weight training v. cardio

[a12345]

hi everyone-
I am new to this site and I really love it. You guys are really informative and it is very useful even for those like myself who just want to stay in shape but don't powerlift.
my question is this-if i want to lose 15lbs or gain more lean muscle, is it ok if i just do strength training or is it necessary to do cardio as well. i just get so bored doing cardio and would really love an alternative. i just got a trainer to help me and we do strength training together. however, i have been doing this since jan 15 and i don't really notice a lot of differences yet. when should i notice. also, is there anything out there to rev up my broken metabolism? thanks

 

[takniteasy]

Okay, I'll bite. First thing to get in check is the diet. I am not the expert here but usually have found that tweaking the diet will help produce the quickest results. Maybe you could post your typical diet and let the experts here suggest what changes would be benificial. Also, if you have only been training since Jan. 15, you should give yourself a little more time. I generally follow a 6-8 week time frame before deciding that something is not working and try something else. Thirdly, the cardio issue is highly debative (is that a word?). My opinion it is all individual. Try some form, whether it is running, walking, elliptical trainer, bicycle, etc. and see how it works for you. Alot of people use short periods of interval training (high intensity alternated with low intensity). Lastly, make weight training the priority (after diet) to boost your metabolism. The more lean mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be and the more calories your body will burn. Hope this helps a lil bit and welcome!

 

[Fitchick23]

need help here too

Hi everyone! I'm new here as well, and have a related question. I just joined a gym (for the first time) and am ready to get fit! I dont have any weight to lose as I weigh 115 pounds right now. I wouldn't be opposed to gaining weight if it meant builiding muscle. Basically, I want to tone up my body because right now I am thin but not very muscular. How much cardio should I do versus weight training? My boyfriend says not to bother doing the cardio at all but isn't this good for other things, like cardiovascular health? Any advice would be appreciated.
Oh, also, what is better to do: Cardio first and then weights or vice versa? Thanks ladies.

 

[Fyre]

hi everyone-
I am new to this site and I really love it. You guys are really informative and it is very useful even for those like myself who just want to stay in shape but don't powerlift.
my question is this-if i want to lose 15lbs or gain more lean muscle, is it ok if i just do strength training or is it necessary to do cardio as well. i just get so bored doing cardio and would really love an alternative. i just got a trainer to help me and we do strength training together. however, i have been doing this since jan 15 and i don't really notice a lot of differences yet. when should i notice. also, is there anything out there to rev up my broken metabolism? thanks

Firstly, welcome to the boards. If you could give us a little more information about yourself, current weight, current level of bodyfat etc., that would be very helpful. How is your diet? Are you eating six smaller meals a day? Doing this will help speed your metabolic rate up naturally. So, we really need to know a little more about your diet as well.
You've only been training since January, so be a little patient, your body will respond soon enough to all your hard work.
In terms of cardio, I'm with takniteasy, that it's a personal thing. I myself do cardio maybe 3 times a week, I have a very fast metabolism naturally so I don't do a whole heck of a lot. But when I do do it, I generally do interval training styel(run for two minutes, walk for one, run for two, walk for one.......)
In terms of weight training, keep at it. The more muscle you have on your body, the less fat you'll have. Now, if you could perhaps give us a little more info, then maybe we can help you out a little more. thanks and again, welcome aboard.

 

[wateengedoe2]

Re: need help here too

Hi everyone! I'm new here as well, and have a related question. I just joined a gym (for the first time) and am ready to get fit! I dont have any weight to lose as I weigh 115 pounds right now. I wouldn't be opposed to gaining weight if it meant builiding muscle. Basically, I want to tone up my body because right now I am thin but not very muscular. How much cardio should I do versus weight training? My boyfriend says not to bother doing the cardio at all but isn't this good for other things, like cardiovascular health? Any advice would be appreciated.
Oh, also, what is better to do: Cardio first and then weights or vice versa? Thanks ladies.

I would recommend 2x/week cardio if you never do anything like that outside the gym (e.g. bike to your work, let the dog out etc), otherwise no cardio is needed to keep a certain level of cardiovascular fitness. Be sure to eat well when you've done your cardio. A lot of complex carbs, like oatmeal, dark bread etc., combined with lean protein will give you energy for a long time and prevent you from losing muscle mass.

Re the strength training: indeed an excellent way of gaining weight IF you eat enough, otherwise you'll just get leaner and stronger at the same weight. Try to eat six times a day, lots of protein, complex carbs and unsaturated fats. Be careful with sugars and saturated fat as it probably will make your body fat percentage higher, which you don't want.

I've done very well until now (half a year of gaining weight) on a diet with 60% energy out of carbs, 20% out of both proteins and fats, and about 125% of my energy usage. My pics are here (never mind the Dutch ), you can see the difference between what I looked like in July and now especially above the breasts (my legs were quite OK because I biked a lot already).

 

[Rogue Warrior]

I think cardio is highly over rated. It is the push behind all kinds of marketing schemes to sell the latest super high tech get in shape quick neato-gee-whiz gadget.

Unless you have no control over craving for food that is going to bump your caloric intake way over the limit, you will do fine lowering body fat percentage by eating smart and lifting weights, especially squats.

I come to this conclusion from taking
bio-analogics fitness assesments over different groups of women. The cardio group vs. the weight trained group.

Over all the cardio group lost the most weight. The weight trained group had a slight increase in weight or stayed roughly the same, but for the most part had significantly lowered BF% compared to cardio group (many of the cardio group lost weight and slightly increased body fat % due to weight loss being mostly lean mass which is typical of that routine)

The weight trained group also expressed improved feeling of well-being more than the cardio group.

I would not totally discount cardio. Just don't use it in a way to transform your body.

 

[JJFigure]

I'm in my mass phase right now, so I only do cardio 1-2 times/week, and purely as a means of conditioning. I do interval training only - 2 minutes high, 1 minute low. Once I switch into pre-contest mode, I'll start slowly adding days in, but I won't do cardio and weight training back to back. BTW - if you do them back to back, always lift first. I also max my cardio sessions at 30 minutes.

Losing bodyfat is primarily about proper nutrition. Interval cardio sessions help keep my heart and lungs strong, so I'm a better lifter.

 

[a12345]

body fat & cardio & w.t.

okay-
My body fat is like 24 %. I want it to be much lower. My trainer has told me to eat six meals a day but sometimes i do not have time. If i do, a typical day consists of: bkfst-cereal and tea with soymilk, meal before lunch: a protein bar with no carbs kinda high calories and a lot of protein, Lunch-salad with tuna or chick or a sandwich with a hard boiled egg, meal before dinner-trail mix, dinner: fish with vegs. I do consume alcohol on the weekends, and maybe that hurts me too.
i weight train about 4x a week. I want to see changes. Help!!! I kind of feel like if something just doesn't happen soon, I might give up and just accept the body god gave me. I need a plan from the experts

 

[wateengedoe2]

Rogue Warrior, cardio is not all that bad .. this research was done on women who either did strength training OR cardio .. If I had to choose between those two, that would be easy .. obviously lifting! But cardio combined with a good diet and lifting can help you to lower your fat% faster than only lifting and a diet would. One always has to be aware of the risk of loosing muscle when doing cardio and minimize this risk, then it's OK.

a12345, please be patient! You only started 3 weeks ago, it's not very strange you don't see anything yet! When I had just started (my goal was different: gaining weight, so I had a bulking diet) the first change in appearance was just a little 'bump' appearing on my biceps after a week or three (due to more glycogen I think), nothing else! Still I went on lifting and after 3 months already the difference with when I started was huge! So just keep your diet and training up, and you'll see the difference eventually .. In the meantime, enjoy your extra strength, which comes faster than visible changes of your physique (at least in my experience) and which enables you to do several daily tasks more easily and to boast towards your friends and husband/boyfriend

 

[a12345]

alcohol consumption

how much do you think alcohol consumption affects the results that I am seeking. I drink on the weekends