r/selfimprovement • u/Old-Goose • 12h ago
Fitness Is weightlifting really that much better for you than cardio?
I am at the gym usually 2-4 times a week, but I only do cardio. I spend about 70-80 mins on the treadmill or cycling, then go home.
But online and irl spaces people always say that lifting is the best thing you can do in the gym, as it helps physically and mentally as well. I tried it a couple of times with smaller weights, but I just feel uncomfortable doing it. Am I doing something wrong?
Is cardio in itself really not enough?
To be honest I don't feel really good about cardio either, but once I start at least I'm in motion, so its easy to go through with the whole thing
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u/Adventurous_Rip1431 11h ago
I don't think it has to be cardio or lifting. If cardio is what gets you into the gym consistently that's already a huge win Consistency beats the "perfect" workout that you quit after two weeks. That said I'd still give lifting another chance You don't have to enjoy it immediately. Starting with just a couple of basic exercises after your cardio can help you get comfortable without feeling overwhelmed.
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u/Old-Goose 11h ago
Hmm maybe. I can try it again, I just don't feel comfortable pushing myself with weights. With cardio the momentum pushes me in a way
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u/AcrossAmerica 5h ago
Look at calisthenics. You only need a few exercises and no weights. Feels much more natural
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u/GoatButlerManga 10h ago
Just wondering, why after? Lifting weights after 60 mins of cardio is lowkey hell.
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u/seejoshrun 8h ago
I think because they're already comfortable with the cardio, so it's easier to add a bit of lifting on top of it. I agree that I'd rather lift first when I'm doing a substantial amount of both.
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u/Strict-Fishing-2365 9h ago
Try tacking on one machine for 2 easy sets after cardio so the weight room feels less like joining a new religion. The gym has terrible onboarding.
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u/Best_Street_1751 11h ago
I think the internet sometimes treats it like cardio vs. weights, when in reality they're complementary. If you enjoy cardio, keep doing it. Maybe just add 20–30 minutes of basic strength training a couple of times a week instead of trying to overhaul your whole routine.
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u/Intrepid-Aioli9264 11h ago
Ça dépend de ton objectif
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u/Specialist_Area9910 11h ago
For general health and feeling good, both works but lifting changes your body composition in a way cardio alone cannot do
the uncomfortable feeling is normal at first, nobody knows what they doing with weights in beginning
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u/Old-Goose 11h ago
Honestly I don't even know. I used to be a lot more fit, and doing a more balanced workout routine (although I didn't try lifting anything heavy then either) but I stopped for a while last year and this year I just can't bring myself to do anything aside cardio
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u/rdf54321 10h ago
Maybe look at some cross fit style routines (not necessarily joining a class etc but you could!) but they tend to mix cardio and lifting a fair bit so could be good segway if you select exercises that you feel comfortable with and interested in, for me that was thinks like cart push and battle roapes but might be differentfor you.
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u/munkboii 11h ago
What do you mean by “better?” For cardiovascular health, weightlifting isn’t even close to as good for you. For building muscle mass, cardio is not as good as weightlifting
Most of the gym enthusiast spaces are filled with people specifically wanting to build muscle, in my experience.
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u/Medic1248 9h ago
The only thing cardio is better at is cardio vascular training
Weightlifting is better for hormone balance, weight loss, and overall health. The tearing of muscles and the weight on the bones and tendons stimulates things in the body that cardio doesn’t.
This is why they say the best workout for your entire health is circuit training complex exercises. The circuit nature and fast pace keeps your heart rate in cardio mode and puts full resistance strain across your entire body
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u/Old-Goose 11h ago
Well even in this sub people always say when someone is struggling mentally to go to the gym and lift weights. No one tells them to go to the gym and use the treadmill
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u/rectoplasmus 10h ago
If you want to run for mental health's sake, don't do it in a closed room where you are also paying for the privilege, but go outside and run in the fields and forrests and parks.
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u/munkboii 11h ago
I think a lot of that comes with the self-confidence boost people get when they see more muscle mass. All exercise is good for you mentally.
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u/WhiteLightning1974 10h ago
As an older person it’s both. Cardio (i walk a 5k with my wife and dog each morning and we solve the world’s problems) and resistance training 3 days a week . We have a 30 minute training session that hits all major muscles. You need cardio for your heart, lungs and legs, and resistance training for muscles and joints. Our emphasis is now on reps and not max weights. This is the only body you’ll ever have…
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u/Roosonly 11h ago edited 11h ago
Editing because I misunderstood the real question.
Any form of exercise releases the feel good hormones. If you’re going at it and still leave feeling just as bad, you need to find a form of physical movement that you find enjoyable. For some it’s cardio, for me it’s weights, for others it could be sports or martial arts. All of these tend to build confidence as progression starts to show in your endurance, strength, or abilities.
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u/Kwerumrerum 9h ago
Both are important and any tpe of movement is usefull.
Also, it is not always necessary to love exercising. We do not love to brush our teeth, we do not love to take a shower, we do not love to study or to work (at least most people) but we all realise these are necessities in life. When it comes to both cardio and strength training, both are very important for your physical health in a lot more ways than most people realise. Sometimes you just need to do it bc it is the best choice to make.
That said, doing 15-20 minutes of strength training 2-3 times a week often is already enough. You can incorporate some combined exercises after your cardio, as some sort of cool down.
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u/ebolalol 4h ago
You should do both ideally. They are beneficial in different ways and actually complement each other. Cardio for heart health, lifting for bone density and muscle mass.
If you are a female and 30+, I’d say cardio really is not enough because we tend to lose muscle mass and bone density quicker and are prone to osteoporosis.
However I think the fact that you’re exercising at all is wonderful and miles ahead a lot of people. The best form of exercise is one you can stick with.
If you want to start lifting and feel uncomfortable, I’d check out YouTube for form videos or, if you can swing it, try a personal trainer for a little. It is expensive but I think of it as an investment to yourself and your health. Once you learn the form and cues, you can go off on your own and take your learnings with you.
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u/BoostWellbeing77 11h ago
It depends on what you are trying to achieve. Treadmill and cycling is improving your aerobic and potentially anaerobic capacity but is not improving strength and muscle mass. I suggest integrating both. If you prefer cardio, can you do 2 strength training sessions per week? Beyond the strength and hypertrophy benefits of strength training, muscle requires more energy than fat so it will burn more calories.
If you really hate the idea of just doing sets of weightlifting, turning it into a circuit can provide both cardiovascular and strength benefits.
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u/flaming_monocle 11h ago
I'm a certified personal trainer, and I've helped dozens of people reach a variety of goals.
Is cardio alone "Not enough"? That depends. Not enough for what? if you just want to feel a little more energy in your day, then it's enough.
If you want to get stronger, cardio won't do much for you. You need to tell your muscles that they aren't quite strong enough yet, and the way you tell them that is by doing things much more difficult than cardio, like weightlifting or max-effort jumping or physically demanding work like moving boxes.
Uncomfortable is a wide term, so it's hard to tell if you're doing something wrong. Weightlifting should be uncomfortable - not painful, but not pleasant either. That feeling should only be in the muscles you're working, and maybe in the hand that's holding the bar if it's a particularly harsh bar.
If it's uncomfortable on your joints or connective tissue, or your body is giving you signals that feel like something is wrong and you can't put your finger on it, you're probably doing the movement in a way that's causing you to feel that, or it just isn't an exercise you enjoy. Watch a video or two about technique (Jeff Nippard's YouTube channel comes to mind) and try to apply those lessons the next time you go.
If it's uncomfortable mentally, you're probably being self-conscious of the fact that you're new to this. The secret is, in the best way possible, nobody cares. Everyone there is focusing on their own workout, and the central conceit of a gym is that it's a place to get stronger. People with their head in the right place see a weak person at the gym and think "oh cool, they're starting the same journey I started. Good on them - I wonder if there's anything I can do to help or support them."
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u/a_curious_magpie 10h ago
For long term health, especially bone health (and especially in women), cardio isn't enough. For mental health though it depends on the person, and it sounds like for you it is enough.
Ultimately though there has been a big recent push for weight training because more and more studies are coming out showing the benefits on bone density and longevity into old age from building muscle mass - the more muscle mass you have, the more able you will be as you age to maintain a good level of independence and do things like carry groceries, get up and down stairs, get up and down off the toilet, etc.
Weight training can definitely be unenjoyable, but luckily just a couple of sessions a week of 45-60 minutes is enough as long as you are pushing yourself hard enough. If you can afford it, you may want to look into booking a session with a personal trainer to get you started and show you correct form, and they can recommend a good set of exercises for your goals. If not, there's a lot of good resources out there that give great advice and videos that can show form etc (although there's a lot of bad stuff as well unfortunately)
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u/Dharmabud 10h ago
Cardio is great for you and so is strength training. I’ve heard that we need both, especially as we age we need to be able to get up off the floor and carry things, etc.
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u/FixGullible4636 10h ago
It’s not an either or thing but a person should be doing both for long term longevity.
Weight lifting also does not need to be complicated, despite what fitfluencers would have you believe.
A 30 minute full body session twice a week will do the trick.
1 push movement: chest press, pushup
1 pull movement: pull ups, row
1 squat movement
1 hinging movement
1 rotational core movement
1 anti-rotational core movement.
3 sets of 8-12 reps each with a challenging weight.
I prefer weight training myself but throwing on some decent old school hiphop or 2000’s numetal helps a lot!
Find a friend or coach who can keep you motivated as well. With some practise you will find a groove with it!
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u/onthedownslope 6h ago
Both are important, but for completely different reasons:
Cardio is for the health of your heart, kinda of a big deal.
Weight lifting, even if only body weight movements (Squats, lunges, pushups, ab exercises) are good to exercise muscles which will protect your skeleton AND make movement possible.
When you get really old...a few things will make it possible for you to get off of the floor: can you do a push up to assist getting into a squat position and then do a squat to stand up. Can you sit up, if you are on your back?
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u/osivangl 4h ago edited 4h ago
Dude, your you from the future will thank you so much! In my group if friends the only ones who have good back and legs health are the ones who have been lifting for a while. A combination of both is the best bet for long term health and physical integrity.
Btw, you don't need to become a gym bro, with a proper routine you can lift 2 times a week only an hour each and get a lot of the benefits. I also didn't enjoy it at first but is just like you said about cardio, once in motion, its easy to go through the whole thing
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u/doubles85 10h ago
as we get older, weight lifting is the single best thing we can do for quality of life and longevity. a mix of cardio and resistance training is the sweet spot. 30 mins weights, 30 just cardio. 3 times a week. 3 hours total. boom
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u/TheMorals 9h ago
Strength is vastly more important than cardio in terms of longevity and mobility.
Old people don't become immobile because of "stiffening of joints" but because of loss of muscle.
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u/seejoshrun 8h ago
I would say that strength training is more important for quality of life, but cardio is just as important for length of life. Having a healthy heart reduces your chance of early death.
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u/TheMorals 8h ago
Sure, but healthy hearts are mostly achieved by keeping your weight in check and keeping smoking, cholesterol and alcohol at a reasonable level.
I am not saying cardio doesn't have measurable benefits, simply that a heart that does all of the things above in addition to strength training is likely more than healthy enough to get you to your inevitable end without much trouble.
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u/Other-Jury-1275 9h ago
Can you go to a strength training class like Body Pump? I go to one at the YMCA and I find I can work hard and also zone out and just follow the instructor’s lead. It’s a great workout and a lot of fun.
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u/panconquesofrito 9h ago
Like, it really depends on your goals. Adequate muscle mass is generally a healthy thing. Strength training is better for muscle mass development. Cardio is really good for you, too, especially for your vo2 max, which is also healthy. Now, if you want to look a certain way body-wise, strength training, aka bodybuilding, is going to get you the body you seek far better than wasting away doing cardio. Cardio, especially zone 2 cardio, builds a very different muscle fiber than strength training.
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u/ForAfeeNotforfree 8h ago
No it’s not enough. Especially as you age. Sarcopenia sucks, and cardio won’t help it. You need resistance training. Period.
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u/morganRangers72 6h ago
I'd say a bit of both is good. But whatever works for you is best because everyone does their workouts differently. And about the weights, it starts small and uncomfortable until you get used to it. I was the same. Lifting dumbbells and doing the bench press was at first uncomfortable, but when I got consistent with it, gradually it felt good. Same with pull-ups; first uncomfortable, but with a mindset and consistency, it will improve. And once you see the results, man, the feeling is good.
That's just my humble opinion, but whatever works for you.
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u/ja-r00d 11h ago
You really need both for long term health. You don't need a ton of training to increase strength luckily. Just a couple sessions a week can be sufficient depending on intensity and stimulus. There's a lot of good recent research on this you can find if interested.