Lifting for weight loss

[tony404]

Im 45,412 lbs in the past two months Ive lost 54 lbs.Im doing a lower carb,more healthy approach. Went to the gym did cardio bored the crap out me. If I lift 5 times a week and no cardio would that help with the weight loss,add some muscle and I can revisit cardio as I get near the end (got 194 more pounds to lose) your thoughts?

[A.S.T.09]

imo, you should do cardio and lift heavy.

[tony404]

imo, you should do cardio and lift heavy.

Until Im in better shape I dont have the energy resources to do both. lol

[Birddog6424]

Stick to cardio, it's FAR more efficient.

Find a way to like it. iPod, TV, something. As a long time runner I found I could spend countless hours pounding out miles by just getting inside my own head and "daydreaming" for lack of a better word. It's kind of a zen. I have gone on 10 mile runs, made my turns and ended back at my house before without remembering hardly any of it.

Cardio is your friend for weight loss.

Once you have shed a large majority of that weight and your conditioning has greatly improved, start mixing in weight lifting. With 200 pounds of excess fat to shed, I would just concentrate on that for now.

[Pa2ad0x]

If anything, you could try doing weight-lifting and right after you go do some light-intensity cardio for about 20-30 minutes depending on what you want.

Otherwise, you can always weight-lift in the morning/day and cardio at night.

Honestly, I am more a fan of weight-lifting rather than cardio if I had to choose between the two, I believe that diet alone (a GOOD diet) along with weight-training is sufficient to lose weight and possibly maintain and maybe even build *slightly* upon muscle mass. What would be most important is the calorie deficit. Many people make the mistake of having too huge of a calorie deficit though and that makes it so they have no energy, feel like crap, and often binge.

[jay24k]

How fast do you want to get to your goal? You can lose 1 to 2 pounds a week depending on the cardio amount you do extra. Cardio doesn't equal weight loss but it does help you go into a higher defecit of calories.

I personally would do it at that weight but it's up to you. Whatever keeps you motivated.

[tnarg07]

Stick to cardio, it's FAR more efficient.

Find a way to like it. iPod, TV, something. As a long time runner I found I could spend countless hours pounding out miles by just getting inside my own head and "daydreaming" for lack of a better word. It's kind of a zen. I have gone on 10 mile runs, made my turns and ended back at my house before without remembering hardly any of it.

Cardio is your friend for weight loss.

Once you have shed a large majority of that weight and your conditioning has greatly improved, start mixing in weight lifting. With 200 pounds of excess fat to shed, I would just concentrate on that for now.

x2
maybe switch up your routine as well. walk on the treadmill but then maybe move over to the bike or the elliptical to change things up. keep up the good work man.

[tony404]

How fast do you want to get to your goal? You can lose 1 to 2 pounds a week depending on the cardio amount you do extra. Cardio doesn't equal weight loss but it does help you go into a higher defecit of calories.

I personally would do it at that weight but it's up to you. Whatever keeps you motivated.

My goal is to hit my goal weight by 2011 and to be in the best shape of my life by 2012. Ive lost 100's pounds in my life. I have no health issues Im a lucky guy and I figure the older I get my luck will change. So this time Im taking my time and want it to become a real lifestyle, not to be on a guerrilla program and then in 2 yrs im back to fat.

[ZidaneValor]

I would actually do weights first. It burns almost as many calories as cardio during, is believed to burn more calories after, plus the added strength gains will help you to carry your bodyweight around more efficiently. Plus, it is easier to keep track of progress in weight lifting because you can see the amount of weight you can lift increasing. It also has other benefits such as lowering blood pressure.

I would agree to try to do both though, even if its low intensity cardio at the end of a workout, or just going in the morning for a few minutes and then lifting weights at night. I find that buying an iPod works great because I can't focus on the tediousness of cardio while I'm listening to Rihanna or watching a video.

[tony404]

thanks guys for your thoughts

[JakeA]

More muscle burns more calories. Fat can't burn calories.
Try to do both.

[isaacbaeza]

I would stick to the weights they are far more enjoyable (atleast for me) and you will still burn a lot of calories. I always thought of cardio as the tip of the iceberg as in you lift weights you stay comparably lean but if you wanted to get the extra edge and lose that last bit of fat you add in some cardio. Plus, if you lift weights your put on some muscle mass so that when you do get to your goal you won't be all skin and bones. Also, the added benefit is the more muscle mass you have the more calories you'll burn while working out. Good luck!

[Birddog6424]

I would actually do weights first. It burns almost as many calories as cardio during, is believed to burn more calories after, plus the added strength gains will help you to carry your bodyweight around more efficiently. Plus, it is easier to keep track of progress in weight lifting because you can see the amount of weight you can lift increasing. It also has other benefits such as lowering blood pressure.

I would agree to try to do both though, even if its low intensity cardio at the end of a workout, or just going in the morning for a few minutes and then lifting weights at night. I find that buying an iPod works great because I can't focus on the tediousness of cardio while I'm listening to Rihanna or watching a video.

That's inaccurate. Weightlifting doesn't come anywhere near the caloric expenditure of cardio. The reasons for that are legion.

And why would he want to be stronger at carrying weight around that he is trying to get rid of?

Our OP is 400 pounds folks. He lost 54 pounds in 2 months. I don't think you understand the condition level of a 400 pound person if you think they can work in weights and cardio. He has a LOT of time to start thinking about weight training, but he has a long way to go before he gets there. Weight training shouldn't even be on the radar until the bodyweight and conditioning level begin to fall into place. Not to say you can't do any strength training, your strength wil improve along with your conditioning if you mix in isometric exercises when you can. As your weight drops and you become more active, mix in an aerobics or spin class. Start using ellipticals and really use your arms to turn it. There are a lot of things you can do to improve strength when the time comes.

For now, work on getting fit.

Learn how to eat properly. Do cardio at a target heart rate recomended by your physician (hopefully you have been to see him/her). Live a healthy lifestyle, and when your health and conditioning has improved, take up weight training mixed with cardio.

Best of luck to you. Cheering for you.

[JakeA]

That's inaccurate. Weightlifting doesn't come anywhere near the caloric expenditure of cardio. The reasons for that are legion.

And why would he want to be stronger at carrying weight around that he is trying to get rid of?

Our OP is 400 pounds folks. He lost 54 pounds in 2 months. I don't think you understand the condition level of a 400 pound person if you think they can work in weights and cardio. He has a LOT of time to start thinking about weight training, but he has a long way to go before he gets there. Weight training shouldn't even be on the radar until the bodyweight and conditioning level begin to fall into place. Not to say you can't do any strength training, your strength wil improve along with your conditioning if you mix in isometric exercises when you can. As your weight drops and you become more active, mix in an aerobics or spin class. Start using ellipticals and really use your arms to turn it. There are a lot of things you can do to improve strength when the time comes.

For now, work on getting fit.

Learn how to eat properly. Do cardio at a target heart rate recomended by your physician (hopefully you have been to see him/her). Live a healthy lifestyle, and when your health and conditioning has improved, take up weight training mixed with cardio.

Best of luck to you. Cheering for you.

Jogging around with a 400 lb frame doesn't seem healthy.

Squatting/benching seems better for him. Less of both maybe?

[ZidaneValor]

That's inaccurate. Weightlifting doesn't come anywhere near the caloric expenditure of cardio. The reasons for that are legion.

Bodybuilding.com - 600 Exercises: How Many Calories Are You Burning?

For a 350 pound man like me and OP:

weight lifting (free, nautilus or universal-type), light or moderate effort, light workout, general: 500 calories/hour

weight lifting (free weight, nautilus or universal-type), power lifting or body building, vigorous effort (Taylor Code 210): 1000 calories/hour

walking, 3.0 mph, level, moderate pace, firm surface: 550 calories/hour

walking, 4.0 mph, level, firm surface, very brisk pace: 833 calories/hour

bicycling, stationary, general: 1167 calories/hour

So it is almost the same range of 500-1000 depending on intensity.

And why would he want to be stronger at carrying weight around that he is trying to get rid of?

1) Why wouldn't you want to get stronger?
2) Because getting stronger would make moving around MUCH easier.

Our OP is 400 pounds folks. He lost 54 pounds in 2 months. I don't think you understand the condition level of a 400 pound person if you think they can work in weights and cardio. He has a LOT of time to start thinking about weight training, but he has a long way to go before he gets there. Weight training shouldn't even be on the radar until the bodyweight and conditioning level begin to fall into place. Not to say you can't do any strength training, your strength wil improve along with your conditioning if you mix in isometric exercises when you can. As your weight drops and you become more active, mix in an aerobics or spin class. Start using ellipticals and really use your arms to turn it. There are a lot of things you can do to improve strength when the time comes.

For now, work on getting fit.

I started at 380. I primarily lost 30 pounds just weight lifting. You are right that I cannot do cardio after weight training for 1-2 hours, so I either do cardio in the mornings and lift weights at night or I do cardio on the three days I don't lift weights (Wednesday through Friday).

Learn how to eat properly. Do cardio at a target heart rate recomended by your physician (hopefully you have been to see him/her). Live a healthy lifestyle, and when your health and conditioning has improved, take up weight training mixed with cardio.

Best of luck to you. Cheering for you.

I agree that nutrition is a BIG part of it, and OP should get checked out by a doctor to make sure that everything is ok, but he can start lifting weights now.

[obesebeast]

muscle burns so many calories just sitting idle, how do you think those meatheads go out and pound drinks and rarely do cardio...just burn it all off via lifting and clean diets outside of the social scene

[Chris@UGA]

I'd personally lift weights and let the calorie deficit of my diet lose the pounds.

[Birddog6424]

To Jake; 400 pound people don't jog. They walk.

And Zidane; I have no idea where they came up with those numbers, but being a fitness enthusiast for over 20 years and reading every article and book under the sun about exercise and nutrition tells me those weightlifting numbers are BS.

I have seen more calorie expenditure articles in my lifetime than I can beat with a stick, and I have never seen anyone show expenditures of weightlifting anywhere near cardio numbers. I guess I shuldn't be surprised it came from a bodybuilding website.

Light to moderate expenditure weightlifting, bodybuilding, and especially powerlifting, incorporate rest periods. Cardio does not.

Weightlifting is for short bursts of expenditure, elevating heart rate for only brief periods of time. It is over too quickly and never even hits a target heart rate for maximum caloric expenditure. And the effort is over too quickly to even suffice as a type of HIIT training (high intensity interval training). The only exercise that stresses the body enough to compete with target heart rate cardio is free weight squats. But who wants to spend an hour in the rack doing squats every day?

An hour spent weight training based on every articel I have ever read (and it's bunches) is about 2/3's the caloric expenditure of LISS training (low intensity steady state). So if you burn 500 calories on a flat treadmill at 3.0 mph, you would burn about 330 calories weight training.

Cardio allows you to reach and maintain a target heart rate for extended periods of time. This is not only the safest method for overweight people to achieve better conditioning, it is by far the most efficient. This constant method of peak expenditure burns more calories than lifting and resting, lifting and resting.

You CAN achieve maximum expenditure through more advanced methods of weight training, such as super sets, tri sets, and giant sets. Or you can use circuit training without rest to accomplish the same thing. Although it still isn't as efficient, it will come much closer. But once you reach teh point of conditioning where you up your intensity level of weightlifting, you are now competing against HIIT training, which again, is more efficient than weight training.

As far as being stronger? You are letting your ego get in the way. Cardio will make you stronger. How many flights of stairs can you climb now at your current weight? If you didn't lose a single pound over the next 90 days, but spent four hours a week on an upper/lower body elliptical, don't you think after 90 days you could climb more stairs? Damn right you could. Bunches more. Now strip 40 pounds off your frame. How many flights of stairs could you climb now?

Bottom line;

I could train to lose fat my way versus your way, and I could drop body fat faster and be in better shape by doing cardio till I improved my conditioning to the point where I could work in aerobics and basic strength training. Once I reached the point where my conditioning was to the point I could do both, I would. In 6 months I would be leaner and stronger.

All by focusing on the most important aspects of training in their proper place and by using the most effective methods.

Just my two bits though folks.

[ZidaneValor]

And Zidane; I have no idea where they came up with those numbers, but being a fitness enthusiast for over 20 years and reading every article and book under the sun about exercise and nutrition tells me those weightlifting numbers are BS.

I have seen more calorie expenditure articles in my lifetime than I can beat with a stick, and I have never seen anyone show expenditures of weightlifting anywhere near cardio numbers. I guess I shuldn't be surprised it came from a bodybuilding website.

An hour spent weight training based on every articel I have ever read (and it's bunches) is about 2/3's the caloric expenditure of LISS training (low intensity steady state). So if you burn 500 calories on a flat treadmill at 3.0 mph, you would burn about 330 calories weight training.

You just contradicted yourself. I never said that weight lifting was MORE efficient, I just said that it was close. I'm sure you've also read that more calories are burned after weight lifting is completed than are burned after cardio is completed, so that closes the gap even further.

Light to moderate expenditure weightlifting, bodybuilding, and especially powerlifting, incorporate rest periods. Cardio does not.

Weightlifting is for short bursts of expenditure, elevating heart rate for only brief periods of time. It is over too quickly and never even hits a target heart rate for maximum caloric expenditure. And the effort is over too quickly to even suffice as a type of HIIT training (high intensity interval training). The only exercise that stresses the body enough to compete with target heart rate cardio is free weight squats. But who wants to spend an hour in the rack doing squats every day?

Actually this is incorrect too. Whenever I would do cardio after weight lifting, I would usually take a five minute break in between, and my heart rate was still at 120-130. It doesn't matter if you are "resting" for a minute because your heart rate isn't going to have enough time to drop back down.

Also think of it this way, how much effort can 350# people like me and OP put into cardio if we have to keep that pace for an hour? On an elliptical, I can keep a 140 rpm pace with a 150 heart beat for an hour, and I had to work for months to get to that point. Weight lifting is more like HIIT, in that you have great expenditures of energy to failure for 20 seconds, then you rest a minute, then you expend a great deal of energy again for 20 seconds, and you keep doing that for an hour.

As far as being stronger? You are letting your ego get in the way. Cardio will make you stronger. How many flights of stairs can you climb now at your current weight? If you didn't lose a single pound over the next 90 days, but spent four hours a week on an upper/lower body elliptical, don't you think after 90 days you could climb more stairs? Damn right you could. Bunches more. Now strip 40 pounds off your frame. How many flights of stairs could you climb now?

Um, that's endurance, lung capacity, and aerobic conditioning, not strength which is anaerobic.

Bottom line;

I could train to lose fat my way versus your way, and I could drop body fat faster and be in better shape by doing cardio till I improved my conditioning to the point where I could work in aerobics and basic strength training. Once I reached the point where my conditioning was to the point I could do both, I would. In 6 months I would be leaner and stronger.

All by focusing on the most important aspects of training in their proper place and by using the most effective methods.

Just my two bits though folks.

What I am advocating is both. I would think in 2009 that the days of having clients do endless cardio would be over by now. It takes both heavy weight lifting and moderate cardio along with a small 500 calorie deficit and optional supplementation to be able to maintain weight loss for years.

[tony404]

By the way went to the doctor and got checked out before I started. Lots of good stuff, I got some things to think about. I know how to eat properly that's how I lost the weight I have lost in two months. Also I wasnt always a whale. Trained very hard as a young man.played ball ,threw the shot put. Just lost my way and let stress get to me.I dont smoke or drink and food became my friend. Im changing that relationship. I will keep you guys posted.

[Birddog6424]

You just contradicted yourself. I never said that weight lifting was MORE efficient, I just said that it was close. I'm sure you've also read that more calories are burned after weight lifting is completed than are burned after cardio is completed, so that closes the gap even further.

I did not contradict myself. A 33% increase in the efficiency of cardio is a huge difference in my book. And I would love to see who claimed you burn calories after you are done lifting. That's a misconception, so the gap did not close.

Actually this is incorrect too. Whenever I would do cardio after weight lifting, I would usually take a five minute break in between, and my heart rate was still at 120-130. It doesn't matter if you are "resting" for a minute because your heart rate isn't going to have enough time to drop back down.

Yes, your heart rate does drop back down. There have been multiple studies on this over the years. Your heart rate on light to moderate weightlifting drops down to a level above resting heart rate but only rarely reaches target heart rate upon elevation. Even on overweight people, which is who the majority of studies are performed on.

Also think of it this way, how much effort can 350# people like me and OP put into cardio if we have to keep that pace for an hour? On an elliptical, I can keep a 140 rpm pace with a 150 heart beat for an hour, and I had to work for months to get to that point. Weight lifting is more like HIIT, in that you have great expenditures of energy to failure for 20 seconds, then you rest a minute, then you expend a great deal of energy again for 20 seconds, and you keep doing that for an hour.

I am seeing the problem here. You are misinformed, uninformed, or simply don't know what you are talking about. I think you have exercised for a while and consider yourself an authority. I am not trying to be rude here, but your statements are wrong. Weightlifting is nothing like HIIT, it's not even close. I can burn 800 calories in a 30 minute HIIT program. Weightlifting can't touch that.

Also, if you are at 140 RPM on an elliptical, you are flying on every elliptical I have ever seen. That's twice as fast as my normal pace of 70 RPM's. Even if you are on the lowest setting I would think smoke would come rolling out of that thing. That's almost two and half rotations per second. If you are going that fast you need to increase the resistance.

Um, that's endurance, lung capacity, and aerobic conditioning, not strength which is anaerobic.

Um, no. That is cardiovascular health, which strengthens the most important muscle of them all. The heart.

As an overweight person there are few parts of the body as stressed as the heart. Returning to good cardiac health should be a priority far greater than bigger biceps. As the conditioning of the heart improves, your circulatory system improves, and a domino effect occurs on down the line as multiple good things begin to happen in your body. One of the many effects that occurs, is increased muscle strength. You get improved oxygen flow to the muscles, along with lots of other goodies, as well as the fact that the process of doing cardiovascular activities DO improve muscle strength. Significantly. As do aerobics.

Because let's face it, the activity level has been pretty low prior to, and the muscles are pretty weak. They ARE going to get stronger. You did catch one important benefit. Along with cardiovascular health and cardio comes increased endurance. What will that provide? The ability to work out longer, harder, and mix in more exercises. So down the line, my method versus yours will have our OP outworking you.

What I am advocating is both. I would think in 2009 that the days of having clients do endless cardio would be over by now. It takes both heavy weight lifting and moderate cardio along with a small 500 calorie deficit and optional supplementation to be able to maintain weight loss for years.

I certainly agree with you that for maintainence a person should do both. I was primarily a runner all my life, but always mixed in weights. And I agree with you that as conditioning improves, our OP should mix in weights. But he isn't there yet, and doing so now is the long road to his goals. If he gets in shape, loses the large majority of his fat, THEN takes in weight lifting, he will more quickly and efficiently achieve his goals.

If you dropped the weights and did all cardio, you would lean out faster and reach FAR better conditioning. Then when you picked up the weights you would be nearly as strong as you are now and in MUCH better condition. And you would look better.

[ZidaneValor]

I did not contradict myself. A 33% increase in the efficiency of cardio is a huge difference in my book. And I would love to see who claimed you burn calories after you are done lifting. That's a misconception, so the gap did not close.

Fit Fact - Weight training helps you burn more fat

While most of us know the benefits of strength training (strong muscles and bones, higher metabolism, etc.), there are still people who avoid lifting weights. Sometimes it's because they don't enjoy it as much or they worry about blowing up like a bodybuilder. The most common reason, however, is because they think cardio is the best way to lose fat and, thus, the best use of their exercise time.

Cardio is important, but you may be surprised to learn that strength training is just as effective in helping you change your body composition. A recent study proves that with findings that suggest we actually use fat as fuel during strength training.

In the study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers followed 8 conditioned males in their 20s and measured lipolysis (which is a fancy term for the breakdown of fat from your cells) during and after strength training. They found:

1) Energy expenditure was elevated for 40 minutes after strength training
2) Glycerol levels (which indicates fat is being used as fuel) were elevated 78% during strength training and 75% after strength training
3) Fat oxidation was elevated 105% after strength training

How Many Calories Does Weight Lifting Burn?

Compare that to running or bicycling, where you burn 10-12 calories a minute, and that?s not too bad. But wait, it gets better. Lifting weights gives you a metabolic spike which lasts for approximately an hour after your workout. This is due to the fact that your body is trying to help your muscles recover from the workout. During this spike, your body will continue to burn calories even though you have finished your strength training session ? and even while you are relaxing. And, because muscles use a lot of energy to sustain themselves, for every 3 pounds of muscle you build, your body will burn an additional 120 calories per day.

Weight Lifting to Lose Weight

If you're dieting, weight lifting can help you lose fat instead of muscle and bone. Most people don't realize it, but when they diet, only about 60 to 75 percent of the weight they lose is actually fat. So if you shed 20 pounds, five or six of those pounds are from nonfat tissue, including muscle, bone, and water -- leaving your body weaker. But exercise, particularly the iron-pumping kind, can preserve muscle and bone, so that up to 85 percent of what you trim is fat, says Dale Schoeller, a nutrition researcher at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Weight training can also raise a person's metabolic rate for as long as 12 hours after exercising. That means that if you lift weights your body will burn calories faster. But whether regular exercise generally increases your metabolism over the long-term remains controversial, says Glenn Gaesser, an exercise physiologist at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

One study in the Netherlands found that 18 weeks of weight training by young men sped up their metabolism by 9 percent. Other studies haven't found such a benefit. Nonetheless, Gaesser and others believe that by maintaining muscle, weight lifting can help minimize the metabolic downturn that occurs as you get older.

Which points up a neat thing about strength training: You may not necessarily lose more weight, but you can still gradually slim down as you trade fat for brawn. ... Even more gratifying, people who pump iron notice striking improvements in strength fairly quickly, giving them more stamina for walking or biking. Two more major long-term bonuses, especially for older women: You get stronger bones and better balance.

Post workout burn

Now, new research carried out at Colorado State University suggests that a strenuous bout of resistance training can produce a post-exercise burn which may in fact be more intense than that produced by traditional 'aerobic' workouts.

...

During the five-hour period which followed the workouts, calorie burning was significantly higher than normal. The shocker was that calorie expenditure tended to be significantly greater after strength training than after cycling. The difference wasn't huge - about 24 extra calories burned after strength training - but for individuals who train four times a week this disparity could produce an extra 5000-calorie 'burn' over a year. This might equate to about a pound and a half of extra body fat lost by weight trainers compared to cyclists training with similar energy expenditures.

Can You Burn Meaningful Calories Lifting Weights?

That said, while you burn more calories during aerobic cardio exercise like running, research has suggested that Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) is greater after weight training than after aerobic exercise.

The estimates of how long that post-workout metabolism lift might last are controversial.

...

A warning: It?s important not to make too much of this increased EPOC after weight lifting.

While EPOC is increased, we?re not talking about hundreds of extra calories being burned after weight training ? it?s more like an extra dozen or so, which generally isn?t enough to make up for the gap between cardio and resistance training when it comes to calories burned during these respective exercises.

Now admittedly, even with the post caloric burn, you still burn more calories at cardio than you do weight lifting. And cardio does have additional benefits such as strengthening of the heart. I've never advocated NOT doing cardio. But the benefits of weight training are too many to not do it, such as:

Benefits of Weight Training for Chronic Health Conditions

Strength and Balance, Bone Strength and Density, Boost Wellness, Immunity and Sleep, Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes Management, Cancer, Depression, Osteoporosis, Lung Function and Rehabilitation, Arthritis and Fibromyalgia

Top 18 Benefits of Weight Training

raises your basal metabolism, reverse the natural decline in your metabolism, less prone to low-back injuries, muscular endurance, decreases your resting blood pressure, decreases your risk of developing adult onset diabetes, improves the functioning of your immune system, lowers your resting heart rate, a sign of a more efficient heart.

The benefits of weight training are too much to ignore.

Yes, your heart rate does drop back down. There have been multiple studies on this over the years. Your heart rate on light to moderate weightlifting drops down to a level above resting heart rate but only rarely reaches target heart rate upon elevation. Even on overweight people, which is who the majority of studies are performed on.

Again, I respectfully disagree, because my heart rate consistently reaches 150+ while weight lifting (and even higher for major compound lifts) and does not dip back down during a one-minute rest period.

I am seeing the problem here. You are misinformed, uninformed, or simply don't know what you are talking about. I think you have exercised for a while and consider yourself an authority. I am not trying to be rude here, but your statements are wrong. Weightlifting is nothing like HIIT, it's not even close. I can burn 800 calories in a 30 minute HIIT program. Weightlifting can't touch that.

I never claimed that weight lifting burned as many calories as HIIT. I was making the comparison that weight lifting is 20 seconds at full speed, then 1 minute rest, then 20 seconds at full speed, then 1 minute rest, which is why heart rate can reach 150-170 if you are lifting heavily and compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, et cetera.

Also, if you are at 140 RPM on an elliptical, you are flying on every elliptical I have ever seen. That's twice as fast as my normal pace of 70 RPM's. Even if you are on the lowest setting I would think smoke would come rolling out of that thing. That's almost two and half rotations per second. If you are going that fast you need to increase the resistance.

The model that I have at my local Bally's is a Precor (I forget the exact model). Maybe the model is built differently, because I know I worked up from 120 to 140 and my friends used to laugh at me because they could go 160.

Precor Ellipticals

Um, no. That is cardiovascular health, which strengthens the most important muscle of them all. The heart.

As an overweight person there are few parts of the body as stressed as the heart. Returning to good cardiac health should be a priority far greater than bigger biceps. As the conditioning of the heart improves, your circulatory system improves, and a domino effect occurs on down the line as multiple good things begin to happen in your body. One of the many effects that occurs, is increased muscle strength. You get improved oxygen flow to the muscles, along with lots of other goodies, as well as the fact that the process of doing cardiovascular activities DO improve muscle strength. Significantly. As do aerobics.

Because let's face it, the activity level has been pretty low prior to, and the muscles are pretty weak. They ARE going to get stronger. You did catch one important benefit. Along with cardiovascular health and cardio comes increased endurance. What will that provide? The ability to work out longer, harder, and mix in more exercises. So down the line, my method versus yours will have our OP outworking you.

We not talking about those ridiculous chest and biceps people. We are talking about difficult compound lifts like heavy squats, deadlifts, rows, overhead presses et cetera. Lifts that tax the entire body.

I certainly agree with you that for maintainence a person should do both. I was primarily a runner all my life, but always mixed in weights. And I agree with you that as conditioning improves, our OP should mix in weights. But he isn't there yet, and doing so now is the long road to his goals. If he gets in shape, loses the large majority of his fat, THEN takes in weight lifting, he will more quickly and efficiently achieve his goals.

If you dropped the weights and did all cardio, you would lean out faster and reach FAR better conditioning. Then when you picked up the weights you would be nearly as strong as you are now and in MUCH better condition. And you would look better.

If you dropped the weights, you would lose far more lean mass than is necessary. There is NO reason to not do both. Weight lifting provides far too many benefits as I listed above to ignore it completely.

[deadpool9]

Im not going to get super technical here, but if you are bored doing cardio, I would just mix it up. I hate doing cardio too. But I do stuff to make it go by faster like watching tv, listening to music, etc. Try doing cardio in the morning and lift in the evenings like recommended above. Building some muscle will help you burn the fat. I have a friend that is 6'6" and weighs 360 and has some very strong legs, but usually trys working on his chest.

The best thing to do is be happy with whatever you are doing.

[Birddog6424]

I have to tell you Zidane, you can copy and paste, but what you lack is experience. For every one of those articles I could throw a dozen back at you that say the opposite. Cutting and pasting articles that support what you say offers no support in this gig. It's done and overdone.

Did you ever see who the studies were performed on? Did they at all resemble our 45 year old 400 pound poster?

And FYI, the "post workout burn" you are referring too is elevated metabolism. You can get that from a cup of coffee or a walk around the block. ANY form of activity will give that to you. Keeping an elevated metabolism is essential to fat loss. And the ways to do it are numerous. Hell, eating small smeals versus big ones elevates metabolism. 25 mgs of ephedrine is said to elevate your metabolism by 3% for 4 hours (though I have also heard other figures). So realistically, you could sit on the couch and pop pills for the same thing?

Let's take a look at this from another perspective. You are 23 years old, and up until very recently, you weighed in at the neighborhood of 380 pounds. So it is probably safe to say you haven't practiced any methods of physical fitness your entire adult life or even into your childhood.

I turn 43 in one week. I ran collegiate track and at your age of 23, I was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Corp and ran in my first marathon in South Carolina. I've ran 16 marathons in my lifetime. I've bulked up from 140 to 175 when I was in my 20's. Back down to the 160's when I was racing. Then up to 196 when I quit racing a few years ago and cut down to roughly my current weight. I have been at single digit bodyfat for a very large portion of my adult life. I am currently at 12% and running a targetted Keto in an effort to get to 9% in the next 60 days. I started at 18%, which is the highest I have been in since I quit running. It gets harder as you get older.

I've been a student of fitness as long as you have been alive. I own enough books and magazines on fitness to probably add up to your weight. Hell, Bob Kennedy's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding probably weighs 5 pounds, and I own two of them, the 4th and 9th editions.

So you have lost some weight. Right now you could lose weight by being calorie deficient and sitting on the couch (and maybe popping an ephedrine or two ). The hardest part is actually eating right, and getting off the couch. You have gotten off the couch, I think that's great. Every thing you do right now will succeed for you so long as you eat right. Keeping it up for the long term is where the rubber meets the road. Getting to 20% bodyfat, then 15%, then 10% is the tough row to hoe.

When you reach that, and maintain a healthy lifestyle for a few years, maybe then you can legitimately get on here and start throwing cut and pastes at people. You will know by then which ones are accurate and which ones are lab rat fluff. All you know is what you have read, you have no experience. One of the first things you will learn once you have done this long enough is that when it comes to exercise theory and study, you can find an article for everything. A fitness test study group can accomplish exactly what they want it to damn near every time. Like I said, I could throw a hundred articles back at you that say cardio is the elixir of life compared to weight training. Once you have experience you will learn for yourself what works and you won't have to rely on someone else's article to tell you what to do. I hope in twenty years you can say that you have lead a fitness lifestyle. And I hope you remember this discussion.

If you feel good enough to do cardio and weight training that's great Zidane. But your 23, our OP is nearly twice your age at 45. That's a huge difference, I promise you. I'm a healthy guy and I have had multiple weight lifting injuries. Double hernia, femoral stress fracture, tendonitis, not to mention constant nagging aches and pains. Nearly all of them after the age of 39. And all of them on free weight compound lifts. Our OP has quite likely been overweight for a very long time, and at his age, a return to cardiovascular health is crucial. He is a serious health risk. In addition to that, he is a prime candidate for injury in the weight room. And one loop around the circuit could very well leave this guy sore for a week. How motivating is that?

Our OP needs to lose fat, eat right, and hit cardio or aerobics until he starts feeling good enough and strong enough for weight training.

Sorry for the long post gentleman. I have said all I will say on the matter. Good luck to the OP and to you Zidane.

[Serpreme]

Im 45,412 lbs in the past two months Ive lost 54 lbs.Im doing a lower carb,more healthy approach. Went to the gym did cardio bored the crap out me. If I lift 5 times a week and no cardio would that help with the weight loss,add some muscle and I can revisit cardio as I get near the end (got 194 more pounds to lose) your thoughts?

No one likes cardio at first.
But when you start seeing gains, you will come around.
You need to reprogram your brain.
Edit: And just so you know, when i say cardio for you, i mean walking. running is not advised.