Fitness advice for a beginner..Cardio and Strength, just cardio?

I read in the exercise resource area on this site. I read Exercise 101, Cardio 101, Strength Training 101, etc.

From those with more experience than I, should I start with just cardio? Should I do a little of each?

From the way I read it, when doing strength training, you should do exercises that work each group of muscles.

Would I do exercises daily that work each group? Focus on a different group each day?

I am going to use a stationary bike for my cardio and outdoor walking(when I can). I plan to do this daily.

On the strength training, the article mentions 7 different groups of muscles. So, I could do a different group everyday. Would that work?

You should include strength training. 

http://caloriecount.about.com/list-weight-tra ining-programs-question-melkor-ft90489#4 has a list of routines that Melkor recommends, including ones for beginners. Finding a professionally made routine is better than trying to make your own. If you are interested, New Rules of Lifting for Women will give you a lot of good information, plus routines.

You should do both, muscle eats calories and burns fat, strength training is essential to losing weight and getting in shape, but i wouldnt do strength training 7 days a week. your body needs time to repair.

i do a schedule that looks like this:

monday chest , back and abs

tuesday jump training (heavy cardio)

wednesday shoulders ,arms and abs

thursday yoga

friday legs ,back and abs

saturday kenpo 

sunday i either rest or just stretch a bit if im not mountain biking or skiing or something fun. 

As you can see i rotate weight training with cardio or yoga. This gives my body time to rebuild and heal i also rotate abs cause you dont want to do those every day either. 

I cant take credit for this schedule, this is the classic p90x workout schedule.

Not to sound like an advert here but i would look into beachbody, their power 90 workout might be right up your alley.

Thank you to both of you for replying and offering the advice, suggestions, tips, and links. Very much appreciated.

From the link, I gathered that while you are in a calorie deficit(which I will be in order to lose weight), you can't really gain muscle mass.

Is the strength training just to keep/strength the muscles you already have, correct? or no?

I'm not looking to gain muscles all over, just want to prevent losing the muscle with the fat while losing weight.

I like the alternating days.

It would still be ok to do my cardio each day, then just do strength training every other day?

Thanks.

Although you might gain some muscle when you start lifting ("newbie gains"), in general you are doing this to keep from losing muscle while dieting.

Yes, do cardio on your non-lifting days if you like.

My only problem with the schedule that ubiquitousfit gives is that it splits based on body part, instead of movements. I split my workouts, but it as simple as upper vs lower body. Compound exercises will hit multiple muscle groups, so if you are working your chest, you are most likely working your arms as well. Many "leg" exercises (squats and deadlifts, eg) also strengthen the core. From reading these boards, when people try to make up their own splits, they end up relying on isolation movements, to ensure they are hitting the "right" muscles, and lose out on the compound movements that will be more beneficial.  The book New Rules of Lifting for Women explains it better than I can.

yes doing cardio  and rotating strength training will be fine. Dont worry you are not going to end up with muscles all over the place unless you are really doing some serious weight training and supplementing as well.

If you are worried about your body eating muscle while in calorie defecit try supplementing with some protein...this will give your body what it needs to keep what muscle you have while losing fat.

It is true that i do isolation training on certain muscle groups but i also do yoga, kenpo and plyometrics which works out all of the other muscle groups. I do core synergistics as well every other month in trade off for yoga. It really is a well rounded workout but perhaps more severe than she is looking for.

What i was trying to point out was rotation, it will be fine just rotating upper and lower body workouts and not doing isolation since you are not looking to build muscle.

Just dont be one of those cardio only addicts! =)

Original Post by ubiquitousfit:

Just dont be one of those cardio only addicts! =)

 +1 ;)

Thank you both, again.

Appreciated and informative.