Cardio or Weights for Weight Loss – Which one should you do first for the best results? – jessicasmithtv

Your Plug and Play Weekly Playlist was very helpful for me in planning my workout schedule. I walk outdoors with my dogs four days a week, so this schedule works really well with the extra walking. Per your recommendations, I try to vary the strength and cardio workouts – some strength with cardio and some mostly strength, some cardio with toning and some mostly cardio – it seems to work well. Thanks for this Q&A!

Variety and shocking your system is great for fat loss. For weight loss and strength countless studies published in respectable publications such as the Journal of American Medicine and Journal of Exercise Physiology all present evidence that Hiit is much more effective  in that  it improves aerobic capacity  more so than moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Plus when you do a high-intensity interval workout you get the benefits of the HIIT "after-burn" where you burn more calories and fat even after you finish your workout. Plus you can vary your Hiit workouts by making it low impact and adding weights. Plus it is more time efficient. Who wants to spend 90 minutes when you can increase your intensity in just a 45 minute workout. 

I like to do strength first, then cardio for two reasons:
1) (And yes, I know what the "experts" say changes frequently) I do strength first based on the fact that I haven't eaten in 9 hours (I'm underemployed, so I have a lot of free time) and my body has been "fasting" all night (and my first meal of the day? Break Fast!), using my carbs to help my body do what it needs to do while I'm sleeping. So my carbs are running low. In the studies I read (several years ago, so god only knows what they say now!) articles that weights burn through your remaining carbs until you start taking energy from your fat stores. 

Then I'm pumped for…..

2) Cardio! I usually do one or two of your workouts, then I'm set to go about my day. "They" say that after strength training, you don't necessarily want to jump into cardio, but if you start with strength, you're more energized and can bust out some killer cardio.

If this is completely wrong, feel free to tell me. And if  I am hungry before a workout, I eat. I won't starve myself because I'm "Fasting" for my workout.

*****I do have a question (guess what! It's about resistance bands! lol If you lived in the Bay Area you'd have strangled me with one by now. hahaha)  In the past I always used weights, and I used to love it so much. Maybe it's different now that I do it at home. Who knows? That's why I switched to bands. After I do your video (3x in a row to get my 3 sets in!), The band I'm using is not too easy, but not too hard. I feel like I should as "proof" that I got a good workout in, but I don't  feel any muscle soreness at all afterwards. So……? 🙂

Hi Jessica,

I too am loving the plug and play schedule! I have a suggestion for an upcoming Q&A video. Do you have any recommendations for an anterior pelvic tilt? For those of us who spend a lot of time sitting at a desk for work, how do we combat any pelvic tilt issue?

Thanks Jessica!!!

Jessica, can you please let us know does doing lunges and squats with weights make people's butt bigger especially on someone who already has a big butt. Thank you

Hi Jessica, I have a question about walking.  Your workout challenges and the Plug and Play program include lots of walking.  I understand that this is to try to counteract the effects of a sedentary lifestyle.  But how fast should we be walking?  Should I try to walk as fast as possible, or is my normal pace okay?  I get way more out of breath doing one of your walking workouts at home than I do walking around the shops, for example.  Should I be pushing myself to go faster in my everyday walking?  Will I still get health benefits if I walk slower? Thanks 🙂

Hi Jessica,
why my muscles are getting bigger instead of slimming down?
Thank you a lot

I like your two walking workouts of 44 min..I think they cover all body parts….except strength and weight exercises..?