Lifting or Cardio? Could use some advice...

[mobflip]

Hi everyone I am new to the forum and have a question to help me with my routine.

A quick background just so you know whats going on. I used to weigh 135 and was really active but also extremely underweight. I then broke my elbow and hand, and just as things were starting to pick up again my elbow broke a second time. Crappy break right at the joint. So things went uphill, as far as weight goes. I'm 26 years old and got up to 189 at 6" and started feeling pretty bad about myself since i knew it wasn't muscle i was looking at. I started working out about 4 months ago, and I had never lifted weights in my life, i really enjoy it. I am eating healthy again and drinking just water, except for the occasional protein shake. I also do cardio, mostly swimming and on a recumbent bike. I have lost weight, fluctuate between 175-180 with about 18-20% body fat, I don't know how accurately I am measuring this with the calipers. I feel better though and know I am making progress. I feel as though I am gaining more muscle and thus not losing as much weight. I lift more than twice as much as when I started and as far as I read your gains are the biggest in the beginning once you get the right technique going.

So to my question. I have been reading mixed things about workout out in stages as far as bulking up, and slimming down goes. Some places tell me to do just high intensity interval cardio and slim down then bulk up by lifting weights. Are there any upsides/downsides to doing both at the same time? Slower progress? Which should come first?

My ultimate goal would be to lose about 10-15 more pounds, or just reduce my body fat % to get rid of the extra bits in my mid-section. Any advice and help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jrahien]

I always recommend that everyone do both cardio AND lifting. A lot of people seem to think that doing both will result in zero results, but that's not true. In terms of training for a specific aspect for competition, like marathon running or power lifting, then yes, progress can be inhibited. However, for general health and weight loss, the two go hand in hand.

Slimming down first and then gaining muscle mass is a popular method. Personally, my view is that, in terms of health, you should find a balance of the two right away and establish a long-term routine for that goal that you can keep up for, ideally, the rest of your life.

PS: Are you using the calipers on yourself? To be honest, performing a skinfold test on yourself or having it done by someone who isn't trained to take accurate readings will result in measurements that can be waaaaay of the mark.

 

[Goldfish]

For body composition goals, strength training is always more important than cardio. When gaining weight, strength training enhances the amount of weight that's gained in the form of muscle mass. When losing weight, strength training diverts weight loss away from muscle mass, because the muscle mass is needed. If you happen to be maintaining weight, or losing weight slowly, while gaining muscle mass, then your bodyfat% is going down and you're getting more muscle. I don't see how this could be a downside, unless the number on the scale is really more important to you than what the mirror says, how your clothes fit, how you feel, how well you function, etc.

 

[joyrun03]

Doing both cardio,and lifting together is a great way to reach any ones goal. Do jumping jacks and pushups for your cardio, add running if you really want to slim down. lift 80 to 90% of your body weight for your lifting, dead lifts half way up. Add in some crunches in between makes for a great workout.

 

[Albert Smith]

Cardio is not the fastest way to lose weight, and it's certainly not the only way.

Please stop focusing on how many calories you burn in the gym and instead focus on how your body expends calories outside the gym. You burn calories throughout the day regardless of what you are doing, but exercise helps increase the rate at which you burn those calories.

With most forms of traditional steady-state cardio, you expend calories while you're exercising, but once you stop, you quickly go back to your normal metabolic rate.

Strength training, however, builds muscle, and more muscle helps you burn more calories -- even when you're doing nothing but sitting on the couch.

Strength training can help anybody lose body fat and is likely a quicker ticket to better fitness than just plain cardio exercises.

It also won't limit your athleticism, but more likely improve it.