Bobbi and educated crowd....

[MRSchultz]

Hi Bobbi (and educated crowd):

I tried to email you, but was having trouble so I hope you catch this one.

OK gang, for my question, I KNOW that this question has been asked millions of times in the past and I guess I just need reassurance that I'm doing the right thing.

I have 30 pounds to lose. I am on Weight Watchers and love to exercise. I have almost all of Cathe's tapes. Now, to my dilema......I know that weight training is crudial to weight loss, right????? So, if I run for my cardio a few times a week and concentrate on my weight training that will be my "key" to weight loss and definition????

Like I said, I know this has been asked before and I LOVE to do cardio it's just very hard for me to do weight training for some reason I don't feel like I've worked my body without doing cardio.

Help me change my thinking everybody!!!

I appreciate ANY advice and help that ANY OF YOU give me.

Thanks, Marcia

 

[gogigi]

Marcia,
I will be keeping an eye on the responses to your question as I LOVE cardio and weight training yet just have to do a little bit of cardio most exercise days! I also find it hard to only do weights without doing some sort of cardio. I don't know why....??? I don't know that it is necessarily bad. I will be curious to hear what everyone has to say about this!
Angela:7

 

[MRSchultz]

Hi Angela:

Thanks for your response and it's nice to know that I'm not alone in this one.

Take care, Marcia

 

[endorphin_junkie]

Hi Marcia:
I love cardio as well and for the first year after making my commitment to fitness I didn't do much else. The formula of Cardio=Fat Burning is great motivation and reinforces the temptation to stick with it exclusively but we must resist this temptation. There are a multitude of reasons to cross train and mix up our workouts to include cardio, strength and flexibility, not the least of which is that cross training decreases our risk of overuse injury.

A simple way of illustrating how weight training equals fat loss is to note that for the body to maintain 1 lb. of body fat requires about 2 calories per day, for the body to maintain 1 lb. of muscle requires (correct me if I'm wrong) between 50 and 75 calories a day. It's all about the resting metabolic rate, the energy your body requires to maintain internal functions at rest. Higher resting metabolic rate = higher calorie burn at rest. Now combine the 2, that is a balanced regime of cardio and challenging weights and the body becomes beautifully efficient at consuming calories and thus fat burning (as you well know caloric intake must not exceed expenditure for this to translate into weight loss).

Stick with the weight training, I resisted weights (pun intended) for a long time and then slowly grew to love it in a way that is totally different than my love for cardio. Six years ago I would have been crushed by the weights that I lift now (45# clean and press) and that is so empowering and affirming. Not only is my bone density great from lifting weights but I love the looks I get from male relatives who come to my aid, like my brother-in-law who thought I'd need his help moving furniture and ended up slightly embarrassed that I could lift more than he could, God bless him Oh yeah I forgot to mention, lean muscle mass looks awsome in a tank top and short skirt:7 .

Sorry to ramble but I hope it helped. Good luck Marcia
Take Care
Laurie

 

[Bobbi]

Hi, Marcia!

I once read that if you had to chose between the two, to chose weight training. However, to lose 30 pounds you just need to eat sensibly and do cardio and strength training regularly. I like to work each body part twice per week and do cardio at least 4-6 days per week. Right now it's closer to 4 since I have been doing yoga at least twice a week.

I have a two pronged plan for getting strong and lean after taking a hiatus due to injury. I am finishing a period of heavy strength training and moderate cardio during which I have laid down muscle. I have definitely gotten more muscle, more definition and I am stronger too. I will be switching to the high rep, lower weight workouts starting in March and boosting my cardio (if my feet will let me) in the hope that I lose the excess body fat I store on my abs.

It's really pretty simple. Find what works for you! Just be sure to get some strength work in and to do cardio as well as keeping your diet clean for the most part and you'll get that weight off. By aiming to lose 1 pound (and no more than 2 pounds) per week it will take four to eight months to do it safely but if you are consistant, you'll get there.

I suggest writing down your goals for the short and long term, one pound this week, 10 pounds by the end of April, 15 by the end of the last week of June and 30 by September. Try new vegetables weekly, eat more fish, enjoy nuts and avacados sometimes. Eat for good health and energy! We never have to starve or deprive ourselves of every food pleasure to lose weight!

Be consistant and do what you like to do. Running is my idea of the perfect cardio! Moderate lifting is perfect to build lean mass and to keep your metabolism from decreasing, your strength from declining. Aging well means staying in motion, staying strong. Of course, I know you are a young one since you just had your birthday!

I know you can do this, Marcia! And if I can help, I am just an email away! Trevor told me your email was full or something? Get that fixed and get a clear vision for yourself and go for it!
Bobbi

 

[rcook]

Marcia .. I don't know if Freestyle Training would be for you or not, but you never know. I guess it really depends on if your just looking to lose weight and build muscle.
It works for me cause I am looking to lose the few lbs I want to lose and still be fit, I am not looking for muscle mass.
I weight train with slightly lower weights and do mostly lower body weight training 6 days a week, and I do cardio run on my treadmill and walk fast on it some, with freestyle its important to do weight training first and cardio afterwards.
You can check into it if your interested, I just know it works for me...... Hope you find what works for ya soon.... Rhonda :7

 

[Shaz]

I must admit I've not been enjoying weights lately, which is why I just bought the cross train series. I've only just started it, but am really enjoying doing short (30 minutes) cardio followed by weights for one body part. Like you, I find that I only feel that I've really worked out if I do cardio. This is partly because my job involves sitting at a desk/computer, so in the evening, I want to really move and get my heart rate up. I'm going to carry on with this series for a while. Later I might carry on with the cardio plus one body part, but change the weights, eg use PS or S&H or just go heavy doing my own thing.