Cardio VS. Weights for all over shrinkage!

a combination of eating my goal weight's maintenance calories + lifting heavy+ cardio (mainly HIIT) is working for me . i lift heavy 3 days a week and do 30-45 minutes of cardio 6 days.

i know people who have had great results with just lifting heavy, but i'm not one of those people. :laugh: i've lifted heavy pretty much all my adult life but it hasnt been until i added regular interval cardios that i'm slimming down

and heavy weights is defined by your own standards. for me it's a weight that hard enough that i can't do more than 8 reps in a set without taking a rest.

I like to do a couple days of circuit training also. Then I get both.

When you say "lift heavy" do you mean 10 lbs for things like curls rows tris or are you talking heavier? Im going to be starting Jillian Micheal's 30 day shred and I have to buy weights. I was planning on getting 8 or 10 lb should I go heavier or do you think that would be ok. FYI I have church lady arms and thunder thighs and want them gone!!! lol

Here's my proof lifting heavy worked for me.
I had same issues with arms and thighs. I lost 8% body fat in 3-4 months.
I'm at about 21% body fat currently at 156 lbs. Aiming for 15% body fat... whatever that may translate on the scale?

Also unless you're really strong I'd recommend 5-8lb weights for starting out with something like 30DS. You need something you can do about 20-30 reps with, not 5-8.

I love running, but lifting did a lot more for my body than just running. I do both, but I run for fun and mental well-being, and lift because I love the results.

Bump....For later

Thank you all so much! Im currently on a strict 1900 calorie diet consisting of LOTS of protein and veggies and a good amount of fruits, carbs, and fats. I can actually FEEL the difference from one day of eating crappy. Also when my diet is lacking protein throughout the day, I supplement with a whey isolate to make sure I have roughly 70g of protein daily. I've been carrying 10 extra pounds (in my eyes) around with me for YEARS and I am finally taking every step possible to get lean and mean. I want to see muscle definition and be strong.

Looks like I will be incorporating weight training and cardio together.

How often do you all work out?

If your trying to lose weight and gain a little muscle I am surprise you are taking in so much calories. A good website to check out is the body 4 life site. They help you gain some basic knowledge of how to eat and exercise. Cardio burns calories but so does weights so you need a good split of both. I just do 20 min a day of cardio M/W/F and 20 of weights T/TH/S. You don't really need much more then that. I eat a balance of both carbs and proteins of no more then 1200 calories total a day. Usually I am right around 1000. You need to customize it towards your goal though. I want to lose fat and gain a little lean muscle however, my body is setup where it gains muscle fast so I have to be careful. More protein, more calories, and weights if you want more muscle, less calories, more carbs, and more reps at a lower weight if you don't want much muscle. Both cardio, weights, and a balanced diet is important to achieve any body goal regardless of what it is. Alot of people want to bulk up but then do an hour of cardio... that just eats your muscle right up and is counterproductive.

Oh and FYI... I am here losing my baby weight of my second child (I only gained I think 20 pounds at 39 weeks and was 128 a week post partum). I am already under my pre-prego weight of 114 and have been since 3-4 months post partum (I am actually at 112 now). I am still working out because I am wanting to trim up a little more in a couple of areas before I hit 30 which is in 5 days now and before swim suit season. The picture on my profile was me the last time I did the body for life and I am almost their. Most people see my comments and then my weight loss and dismiss what I say because of that since they think I was heavy before and don't know what I am talking about but no that’s all baby fat!

I usually do the body for life once a year prior to babies and then I started doing it again after each birth as a way to get back to where I was. Its a great, easy, program that has been around for a long time.

Thank you all so much! Im currently on a strict 1900 calorie diet consisting of LOTS of protein and veggies and a good amount of fruits, carbs, and fats. I can actually FEEL the difference from one day of eating crappy. Also when my diet is lacking protein throughout the day, I supplement with a whey isolate to make sure I have roughly 70g of protein daily. I've been carrying 10 extra pounds (in my eyes) around with me for YEARS and I am finally taking every step possible to get lean and mean. I want to see muscle definition and be strong.

Looks like I will be incorporating weight training and cardio together.

How often do you all work out?

If your trying to lose weight and gain a little muscle I am surprise you are taking in so much calories. A good website to check out is the body 4 life site. They help you gain some basic knowledge of how to eat and exercise. Cardio burns calories but so does weights so you need a good split of both. I just do 20 min a day of cardio M/W/F and 20 of weights T/TH/S. You don't really need much more then that. I eat a balance of both carbs and proteins of no more then 1200 calories total a day. Usually I am right around 1000. You need to customize it towards your goal though. I want to lose fat and gain a little lean muscle however, my body is setup where it gains muscle fast so I have to be careful. More protein, more calories, and weights if you want more muscle, less calories, more carbs, and more reps at a lower weight if you don't want much muscle. Both cardio, weights, and a balanced diet is important to achieve any body goal regardless of what it is. Alot of people want to bulk up but then do an hour of cardio... that just eats your muscle right up and is counterproductive.

I'll have to say, if you are active in any way, shape or form (as in, get out of bed every day), 1000 calories is far too low, much less if you are trying to maintain any muscle you have built. You will not gain any muscle at such a low calorie intake. Please be careful eating this low, your body will get used to only having 1000 calories and as soon as you try to go back to eating healthy amounts (1500+), you will store it all as fat because you've lost a lot of your lean muscle mass from calorie restriction.

Nope... always been under and around 115 pounds with usually 16-18% body fat and ALOT of muscle. A blanket 1500 calories is not acurate for everyone and is for the "average" if you will. I am only 5'1 and I don't eat as much as a 6 foot tall guy. btw