Combining strength training and cardio?

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Lisa1971
Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys! Just wondering if doing my elliptical while doing upper body exercises with weights is more effective than simply doing my elliptical. It gets my heart rate wayyyyyy up and I am burning tons more calories. I usually do these for about 10-15 mins, then I do some lower body exercises with weights such as step ups and squats.

Anyone else combine the 2 and have you noticed a greater weight loss? Thanks!

Replies

  • ahavoc
    ahavoc Posts: 464 Member
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    Actually, I am going to blog about this today as after 2 months of cardio only, I'm starting weight training too!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    Well, it's definitely good to do both, whether you are doing them simultaneously or not :)
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
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    YES I love weights, they are so much fun (well at least for me LOL) and speeds up your metabolism so you're burning more cals outside of the gym as well!
    Strength training also helps with extra skin and saggy skin :)

    Hope this was helpful!
  • feliciapeters
    feliciapeters Posts: 525
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    personally I do both
    cardio burns calories
    but strength builds muscle & muscle burns fat
    so both combined are a great idea
    for me personally, I find I getting much toner now that i have cut back my cardio & upped my strength training
    I was doing 20 minutes of weights & 30 minutes of cardio 3-5x a week
    now that I do 30 minutes of weights & only 10-15 minutes of cardio I am still losing a steady 1lb a week, but my clothes are becoming much loser more quickly & I've dropped another size pants.
    plus for me, upping my water helps too
    i do 8-10 glasses on a non workout day and i 12-14 when i workout
    you may need to play around to see what gives u the results that you want, everyone is different
  • jesilva80
    jesilva80 Posts: 287 Member
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    Im coming to the end of the "30 day shred" lots of cardio/weights and my thoughts are you lose more inches than weight. So far Ive lost 9 inches after week 2 and only 3 lbs. We'll see how much total after week 3. Im thinking this is in part to muscle being built. I can actually do pushups now :)
  • jayne2177
    jayne2177 Posts: 6 Member
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    Interval training is the key. Mix cardio and weights. The more muscle you have the more fat you burn. I read a artivle if you do strength training three times a week over three months, you body will naturally burn more calories every day. Muscle definition always looks good :)
  • Panda_Jack
    Panda_Jack Posts: 829 Member
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    I don't believe in cardio or strength training. All I do is crunches.
  • wickedcricket
    wickedcricket Posts: 1,246 Member
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    you do weights while on an ellipitical? I'd fall off, not that coordinated. But I am having fun trying to keep up with Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred which combines weights & cardio. I never hated jumping jacks so much in all my life and someday, I'm going to do them WITH WEIGHTS! bwahahahaha
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
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    Actually, I am going to blog about this today as after 2 months of cardio only, I'm starting weight training too!
    oh you will love it! I can already pump the 20 pound dumbbells........ when I started I couldn't even attempt them!
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
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    you do weights while on an ellipitical? I'd fall off, not that coordinated. But I am having fun trying to keep up with Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred which combines weights & cardio. I never hated jumping jacks so much in all my life and someday, I'm going to do them WITH WEIGHTS! bwahahahaha
    some of the kids at my gym hold a 10 pound weight in each hand and do a power walk with them on the treadmill.....I'd die!
  • MsFitnFabulous
    MsFitnFabulous Posts: 432 Member
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    personally I do both
    cardio burns calories
    but strength builds muscle & muscle burns fat
    so both combined are a great idea
    for me personally, I find I getting much toner now that i have cut back my cardio & upped my strength training
    I was doing 20 minutes of weights & 30 minutes of cardio 3-5x a week
    now that I do 30 minutes of weights & only 10-15 minutes of cardio I am still losing a steady 1lb a week, but my clothes are becoming much loser more quickly & I've dropped another size pants.
    plus for me, upping my water helps too
    i do 8-10 glasses on a non workout day and i 12-14 when i workout
    you may need to play around to see what gives u the results that you want, everyone is different




    I agree it's worth it to do both. Cardio does burn fat and strength training shapes the muscles underneath.
  • BeTransformed
    BeTransformed Posts: 6
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    As far as your Medifast weight loss goes, you want to limit your intense workout to 45 minutes so you don't drop your calories too low. You don't want to have the mindset that burning more calories will help you lose weight faster... it actually can hinder your weight loss.

    Set your fitness goals for what you want to accomplish.. if it's just cardio for calorie burn, do that. If you want to do the weights for overall fitness also (which I recommend) this will help firm up your muscles and you will lose inches as well as lbs.

    Just keep in mind you don't want to knock yourself out of that magic "fat-burning" state. You can always adjust your 5&1 to fit your workout needs as well...
  • kimeister
    kimeister Posts: 212
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    My personal trainer combines them for my workouts. To do this, I am assigned four exercises which I perform in order for as many sets as I can within 30 minutes, with as few rests as possible, while keeping ideal form. For example, my current Day 1 workout consists of doing a heavy prowler push for about 20 feet, 36 jumping jacks, 8 heavy trap bar deadlifts, then 12 hard medicine ball slams. It's not difficult the first three or four times through the routine and I'm not tempted to rest, but by my final set of reps, generally 7-8, I'm exhausted and definitely feeling the anaerobic as well as the strength training. It's intense, for sure, and never boring!
  • MrsM1ggins
    MrsM1ggins Posts: 724 Member
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    But I am having fun trying to keep up with Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred...I hate jumping jacks...someday, I'm going to do them WITH WEIGHTS! bwahahahaha
    Yes. Yes you are. I forsee that this event will occur in approximately 16 days...:devil:

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