More cardio More weights....I'm lost!

J

jzsnow

Cathlete
I have often read that you need cardio to burn fat. No problem! Okay, then once I started weights as well, I read that you need more weights than cardio because it burns more at rest. No problem! However...what is the truth? I need to drop some pounds..not many...only 30! LOL! But, I want to drop clothing sizes more than I want to drop the pounds. Any advice on rotations or what to do. Here is what I am (and some I am ordering now)I am up for suggestions on what to order as well.

basic step
body fusion
low max
stretch max
about to order these:
PLB
PUB
GS-all of them
and I have a treadmill

thank you:)
Jessica
 
Hi Jessica.

You have to play with it and see what works best for your body. Not everything is going to work equally as well for everybody. If I were you I would do 2-3 full body weight work outs along with 4 or 5 45-60 min cardio sessions at first. See what that does for you. If the weight starts coming off, stick with that for for 4-6 weeks and then you can change it up a bit. Add more weight training and take away a cardio. Eventually start doing splits instead of full body weight work outs so that you work each body part more intensely only 1-2 times per week.

There are so many ways to do it...you need to find the equation that works the best for you and then create a rotation to fill that equation.

Hope this helps some!:)
 
Increased muscle mass doesn't burn *that* many calories, so don't count on weight training to really "boost your metabolism". Based on the research I've seen, you may be lucky to burn an extra 100 calories/day, assuming you put on a lot of muscle. So count on diet and cardio to lose fat and weights to increase strength and bone density.
 
Jessica:
The "TRUTH" is that all those theories are absolutely correct. Every individuals body responds to different formulations and even then as our lifestyles, ages, fitness levels change so do the workout formulations. You will hear adamant arguments from all sides because as each of us discovers what works for our bodies we become certain we have "THE" answer.
My suggestion to you is to pick a format for 3 weeks and be 100% faithful to it. No deviations - no missed workouts... PRECSION!
If you are moving in the direction of your goals stick with it until you no longer see results. If you are not moving in the direction of your goal then STOP after 3 weeks and reconfigure your workout structure. Keep in mind the 3 weeks will not produce miracles but you will be able to see something working or not working. BFFM, BFL & P90X all talk about small changes that you should be able to see fairly quickly. The "magic" occurs after 6-12 weeks for many people.
I for one spent years and years as cardio queen and got few and far results for reducing BF/wt. It was only the past 5 months of doing less cardio but heavier lifting that reduced my BF/wt greatly.
Cardio is important for many health reasons above & beyond weight loss so YES you want to do it... your mission is to determine exactly how much. Weight Lifting is critical to overall health especially as we age so regardless if a person believes the muscle burns more fat theory... (I do but obviously not all do) Lifting weights is also a critical component of your weekly workout plan.
If you are familiar with all the various theories (sounds like you keep up!) then pick 1 and stick with it for 3 weeks.
As always the cleaner you eat the better and if you are testing this 3 week theory then you cant miss 4 workouts in 3 weeks, have 5 binge days and expect to see anything accurately.
I know you are frustrated and it really is just a learning process about paying attention to what is working for your body. Good luck with whatever you decide to do and keep us all posted.
 
Thank you for the responses. I wish all research would just be the same and it was cut and dry! I will stick with a rotation for 3 solid weeks and promise not to miss a single workouts. Eating...I do great during the week, but once my husband is home, i have a harder time! I always stay within my calories, but I eat MUCH healthier when DH isn't home.
 
Jessica, just as the rest you have to do your own trial and error. I thought Cardio, Cardio, Cardio, then I incorporated step and weights I found doing step and high step lifted my rear (YEAH) lightened up on my Cardio and incorporated weights I have to go light on weights on lower body because I can muscle up in my thighs very easily I usually can tell if something is working on my body after 2 weeks, however, I am not faithful with my diet. I do spinning and a kickboxing class at the gym and yesterday I tried a step class. So just find what works and keep doing things to shock your body.

beth6395

"Another one that proves equipment is not necessary to get the job done" -Cathe Friedrich
 
Hi Jessica

I've been thinking the same thing as well.

When I started out doing exercise at home three years ago, I did mainly cardio with some very light weights. That took some weight off and slimmed me down. But after a while, there weren't many changes so I started doing more challenging cardio and increased the weights I was lifting (but not the frequency). That plateaued after a while and since I got Cathe DVDs I've upped the frequency I'm lifting weights (and they're heavier) and cut back on the cardio a bit (but it's always challenging). This seems to be working for me at the moment. I put on a dress last week that I'd last worn on Christmas Day and it was definitely looser.

Just anecdotal but hope it helps. For me, the most important thing seems to be changing what I do every 2-3 months - workout frequency/type/weights vs. cardio, etc. It also stops me from getting bored!

Good luck!
Ronne
 
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