Weights vs Cardio?

Ace Modder · 28 Feb 2017 at 11:09

Diet is going ok, I have the odd treat day though.

But for example yesterday I had porridge and a coffee for brekkie, apple around 11am, for lunch I had cheese (low fat) and onion toastie and for dinner I had Chicken breast, new potatoes, carrots and broccohi. Then around 9pm I had a 70cal healthy fruit bar.

Today I've had porridge and coffee for brekkie, lunch I'm having lettuce, Tomato, Cucumber, Sliced Ham, Onions and beetroot, and for dinner tonight I will have spaghetti bologase using low fat mince and wholegrain spaghetti.

Also 18kg per arm.... LOL... thats not right. 10kg per arm, not 18kg lol.

Rannoch · 28 Feb 2017 at 11:16

I lost 8st in one day on 2012. Split up with the ex GF

MikeTheNative · 28 Feb 2017 at 11:22

Diet seems ok but depends on the potion sizes really, all about them calories. I always recommend calorie counting (it only doesn't work for people who can't count).

wedrum · 28 Feb 2017 at 11:37

good diet and get yourself a bike, if you dont like going out on the bike at first get a turbo trainer for it and do it at home.
i am doing this today as the weather is crap.

i just have the bike out all day in the living room and jump on it as and when.

Ayahuasca · 28 Feb 2017 at 11:42

Lift heavy, eat light

Kris_90 · 28 Feb 2017 at 13:55

You'll lose more weight lifting weights than you will doing cardio and I've just proven this.

I hurt the tendons in my arm early January so I couldn't do anything involving gripping weightings or bending my elbow. It meant I couldn't train my upper body for about 6 weeks (started back today). I normally lift 6 days a week however I had to change to training legs 3 times per week and cardio 3 times per week. In this time my TDEE dropped from 2,950 cals to 2300 cals per day.

Concentrate on the weights if you can

MikeTheNative · 28 Feb 2017 at 14:55

Kris_90 said:
You'll lose more weight lifting weights than you will doing cardio and I've just proven this.

This just isn't true.

BennyC · 28 Feb 2017 at 15:33

MikeTheNative said:
This just isn't true.

Agreed. It is far easier to create a calorie deficit through cardio vascular exercise than it is resistance training.

The fact your TDEE dropped due to an injury doesn't prove anything correlated to lifting weights. Just that, unsurprisingly, lower activity levels result in a lower TDEE.

tom_e · 28 Feb 2017 at 15:35

It's why Benny doesn't play with us anymore

Freefaller · 28 Feb 2017 at 17:57

Cardio burns more calories, but is boring as hell.
Weights still burns a lot of calories if you get the intensity right.

However all of the above is moot if you don't have a good diet.

Diet > exercise for losing weight. End of.

However, good diet + exercise > diet alone, as exercise acts as a catalyst, and releases lots of fantastic hormones, and you feel amazing afterwards. Whether it be a good intense session in the gym or several miles on a bike, or a game of rugby.

If you just want to lose weight, drop calories (look up TDEE) and do some cardio (if you want to) and you'll lose weight.

Some people find it easier to lose weight, then slowly add a weightlifting programme to bulk up a little with a decent diet. It's probably easier to do that than trying to lose weight and keep/build muscle mass.

Ace Modder · 28 Feb 2017 at 19:00

Can I over do weights? For example my arms are tight and heavy due to what I did yesterday. Should I push through that and do more today or stop and let my muscles "recover" a little first?

Kris_90 · 28 Feb 2017 at 19:10

I wrote my original post a bit quick and didn't explain my point very well.

I meant it's easier to lose weight lifting weights than doing cardio by the fact lifting increases your TDEE enabling you to eat more food which in turn makes being in a calorie deficit easier. If I lift 6 days a week (no cardio) I can eat 2,950 cals per day and maintain my weight. If I replace 3 days of weights with 3 days of cardio I can only eat 2,300 to maintain my weight. To lose weight and assuming a 500 calorie deficit I'd be eating 2,450 cals lifting 6 days per week compared to 1,800 cals doing 3 days weights & cardio.

If I had to choose between the two, I'd choose weights every time.

@Ace Modder - it's just doms (delayed onset muscle soreness), you'll ache for a week or two just make sure you are eating enough protein

Freefaller · 28 Feb 2017 at 19:19

Ace Modder said:
Can I over do weights? For example my arms are tight and heavy due to what I did yesterday. Should I push through that and do more today or stop and let my muscles "recover" a little first?

To be honest you're wasting your time doing bicep curls. Your biceps are such a small muscle that you'll hardly burn any calories. Doing a stupid amount of arm work is just a little bit of a pointless exercise, unless you're going to be bodybuilding and then definition/size comes into play.

You can overtrain, but at your level (and I mean no disrespect) it is unlikely you will be hitting the intensity required.

Ace Modder · 28 Feb 2017 at 19:47

well I'm going to go with a lower cal intake, aim for 1800 so I'm at around my TDEE or slightly less and ensure I eat fairly decent levels of protein foods. Continue doing weights. Gaining strenght in my arms isn't a bad thing either.

Freefaller · 28 Feb 2017 at 20:05

If you want strength in your arms. Do deadlifts, pull ups, rows, dips... bicep curls are just an aesthetic exercise.

Ace Modder · 28 Feb 2017 at 20:15

remind me, what is a dead lift?

EDIT : google told me

Josh · 28 Feb 2017 at 20:21

FF speaks the truth.

However I'm sure the squatters won't mind you curling in the squat rack - they may even encourage you!

BennyC · 28 Feb 2017 at 20:22

Freefaller said:
Cardio burns more calories, but is boring as hell.
Weights still burns a lot of calories if you get the intensity right.

If you find a CV exercise you enjoy it's far from monotonous. Agreed that circuit style resistance training in a barbel complex style fashion, for example, elevates HR significantly and burns a considerable amount of calories.

Kris_90 said:
I meant it's easier to lose weight lifting weights than doing cardio by the fact lifting increases your TDEE enabling you to eat more food which in turn makes being in a calorie deficit easier. If I lift 6 days a week (no cardio) I can eat 2,950 cals per day and maintain my weight. If I replace 3 days of weights with 3 days of cardio I can only eat 2,300 to maintain my weight.

Well if you're going to compare the equivalent of what sounds like a 60-90 minute session with a 30 minute or lower intensity (than your lifting) CV session then of course your TDEE will be higher :confused:

That's not grounds for a just comparison.

Ace Modder said:
well I'm going to go with a lower cal intake, aim for 1800 so I'm at around my TDEE or slightly less and ensure I eat fairly decent levels of protein foods. Continue doing weights. Gaining strenght in my arms isn't a bad thing either.

We already explained TDEE and BMR to you in your other thread and you ignored my advice not to eat at BMR then and you are doing it now. For a male of your age, height and weight there is no way on earth your TDEE is 1800 calories. period.

You didn't gain weight suddenly over night nor will you lose it within a few weeks either. Be patient, trust the process and stop feeling sorry for yourself.

I'm surprised no one has already told you to check the GordyR sticky (if that is still around

) and that the last place weight goes on will not be the first place it comes off.

wesley · 28 Feb 2017 at 20:32

do you enjoy walking? if so, then get the geocache app.

i lost 2 stone since i installed geocache app on my phone 6 month ago.

D3K · 28 Feb 2017 at 20:35

This thread is mental. OP, go do some serious research on non-tech forums until you get a feel for what is right.

I could say that calories out minus calories in is the answer, but it's been said a few times and you don't seem to be getting it.

Also who does curls for 1hr? Even if it's 10kg, your arm would be in tatters. Was it 1 rep per minute?