Cardio vs strength training?

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to shred weight and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do it. Should I focus more on cardio (specifically interval cardio) or should I focus on weight lifting or both? I've been doing both for about 2 months and I don't see any changes in my body and the scale hasn't moved either. I've also been eating pretty healthy. I cut out all fast foods and sodas. I drink almost a gallon of water a day. What am I doing wrong?

[Rawrzz]

Both are important, female or not. Weight loss is about burning more calories than you ingest. If you eat a lot--healthy or not--then you don't burn the calories, you're not going to lose any weight. What do you eat in a day? Do you know how many calories you ingest on a daily basis? It probably should be around 1,700-2,000. Depending on your height and activity level. If you work out like a beast, like an athlete, then 2,200. You could use an online calorie counter, like "MyPlate" on Livestrong. com; it also has a measurement.

However. If you've ever starved yourself or been starved somehow, weight loss will be a lot harder to do. The body remembers a lack of food. If you've ever been in starvation mode, your body will horde fat. Don't know if that's relevant.

There are also some medical conditions and medications which will cause you to retain weight.

Try to work out harder and eat less--keeping in mind that it is quite necessary for weight loss that you eat a healthy amount. The issue is how much that healthy amount is. Replace any hunger with small, healthy snacks. One cheat meal per week will help you maintain the marathon without breaking and stuffing your face.

You'll just have to do some research on the subject and do the trial and error thing.

[BertMacklinFBI]

keep doing it. and screw the scale, how do your clothes fit.

[Asker]

They fit about the same. Maybe a little looser around the waist. It's just so frustrating to be busting my butt and getting zero results :-(

[BertMacklinFBI]

you are getting results though, they fit a little looser around the face, if you had to question it then it most likely happened, and that is your result.

plus 2 months is not a long amount of time, you need to commit at least 6 months to see some significant results.

[BertMacklinFBI]

around the waist*

[Asker]

I'm definitely commited! Seeing the results always make me more motivated to keep going. We'll see what happens in another 4 months!

[Mustachekitteh]

Focus on both equally, but focus more on doing intense workouts with high and low intervals. Never ignore strength training since muscle burns more fat when your at rest.

How intense are your workouts?

[Asker]

Lately I've been doing 20 minutes of treadmill intervals

[Mustachekitteh]

That's not that kind of intense that makes more of a difference.

Maybe try some of fitenessblender intense ones?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhdXXqcoco0

[Asker]

The intervals I do start at at at zero incline and it's a minute half at 4.0 speed than a minute at 4.5 then 30 seconds at 5.0. Take a minute rest than bump up the incline to 2.0 and repeat. Then bump it up to 3.0 and repeat and so on. Right now I can only do 20 minutes before I'm worn out but I'm trying to push it up to 30 min.

[Mustachekitteh]

Maybe you should start doing kickboxing?

[Asker]

Haha maybe! I did like it when I took a class! Thanks for the advice!

[rgb008]

Doing both helped me lose a lot of weight.
Dont really pay attention to the number. Can you visibly see results in your body when you look in the mirror?
I wouldn't stop lifting, personally.

[Asker]

No I don't see any visible results. :-( And I love lifting too! I feel stronger when I lift.

[AdamThomas]

What does your lifting routine look like? Perhaps there's something wrong with the training, either not the right exercises, not enough weight, not enough intensity etc.

[Asker]

I do alternate days of legs and arms. I typically do 3 sets of 10 for each exercise.

[AdamThomas]

What kinds of exercises do you do? The main exercises you need are big compound exercises like dumbbell bench press, overhead press, chins, squats, deadlifts, barbell rows etc. These burn the most calories and build the most muscle quickly. Isolation exercises such as bicep curls, leg curls and leg extensions don't do much.

[Asker]

I do squats, lunges, leg curls and extensions and then I do bicep curls, chest press, and then different dumbbell variations like tricep curls and overhead lifts. I don't know the proper name for them but one is where you take one dumbbell and you lift with both arms above your head and lower behind you and the other is two Dumbbells and it's a bicep curl into an overhead press.

[AdamThomas]

Okay, might be an idea to add straight leg or Romanian deadlifts to your leg day rather than leg curls, these target your hamstrings but also your lower back and your glutes so they burn more calories. You should add in some back work too to balance out the chest work or else your shoulders will start to pull forward and it will affect your posture, so add in some pull ups and barbell or one-arm rows to hit the lats. Do you lift enough weight that the last few reps are a struggle? Other than that I don't know what else to tell you, just keep at it, keep adding weight to the bar and you'll see results eventually, it takes time.

[Asker]

Ok I'll try to work those in as well and see! I lift enough that when I hit rep 7 or 8 I'm starting to struggle. If not then I add more weight. Thanks for all the tips! I'll try em out and keep moving forward!

[genericname85]

combine both 50:50. strength training burns a lot of calories plus it generates muscles which will increase the rate of the calorie burn. cardio will burn even more calories the more muscles you have. so they compliment each other and increase the overall calorie burn if combined.

[OrdinaryGentleman]

Go Keto diet, believe me, you will see changes within a week. I imagine your calorie intake is insufficient as most beginners screw up on. 80% of your work is to eating and 20% is working out.
Strength train 3X a week I would recommend the 5X5 stronglifts program
HIIT on off days, on weekends rest.

[Anonymous]

Statistically resistance work is better associated with losing weight. This is likely because of the lean-mass sparing impacts to help keep metabolism up.

If your clothes fit differently that's more important then the scale. You might want to start using a measuring tape every two weeks or week.

I say this on the assumption your goal is to be slimmer, not to be lighter.

[DarkManX]

Both of them, my teacher at school was telling to me : "People who are running a lot, are able to lift up better and heavy things".
Everything should be strong proportional and equal in order the person to have nice look, appereance, strong body and soul.

[Dtegesd123]

maybe do circuit training. So 15 reps , 5-8 exercises and do like 3 circuits with 1 minute rest between them.

or

sprint on the treadmill for 20 seconds. then get off and do body weight exercise. wait for 20 seconds then, do it again.10 times

This way you will be burning fat as well as building some muscle

[cth96190]

You need both. Cardio ramps up the metabolism and strength increases muscle mass, which burns fuel just to stay alive.
Have one of the personal trainers create a programme for you. Follow the programme to the letter.
I would also suggest that you find a Herbalife distributor. My daughter lost 18kg on the Herbalife programme.

[ConsultantIsBack]

Do both, weightlifting burns body fat way more than people assume perhaps, bc of spending calories plus the additional intake necessary

[truthhammer]

agreed. some dudes dont even do cardio as theyll lose too much muscle.

but both is better for health

[ConsultantIsBack]

@truthhammer Yep, it's all diet. Always has been, all diet.

[truthhammer]

love beef... best shit has the worst consequences...

[truthhammer]

You don't even need to do cardio to look good. Control ur calories and protein intake and lift weights.

Fat will burn off and muscles will start shaping you

[apple24]

Both!

[Polocrew]

Can't flex cardio