Which is more important to lose weight: strength training or cardio?

Question

I know you need a mixture of both, but my boyfriend says it's more important to focus on strength training than cardio. He said if I go to the gym for an hour I should do 40 min. of weights and 20 min. of cardio. I usually did the other way around. So which will better help me in my weight loss efforts?

I know dieting is crucial too. And no I'm not fat, but I've gained some weight recently and want to get it off!!!!

I want to lose weight and tone up.

Answer 1

Cardio is better. Strength will just build up muscle density. Do lots of running to burn off the weight.

Answer 2

Here is a sure-fire way to lose weight (And I know!) You were doing it right before - more cardio, less weights.

Try to do cardio for 15 minutes, then 10-15 of weights, 15 more cardio, 10-15 more of weights, and then finish it off with another 15 of cardio. Mixing it up is the ultimate fat loss burner.

Good luck!

Answer 3

When I took aerobics we always started with cardio, 30 min, did 20 min of strength training and 10 min cool down. I think the cardio is more important. Due to my schedule I can no longer do aerobics and only use the treadmill at home and have maintained my weight loss.

Answer 4

stfu - congratulations on the loss so far. That is great! It sounds like you've got the exercise part down. You may want to start doing some weight machine work after your cardio workout. Start with one or two upper body exercises one day and lower body the next. Start with a comfortable weight that you can do three sets of 15 with. Take a short rest period of 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets and that keeps your heart rate up. Continues the calorie burn. Add a new exercise every few days as your muscle adjusts to the new workout. Stay on six days a week and one full day off. Maybe a short brisk walk to just stretch the legs. You don't mention diet. Are you at 2000 calories per day? Foods affects the metabolism as much or more than exercise. All the usual suspects - fresh fruit and vegetables, raw nuts, lean protein, eggs, lean dairy - can actually increase metabolic burn.

Answer 5

I think it is more important to do Cardio because you will lose the weight and when you are feeling like you feel great and then you can start to work the rest of you body but only to tone the areas that you want to see be better.

Answer 6

Cardio for weight loss--strength train for toning..Go 40 on Cardio and 20 on the weights. eat proteins and you should slim right down.

Answer 7

alot of people say just cardio, however, you can accomplish more with strenght training. with cardio you can break down you muscles and not help them. with strenght training, you will build lean muscles, look leaner, feel better, plus the muscles will burn more fat and this makes you loose more overall. You can do cardio but you want to focus on building lean muscles as a girl. what is the use of a skinny girl with a saggy ***. do some squats and train. better body all the way around.

Answer 8

strength training will make you gain weight since muscle weighs more than fat. if you JUST want to lose weight, I would do 40 min cardio, 20 weights

Answer 9

Sorry, unless you BF has evidence to rebut scores of kinesiologists and doctors, the evidence unanimously supports aerobic activity as a greater and faster way to lose excess weight, rather than anaerobic activity.

Now, he's absolutely correct that weight lifting will continue to burn calories long after you've left the gym.

But equal amounts of vigorous aerobic activity (running, cycling, swimming) will provide much higher calorie burn for a given period of time.

In addition, doctors confirm that aerobic activity should be performed first, prior to anaerobic activity, as the warm-up benefits to the heart and vascular system are demonstrable. Finally, resistance (weight) training gains are most accomplished on the negative stroke (returning the weight to rest), not the positive stroke. It's basic physiological physics - the majority of strain and resultant micro-tearing of muscle fiber happens on the negative stroke, when you should make sure you are slow and controlled.

Concentrate on aerobic (cardio), and make sure you get this in prior to anaerobic (weights).

Answer 10

I will have to said cardio and strength training