Cardio versus Weight Lifting??

[Whatha20]

Hey Guys I'm in a bit of a pickle here. I started going to the gym regularly around the first of the year and am doing great. Ive lost something like 15 pounds. I don't weigh myself but have gone down a pants size and one shirt size already. My question is I am worried about losing the muscle I already have. There have been times when I have felt completely weak on weights, so I recently (1month) just started doing cardio. I usually do 4 miles in the morning HIIT for around an hour, sometimes more. I do it on a empty stomach then drink a protein shake after. Should I be eating more? Or working out less? Or should I cut down on the cardio and do more weights? I am a big guy 6'0 260 now, did weigh yesterday. I would ask someone in the gym but there is nothing but old people at the time I go. Any help is appreciated. Im enclosing a pic so please be gentle guys....Pics are to show progress of my back..
FYI-black boxers=jan 1st, blue boxers=yesterday morning, Shoulder pic=what I don't want to lose/improve

[hearnrumors]

First off - Great job so far, stick with it!

Your questions are kind of hard to answer, missing a lot of info.

Can you go into more detail about your weightlifting routine, your cardio routine, and your diet?

[BrownGirl]

Welcome and congrats on the weight loss!! Okay so HIIT for 1 hour is way too much. You should do no more that 30 minutes of HIIT. You should also take BCAA's if you're doing fasted cardio. Do you lift as well? If so how often? You need to keep training so that you don't lose the muscle. Also what's your diet like? YOu should post it up with macros so that the guys can take a look at it and critique. Anyway, good luck!

[BrownGirl]

PS: I don't know what the vets will say, but from what I understand you probably shouldn't do HIIT on an empty stomach. Maybe lower intensity for 1 hour would be better? Vets, please feel free to correct me on this one if I'm wrong...

[Whatha20]

My routine is one hour on the treadmill, 2 incline at 3.2 mph with bursts of running at 6-7mph till I'm exhausted. I repeat this process for 60 mins. My shirt is usually soaked through. I do this routine 6 days a week every week. Right now I'm not doing any weight lifting, should I be? The first month I was doing 70 pound weights on every machine. I would do 3 sets of 20 for each, increasing by 5 pounds every week. Tomorrow I will get the names of the machines.....im such a noob I don't even know the names. I'm worried about having loose skin by losing my muscle mass and losing fat too quick. What are BCAAs? Basically I have no weightlifting routine whatsoever. My diet has been good. I started out the wrong way eating way less than I should, then changed it up for the better with high protein,no fast food/frozen food whatsoever, and no sodas/water only. Based on my size I remember my TDEE being something like 2500-3000 calories but honestly I have to recalculate the whole thing as I have lost a good bit of fat. I remember the calculations being something like 4 pages. I will post them up tomorrow.

[hearnrumors]

If you've already made progress doing that.... then you're going to be thrilled once you get your diet and exercise tweaked better.

Your cardio needs some work. You're kind of inbetween two different principles. Pick whichever one of these sounds more "fun", and stick with it:
- Long aerobic cardio. Jog for 45-60 minutes straight at a steady pace. Work on keeping your pace first, then slowly start working on increasing the pace.
- HIIT. Sprint max speed for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds. Repeat 10x. If you're able to continue after that.... then you weren't going max speed. (This works for a lot of exercises.. running, elliptical, bike, jump rope, rowing, etc.)

Weight training would be very benefitial. Start researching. "Stronglifts" and "Starting Strength" are two things worth looking into.

[falco21]

Here is my honest to God opinion on this:

1. HIIT is an absolutely AWESOME way to shed the fat, but there are some things you should know. From what you described, you are not doing HIIT. You would NEVER be able to last doing HIIT for an hour. You would puke your brains out. When done properly, you are physically exhausted like never before. You would be pushing your body to the limit. Now, what you seem to be doing is LIT. That is also very good for weight loss. If you feel more comfortable doing LIT, IE. 2 incline at 3.3 mph, as long as your heart rate is in the target zone, you will lose weight. It is best to do that on an empty stomach, or as BrownGirl mentioned, with some BCAA's in your system. Google is your friend here. Search it up. Comes in a container and you drink it with water. Great for doing cardio on an empty stomach.

2. There is no way you could retain muslce, let alone increase muscle mass, with no weight lifting program incorporated. Whether you are 100 lbs overweight, or just 15, I would HIGHLY recommend throwing in a weight lifting routine at least 3 times a week. Not only is it good for you, but it will definitely speed up your weight loss. Any exercise at this point is a bonus for you. Use it to your advantage.

3. Look around the Workout Forum. There are TONS of useful information. Doing the same weight on every machine doesn't really accomplish anything. Honestly, I don't know anyone who does the exact same weight on every machine. Either way, you need to incorporate a routine. Try a HIT routine. Keep the weight lighter and increase the reps. Take little rest in between sets. This will keep your heart rate up and assist in losing that fat. Also, will keep and increase the LBM you already have.

4. You need to post your diet in the Diet Forum. You can do cardio all you want. Lift all you want. Nothing will change unless your diet is in check. Building muscle mass and losing fat is done in the kitchen. Get your diet posted and let them help you over there.

Any questions, let me know man.

[Whatha20]

OK guys just got back from the gym and here is my workout routine. I usually do 70lbs on all except for the rotary torso machine which I do 100. I do 3 reps of 20 each, sorry the pics are so huge. I do 50 on the abdominal machine as well (scary thing) lol

[falco21]

So you do Triceps, Lats, Abs, Shoulders, Chest, Abs?

Bro, read my advice I posted above. I give you credit for trying to make a change and your cardio just needs a little tweaking, but your workout has got to go. Read what I wrote and do some research. My GF does something similar to you. She jumps around the gym doing w.e she feels will work and does the same exact weight on everything.

[Whatha20]

This is what I was shown to do in the gym. I have no idea what to do, I will read your posts and re-vamp the whole thing. I came from a family that every member in it is close to 450 pounds, Obviously Im on my own here.....

[falco21]

I never said you should know what you're doing, but when I give you a detailed post like I did and you just ignore it, then you get no where. I understand you come from a heavy family and I know you're new at this, but people behind a computer screen can not do everything for you. You need to do your own research and find out what is best for you.

I told you to post your diet in the Diet Forum, which you have yet to do. I told you to research through the Workout Forum, which you have yet to do. There are stickies here that members have spent their time and given their knowledge for people like you, who need help. Use them. I also gave you sound advice on your cardio.

[falco21]

Your diet is posted in the Diet Forum. You're on the path now. One step closer to your goal.

[Whatha20]

It was posted when u posted your first post bro, what I mean is its a lot of info to digest but since I'm in med school I'm sure I can manage. YOur advice:

1-post nutrition
2-read forums
3-do HIT instead of HIIT
4-lift 3xs a week at least

Which of these am I not doing? but thanks anyway. I never asked your ass to do all the work for me......

[falco21]

I'm not even gonna respond to your low class of an excuse to immaturely c use foul language when you don't get what you want.

I come on here and point you to every direction you need to go, yet you're still looking for everyone to do the work for you. That's not going to get you very far here. Your in medical school yet you have no reading comprehension either.

Good luck man. Wish you the best for success. Cheers

[Whatha20]

Dude how am I looking for others to do the work for me?? Answer that please. Its people like you who make people like me stay out of the gym.

""I told you to post your diet in the Diet Forum, which you have yet to do. I told you to research through the Workout Forum, which you have yet to do. There are stickies here that members have spent their time and given their knowledge for people like you, who need help. Use them. I also gave you sound advice on your cardio.""

I responded in the way I did because you were telling me that I had not done something which in fact I had....LONG AGO actually. YOU assume I have trouble comprehending things when it is you who has grammatical errors (you're, your, yore). I have been on these forums ALL DAY making a new workout routine FROM SCRATCH and the only thing you can say is I want someone to do the work for me? What gives dude? Telling someone to read stickys negates even having a forum and isn't helpful to a noob like myself. Its the tone a person takes man, thats all........

[falco21]

Lmao

What are the stickies for? Vets?

Never said you can't spell, but I also never said to do HIT rather than HIIT. It's people like me who keep people like you out of the gym. Hahaha Oh boy

I also didn't see your diet posted, hence why I wrote right after that it in fact IS posted there. I also assured you that you are one step closer to success. Yet it's guys like me that keep you out of the gym.

[Whatha20]

Its the tone you chose dude. What I don't get is we started out the EXACT same way, both noobs. Were you not asking the same questions and by using Insanity and p90X DVDs was someone not doing the work for you? Even showing you the exact routines to do??? YOU still didn;t answer how I was wanting others to do the work for me. Now I feel like straight off I've made an enemy with you. Long and short of it, I don't like it when people get snarky for no reason, especially since I've been working my ass off since Jan1st of this year.

[falco21]

You want to know the best advice I ever got. Read.

Take it as you want it bro. I'm done here. Maybe someone else will come on here and reiterate exactly what I already told you. God luck man.

[Whatha20]

THanks now Eff off thats really how I feel..Dont compare me to your girlfriend again ever either, I never Hopped around on machines, it was what was shown to me by a guy at the gym. I started at 50 and added 5 pounds every week when it got normal. EVer ask that? Take your macho baseball ass elsewhere...youngin....

[falco21]

Lmfao

[Whatha20]

Someone feel free to delete this whole post, BROWNGIRL and HEARNRUMORS helped me out and answered my actual FIRST question, Thank you 2

[John Andrew]

I knew a guy like you in Australia, he showed me a photo of his twin sons born when he was over 230kgs. Now he is 80 kgs. Took him 3 years. He told me his motivation was the desire to see his kids grow up. No good ignoring advice or calling names. Find out your motivating factor then work like hell! Diet like hell and succeed. To many people just wanna be. Not many become, those that do become take the long hard road! Along the way they start to like other people and themselves a lot more. You are starting, now keep going. Good luck. John

[boxin23]

Lmfao

you're wasting your time falco..

[falco21]

you're wasting your time falco..

Yeah apparently. I even spent the time to write out a nice response to help as much as possible, and look what it turned into LOL

Some things are just better off left alone

[RaginCajun]

wow! don't know what happened to this thread. OP, nobody is here to bash you on anything. we are all here to help guide you along your journey to a better life. instead of telling him you did, go bump the thread so people will help. it took a while for some to find my thread who wanted to help and it may take a while with an attitude like yours. now here is my advice, go bump the thread in the diet section or just make a new one with all the info that the stickies show to ask. no one is just going to write up a diet for you (people get paid to do that) but, we will help you when you post up a diet with specific examples of everything you put in your mouth including water.

[boxin23]

Yeah apparently. I even spent the time to write out a nice response to help as much as possible, and look what it turned into LOL

Some things are just better off left alone

off subject, but congrats to your jets on tbow.....worst move denver ever made.....the guy has always been a winner at everything he has ever done. The NFL is so f'd up man.

[falco21]

off subject, but congrats to your jets on tbow.....worst move denver ever made.....the guy has always been a winner at everything he has ever done. The NFL is so f'd up man.

LOL Thanks man. A lot of people think its a stupid move, but I'm stoked about it. Brings a whole new weapon to our offense and a great hard working win only attitude to our locker room. Love the move