Cardio vs strength training

mrronbacon
mrronbacon Posts: 14 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I am working to loose weight. I have a gym membership and I am going daily. That in itself is huge for me. I have been spending my days at the gym on the treadmill but I am not sure if adding strength training at this point (8th day at gym) is helping me as much as the treadmill is. I mean I know once I get 30-40 lbs off I am going to want a larger mix of exercises but should I be spending a few days a week now on these. I am about 80 lbs over weight.

Replies

  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,401 Member
    It depends on what your goals are, and how quickly you want to reach them. If your only goal is weight loss, lifting and weight training doesn't really help that much.

    But for most, they want to lose weight and retain (or gain more) muscle. Even limited weight training now helps you retain the muscle you already have. If you strip 60-80 lbs of fat off of most larger people, they have a reasonably surprising amount of muscle underneath. It takes more muscle to move the mass of a larger person.

    Cardio is great for calorie burn and cardiovascular health, but not so great for building and retaining muscle unless very progressive as you lose weight.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    Both. It’s a myth that fitness is an either/or when it comes to cardio and strength.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Another vote for both. They each have different health benefits. Also, strength training will help you preserve muscle while you lose fat.

    However, you probably don't want to do both in the same gym session as your performance will suffer. Some cardio before or after weights to warm up or cool down is fine, but I advise against a full cardio and full weight lifting session together.
  • gearhead426hemi
    gearhead426hemi Posts: 919 Member
    You need both for overall conditioning. I would suggest lifting weights for half you workout and cardio for the other half. then increase or decrease until you find the results you are looking for. There's not a one size fits all workout routine so find what you like to do and gives you the results you are after and GET SOME!!!! Good luck!
  • mimimunchery
    mimimunchery Posts: 69 Member
    Definitely both. I’ve always been great with cardio (mostly walking several times a week) but I’ve recently added strength training and I’m loving it! (Well not when I’m actually doing it - it’s hard!!!)
  • mrronbacon
    mrronbacon Posts: 14 Member
    Thank you everyone i think I will go with the masses on this one and work on both. Here is to a healthier me!
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    It's so much easier to preserve muscle mass than build it. Start lifting now. It will help you lose weight and maintain your muscle while doing it. Ideally, every physically able person would be doing weight lifting, regardless of their goals.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories