cardio or less calories?

sc10985
sc10985 Posts: 347 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I keep reading on here that cardio is basically useless and yada yada. So my question is, simply for weight loss purposes only (not heart health) would cutting 200 calories from the day be the same as jogging for 20 mins and burning 200 calories? If I sound like a total airhead please forgive me lol. I've been following a strength program on the you are your own gym app and do that 4x a week. I also jog on the treadmill for 20mins after the strength workout. I'm just wondering if all the cardio is useless? I don't hate it but I don't love it either lol.



Edited for typos.
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Replies

  • daniellemm1
    daniellemm1 Posts: 465 Member
    bump
  • chatogal
    chatogal Posts: 436 Member
    bump
  • norahwynn
    norahwynn Posts: 862 Member
    I'm def not an expert, but I know from not only my own experience, but my fiance's as well, that we are both losing weight and cardio has a lot to do with it. I'm either on the treadmill, the eliptical, rowing machine, zumba, or Arc Trainer, and 3 times a week incorporate weight training. He's in an hour Spinning class 6 days a week.

    Now in saying that, we also eat more sensibly, and get enough rest. When we weren't working out, but pretty much eating the same way, we both either gained or stayed the same.

    I have no training or schooling to tout any scientific facts; I just know what works for us.

    If you just plan on lifting weights, and cutting the cardio and the calories, just make sure you don't cut too many. You don't want your body to go into starvation mode.

    Good luck!
  • eep223
    eep223 Posts: 624 Member
    Cardio is not useless. Up to you how you want to lose the weight, but cardiovascular exercise is wonderful for your... cardiovascular system. I got by BP down and am feeling fine!

    Edit: Sorry, missed that bit about not being concerned about the heart health. I will agree that it has helped me a great deal with my deficit. The heart health and breathing benefits have also helped me with my strength training. Don't sell it short!
  • sc10985
    sc10985 Posts: 347 Member
    I'm def not an expert, but I know from not only my own experience, but my fiance's as well, that we are both losing weight and cardio has a lot to do with it. I'm either on the treadmill, the eliptical, rowing machine, zumba, or Arc Trainer, and 3 times a week incorporate weight training. He's in an hour Spinning class 6 days a week.

    Now in saying that, we also eat more sensibly, and get enough rest. When we weren't working out, but pretty much eating the same way, we both either gained or stayed the same.

    I have no training or schooling to tout any scientific facts; I just know what works for us.

    If you just plan on lifting weights, and cutting the cardio and the calories, just make sure you don't cut too many. You don't want your body to go into starvation mode.

    Good luck!


    Thank you. I've always equated cardio with weight loss, but I just keep reading so many threads where people basically say cardio is pointless. I don't wanna waste my time, but I don't wanna short myself either!
  • lloydrt
    lloydrt Posts: 1,121 Member
    Cardo helped me lose inches around my waist in my buttocks and in my arms.....also, it allowed me to lower my blood pressure, alowed me to get back in shape so I wont have to take blood pressure meds, no more sleep apnea and no more exercise induced asthma............cardio helped save me

    I do work out with weights too, but I enjoy cardio more and do more cardio. Different strokes for different folks...........as long as you keep moving, it comes off and you get healthy.......again, Im no health dr or medical expert. Just a guy who lost a lot of weight.......
  • tonytoo
    tonytoo Posts: 307
    I get 2/3 of my daily deficit from cardio and 1/3 from eating less.
  • lisamarie1780
    lisamarie1780 Posts: 432 Member
    So I keep reading on here that cardio is basically useless and yada yada. So my question is, simply for weight loss purposes only (not heart health) would cutting 200 calories from the day be the same as jogging for 20 mins and burning 200 calories? If I sound like a total airhead please forgive me lol. I've been following a strength program on the you are your own gym app and do that 4x a week. I also jog on the treadmill for 20mins after the strength workout. I'm just wondering if all the cardio is useless? I don't hate it but I don't love it either lol.



    Edited for typos.

    No, it's not useless. At all. Ever. Whoever told you that is severely misinformed

    Not only is running good for your weight loss goals, it's also very good for your health.
  • jmb1510
    jmb1510 Posts: 45 Member
    Cardio is not useless at all. Sure, you can lose weight by just cutting calories, but all you are doing is losing fat and maybe some muscle. Loss of weight does equal healthy.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,031 Member
    So I keep reading on here that cardio is basically useless and yada yada. So my question is, simply for weight loss purposes only (not heart health) would cutting 200 calories from the day be the same as jogging for 20 mins and burning 200 calories? If I sound like a total airhead please forgive me lol. I've been following a strength program on the you are your own gym app and do that 4x a week. I also jog on the treadmill for 20mins after the strength workout. I'm just wondering if all the cardio is useless? I don't hate it but I don't love it either lol.



    Edited for typos.
    For heart health purposes............no. But you're right about the calories. If you want to make it more weight lifting oriented, do like 10 minutes of HIIT weight lifting.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • kittenful
    kittenful Posts: 318 Member
    Cardio is definitely helpful! I do it every day, along with some Jillian Michaels style circuit training, and that (plus a calorie deficit, to be sure) is how I have lost all of my weight so far.
  • MeAnTtOBeThIn
    MeAnTtOBeThIn Posts: 22 Member
    Anything you are doing that you weren't doing before is never useless. Everyone's body handles it differently. I was on weight watchers before I got on here and lost 30 pounds doing just the treadmill and eating healthier. Then I joined Zumba, and I lost three pounds in one week...of course, it all depends on your eating habits...cutting calories isn't going to help you if you don't watch your fat and sugar and carb intakes as well....So experiment and see what works for you guys.
  • rob1976
    rob1976 Posts: 1,328 Member
    I'd seriously question the credibility of anyone that tells you that cardio is useless...
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    So I keep reading on here that cardio is basically useless and yada yada. So my question is, simply for weight loss purposes only (not heart health) would cutting 200 calories from the day be the same as jogging for 20 mins and burning 200 calories? If I sound like a total airhead please forgive me lol. I've been following a strength program on the you are your own gym app and do that 4x a week. I also jog on the treadmill for 20mins after the strength workout. I'm just wondering if all the cardio is useless? I don't hate it but I don't love it either lol.



    Edited for typos.

    Strictly in terms of weight loss (forgetting heart health, body composition) all exercise is equally "useless" ; people can, and have, lost weight through calorie restriction. Again, forgetting the other health benefits, adopting a more active lifestyle (your choice....cardio, sports, strength training or combination thereof) helps you develop habits that are more likely to lead to long term success in respect to weight loss (the recidivism rate for "diet alone" is atrocious)
  • Isakizza
    Isakizza Posts: 754 Member
    I don't get it.

    I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for BOTH strength AND cardio. My husband is a weight lifter with lots of volume, wanted to get nice and cut/lean. Did so with cardio added to his weight training. I've never seen him looking so amazing!!!!

    But yes, you can use cardio to add a deficit in your daily calories if that's what you are looking for. Just do what you love, what makes you feel good and powerful.

    Lifting or cardio.... Do what will keep you going back for more. :happy:


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  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Cardio is not useless. People who say that are ignorant. It's good for weight loss because it burns calories and it's good for improving health. It improves cardiovascular health (hense the nickname) and it improves fitness.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    So I keep reading on here that cardio is basically useless and yada yada. So my question is, simply for weight loss purposes only (not heart health) would cutting 200 calories from the day be the same as jogging for 20 mins and burning 200 calories? If I sound like a total airhead please forgive me lol. I've been following a strength program on the you are your own gym app and do that 4x a week. I also jog on the treadmill for 20mins after the strength workout. I'm just wondering if all the cardio is useless? I don't hate it but I don't love it either lol.



    Edited for typos.

    Yes...actually, that's the way MFP is set up. It's a NEAT method calculator...your activity level should NOT include exercise...thus when you do log exercise, your calorie goal is increased to fuel that activity. This is designed to be a motivator for people to actually get off their *kitten* and get their fitness on. When people develop good fitness habits, they're more likely to keep weight off when they get to maintenance as exercise just generally allows individuals to eat/drink more.

    The most efficient and effective way of incorporating a caloric deficit is through diet. Exercise is actually pretty inefficient. Use your diet for weight control; exercise for fitness.
  • jmw93
    jmw93 Posts: 1 Member
    There are a lot of great comments on here...It would be great if there were a Like button! :wink:
  • lisamarie1780
    lisamarie1780 Posts: 432 Member
    I'd seriously question the credibility of anyone that tells you that cardio is useless...

    Exactly. What they probably meant to say was that they are useless at cardio....
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    I wont go into whether it is useless or not but I would make the decision based on goals. Sometimes low cal diets make it hard to meet macro and micro nutrient goals. Increasing exercise can make it easier to eat more foods to get more nutrients. If your calories goals are high enough to meet nutrition goals then you can reduce the amount of exercise needed to create a deficit.

    Increasing exercise also allows you to include more discretionary calories into your diet. This can be good for sticking to your diet and for mental health.
  • ihammen
    ihammen Posts: 55 Member
    I use the elliptical almost every day. (I miss maybe one a week). I think it has made a huge difference in my weight loss, and in the way my body looks. My butt and thighs have gotten way smaller than the last time I lost weight and didn't use the elliptical.
  • sc10985
    sc10985 Posts: 347 Member
    Thanks for all the responses! I do feel a lot better when I get my butt on the treadmill for 20-30mins. I've just seen it posted numerous times that strength training> cardio so I just wanted to make sure my efforts weren't all in vain. I will keep doing both!
  • MaeRenee94
    MaeRenee94 Posts: 175
    Personally for myself cardio helps me lose.
    I feel the reason why so many say not to do is cardio is because they are trying to build muscle. If you're cutting and wanting to lose, than yes cardio along with high rep low weight weight training.
  • boatsie77
    boatsie77 Posts: 480 Member
    Don't underestimate the benefit of having a healthy heart--where would you be without one?
  • lisamarie1780
    lisamarie1780 Posts: 432 Member
    Thanks for all the responses! I do feel a lot better when I get my butt on the treadmill for 20-30mins. I've just seen it posted numerous times that strength training> cardio so I just wanted to make sure my efforts weren't all in vain. I will keep doing both!

    Both is a good choice. One compliments the other :smile:
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    Cardio is not useless. I keep the cardio card in my sleeve when I need to lose a few pounds of fat fast. That being said, cardio has a burn less and less the more you do it.

    To answer your question, I feel that there is no difference between eating 200 calories less or burning 200 calories in exercise. Where it can have an impact is if you cut calories too low and start lacking nutrients in your diet.

    I feel the best would be to cut 100 calories in your diet and exercise the 100 left :)
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Thanks for all the responses! I do feel a lot better when I get my butt on the treadmill for 20-30mins. I've just seen it posted numerous times that strength training> cardio so I just wanted to make sure my efforts weren't all in vain. I will keep doing both!

    20-30 mins is fine. Most of the time people are talking about body composition goals and time management when discussing benefits of resistance vs steady state cardio.

    There are people spending MANY hours per week grinding away and steady state cardio when it really is not optimal unless training for a specific event.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    The "cardio is useless" mindset seems to be an extreme take and an oversimplification of the mindset that cardio is not as uniquely useful for weight loss. That developed as people have been finding / rediscovering the usefulness of other activities for weight and fat loss. One of the big variations on the theme is how people can use strength training, once considered something only for bodybuilders, as a way for an "average Joe" to lose weight.

    Cardio is still useful for a multitude of things, not the least of which is conditioning the cardiovascular system that works in conjunction with the musculoskeletal system.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Reasons why running is good for you besides cardio health:

    http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/its-all-good

    Cardio is not useless and anyone that tells you so is a workout snob who believes their way is the only way. Do what you enjoy. The most important thing is being consistent and continuing to challenge yourself so your calorie burns don't decrease and your fitness level increases.
  • drojen
    drojen Posts: 203 Member
    Once again, it is something that is dependent on each individual's goals. I have high blood pressure and a history of heart issues in my family. Cardio is imperative for me, as far as I'm concerned. But I also want to be stronger and that means I also lift heavy things. My goal is to lose weight, eat better, improve cardiovascular health and maintain and eventually gain strength. So, my program incorporates all those things.

    Find what works for you based on what you want to achieve.

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