Why Women Should Not Run (as their only means to lose)

RivenV

Bumping for the bunny pics. Also because I have a friend who's a cardio bunny and super frustrated about her lack of results. I've mentioned she might add some light-weight or body-weight training for improved results. (You know, until she gets comfortable enough doing those things so she can really lift with me. )

bonnykate

The well-written and cited counter-opinion, from the good people of Examine.com (guest-posted on gokaleo.com):

http://gokaleo.com/2013/06/11/women-and-running

Not saying there isn't anything else good to do with your body, but running can be good stuff too!

JeffseekingV

The author's conclusions above. And thanks for posting the rebuttal:

Steady-state cardio has been shown numerous times to have many health benefits leading to decreased mortality risks. Sure, “too much” (so far quantified only as “long term and excessive” amounts typically used by competitive, extreme distance athletes) is not good for you and can be detrimental to general health and fitness goals. But for all the Jessicas out there, moderate amounts can easily be included in a well-rounded routine to complement fat loss goals or general health pursuits.
That said, steady-state cardio is not a requirement. If someone doesn’t want to do it or doesn’t like it, there are other alternatives that can be used. What this all boils down to is this: If you enjoy running and feel it benefits you and your training, and aligns with your goals… then keep on running.

Even they recommend a well rounded health approach.

pig2201

Running is better than sitting on one's bottom all day.x

dawlschic007

This thread needs more cardio bunnies. Who doesn't love cardio bunnies?

Running (or doing any cardio) over 20 hours a week is excessive and I could see how that could cause muscle loss and hinder progress on losing fat, but how many people are really putting in those hours doing cardio unless they are training for a specific event? An hour a day or a few times a week is not going to slow your progress on losing fat, imo.

BrianSharpe

amytag

Hmm. I have lost over 80 pounds and have gotten really excellent definition with running being 90% of my workout repertoire. Started Insanity recently, but my actual goal from it was to increase my cardio endurance as I now wish to run faster and longer races.

Personally, I think a mix of both cardio and strength is the way to go, but have noticed a whole lot of "cardio bunny" shaming for (primary) women who choose to burn calories through cardio - not just here, but heavily in the Crossfit community as well. It's disheartening that the benefits to your lung and heart functions are so easily dismissed...calorie burn aside.

RGv2

Hmm. I have lost over 80 pounds and have gotten really excellent definition with running being 90% of my workout repertoire. Started Insanity recently, but my actual goal from it was to increase my cardio endurance as I now wish to run faster and longer races.

Personally, I think a mix of both cardio and strength is the way to go, but have noticed a whole lot of "cardio bunny" shaming for (primary) women who choose to burn calories through cardio - not just here, but heavily in the Crossfit community as well. It's disheartening that the benefits to your lung and heart functions are so easily dismissed...calorie burn aside.

Did I miss the part where it said that cardio doesn't help with a caloric deficit?

HypersonicFitNess

So funny thing...I posted I believed this article was total tripe and guess what? I just read the scientific proof that it IS total tripe...

It's a long read, but if you want some FACTS...here is it

http://gokaleo.com/2013/06/11/women-and-running/

I especially liked the closing 2 paragraphs,

"If anything should be taken away from John Kiefer’s article, it has little to do with running. What should be learned from this article is that a string of numbers after a claim does not automatically make it true. As a reader you should always check up on an author’s sources and come to your own conclusions after you’ve judged the evidence for yourself. If you were looking for an echo chamber to confirm your anti-endurance opinions, then the article was exactly what you wanted. But why mislead readers with contradicting or tangential citations? Why talk in certainties when none exist? Why use small, unrepresentative populations to generalize to the average woman?

Only the author can answer these questions.

Steady-state cardio has been shown numerous times to have many health benefits leading to decreased mortality risks. Sure, “too much” (so far quantified only as “long term and excessive” amounts typically used by competitive, extreme distance athletes) is not good for you and can be detrimental to general health and fitness goals. But for all the Jessicas out there, moderate amounts can easily be included in a well-rounded routine to complement fat loss goals or general health pursuits.
That said, steady-state cardio is not a requirement. If someone doesn’t want to do it or doesn’t like it, there are other alternatives that can be used. What this all boils down to is this: If you enjoy running and feel it benefits you and your training, and aligns with your goals… then keep on running."

EXCELLENT!!

JeffseekingV

So the idea of advocating not only cardio but strength training is tripe?

tehboxingkitteh

Squeeee it's so adorable!

My ex lost 100 pounds by only running.

I plan on not running. But I have a bad knee. I prefer to hit things, and lift heavy things.

froeschli

i lift and run. and the main positive aspect of adding the lifting: i can eat whatever i want and still improve on what i look like.

the article is a bit lacking though, i mean it fails to consider the huge difference between running 1/2-1h 3-4 times a week and running 20 hours total. at that point, of course, your body will have to make adaptations, especially if you are crazy enough to do that and eat at a deficit.

demonizing something just because some people overdo it is just plain lazy.

Mlkmaid

also, tired of men telling me what i should be doing.

SERIOUSLY. No uterus, no opinion.

UsedToBeHusky

also, tired of men telling me what i should be doing.

SERIOUSLY. No uterus, no opinion.

Did you really search for this thread just so you could declare moral superiority? One need not have a uterus to have knowledge of the female body. That I'm quite sure of.

RGv2

also, tired of men telling me what i should be doing.

SERIOUSLY. No uterus, no opinion.

And probably shouldn't go to male doctors or personal trainers then either.

CorvusCorax77

I always love it when a man starts a thread about what women should and should not do.

toaster6

http://gokaleo.com/2013/06/11/women-and-running/

CorvusCorax77

also, tired of men telling me what i should be doing.

SERIOUSLY. No uterus, no opinion.

And probably shouldn't go to male doctors or personal trainers then either.

difference being when I go to a male doctor or a male trainer, I have a personal relationship with them and they know me personally. Having a professional opinion based on a consensual relationship between two individuals is really different than one man saying "WOMEN SHOULD NOT DO X, Y, or Z"

UsedToBeHusky

I always love it when a man starts a thread about what women should and should not do.

The recommendation was an accurate one. Moderate cardio + moderate strength training. Why should his gender diminish the quality of his advice?

CorvusCorax77

http://gokaleo.com/2013/06/11/women-and-running/

THIS.

for the record, this woman does cardio and lifting. I also do yoga, surf, rock climb, eat ice cream, play with my kid, work my butt off at my job, and feed my dog real meat while I eat vegetarian.

CorvusCorax77

I always love it when a man starts a thread about what women should and should not do.

The recommendation was an accurate one. Moderate cardio + moderate strength training. Why should his gender diminish the quality of his advice?

why should his advice only be directed at women?

RGv2

I always love it when a man starts a thread about what women should and should not do.

And writes books about it.

UsedToBeHusky

I always love it when a man starts a thread about what women should and should not do.

The recommendation was an accurate one. Moderate cardio + moderate strength training. Why should his gender diminish the quality of his advice?

why should his advice only be directed at women?

It's actually not. He specifies that his advice is beneficial to both genders, but that women are more likely to pursue excessive amounts of cardio than men, and that is why his advice is targeted at women.

RGv2

also, tired of men telling me what i should be doing.

SERIOUSLY. No uterus, no opinion.

And probably shouldn't go to male doctors or personal trainers then either.

difference being when I go to a male doctor or a male trainer, I have a personal relationship with them and they know me personally. Having a professional opinion based on a consensual relationship between two individuals is really different than one man saying "WOMEN SHOULD NOT DO X, Y, or Z"

You mean I shouldn't go to the female Dr when my normal family Dr isn't available....OK, you're right.

BeachIron

also, tired of men telling me what i should be doing.

SERIOUSLY. No uterus, no opinion.

And probably shouldn't go to male doctors or personal trainers then either.

difference being when I go to a male doctor or a male trainer, I have a personal relationship with them and they know me personally. Having a professional opinion based on a consensual relationship between two individuals is really different than one man saying "WOMEN SHOULD NOT DO X, Y, or Z"

Women should avoid not doing what they don't want to not do.




*ducks*

UsedToBeHusky

I always love it when a man starts a thread about what women should and should not do.

And writes books about it.

Read it cover to cover. Great book! Really helped me change my body composition over the last year or so.

CorvusCorax77

also, tired of men telling me what i should be doing.

SERIOUSLY. No uterus, no opinion.

Did you really search for this thread just so you could declare moral superiority? One need not have a uterus to have knowledge of the female body. That I'm quite sure of.

admittedly, I didn't go much further than the topic title.

CorvusCorax77

also, tired of men telling me what i should be doing.

SERIOUSLY. No uterus, no opinion.

And probably shouldn't go to male doctors or personal trainers then either.

difference being when I go to a male doctor or a male trainer, I have a personal relationship with them and they know me personally. Having a professional opinion based on a consensual relationship between two individuals is really different than one man saying "WOMEN SHOULD NOT DO X, Y, or Z"

Women should avoid not doing what they don't want to not do.




*ducks*

*Throws a duck!*

also, for the record, I found NROLFW to be completely useless. I did have the privilege of having a Taso to talk to instead.

CorvusCorax77

difference being when I go to a male doctor or a male trainer, I have a personal relationship with them and they know me personally. Having a professional opinion based on a consensual relationship between two individuals is really different than one man saying "WOMEN SHOULD NOT DO X, Y, or Z"

You mean I shouldn't go to the female Dr when my normal family Dr isn't available....OK, you're right.

You didn't get my point... when you see the female doctor, is she not looking at your chart? Are you not talking to her face to face? Is she not giving recommendations to you based on your information, your conversation with her?

That's not the same as some woman you don't even know saying to you "Men shouldn't do X"

CorvusCorax77

oh *kitten*! In mentioning Taso, I totally admitted I will listen to a man tell me what to do!!!!!

I"M SUCH A HYPOCRITE!