 2.8mph to just under 4.

-I've had two surgeries five months apart. Relatively minor procedures but done under general. In recovery after each one, I was able to sit up unassisted. The nurse on duty complimented me on my trunk muscles. For the record, they are not visible. I'm one of those people who loses fat from the belly area last. But under that fat... something is stronger.

-After the last surgery, my heart rate started dropping in the recovery room. The nurse phoned a cardiologist to come check me out. The phone station was right by my cot and I heard her mention that although my heart rate was at 39, I was "asymptomatic". Then she turned to me and said, "The cardiologist is asking if you're a runner". I'm not, but it looks like daily 2-hour walks have lowered my RHR. It was 56bpm before the surgery, which according to the charts, puts me in the "athlete" category.

-I can haul a 28lb box of kitty litter across the pet store in one hand, without a cart.

-I can carry a 20-some-odd-year-old TV from my parents' garage to the top of their driveway (It's a sloping drive; I had to carry it uphill) to the trash. I'm guessing it was 40-50lbs or so.

-Someone who hadn't seen me in a while recently commented half-jokingly that my butt had vanished. And yes, that was meant as a compliment!

-I've got visible deltoids and definition on my legs

Both. 9Round is a combination of cardio & strength training & I wouldn't have it any other way. Doing my first 5k mud run tomorrow & can't wait.

JBApplebee wrote: »

Both. 9Round is a combination of cardio & strength training & I wouldn't have it any other way. Doing my first 5k mud run tomorrow & can't wait.

I wouldn't say it's strength training. It's MUSCULAR ENDURANCE training. How do I know? Because I attend 9 round as well.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Have to agree with the majority...both. Heavy lifting has changed my body but cardio (stair stepper & spinning mostly) is so good for my health (physical and mental!) the key is to keep your body moving in a way that is enjoyable and sustainable FOR YOU!

'Both' is always an option. Usually, it's the best option.

Both. Strength gives me what I consider an attractive shape, broad shoulders, tighter waist, but cardio gives me the healthy heart (with a low 50's resting hr), and more quickly burns off fat since I do like to eat. But I do cardio after strength training since the strength reduces the glucose energy source and hopefully I'm more efficiently fueled by a higher percentage fat when I get to the cardio.

I think each person has to answer the question training for what? That greatly helps you make choices about how to proceed. Picking goals also gives training some meaning. The goal can be as simple as wanting to be able to walk/hike/run/bike/swim/kayak/SUP some distance at some speed.

(I will not denigrate appearance goals, but I have found them much less motivating in the long run-- joke intended.)