Advise needed - Cardio/Weights balance for weight loss (and weight machine question)

kjetilfan
kjetilfan Posts: 7 Member
edited January 16 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi All,

Hoping to get a bit of advice if I can,

So I have finally got back into getting myself fit (5 years after I was the fittest I had been in my adult life).

The diet side of things is okay. I know what I am doing there.

Last time I lost a heap of weight, I did cardio exclusively for months, before starting some weight work to help with the weight loss.

This time I have incorporated some weight work from Day 1, to try and mantain some muscle mass.

I currently go to the Gym 5 days a week, for approx an hour. Weekends I do not have access to a gym, so both days is a brisk 40 minute walk.

My question is, how should I split those 5 days in regards to cardio vs weights? ATM it is probably 60/40 in favour of cardio. I feel guilty if I neglect the cardio side too much, but I know that there is a balance that I just need to strike.

My other question is in regards to the weight side of things. I use weight machines over free weights, and some machines are easier than others. Eg. I find the Triceps extension and Pec Fly to be easier than the Biceps curl and Chest press.

I keep the weight the same across all these types of machines. Should I do that, or should I increase the load on the machines that I find less strenuous?

Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    This time I have incorporated some weight work from Day 1, to try and mantain some muscle mass.
    Good move - try to maintain all your muscle mass as it's far more efficient to maintain it rather than lose and have to rebuild it (small deficit/slow rate of loss, good protein levels and decent training).

    My question is, how should I split those 5 days in regards to cardio vs weights? ATM it is probably 60/40 in favour of cardio. I feel guilty if I neglect the cardio side too much, but I know that there is a balance that I just need to strike.
    Depends on what your fitness and strength goals are plus are you following a program or just winging it?
    Hope you have realised that MyFitnessPal doesn't intend exercise to be used to boost your chosen rate of weight loss if that's driving you towards cardio?
    As you can do some non-gym cardio at the weekend I'd be tempted to use three of your gym visits for strength training. (But I shouldn't project my goals on you.)

    My other question is in regards to the weight side of things. I use weight machines over free weights, and some machines are easier than others. Eg. I find the Triceps extension and Pec Fly to be easier than the Biceps curl and Chest press.
    I keep the weight the same across all these types of machines. Should I do that, or should I increase the load on the machines that I find less strenuous?
    Bad idea.
    The idea is to keep the training stress (roughly) the same and not the weight, different exercises will and should require different weights. If you are training at the right intensity on the "hard" machines you aren't hitting the right intensity on the "easy" ones and won't progress optimally.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You shouldn't be using the same weight for every exercise/lift...different muscles/muscle groups are stronger and weaker than others. Every lift should be appropriately challenging...if it's not, you aren't using enough weight.

    As far as how to split up your cardio and resistance training...this is where having some fitness goals outside of your weight can be helpful. For losing weight, it doesn't matter at all...your diet is going to be the overwhelming driver of your weight loss.

    I'm a cycling enthusiast and I put more emphasis on cardio...both for cycling performance and improvement and also because cardiovascular work has enormous benefits to my overall health and some of the health things I have had to battle over the years. I lift 3x per week full body on non consecutive days. I've had to ramp up over the last couple of weeks due to being out with injury for 5 months and then not doing much besides walking the last few months...but I will be back on the bike pretty much 5 days per week here in a couple of weeks. I'm running a structured cycling program and two of those days will be fairly strenuous workouts...a third will be an easier workout and two of the days will be just casual rides. But yeah...5 days cardio and 3 resistance training for me.
  • kjetilfan
    kjetilfan Posts: 7 Member
    Thank you both for the replies. Greatly appreciated

    No weight loss isn't the driver for the cardio. It is purely the health benefits. Noticed 5 years ago how I felt a million times better because of it.

    Thank you for the weight advise. 5 years ago I was lifting heavier on the "easier" machines". I was totally winging it back then, so wanted to be a bit more informed this time.

    5 days cardio and 3 resistance I can certainly do. It is just that I am limited to the approx 1 hour per day. Would I split it 50/50 time wise, or would 10-15 mins of cardio to get the heart rate up for the weights be appropriate for the 3 days of resistance?
  • kjetilfan
    kjetilfan Posts: 7 Member
    Just realised I put advise instead of advice in the heading. Oops
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,066 Member
    Pick an actual strength training program appropriate to your level. At this point, from what you've said, beginner full-body would probably be best. Find some options here:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    Doing a well-designed progressive program will almost inevitably lead to better results than just doing some arbitrary exercises on machines X times a week for Y minutes. The programs have different frequencies and durations, but 3x a week is common in the beginner ones. Pick a program, though, and follow its direction about how often and how long (which may be implied by reps/sets rather than stated outright).

    Spend the rest of your workout time doing cardio. If you have extra time left over on the strength days, and you don't have any specific workout goals that would lead you to do otherwise, do the strength work first, then the cardio. On gym days without a scheduled strength workout (if there are any), just do the cardio. Avoid strength-intensive cardio (high resistance kinds of things), or very intense cardio (like the oh-so-trendy HIIT) because those kinds of things are more likely to interfere with recovery, and recovery is where the gains happen.

    That's just my opinion, of course.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    kjetilfan wrote: »
    Thank you both for the replies. Greatly appreciated

    No weight loss isn't the driver for the cardio. It is purely the health benefits. Noticed 5 years ago how I felt a million times better because of it.

    Thank you for the weight advise. 5 years ago I was lifting heavier on the "easier" machines". I was totally winging it back then, so wanted to be a bit more informed this time.

    5 days cardio and 3 resistance I can certainly do. It is just that I am limited to the approx 1 hour per day. Would I split it 50/50 time wise, or would 10-15 mins of cardio to get the heart rate up for the weights be appropriate for the 3 days of resistance?

    Totally agree about the feel-good factor of CV fitness, I'm a cyclist who rides about 7 hours a week, mostly outdoors.

    My preference in the gym is to completely split training sessions into either cardio or strength but that's not written in stone.
    Some people like to prioritise whatever is the focus that session and do it first, some like a bt of both, some like a short cardio warmup. As long as what you do doesn't cause interference there's room for personal preference.
  • kjetilfan
    kjetilfan Posts: 7 Member
    Really appreciate everyone's replies.

    A plan is definitely starting to now form in my mind.
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