Can I lose with just Cardio?

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5/12/12 8:49 A

Thanks for the advice!

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5/12/12 7:31 A

What weight is going to vary from person to person, and also depending on which muscles you are working.

Strength training is all about the quality, not the quantity. And if you can do 50 reps of an exercise, it is not heavy enough to be considered strength training. OVer time, you should be at a weight that fatigues your muscles in 8-12 reps. But doing 12-15 reps is a pretty good place to start, as using a lighter weight makes it easier to learn the correct form, and it is better to find approach the right weight by using a light weight and increasing it next time, rather than risking a weight that is too heavy and unmanageable.

Soreness or feeling the burn is not necessarily a sign of fatiguing your muscles or of effective strength training. Basically, it is the point at which you feel you cannot do another rep WHILE HOLDING THE CORRECT FORM.

M@L

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5/10/12 1:59 P

Yes, you do have a point there!

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5/10/12 1:37 P

LOL, yes a lb of muscle weighs the same as a lb of fat and even a lb of bird feathers. ;-) BUT, a lb of muscle is smaller and denser than a lb of fat. AND a lb of fat is smaller and denser than a lb of feathers.

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5/10/12 12:34 P

I have heard that when you also do strength training it builds muscle which will help you to lose more weight. Not to mention that it helps to tone your body and will help with the excess skin that you have, that it keeps up with your weight loss.

I keep seeing people say that muscle weighs more than fat. One pound of muscle is equal to one pound of fat, one pound is one pound period.

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5/10/12 12:15 P

Themomoftwins, yes, that would be a fine beginning ST workout. Like I said before, if this is the first time one has done any of this or it's been a long time since one has done this, one needs to condition the body first. That vid was a good basic routine that is working many of the body parts. She is using lots of calisthenics which is fine since it is using body weight verses artificial weights. As long as your body is working and getting a bit of a burn, it is good.

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5/10/12 7:37 A

I find that cardio burns a lot more calories than strength training, so im definatly more motivated to do more cardio!. I do Just Dance on the Wii and Zumba. On the other hand the strength training is ultimatly what is sculpting the body!

started with a circuit repeated twice and then have now upped to 3 times.

When I first started I did (see exercise demos on here) :

10 Squats
10 Lunges ( alternating 5 on each leg)
10 Star jumps
10 crunches
10 ab side crunches
10 reverse crunches
plank on kness held for as long as you can -I could only manage 10 seconds to start and have progessed to plank on feet.
10 side leg lefts on each side
10 hip raises (on back lift bum off floor and down)
On all fours put leg behind and lift 10 on each leg
10 press up on kness

Repeat

Cool down stretches

Monday- Strength
Tuesday- Strength-
Weds -Cardio
Thurs- Strength
Fri-Cardio
sat-Stength
Sun Cardio

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5/10/12 2:39 A

hey there,
Now Iam getting motivated to add ST in my routine too.
My routines are mixed with Zumba/Walks.
What kind of ST will you suggest for the beginners?
I did try chalean extreme burn 1 it was 'tough"
thank you www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJNhHuHVQ2E
Please please...check out the link & se if this kind of low impact ST can be done?

Edited by: THEMOMOFTWINS at: 5/10/2012 (02:41)

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5/10/12 1:53 A

Like anything else, one must learn to crawl before they can walk. This is all new to you and your body, so you need to teach it or condition it to accept this new movement. Don't worry about weight right now, just work on doing them right and doing 2 sets of 12-15 reps. Also, only do about a half dozen or so of the major muscle groups first. Then slowly add more challenging exercises, and more weight to the muscles that you feel are ready to move up. You can also begin to add more exercises that work other muscle groups(again, condition those muscles first, before you try taxing them). Take it slow or you can hurt yourself and get behind in your journey or worse.

Eventually, your goal will be to do 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps using weights that are heavy enough that you can't do more than around 10 on the last set. But that is a ways down the road. Just condition your body first and Keep the faith.

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5/10/12 12:46 A

I went and did my first ST work out today. It felt pretty good to just get over my embarrassment and go. YEA I do have a question though. I need to know how to know I have enough weight to be effective. I started out with what felt OK I guess, but I don't really feel any soreness. I want to be able to be effective in 2 or 3 sets of 12-20 reps. I don't want to have to do like 50 of one thing to feel the burn. Can anyone help with this?

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5/9/12 3:18 P

I think what it boils down to is how you feel about it. If you really hate the idea of strength training, will feeling like you HAVE to do it make you more likely to give up and quit tracking nutrition and doing cardio? If so, then hold off. As a previous poster said, doing any exercise when you're 100 pounds overweight is automatic strength training. It's not perfect and doesn't work all your muscles, but it's as effective as a half-baked beginner strength training workout. And it's a heck of a lot more effective than sitting in your chair thinking, "I should go to the gym, but I really don't want to face that weights rack."

If, on the other hand, you think it might be kind of fun but you don't want to take time away from cardio if it's not going to burn a bunch of calories, then do the strength training. It does improve metabolism a little, and has a lot of other health benefits. You don't even need that much time; I saw improvements with 15 minutes a day of body weight exercises and little girly hand weights. You can even do body weight exercises during commercials if you watch TV.

I'm also going to agree with those who said that nutrition is the top priority. Watching what you eat is good, but in order to really effectively continue to lose, you're likely to find that you do have to track your food and count calories. Especially once you get out of the morbidly obese category, it's pretty normal for you to instinctively, unconsciously eat enough more to counter-act the exercise. Keeping weight stable is a survival mechanism, and your body and your subconscious will play all sorts of dirty tricks to make it happen. Your mind usually needs some technology to help it fight back.

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5/9/12 12:16 P

You don't have to do them the same day. Just get in 2-3 days per week of ST and about the same or more for Cardio. I just do 3 days per week and I do them both on the same day so I clear my schedule for the other 4 days. Doing that along with eating right, I have lost a consistent 1.4 lbs per week. Keep the faith

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5/9/12 6:19 A

I think you guys may have talked me into starting my ST that I have wanted to. I am scared to let the cardio go on those days though. I enjoy my elliptical and the calories burnt are nice. I KNOW the benefits of the ST but because time being hard to come by I probably could only do one or the other each day. I am going to go for it tho!!! Thanks all

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5/9/12 2:23 A

Without strength training I lost a couple of kilos, looked terrible, felt burnt out and gave up. WITH strength training I have lost 17 pounds, I look awesome (what? I do!) and I am not burnt out.

Can you lose weight without it? Sure. Does that mean you should...?

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5/8/12 11:02 P

I agree with other posters.

Adding strength training to your workout routine will also make your exercise more effective. I think you'll see results (and feel stronger!) faster if you're doing ST. I lost weight doing circuit training, combining strength and cardio. Find what works for you. You can use SP's workout generator to work in some ST and go from there. See what you enjoy at the gym. Is there a trainer or someone who can show you some machines? My gym offered orientation and free personal training sessions when I signed up.

Enjoy your healthy lifestyle and routine! Keep up the great work!

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5/8/12 10:34 P

You can lose with just cardio; you can lose with just eating right. But the goal is to work towards a healthy lifestyle that can sustain the weight loss and it will be a lot easier to keep the weight off if you do cardio with strength training. Sounds like you need to be strengthening the muscles surrounding your joints anyway to ensure that they can keep up with you as you become more active.

Btw, the elliptical really shouldn't bother your knees at all; try a more level setting until you build up some more strength in your knees. The exercise bike is apparently good for the knees too because I see the physical therapists putting people out of knee surgery on them. You may want to stay off the treadmill if it is bothering your knees; you can get a good workout doing 40 on the elliptical instead of 20/20 treadmill/elliptical...or do 10 on a bike then 30 on the elliptical. You'll probably find the recumbent bikes (the ones that are more like a chair bike) most comfortable for now.

Edited by: LAETU5 at: 5/8/2012 (22:37)

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5/8/12 10:07 P

Sometimes you're going to be doing strength training while doing what seems like cardio. Most Les Mills class will have at least one track of "conditioning" including sit ups, push ups, lunges, squats etc. Also you have to think about classes like rowing, how much weight do you think you're arms are pulling that entire hour.

So don't fret too much about strength training, but even its taking 8 lb weights and doing curls or something while you're watching your TV show that counts as well - even the small amounts will help more than just doing cardio all the time.

And like everyone says eating right is a big thing as well cause 1 lb is 3500 calories and to lose just 1 and week you need to be eating the exact amount of calories if not slightly less and working out at the gym 8-10 hours per week depending on your intensity.

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5/8/12 9:10 P

Without strength training, up to 25% of your weight loss can come from lost muscle rather than fat. As muscle burns calories even at rest, over time this lost muscle can slow your metabolism, making longer term weight loss harder. Including ST in your overall exercise program will help maintain your existing muscle mass, and ensure that more of your weight loss comes from muscle alone. And it's a lot easier to maintain your existing muscle mass by including ST now, rather than trying to add it back later.

ST also makes your existing muscle tissue more metabolically active, helping you burn more calories each day, even on rest days. One well known study puts the boost in metabolism at about 150 calories per day - even on rest days.

Also, ST strengthens not just muscles, but also the tendons, ligaments and bones they are attached to. This reduces your risk of injury, and allows your body to perform better and harder during cardio. Strengthened bones also reduces your risk of osteoporosis later in life.

No, you don't HAVE to include ST. But with all of these advantages, ST SHOULD be part of your overall exercise program NOW - it will make your weight loss journey a lot easier, safer and healthier.

But ST doesn't have to mean using scary machines or free weights. SMERRIMAN has listed a number of great strength exercises that use your own bodyweight for resistance.

M@L

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5/8/12 3:23 P

Simple answer is, you don't even need Cardio to lose weight, just don't eat. Sorry, just had to say that. LOL

The 80/20 rule is a bit deceiving. At first glance one takes it to say that nutrition is 80% and exercise is 20%. Cardio is exercise, therefore, that's all I have to do. The problem is that within the 20% one needs ST along with their Cardio to do it right. The Cardio will burn quick fat and it will also add some strength to some areas of a person. The problem is, one needs the slow burn affect from ST plus the assurance that one does not allow Cardio and Diet to eat away any existing muscle to provide the weight loss or needed nutrition.

So, YES, one can lose with just Cardio, but it is not the best and healthiest way to do it. You don't need to add too much ST at this point, but do add it. Then the more you lose, the more you will want to add more ST. It will also help to firm up the areas where the fat disappears and loose skin appears. The benefits of ST are many, so do add it. Keep the Faith.

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5/8/12 3:07 P

I lost almost 60 lbs. by walking and eating right. But I must admit strength training is so important to help you too. I love my weight lifting. So I would if I were you try and do some strength training as well. Check out sparks and see what they have to offer. Good luck.

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5/8/12 2:21 P

This last poster has wise words with the advise to add ST to help build strength in your joints. Being in a similar boat with over 90 lbs to lose I was concentrating on mostly cardio and had lost about 36 lbs when I started having too much pain in my hips, legs, lower back. I've been at the physical therapist for the last 2 months going through a painful process because my IT bands (bands of tissue that runs from hip to knee area) are a mess, all from having weak hips/lower back that couldn't handle my increase of exercise. If I had been building the strength in those areas I wouldn't be going through all of this now. It also set back my weight loss because the doctor and PT have restricted much of my exercise. Thank God for water aerobics. I am having a difficult time even maintaining much less losing while I build strength in my joints so I can get back to more areas of exercising. Hope this helps someone else learn from my mistakes.

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5/8/12 2:18 P

Thanks everybody for the tips. I agree Nutrition is HUGE. I am attempting to change both my eating habits and my exercise habits. I have started bringing my lunch 4 times per week, drinking lots of water and staying away from sub shops.

Going to the gym is new but i'm finding it not so bad. Unfortunately my knees are pretty banged up from my weight and my hockey days so running is out of the question for now.

I will try some of those home exercises and maybe some ST at the gym soon.

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5/8/12 1:57 P

If nothing else, you should add strength training three days a week to help make your joints stronger. Make sure you have a professional at your gym teach you the right form. By making your leg joints stronger, you will be less prone to injuries from your activities.

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5/8/12 1:26 P

You really don't need strength training when you are talking about losing 100 lbs. There are subtle ways and small changes where strength training would be very helpful, but not for major weight loss. That said, keep in mind that exercise without improvement in nutrition is probably a bad way to do it, too. For someone who is very overweight (me two years ago) weight loss is about 95% nutrition and 5% exercise. Others will give you a slightly different ratio, but the key is improving diet is essential. This doesn't have to be all at once and you certainly can benefit from some exercise. At this point, just make sure you move more than you used to and worry about the actual methods of exercise later.

But....exercise is more about improving fitness and building muscle and stamina than weight loss. In fact, some people find that the associated added hunger from exercise more that cancels out the benefits in terms of actual pounds lost.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Carrying around 100 extra pounds IS strength training. Now that I have lost that weight, the idea of strapping on 100 lbs and walking around the yard makes me shudder. You are already doing strength training by getting out of bed in the morning. Concentrate on nutrition!

Edited by: BEARCLAW6 at: 5/8/2012 (14:13)

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5/8/12 1:23 P

Not without changing your eating habits as well.

Doing only cardio will make you smaller, but flabby.

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5/8/12 1:21 P

I'm not an expert either, but agree with the previous writer that you will lose weight if you do only cardio. It's better to do both ST and cardio, doing the ST three times/week, on non-consecutive days. I do more cardio than ST, but try to get in at least 2 days/week of ST and probably 4-5 cardio.

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5/8/12 1:21 P

Can you lose weight without doing strength training? Of course. Is it all going to be fat? No - you'll lose muscle as well.

Strength training does not have to be using the weight machines at a fitness center. You could put together a simple array of body weight exercises and still benefit.

Squats
Lunges
Bicep Curls
Tricep Dips
Wall Pushups (and or regular/modified pushups)
Various ab exercises
And so on. Check out the Spark fitness area for things you can do.

Edited by: SMERRIMAN7 at: 5/8/2012 (13:21)

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5/8/12 1:03 P

I am replying to this, to see the responses. I have an elliptical myself, at home. I would think (though I'm no expert) that any kind of exercise is better than none and would help. The other specific exercises (non cardio) are to build muscle anyway besides weight loss. Am I right on this?

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5/8/12 12:59 P

Hi everybody,
I'm on week 2 of trying to change my lifestyle. I need to lose 100 lbs. I used to play a lot of sports..ice hockey, baseball, softball to name a few. I still golf and have recently purchased a 3-wheel push cart so I get out there and walk when I play.

I also have a membership at my local gym and have found myself liking the eliptical. It seems that it doesn't affect my knees and my back as much as the treadmill. I'm up to 20 minutes on each. My question is, if I continue on this path can I still lose the weight or do I HAVE to incorporate strength training into my program as well.