weights vs. cardio - what is better ?

[Gyggles1]

Hello,
OK lets see if I can make some sense with what I am going to try to say, LOL.......
I was reading on another webiste that if you add more weight training into your workouts v.s cardio that you will slim & tone and still lose weight vs. if you did more cardio you might lose but will see better results with more weight training ? ( so basically that you don't need as much cardio ).
So to work out with weights like 4 times a week and only do 1 day of full cardio ? SO THEN WHAT ? LOL ... Ive always known you are not supposed to do the same body part everyday and the tapes I own are either cardio or interval. SO do I need to buy seperate tapes then that are 1 hr long ( I feel like 1 hr is a good rounded w/o time ) so like PUB then what ? Yes I don't have a clue about this.
Here are the tapes I own currently:
Rythmic Step, Cardio Kicks, BootCamp, Circuit Max, Step Blast, KPC, SJP and Push & pull.

This is what my week has looked like:
Sat - I did a Firm cardio tape ( sorry cathe )
Sun - BootCamp
Mon - KPC
Tue - Step Blast
Wed - Push & pull then I am planning 2 rest days.

I am bascially trying to maintain my weight, would like to lose a few pounds but thats all and to tone up. Any thoughts ? Sorry for the book.
Laura =)

Laura =)
251.5/135.2/141

 

[Carol_is_fit]

Each pound of muscle in your body consumes about 50 calories a day just to stay alive, even while at rest. So ... the theory goes that the more lean muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be. I have found this personally to be quite true. I'm 46 years old, and I'm in the same size I was in college, yet I am approximately 25 pounds heavier according to the number on the scale, than I was back then. However ... I have been lifting weights now for about fifteen years, and so I believe it is the increase in muscle mass which accounts for this change in my body. When I look at pictures of me back then as compared to now, I'm as thin now but I have way more definition. In fact, I never lifted at all back then, so I look very different now. In a good way, of course - LOL!

As for how many days of cardio vs. weight training you should do, I think it's a matter of personal preference. There are many theories, and a lot of different thoughts on this here on this forum alone, but I think you just have to experiment a bit and find what works best for you. I try to do three days of cardio and two days of weight training one week, then reverse that the following week. Some people on here do cardio every day, and weight training every day. Others do different things. Again, as with all things fitness and nutrition related, nothing is set in stone. You have to do what works best for you and your goals. Best of luck to you, and I hope this helps!!

Carol

 

[kathryn]

I think it's very important to have a balance of the two, and if you are over 35, perhaps emphasize the weights a bit more.

Resistance training will build strength for everyday tasks, and help strengthen bones. It also helps increase your metabolism, as muscle burns more calories to stay alive than fat does. Also, an intense weight lifting session produces "afterburn," where you burn more calories after the workout, sometimes for up to 48 hours.

In addition, rather than just losing weight (which could be fat or muscle or water weight), resistance training helps build shapely muscle. If you just do cardio, you could end up being a "skinny fat," someone who looks thin, but has no muscle tone.

Cardio is best for burning calories during the workout, and for cardiovascular health.

A good combo is 2-3 days per week of resistance training and 3-4 days of cardio. This assumes that the weight workouts are full body. You could also do split routines (upper vs. lower body, for example) and work each body part 2 times per week).

 

[Gyggles1]

Thank you for the input =)

Now I am wondering about the Calories burned difference from cardio vs. weights ( geez can I ever be happy, LOL ).... I am sure I burn more calories w/ cardio work - do I burn less with weight work ?
The reason I ask this is, Ive been able to maintain my lifestyle of eating and I like that, its clean but I can basically eat what I want & maintain, we do go out alot too.... so if I can do the same with weights and burn enough calories then I think I will be adding more weight work in, time to go look at come video clips.

Laura =)
251.5/135.2/141

 

[RhiannonW]

My opinion is, if you eat clean, you will maintain your weight if you up the weight training and lower the cardio some.

 

[hippahips]

Hi Laura, if you ask me to choose between one or the other, I'd choose weights. But that's only because my main goal is strength.

Listen to Kathryn. She always gives great advice. I used to do just cardio and had no muscle tone or strength or endurance. I do believe both weights and cardio PLUS clean eating all go hand in hand.

Nowadays I do more strength/muscular endurance training than cardio not only because of my strength goal but also because of my bad knees which can't handle that much cardio. And I'm still burning a lot more calories/fuel/food. How do I know? I'm constantly hungry. Even when I eat 5 small meals spread out evenly throughout the day, I still wake up to a stomach screaming for food. The scale says I'm heavier than I used to be but I just bought a pair of Levi's in a size smaller than I used to be.

Pinky