An unusual question, which may get divided answers …
As my weight is dropping, (THANKYOU Huel) should I spend more time doing cardio to lose weight OR heavy gym work to keep muscle and get stronger ?
Some weeks my weight doesn’t seem to drop … and weight loss has slowed recently …
I also do a 3+ mile dog walks virtually daily and 2-3 10+ mile cycle rides per week
Off to the gym now … I do 3+ visits for about a hour a week (shoulders, chest and heavy weights today … should I be better off spending the hour on cardio ??)
I do 30 minutes cardio and 30 minutes weights. They say cardio burns the most calories but with weight training you keep on burning even on the next day. So I think the ideal workout should have both.
Personally I’d go with the weights.
But I’m not saying “don’t do cardio”, I’m saying “don’t do cardio in the gym”
Get out on a bike or something, it’s much more interesting and if you have to go from A to B for a moderate distance anyway (3+ miles daily but not something ridiculous like 20 each way on a daily basis) it really doesn’t take a huge amount of extra time up
edit: only just noticed that your last comment indicates that this is exactly what you plan to do
I agree … with all comments
Think the cycling and dog walks will cover much of the cardio work
So I reckon I have To keep up the good work and maybe intensify it occasionally
I use Fitbit to track my calories expended. If you eat a 500 defecit you will loose weight. Eat 500 more you will gain weight. Weight training is better for getting in shape.
Im no expert but a few thoughts… Building muscle is vital. Lifting weights 3 days a week with a good routine will pay dividends. Muscle is heavier than fat, so you might not see your weight drop - but if you are on a calorie deficit you will be burning fat. If you dont lift - your body will burn muscle first - youll just look deflated. Ive been on weight loss since Jan 18. I dont weigh myself anymore but with lifting weights and cutting calories my body is transforming (im 46) Ive lost 5 inch of my waist and clothes fit and hang well - thats more important than the scales.
I do 2 days of HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training (30sec hiit, 30 sec rest x 10 x 3 sets - 40 mins) - again proven to be a greater fat burner than ‘cardio’
As for the comment about working the heart - weights do this well… i wear a polar heart strap and my heart will easily go to 70-80% max during a weight session. In short, lift weights, do HIIT and throw away the scales!
This is normally bollocks - To make this work with a 500 caloric deficit you’d need to put on 1lb lean mass a week, that’d be a heck of an achievement!
I too had noticed the trousers / shirts getting baggier !
I went to the gym this morning and felt great ! Lifted and pushed for longer with heavier weights so a good work out
Also joined in the Dad’s race at my boys sports day … and didn’t come anywhere near the back !!
I gained about 3lb this week but that’s a meal pre theatre AND had to snack at work while on nights … forgot my huel !
Will do weights and cycling at least 3 x a week plus Huel for 2 meals a day …
So far so good !!
As i say… im no expert! I think we can agree muscle is heavier than fat… but i always had a general understanding that if you were on a calorie deficit, your body would ‘eat’ muscle first unless you worked it (or took proteins and BCAAs) which would force it to switch and eat fat? I know its probably a lot more technical than this but I’m sure if you only did cardio on a calorie deficit you’d deflate away, losing muscle and body shape? no?
No no you’re right there - Without progressive overload and sufficient protein intake your muscles will experience atrophy while in a caloric deficit.
I’m just saying I see a load of fat people saying “I haven’t lost any weight but I’ve been going to the gym so I think I’ve gained the weight in muscle”… I’m like ye OK mate
Or they made the same mistake I did in the beginning. I put on weight in my first few weeks because I was tracking my burned calories but it wasn’t accurate.
The tool I was using back then told me I had burned 950kcals per session. So whenever I got back from gym I started eating. And I thought that was okay because I had burned so much I could compensate…
Now I just stick to 1600kcals and 30min. Weights and 30min. Cardio every day and now I am actually losing weight. I don’t count the burned calories anymore.
Note: I am a tiny woman so for me this regime works.
but that’s a meal pre theatre AND had to snack at work while on nights … forgot my huel !