Help! Need advice on my exercise regimen!

Cardio is good for a short term burn. Strength is good for an overall boost in metabolism. Cardio is great for increasing cardiovascular health and to help with fat loss. Strength is great to help build strong/denser bones and "shaping" your body. I have been told to do both, right from the beginning. By working your muscles, you prevent a lot of the inevitable muscle loss you will get through a weight-loss program and through cardio workouts. By preventing muscle loss, you keep your metabolism running "hotter" (as in you burn more calories even at rest). You really do want to do both.

Although cardio burns more than strength training DURING the exercise, strength training will keep your muscles burning energy well after you leave the gym. Over a short period of time you will begin raising your BMR and as you gain more muscle you will burn more calories day by day.

First of all, you will not just magically lose weight in one week having done some cardio. You will have made yourself fitter yes, but it is only a first step.

If you are new to weight training, try 2 days a week and stick to 3 days cardio.
Get a PT to start you off but NO GIRLY WEIGHTS. Tell them you want to learn proper technique with free weights and work up how much you are lifting from there.

Good luck!

This is all true. I started with trainers almost a year ago, I've lost 105lbs. I do strength training 2-3 days a week, and cardio 6-7. I also incorporate some pitaiyo (which is yoga, pilates, tai chi, qi gong blend) when I can.

You may also want to check out the book new rules of lifting for women.

SW 303.4 (1/1/11)
CW 198.4 (down 105lbs)
GW 160
29y/o 5'6''

Realize that while strength training has some real benefits, it may cause the scales to move more slowly. If that is a serious part of your training regimine, consider tape measuring yourself as a tracking method rather than just looking at the scales. It's nice to have that to consider and evaluate when the scale gets stuck.

The above posters are right. I see many people at the gym, running on the hamster wheels and they don't look any different than they did a year ago.
I would split up your time with 2 to 3 days strength training, and 2 to 3 days of high intensity interval cardio ( once you feel you are in good enough condition).
The more muscle you have the more calories you burn , even just sitting around the house!!!
You may not lose weight on the scale, but you lose inches. (you will gain muscle), don't worry you will not start looking like some drug addict female bodybuilder, it is next to impossible to look like they do without help from injectables.
Get a trainer for the first week or 2 to show you how to train properly to avoid injury, and check the interweb for good routines!
Make sure you eat enough too!!

Hello all!
I am just starting my weightloss journey, although definitley not new to exercise. The difference is that now I finally have the right mindset and am eating right. I am wondering if anyone can give me some advice to see if I am doing things right to lose weight.
Last week I worked out 5x a week doing 45 mins of cardio each time. I did not lose any weight.

Now, I have done some strength training before, but heard that at the beginning cardio is better because it burns more calories. Is this true. Or, could I have not lost weight because I did not do strenth training with the cardio?

Any advice is appreciated
Thanks!!!

Hi. I am not a pro in any sense but this is what I think.

First. I really hope you are drinking more water than you are logging. You need water and lots of it.

Second. You are a carb junkie. Most of your meals are packed with carbs and very little protein. Try to balance it out a little better. I try for 40/40/20 ratio (carb/protein/fat) but I don't always make it there.

Third. You are not eating often enough. You should be eating 5 or 6 meals a day. That is meals that contain a balance of carb and protein.

I am not trying to be harsh or anything and this is just my opinion. Give it time and yes, you should do some strenght training. Hope this helps.

Oh, and I agree on the carb intake. Try to make the majority of your carbs come from fruits and veggies. Bread and pasta are great in moderation but for most people the simple sugars in them equal weight gain. I try to keep my bread/pasta to one serving per day so I don't feel deprived but they are not good for filler calories or to help make you feel full. Use fruits and veggies as filler for your meals if you need bulk.

I also agree on multiple meals. I have breakfast, lunch, an early afternoon snack, fruit or veggies when I get home so I don't pick while making dinner, dinner and then after dinner snack/dessert. If there's always something on your stomach your metabolism will work all day long and you won't be ravenous for bad foods that pop up during the day.

Finally, changing up your workouts is also important. I try to rotate at least two activities (I don't always log my exercise, I'm bad); medium intensity walking and bike riding this time of year.

I lost all the weight my ticker accounts for doing cardio.

Now heres the bad news! Ive been stuck for 9 months! Yep-- 9 months!
I feel I have hit this never ending plateau because I didnt do strenght training.
Now for the last 3-4 months I have been strenth training several days a week. The scale still hasnt moved but I have lost over 6 inches and people are asking me again if I have lost more weight.

My take on the situation. Do both! Cardio 3-4 times a week, strenght around 3 times a week. Read the book "New rules of lifting for women"

Hello all!
I am just starting my weightloss journey, although definitley not new to exercise. The difference is that now I finally have the right mindset and am eating right. I am wondering if anyone can give me some advice to see if I am doing things right to lose weight.

Last week I worked out 5x a week doing 45 mins of cardio each time. I did not lose any weight.

Now, I have done some strength training before, but heard that at the beginning cardio is better because it burns more calories. Is this true. Or, could I have not lost weight because I did not do strenth training with the cardio?

Any advice is appreciated
Thanks!!!

Oh hun, your going to get answers from all walk of life here.

I will save you the time, after much research, educating myself from sports performance students, nutrition and exercise science people....there just is NO science to support that cardio and weights same day anything [referring to one before the other]. It boils down to what works for you. What doesn't impede your performance and what is comfy to you. AS LONG as your maintaining proper diet with PROTEIN. That's the only exception. If your not eating enough protein this will mess everything up. You should consume 0.77 x lean body mass at max. There is science here, that there is no change is body waste and absorbtion of protein at this point. Anything more is a waste.

Outside of this, why 5 days a week? Depending on what cardio your doing, you could inhibit your strength training by not giving your body adequate rest.

I would suggest cutting this back to 3-4 max and just make those days count more.

do maybe 20-30 minutes of cardio several times a week, and strength train 3-5 days a week. the last time I weighed what i do now i was 2 sizes bigger.

Bodybuilding.com is a great resource for me I am on the 9th week of Lee Labrada ( http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lee-labrada-12-week-lean-body-trainer-intro.html ) copy paste my wife is starting (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html) she hasn't started hers yet. Love these sites as every move is supported by video, printable workout sheets and each muscle group the routine changes each time to help create muscle confusion

Hi. I am not a pro in any sense but this is what I think.

First. I really hope you are drinking more water than you are logging. You need water and lots of it.

Second. You are a carb junkie. Most of your meals are packed with carbs and very little protein. Try to balance it out a little better. I try for 40/40/20 ratio (carb/protein/fat) but I don't always make it there.

Third. You are not eating often enough. You should be eating 5 or 6 meals a day. That is meals that contain a balance of carb and protein.

I am not trying to be harsh or anything and this is just my opinion. Give it time and yes, you should do some strenght training. Hope this helps.
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I try to make any carbs I eat wheat. Last week for dinner for instance I would eat chicken or fish with brown rice. So should I not be eating the brown rice?
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Yes, that is great. You have your protein (chicken or fish) and your carb (brown rice). You throw in some veggies and you have a balanced meal. However, you have to do this for ALL 5 or 6 meals that you eat. Have a look at my diary and see what I am talking about. I am far from a pertect eater but that is what I try to do.

Although cardio burns more than strength training DURING the exercise, strength training will keep your muscles burning energy well after you leave the gym. Over a short period of time you will begin raising your BMR and as you gain more muscle you will burn more calories day by day.

First of all, you will not just magically lose weight in one week having done some cardio. You will have made yourself fitter yes, but it is only a first step.

If you are new to weight training, try 2 days a week and stick to 3 days cardio.
Get a PT to start you off but NO GIRLY WEIGHTS. Tell them you want to learn proper technique with free weights and work up how much you are lifting from there.

Good luck!

YES this! Look into the new rules of lifting for women. No girlie weights. Its a very good program I am doing it myself and I feel so much better.

1. strength train. (along with cardio, but strength training is VERY important.)

2. eat clean. or as clean as you can. this would exclude: processed food, artificial sweeteners.

3. cut out sugar, flour and starch.

4. get plenty of good fats and protein.

5. get plenty of rest.

6. don't let your calorie deficit get too low.