thanks man i am actually doing weights before cardio right now, running sucked starting out but i can do 4 miles pretty easily after weight lifting, not sure if it is better to do running on separate days though
4 miles is pretty good... if it's starting to get too easy, adding an incline will really boost your calorie burning. You can also try HIIT (i.e alternate sprint 1 minute, walk 1 minute), which I find a lot more engaging than straight running/jogging... also REALLY gets my HR up. As far as running on separate days, that's really all personal preference and how much free time you have. I'd probably just keep doing it after weights, if only for the reason of 'less times you have to convince yourself to go to the gym' lol. You can always still do cardio on your 'off days' - just go low intensity so you don't overtrain.
Sure, if you could only do weights OR cardio, I'd definitely recommend weights... but if you can do both, why not? Plus it's good for your heart.
Did you mean "least efficient" or "least effective?" Effective is determined by what works best for you to lose weight. You can do cardio for much longer and everyday over weight training. So what's better, 2 hours of biking or 30 minutes of weights. It's a matter of if you have the time.
It worked for me, I lost 120 pounds in around 9 months. I started eating healthier and smarter and I ran a lot. I started on the treadmill and then I only run outside now. I think it is whatever works for you. I run 3 to 4 times a week.
The most effective and safest weight loss method is fast walking. Have you ever seen a fat fast walker? It gives you great hip flexibility too.
120 pounds in 9 months is awesome! Congrats! And you are right, when it comes to exercise there is no "best" it is whatever works for you. As far as the OP's original question, there also is no right answer. When I am in serious training, there have been times when I have run 5 times and 70 miles per week - but that is unusual. I know folks who run every day with no problem, and others who need to mix it up more. Find what works for you and you are more likely to stick with it.
But are you big and strong enough to receive twerking for 4min from one of your babes in the ass thread.
heyp sums it up good. (Also, it depends if you mean "weight" loss or FAT loss.) Cardio/aerobic exercise can burn weight well, and I seriously doubt its worse than resistance/weight training. But its the issue of TIME as well, and how CONSISTENT you stay to working out in general. Example: - Group A Cardio, 20 people. They lose fast weight but 12 drop out after four months. (cuz its too long and boring.) - Group B Weights, 20 people. Little to no cardio. Only 8 drop out after four months. (cuz they can maintain their routine) "B" on AVERAGE will have more weight loss on the LONG TERM. "A" on avg some will lose weight but gain some back. Its outcomes like that which can skew results some. The key is find a MIX of BOTH and have low dropout rate. And I'd pick cardio over weights for general trimming, but you're not gonna keep it off without weights at some point in my opinion. But I'm no expert at all, especially when I don't LOOK close to one now lol.
Unless 'outside' has a TV attached to it so I can watch ESPN/NBATV while I run, I'll stick with the treadmill
Totally disagree with those who said running is an inefficient way to lose weight. You'll basically need to bike twice as long as you run if you want to burn the same amount of calories. Going to the gym is boring as hell to me (and this includes running on a treadmill). Finding a nice trail or path outside is the way to go. If you don't live near one then your city/town should get with the program. Also, if you're a beginner or just starting up, you definitely should not be running every day. You should be building up very slowly, and as some have suggested maybe mix in some other activities (weights, biking, swimming, etc.) until you get to a comfortable weight. Can't remember where I saw it, but basically every extra pound you have exponentially increases the impact on your knees when running.
If you're skinny fat i'd just eat clean and weight train. I wouldn't worry about cardio that much, especially longer distances. If you really want to run, do high intensity interval training. And sub 6 minute miles is exceptional time, you make it sound like it's just decent lol.
the argument should be long duration cardio VS HIIT, not versus weight training. And HIIT is more efficient AND effective than long duration cardio. It's been proven, mainly because it keeps you bruning calories post work out.
The constant pounding on your knee and ankle joints never seemed like a good idea to me over the long term