To what extent does weights training = cardio?

[abpanther]

Hey I’ve always wondered this.

With me looking to get back into weights training but also keen to maintain cardio and a particular weight range, I’m trying to work out how much cardio I need to couple with the weights training.

Firstly, if you are doing weights training with short rest breaks (less than 1min); to what extent does that 1 and a half hour weights session equal cardio (as your heart rate would be elevated throughout)?

I remember when I was doing weights years ago I wasn’t doing much cardio but still wasn’t putting on much weight (other than a few kgs of muscle mass)

Secondly, if it does count as some cardio to an extent, I’ve been told that when doing cardio you don’t start losing weight until 30mins into it, does that mean if I do cardio at the end of a weights session I still need to do a 40min session or can you assume that the weights training gets you into that weight loss cardio window where you can just do 15-20mins after a workout and have a good impact on weight loss/maintenance?

I hope that made sense J

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

It would all depend on how much rest you have between sets. If I take my Heart rate after a set of squats it can get up to around 160bpm which is 80% Max Heart rate. Obviously within 15-20 seconds that comes right down. So there is a cardio component to doing weights, but not much of one. In saying that, if you want to lose fat doing weights is great. After your workout your basal metabolic rate is increased, meaning you will be burning more calories for a good 24hrs or so after the workout. You are also using energy to repair and build muscle. As your muscles get bigger your body's metabolism also increase (if you dont change your diet much this can equate to weight loss, obviously calorie intake vs output applies)

I dont really buy into that crap about exercising for 30 min before anything happens. Thats bollocks. I think what they are getting at is when your glyogen stores are depleted you start to burn fat. This is true, but you also burn muscle. I can tell you now, if you do 20 minutes of solid intervals you will gain a lot of fitness and continue to burn calories well into the next day.

I dont know if I answered your questions. And some people will disagree with me. When it comes to exercise everyone has their own opinions and beliefs.

 

[spider]

When it comes to exercise everyone has their own opinions and beliefs.

precisely

its about experimenting and finding what works best for the individual

weight training IMO is best practise for reducing body fat

provided the two golden rules are applied - instensity and technique

if you can push out 10 reps, then increase the weight and go harder - there is the intensity test

 

[jessien]

As far as I know, the studies have shown that anerobic training can increase aerobic capacity, but aerobic training will not help anerobic capacity.

 

[Spot On]

Hey I’ve always wondered this.

With me looking to get back into weights training but also keen to maintain cardio and a particular weight range, I’m trying to work out how much cardio I need to couple with the weights training.

Firstly, if you are doing weights training with short rest breaks (less than 1min); to what extent does that 1 and a half hour weights session equal cardio (as your heart rate would be elevated throughout)?

I remember when I was doing weights years ago I wasn’t doing much cardio but still wasn’t putting on much weight (other than a few kgs of muscle mass)

Secondly, if it does count as some cardio to an extent, I’ve been told that when doing cardio you don’t start losing weight until 30mins into it, does that mean if I do cardio at the end of a weights session I still need to do a 40min session or can you assume that the weights training gets you into that weight loss cardio window where you can just do 15-20mins after a workout and have a good impact on weight loss/maintenance?

I hope that made sense J

This. A good session with the weights followed by at least 20 mins say on the bike is obviously very helpful to burn fat stores as you have used up the carbs lifting the weights and the body now needs energy from elsewhere ie fat. You ask a good question though. I'd like to improve my cardio but I just don't enjoy the running/ cycling stuff as much as I do the weights. In other words, Im too lazy to do it but have just started the 20 mins on the bike a couple times a week and I believe it helps for sure.

 

[aqua_duck]

I usually do 35mins of weights and then say 20mins of either boxing, kickboxing or grappling. I've found that these activities not only help me burn calories but the boxing and kickboxing have really helped with my power and explosiveness and the grappling with my functional strength, core strength and flexibility

 

[Shorty]

Weight training has been found to increase the muscular size of the left ventricle of heart.
So it can be quite beneficial.
I do some aerobic in the middle of my routine to get my heart rate up and burn my muscles more.
Think squats followed by some spin.

 

[bazza]

Hey I’ve always wondered this.

With me looking to get back into weights training but also keen to maintain cardio and a particular weight range, I’m trying to work out how much cardio I need to couple with the weights training.

Firstly, if you are doing weights training with short rest breaks (less than 1min); to what extent does that 1 and a half hour weights session equal cardio (as your heart rate would be elevated throughout)?

I remember when I was doing weights years ago I wasn’t doing much cardio but still wasn’t putting on much weight (other than a few kgs of muscle mass)

Secondly, if it does count as some cardio to an extent, I’ve been told that when doing cardio you don’t start losing weight until 30mins into it, does that mean if I do cardio at the end of a weights session I still need to do a 40min session or can you assume that the weights training gets you into that weight loss cardio window where you can just do 15-20mins after a workout and have a good impact on weight loss/maintenance?

I hope that made sense J

if you are just looking to reduce your weight/fat then strength excercise is useful.
The more muscle that you have the more energy you use when you are sleeping/sitting - which you do for about 23 hours a day

 

[hillbillyjazzer1954]

I Try and Get a Combination of Cardio and Weights in my Workouts

1. 20mins high intensity Bike to get the Heart rate up
2. Pyramid Weights (starting Heavy) Shoulders,Chest,Arms, Legs and Back
3. 20mins high intensity Bike to Keep the Heart Rate up
4. Medium weights 12 - 15 reps Shoulders, Chest, Arms,Legs and Back
5. 10mins medium intensity Bike
6. Finish with 3 sets of 15 Crunches

all done in an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half

IMO this is a great workout for strength, stamina and weight loss

you have to move through the weight sets with minimal rest in between sets to keep your heart rate up, i usually count to 15 and then start the next set

 

[abpanther]

Great stuff, thanks guys.

How valuable do you think supersets are? I've never done them before but thinking of incorporating some

 

[RHCP]

Great stuff, thanks guys.

How valuable do you think supersets are? I've never done them before but thinking of incorporating some

I've never been into supersets/dropsets, but that's just because they don't really fit into the way I like to work out.

They can be useful for pushing through plateaus where you really need to up the intensity in your workout. I think in that function that drop sets are more valuable than supersets but they still accomplish it. Not something (in my opinion) to use over an extended period of time, rather just for a couple of workouts to mix things up.

Were you thinking of supersets with opposing muscle groups (eg. curls/pushdowns) or a single muscle group (eg. bench press/pec fly)? Because most of what I said really only applies to the latter, never used the former so I'm not sure on them.