Does weight lifting or cardio exercises speed weight loss?

"Zen Cohen" wrote in message
...

"Homer Simpson" wrote in message
....
I remember years ago they put a heart rate monitor on Dr Squat (Fred
Hatfield) during his squat workout. His heart rate went through the roof
during his set, it never settled back to normal during his 5 minute rest
before his next set. After 5 sets of squats he had an average heart rate
of 80% over around a half an hour period.

My heartrate spikes pretty high when I do a number of weight routines.
When I'm in the middle of a hard workout and take minimal rest, I can do a
set of 15 goblet squats with maybe 70 lbs and my HR will spike up to about
165, which is about 90% of my max (about 180; I'm 49). Same with lateral
raises. I usually don't let it drop below 140 till I go to the next set.

I know when I first get on a cardio machine after my workout my heart
rate is generally 126. Being 52 years old that puts my heart rate at 75%
of maximum. It's a pretty safe bet it was in that range throughout most
of my workout.

I get bored if my HR is below 150 when I'm dong cardio on a machine, and
much of my cardio session is in the 85-90% range with spikes near maximum.
I maybe overdoing it, though, because it will leave my lungs feeling
"sore" for a couple days.

My biggest concern with doing cardio this hard would be that it would cut
into my recovery time drastically. For that reason it would make it very
difficult, if not impossible, to build muscle.


I still believe in slow steady arobic training for fat burning.

I lost 60 lbs over about a year and I seem to have lost the most weight
with 2-3 hr bike rides (usually with an avg HR of about 150).

That sounds like the training I did when I raced. I could never get my
bodyweight over 136 pounds in those days regardless of what I ate or how
much of it I ate. I could go to a more than I look like I can eat buffet and
put away more food than most 250 pound men. My appetite was enormous. I
think it was because of the huge expendature of calories during hours of
training a day.


Though I am
open to reading any research anyone is willing to point me to that would
convince me otherwise. As an ex bicycle racer I am convinced that
interval training is the best way there is to increase fitness level.
However I don't know how it is as far as fat burning.

How hard do you push yourself nowadays? I looked at some old logs from 20+
yrs ago where I was doing 21.5 mph avg over a 30-mile ride (including a
couple stoplights and no drafting). Now, on a much lighter bike, I can
barely do 18 mph avg over the same distance. My old times are certainly
not racer category but it sure would be nice to get to that level again. I
suspect I'm just getting too old, though.

These days my average mph over a 25 mile ride is about 15 mph. I did go out
with a group last summer and averaged 18 mph over that distance. 12 years
ago I did a 25 mile out and back time trial in slightly over an hour. I
could also do a century ride alone in around 6 hours. I could never come
close to matching that now. But I don't train like I used to. Now I am more
interested in just being fit rather than athletic. I am also interested in
building and maintaining as much muscle mass as I possibly can. At my age I
don't expect impressive results. I gave up training for powerlifting
competition after having 2 hernia surgeries. One in late 2005 and the other
in late 2006. My surgeon told me it would be ok to go back to powerlifting
but I don't want to take the risk. I powerlifted for 26 years and achieved
all of my lifetime goals (double bodyweight benchpress/400 pound
squat/triple bodyweight deadlift). None of those are really all that
competative in open powerlifting but they were my goals and I achieved them.

"Prisoner at War" wrote in message
...
On Feb 25, 10:39 am, "Homer Simpson"
wrote:


I remember years ago they put a heart rate monitor on Dr Squat (Fred
Hatfield) during his squat workout. His heart rate went through the roof
during his set, it never settled back to normal during his 5 minute rest
before his next set.

Whoa, I'm not a cardiologist but I should think that there's something
wrong with this picture. A heart rate that doesn't settle back after
five minutes of rest?? Is that even physically possible???

Yes it is possible and quite common. A person's heart rate generally is
elevated the entire time their breathing is raised. If you have a heart rate
monitor try it for yourself. Do a few heavy sets of squats to get your heart
rate up and time the interval it takes to return to normal.


SNIP

I still believe in slow steady arobic training for fat burning. Though I
am
open to reading any research anyone is willing to point me to that would
convince me otherwise. As an ex bicycle racer I am convinced that
interval
training is the best way there is to increase fitness level. However I
don't
know how it is as far as fat burning.

I also believe in that "slow drain" when it comes to aerobic activity
and fat-burning. It's easiest to do, and in that respect more likely
to be pursued and thus the method most likely to be successful for
many. But for those who don't have the time, or just hate cardio so
much they want to get it over with ASAP, a very intense but relatively
brief session would be just as good...interval training is the best of
both worlds, though, and helps build speed, if one is after other
training effects besides fat loss.

On Feb 25, 2:54 pm, "Homer Simpson"
wrote:


Yes it is possible and quite common. A person's heart rate generally is
elevated the entire time their breathing is raised. If you have a heart rate
monitor try it for yourself. Do a few heavy sets of squats to get your heart
rate up and time the interval it takes to return to normal.

Um, well, what's "normal," now...I suppose the rate never gets back to
one's pre-exercise figure, okay, but when you said "through the roof"
and "never...back to normal" it sounds like more than just the general
elevated condition one would expect for a state of physical rigor...in
which case I have to wonder again whether something isn't unusual...I
mean, me, five minutes' rest, I'm almost back into "civilian
mode"...someone as well-practiced as Dr. Squat should recover much
better than me, even though he lifts, what, over three times more than
me....

Right after a squat or deadlift my heart's pumping like I'd just done
a long half-minute sprint or something, but within five minutes?? I
just can't imagine anyone still breathing hard after such a long time.

"Prisoner at War" wrote in message
...
On Feb 25, 2:54 pm, "Homer Simpson"
wrote:


Yes it is possible and quite common. A person's heart rate generally is
elevated the entire time their breathing is raised. If you have a heart
rate
monitor try it for yourself. Do a few heavy sets of squats to get your
heart
rate up and time the interval it takes to return to normal.

Um, well, what's "normal," now...I suppose the rate never gets back to
one's pre-exercise figure, okay, but when you said "through the roof"
and "never...back to normal" it sounds like more than just the general
elevated condition one would expect for a state of physical rigor...in
which case I have to wonder again whether something isn't unusual...I
mean, me, five minutes' rest, I'm almost back into "civilian
mode"...someone as well-practiced as Dr. Squat should recover much
better than me, even though he lifts, what, over three times more than
me....

Right after a squat or deadlift my heart's pumping like I'd just done
a long half-minute sprint or something, but within five minutes?? I
just can't imagine anyone still breathing hard after such a long time.

I was trying to repeat what the article had said. By "through the roof" I
meant maxed out. He hit maximum heart rate during his set. After 5 minutes
of rest his heart rate had not returned to normal (what it was before he
began his sets) leaving his average heart rate at 80% for the duration of
his workout.

They also said in that same article that Fred Hatfield had a heart as strong
as a marathon runner. Yet he said he never did any cardio exercise at all.
That was all from the powerlifting.

I believe Fred's best squat was 1014 pounds.

On Feb 25, 3:14 pm, "Homer Simpson"
wrote:


I was trying to repeat what the article had said. By "through the roof" I
meant maxed out. He hit maximum heart rate during his set. After 5 minutes
of rest his heart rate had not returned to normal (what it was before he
began his sets) leaving his average heart rate at 80% for the duration of
his workout.

They also said in that same article that Fred Hatfield had a heart as strong
as a marathon runner. Yet he said he never did any cardio exercise at all.
That was all from the powerlifting.

I believe Fred's best squat was 1014 pounds.

He's an impressive guy, yes, but like I said, five minutes should be
plenty time to get his heart back down to "normal," especially if he's
got such a strong heart. Remember, the heart's only pumping hard
'cause it's trying to keep up with demand. If it's still pumping
pretty hard (such that it's not settled back to normal) even after the
demand's stopped, after five minutes, well, that sounds scary.

Maybe someone from the newsgroup SMC can advise?

wrote in message
...
On Feb 25, 3:14 pm, "Homer Simpson"
wrote:


I was trying to repeat what the article had said. By "through the roof" I
meant maxed out. He hit maximum heart rate during his set. After 5
minutes
of rest his heart rate had not returned to normal (what it was before he
began his sets) leaving his average heart rate at 80% for the duration of
his workout.

They also said in that same article that Fred Hatfield had a heart as
strong
as a marathon runner. Yet he said he never did any cardio exercise at
all.
That was all from the powerlifting.

I believe Fred's best squat was 1014 pounds.

He's an impressive guy, yes, but like I said, five minutes should be
plenty time to get his heart back down to "normal," especially if he's
got such a strong heart. Remember, the heart's only pumping hard
'cause it's trying to keep up with demand. If it's still pumping
pretty hard (such that it's not settled back to normal) even after the
demand's stopped, after five minutes, well, that sounds scary.

Maybe someone from the newsgroup SMC can advise?

It would help if I could find the article. But I just did a search on Fred's
site as well as on the internet at large. And it is not available. This
article was written some 15 years ago or more. Fred was in excellent health
at the time I can assure you.

On Feb 23, 12:38 am, Denise Howard wrote:


Exercise (cardio and strength) and diet together are the way. By
"diet" I don't mean that awful four-letter word that stands for
deprivation, denial and failure. I mean careful changes to one's daily
food intake to get good nutrition without junk calories.

Sure, all-hands-on-deck is ideal, but the original question was framed
as an either-or between cardio and lifting in the context of weight
loss, so the supreme answer would have to be a proper diet.

It's 35-50 more calories per day per pound of muscle. Muscle is
metabolically active tissue, unlike fat, which means it requires energy
just to continue to exist. So for just five extra pounds of muscle you
could burn as many as 250 calories a day doing nothing at all.

The link below (mid-page) seems to indicate only 6 calories per pound
of muscle-at-rest per day!

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/he...1&ei=5 087%0A

Very possible. People too often get obsessed with what the scale says
instead of what the tape measure says.

Or the mirror, oddly enough! There are folks who weigh much less than
me but look way worse (like those "Biggest Loser" TV contestants who
are below 240-lbs. but still all roly-poly).

SNIP

In article
,
wrote:

On Feb 23, 12:38 am, Denise Howard wrote:


Exercise (cardio and strength) and diet together are the way. By
"diet" I don't mean that awful four-letter word that stands for
deprivation, denial and failure. I mean careful changes to one's daily
food intake to get good nutrition without junk calories.

Sure, all-hands-on-deck is ideal, but the original question was framed
as an either-or between cardio and lifting in the context of weight
loss, so the supreme answer would have to be a proper diet.

In an either-or context, yes, I'd have to agree.

It's 35-50 more calories per day per pound of muscle. Muscle is
metabolically active tissue, unlike fat, which means it requires energy
just to continue to exist. So for just five extra pounds of muscle you
could burn as many as 250 calories a day doing nothing at all.

The link below (mid-page) seems to indicate only 6 calories per pound
of muscle-at-rest per day!

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/he...tml?em&ex=1200
546000&en=45b136f71cdf1e71&ei=5087%0A

Thanks for the link. That's a newer study; looks like they've
determined the added burn to be a lot less than earlier ones indicated.
That's a darn shame!

--
Denise denise dot howard at comcast dot net
ACE and AFAA certified fitness instructor
AFAA step and kickboxing certified

On Feb 25, 9:31*pm, Denise Howard wrote:
In article
,

wrote:
On Feb 23, 12:38 am, Denise Howard wrote:

Exercise (cardio and strength) and diet together are the way. *By
"diet" I don't mean that awful four-letter word that stands for
deprivation, denial and failure. *I mean careful changes to one's daily
food intake to get good nutrition without junk calories.

Sure, all-hands-on-deck is ideal, but the original question was framed
as an either-or between cardio and lifting in the context of weight
loss, so the supreme answer would have to be a proper diet.

In an either-or context, yes, I'd have to agree.

It's 35-50 more calories per day per pound of muscle. *Muscle is
metabolically active tissue, unlike fat, which means it requires energy
just to continue to exist. *So for just five extra pounds of muscle you
could burn as many as 250 calories a day doing nothing at all.

The link below (mid-page) seems to indicate only 6 calories per pound
of muscle-at-rest per day!

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/he...ise-ess.html?e...
546000&en=45b136f71cdf1e71&ei=5087%0A

Thanks for the link. *That's a newer study; looks like they've
determined the added burn to be a lot less than earlier ones indicated.
That's a darn shame!

--
Denise * denise dot howard at comcast dot net
ACE and AFAA certified fitness instructor
AFAA step and kickboxing certified

Hey Denise,
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you Denny in the locker rooms if you do.

ABS everybody wants them.* Then why don't people do something about
it? i made a blog that i really hope will help and motivate you to
achieve this goal www.superrippedabs.blogspot.com* The key to getting
abs is through Patience and Persistence. If you put your mind to it
you can achieve anything (i know, its cliche, but very true!)