Cardio and/or strength training?

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Theorrs1105
Theorrs1105 Posts: 32
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok so I have been using MFP for a week now and have lost 6 lbs. I do have a question though. I am 5'5 and weigh 293 pounds now. Do I need to worry about cardio and get the weight off or do I need to tone as I go so my skin doesn't sag. I know that muscle is going to weigh more than fat but I was curious if bulding muscle now is going to slow down my weight loss journey. Any advice??

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  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
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    Strength training, then cardio, then rest.

    Repeat as needed.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    most important thing is diet. concentrate on that first, then i would start adding in strength training
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    Strength training and cardio is best. Strength training will help you maintain the muscle you have and make you stronger during calorie defecit, muscle burns more calories than fat does. Cardio alone will burn fat but will also burn muscle and lower your metabolic burn rate. So yes do both!! Good luck!
  • perishable
    perishable Posts: 26 Member
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    I would focus on diet and strength exercises. It has helped me big time. I also started out as a beginner in exercising and strength training seemed to be a great way to ease into exercising in short intervals that got my heart rate high. Everyone on here does 30 day shred it seems, but it's great. You should check it out. Jillian Michaels uses low impact strength exercises that are easy to do at home and they only last a few minutes.
  • njoithomp
    njoithomp Posts: 61
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    I'm assuming you mean should you only do cardio now until you loose weight and then start weight training "later" after you have shed some pounds and the answer is NO. You should be doing both now. You cannot build muscle over fat which some people think (hell, I used to think it...LOL). What I know is that muscle burns more calories at rest so if you start lifting now and toning up, you will have more muscle consistency and therefore your metabolism will go up automatically even at rest. Cardio is important for your heart and calorie burn but if you do your strength training in a "circuit" format, you will get strength training and cardio burn all in ONE workout. Honestly, you will probalby get a lot of advice here from people like me who mean well and want to share with you to help and support you but you will probably get the best results if you seek out a certified trainer in your area and pay for one session to get this eduction and learn how to lift weights or strength train. Another good resource for this type of information is Oxygen magazine. Its different from the other fitness magazines as it focuses on strength and cardio and not just general weight loss. If you have access to television, watching shows like Biggest Loser or Extreme Makeover - Weight Loss Edition will at least show you how they take the contestants who need to loose weight and start them out right away with strength training and cardio training. Okay, I'm done... ;-)

    Good luck!=
  • Trevanator
    Trevanator Posts: 6 Member
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    Weight training actually burns fat faster than cardio, and it also contributes to burning fat while you sleep. Even though muscle does weigh more than fat, it's not going to hinder your weight loss efforts. One thing you will also notice when strengthening with weight training is that you will loose inches, not just pounds. Do both, but alternate. Keep your body and muscles guessing by not doing the same routine over and over.
  • njoithomp
    njoithomp Posts: 61
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    most important thing is diet. concentrate on that first, then i would start adding in strength training
    Oh yes, this is the most important thing hands down!
  • Theorrs1105
    Theorrs1105 Posts: 32
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    Thank you all for the advice!! The past week I have been doing cardio and got my diet undercontrol. I will start adding strength training in now :)
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Variety is good - do different exercises - some cardio and some strength - and keep your diet good.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Ok so I have been using MFP for a week now and have lost 6 lbs. I do have a question though. I am 5'5 and weigh 293 pounds now. Do I need to worry about cardio and get the weight off or do I need to tone as I go so my skin doesn't sag. I know that muscle is going to weigh more than fat but I was curious if bulding muscle now is going to slow down my weight loss journey. Any advice??


    I would recommend that you start here:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/training-the-obese-beginner.html

    It's a little verbose and can get technical, but read it and the other parts (I think there are 6 in all) and you will get all the information you need.

    At this point you don't need anything complicated or nuanced. Both cardio and strength training will enhance your efforts.

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