Hello everyone...

I was wondering what ratio everyone does during their workout between cardio/weights.

Over the last few weeks I have been doing probably 66% Weights and 33% Cardio.

I am considering focusing more on cardio just based on recent results. I feel a 60/40 in favor of Cardio would work best for me. I certainly want to build muscle but not at the expense of having a slow weightloss.

I usually do cardio about 5x/week, with resistance, (in the form of calisthenics, full body), done 1x/week. Twice is what I shoot for when all the parts of the engine are in good working order--which hasn't been the deal as of late.

Building the muscle should be the bedrock of your program. Getting to your target weight may only take a year, but staying there will take the rest of your life, and the more muscle you have the easier this will be. Higher LBM also means you look better, feel better, are healthier, and are more capable.

That said, I know when you have a lot to lose you want to see the scale moving quicker (I sure do). So, get a solid weight training routine down, and do cardio whenever else you can (except before your weight training, and limit it afterwards).

My perfect mix would be weight training 4-5 days/week, and cardio 5 days/week (and would require me to work out 2x/day - I'm not there yet). Since this is going to take time to work up to, I'm lifting 4-5x/week, and getting cardio about 2. I am adding things in when I can though. I'm eating a ton, gaining muscle, and losing about a lb a week. I know I can add in 2-3 more 30min cardio sessions and easily lose 2lbs/week.

Dave- I am definitely happy with 2 lbs a week. I feel like Cardio just gives me the "mental" comfort that I am doing the right thing to lose the weight. I know muscle burns more fat but for some reason I feel better after the Cardio. I guess it is best to work on what actually works rather than what feels like it works.

Hey, it's about how it feels! If you feel good doing cardio, do it as often as you can; just don't let it interfere w/ your weight training

Right now I am lifting 3x a week and doing cardio about 6x a week. I am going to finish this 5x5 before I start targeting certain muscles and expand my lifting beyond 3 times a week.

The 5x5 will strengthen me overall and it feels great. I started also boxing which is some great exercise as well but it is cutting into my cardio but I think its worth it.

I do weights 3x/wk and cardio 3-5x/wk. I always make sure to do cardio on the days I don't lift, except my one rest day. If I feel like doing some extra cardio after I lift, I add it, but I don't worry about it. I also don't push myself hard with the cardio on the days I lift, whereas on the other days, I push hard with some HIIT and then a little steady state.

Try this workout for a mix of cardio and strength. I lost 40 pounds doing this

Upper Body Superset (do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds. Track progress daily. Use light weights, I use 5 pounds). Start by doing as many of these supersets as you can within 30 minutes adding 5 minutes each week until you get to 45 minutes. By the end of the period you will be winded.

The great thing about this workout is that it gives you the benefits of cardio and strength at the same time and it feels great when you are done. It is also very balance in terms of cardio and strength and you get the benefits of both.

Pushups
Lateral raises
Frontal raises
shoulder press
reverse fly
(Add 10 jumping jacks in between each one of these exercises)

Lower Body Superset: Do as many as you can within 30 minutes and increase training period by 5 minute seach week until you get to 45 minutes)

Squats (with light weights if you wish to add difficulty)
Planks (10 holding each for 1 minute)
Crunches (any form you like. I do the reverse crunches or Russian Twists)
Wall Sets (10 holding each for 1 minute)
(Add 10 jumping jacks in between each one of these exercises)

I am 350 pounds now and I started doing this 16 months ago. I was so weak then but this recipe for workout given me by a US Ranger did miracles for my body. It will take a while to build the strength but the gradula approach allows you to build you body. Try this for 6-8 weeks and you will love it. Don't forget to add 15-20 minutes of walking a couple of days a week, maybe on one of he lower body days.

I do lots of cardio and a little bit of weight lifting, but then again I'm training for triathlons. I do 6 cardio sessions per week (2 swim, 2 run, 1 spin class, 1 biking outside) and 2 weight lifting sessions per week. I just did a little math and my current normal schedule of working out is about 5.25 hours of cardio/week and 1.5 hours weight lifting/week, which makes my ratio about 78% and 22% in favor of cardio. But on this routine, (as of my last BF measurements) I had lost 20 lbs of fat and gained 10 lbs of muscle.

haha i know what you mean buddy! i still cant wrap my mind around the fact that muscle is proven to burn fat and is essential in losing fat! i do it anyway, but its hard to get through my head!

tex

I just do Crossfit, always different, no routine other than 3 days on, 1 day off. Somedays you have to run 10k for time, other days it's just 5 sets of 3 reps of some power lift. The other day was 3 rounds of 800m sprints and 50 pull-ups for time. Oy, I dare say that one has enough cardio and power output for just about anyone.

WHOA NELLY. You are the fittest crosser, (sounds like slang for cross-dresser non? ; ), I know, Splint-san!

Took me 30 minutes to do that. Some young whippersnapper nearly halve that time.

Rob, I also would recommend the cross fit type training (never heard it called that).
Since it sounds like you don't want to bulk up first, that you'd like to slim down make sure all of your weight training sessions are light weight, high rep and little rest between sets. Once you get down to your ideal body weight/inches then you can start focusing on slow reps with max weight to bulk yourself up-if that it what you are interested.

in other words focus first on toning and then on increasing strength.

Also do what feels good. Sure it's important to build muscle to help increase your at rest metabolism but hell if you feel like doing cardio do it.

80% diet
10% cardio
10% weights