Strength Training Enough?

[Michelle]

If I don't do cardio but do regularly strength train, is it enough to lose excess weight in a healthy but efficient way? Is strength training "enough"?

I hate doing cardio unless it means having hours and hours to go out in the forest or nature to wander around. I don't often do it. That is why I decided to go backpacking for a few days in March. The gym I recently joined is based on the philosophy that it is better to do cardio outside and they have no cardio machines. I find myself much more willing to go to the gym since I'm not being overwhelmed with too many things to do there and since my visits are at a very pleasant and manageable 40 minutes now.

[Spartan]

Strength trianing will increase your strength and muscle mass when combined with the correct nutrition, i.e. a diet high in protein. However, strength training is not enough by itself. Strength training is a form of anaerobic exercise - this means without oxygen. In order to increase your cardiovascular endurance, you need to do aerobic exercise - exercise with oxygen, e.g. running, walking, cycling etc.

[SmellyOrc]

Or you can start doing Olympic Lifts. True, they won't give you the VO2Max of a marathonner, but it will surely help you getting rid of excess fat.

[Fish]

Strength training with intensity is a great way of working out. This means not taking long rests between excercises.

I have a kettlebell at home and if I do a few different excercises with very little resting time when I finish I am very out of breath.

[Michelle]

Originally Posted by Fish

Strength training with intensity is a great way of working out. This means not taking long rests between excercises.

I have a kettlebell at home and if I do a few different excercises with very little resting time when I finish I am very out of breath.

I'm doing one set of an exercise until I feel the burn in a span of 60-90 seconds (more than that and I increase the weight). Then I move without pause to the next exercise. While I don't get winded, my breath rate does increase. My stamina has seemed to increase somewhat in the last few weeks since joining the gym.

[BamBam]

yea, you do not need cardio if you train at a good pace. Having muscle raises your metabolism naturally. I assume you are eating right.

Snatches, swings, deadlifts, rows, squats, lunges, pushups, pullups. Those excersizes are great for all around fitness.

That being said, it would be wise to do cardio a few times a week. It wont kill you.

Have you ever heard of Burpees? They are the ultimate cardio workout. Try doing sets of ten, resting 30-45 seconds, then repeating until gassed.

YouTube - Jump Burpees

enjoy.

[Spartan]

After looking at the CrossFit website, perhaps strength training can be enough if you do it with maximum intensity, i.e. fast reps with little or no rest between sets and exercises.

[BamBam]

Fast reps can lead to bad form. You dont just want to throw the weight up, you want to activate every possible muscle continuously. Slow reps using perfect form and continuous motion are the best way to do this. It will only make the circuit more intense.

The only time fast reps come into play is if you are training for explosion, in which case you slowly let the weight down then explode back up. But even then its controlled.

Have you done your burpees today?

[Michelle]

I am doing reps that go four seconds up, two seconds hold, four seconds down. That feels good to me. Not too fast, not too slow.

[Spartan]

Originally Posted by BamBam

Fast reps can lead to bad form. You dont just want to throw the weight up, you want to activate every possible muscle continuously. Slow reps using perfect form and continuous motion are the best way to do this. It will only make the circuit more intense.

The only time fast reps come into play is if you are training for explosion, in which case you slowly let the weight down then explode back up. But even then its controlled.

I disagree, fast reps can give you a much more intense workout. Yes they are for developing explosive power, but they also develop strength aswell - just means you can lift the same weight faster. Also, when I incorporate fast reps into my workout, I rarely lose form. You will only lose form if the weight is too heavy or you are inexperienced at lifting.

[Spartan]

Originally Posted by Michelle

I am doing reps that go four seconds up, two seconds hold, four seconds down. That feels good to me. Not too fast, not too slow.

That sounds pretty slow to me. It depends what exercise, but you don't generally need to hold the weight for 2 seconds, plus the raising of the weight should be quicker than the lowering.

Having said that, sometimes I take longer than four seconds to raise the weight, but that is during the end of the set, when my muscles are pushed to failure.