Should I just go weighted workouts or cardio too?

[squashie34]

I've recently got my ass into gear and decided it's time to shift the rest of my baby weight ready for my wedding next year.

Due to working full time/moving house and in with in-laws/ having an 18 month old I'm finding it hard to go to the actual gym so I've bought into an at home workout programme that I've been doing at 5:30am.

So far I've been doing 3x 30 minute kettlebell classes, but I'm unsure whether for maximum weight loss I should stick with always doing kettlebell for weighted workouts or should I swap one of these for just a cardio/body weight workout?

I've only got an 8kg kettlebell and 4kg dumbbells so strength training with a barbell is only when I can get to the gym.

I should add I've not got heaps to lose- about 1/2 a stone so it's coming off so slowly it's quite demoralising.. 0.5 of a lb a week but even slow progress is progress I guess!

mix it up.

cardio (getting slightly out of breath & sweaty) is generally a good thing for health.

look up some core strength exerces on youtube. plenty for which no equipment is needed apart from a yoga mat and maybe resistance bands.

Exercise will definitely help with tone, but looking at your nutrition is probably the best best for weight loss.

Those kettlebells are quite light & will have minimal impact soon.

Yes you should add in some varied cardio - run, bike, HIIT - for health reasons, go raise metabolic rate & this will ensure you burn calories post-exercise too.

Get yourself some heavier dumbbells - 6-8 kg to start with and work yourself up to 12-15 kg.

You don't need to buy any fitness programmes as some of the best are free on YouTube.

Alternate days with Caroline Girvan (working out with heavy/challenging weights) and Growingannanas (HIIT, Tabata, cardio plus some workouts with fairly light weights).

Life changing!

Weight training is great, kettle bells are fantastic but you'll eventually need heavier ones.
To create more resistance with your dumbbells buy some resistance bands loop over the dumbells (one band on each) & put your foot through each loop that hangs down, if you see what I mean 😂 this will give you more resistance, loop over the band twice as it gets easier.
Add in some cardio, Joe wick HIIT or do some "ground to overheads" using kettle bells, squats & lunges, when you get stronger do the Squats and lunges holding your dumbbells, use your resistance bands to do "face pulls" tie them to a door.
Stand in the resistance band, feet slightly apart, put your hands inside, on your wrist, then raise your arms out to the side as it gets easier widen your feet.

I started from a serioulsy unfit place. I did 4 weeks of cardio HIIT then introduced weights after that. I'm pretty fit now and tend to do 3 or 4 weight sessions and 1 or 2 cardio sessions. I'm currently following the Caroline Girvan Epic Endgame programme and that is 4 weight/1 cardio a week.

Strength and cardio have different benefits. While it's great that it's now "cool" to do strength which boosts muscle (and therefore metabolism) and is good for bone density and retaining good health through aging, cardio is about making your heart and lungs more efficient. Anything that gets your heart rate up and breathing harder will do this (plus both types can overlap)

You will need to gradually up the weights to keep progressing with the strength work.

I'd stick with the 3 workouts you are doing and maybe add in 10 mins on the end of each doing kettlebell swings or other stuff that gets your heart rate up.

That's great thanks so much for all your help!