Why Don't Petite Women Do Cardio?
BananaBite
Posts: 135 Member
Ok, so I am very short at only 5'0 and a half. I have about 10-15 pounds to lose. Whenever I come across other shorter women some swear they only strength train and do not do any cardio. I know this is not for everyone, I know many definitely do cardio including myself.
My question is: What is their reasoning? Will cardio lead to weight gain because of building muscle? Basically, should I rethink doing cardio to lose weight?
Maybe it is an odd question, but many petite women I've seen begin to make me rethink my ideas of how I would like to shed off pounds. I know I can't lose all the weight and maintain the weight lost only by dropping my calories. Without cardio, I don't see how only strength training can lead to weight loss.
My question is: What is their reasoning? Will cardio lead to weight gain because of building muscle? Basically, should I rethink doing cardio to lose weight?
Maybe it is an odd question, but many petite women I've seen begin to make me rethink my ideas of how I would like to shed off pounds. I know I can't lose all the weight and maintain the weight lost only by dropping my calories. Without cardio, I don't see how only strength training can lead to weight loss.
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Replies
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They say they don't do it because they're short? Maybe they can't keep eating under control if they do cardio. Since the margin of error gets smaller the shorter you are, it would make sense not to poke the bear. Maybe they don't want to be small and weak-looking so they focus on what's important to them.
Also: majority of weight loss comes from diet. No exercise in and of itself creates weight loss, but all of them are useful in the pursuit.8 -
Weirdest concept ever25
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Cardio does *not* build muscle. Strength training plus eating a surplus of calories builds muscle. Strength training while at a deficit preserves muscle. So, the idea is that strength training helps you lose fat rather than muscle. Cardio is good for cardiovascular health. And some people think it's fun.14
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Lol, well my gym is full of petite women who focus on Zumba. And man do Zumba people get offended if someone is in their "spot" in the studios.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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How are they gaining muscle from cardio but not from weight lifting?
How about asking them? Are you sure they aren't going swimming after? Maybe they ran to the gym.4 -
I'm a short person (5'1) and I have done cardio.....
Aqua fit
Belly dancing
Walking (for 10km races)
Pilates
Step
Core and more
Zumba
Zumba 'toning'
Swimming
Rowing machine
30 Day Shred.
Etc, etc, it's been 8 years, sigh.
What can I say, not keen on exercise so I switch it up all the time.
All helped with my fitness level and aided in muscle and bone health.
I ate back between 150-175 for each 60 min of these workouts. Actual data extrapolated burn 190-200.
Also done some more stuff that is more muscle/bone retention specific-
HasFit and Nerdfitness.
Right now I am doing AllPro with a rowing warmup.
I haven't noticed that shorter women are not doing cardio, and there is no reason why one shouldn't.
It all comes down to personal preference and goals.
You have no need to exercise at all. A calorie deficit is all you need to lose weight.
Cheers, h.6 -
I'm "petite". I do cardio after most weight training sessions. Build muscle. Burn fat.2
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Also short here.
I mostly do cardio - biking and running.
But in the fitness-center I mostly do weight training. I'm at the center approx once a week, so my primary activity is cardio as I bike every day and run 2-3 times a week.
Not because I am short, but because it fits my everyday better to do it this way.
Have you asked them why they only do weight training?
I have included weight training recently to help me gain more muscles specially at the core, at cardio training does not make me stronger there. Also I have noticed I run faster and better after including weight training.0 -
DanceDiva234 wrote: »Ok, so I am very short at only 5'0 and a half. I have about 10-15 pounds to lose. Whenever I come across other shorter women some swear they only strength train and do not do any cardio. I know this is not for everyone, I know many definitely do cardio including myself.
My question is: What is their reasoning? Will cardio lead to weight gain because of building muscle? Basically, should I rethink doing cardio to lose weight?
Maybe it is an odd question, but many petite women I've seen begin to make me rethink my ideas of how I would like to shed off pounds. I know I can't lose all the weight and maintain the weight lost only by dropping my calories. Without cardio, I don't see how only strength training can lead to weight loss.
Maybe because if they're a BMI of 23 like you, they might want to do Body Recomposition rather than pure weight loss.
Weight lifting and building muscle can often achieve what you might be aiming for with cardio.
I say that as someone who adores running.12 -
Because it makes you look good naked? I'm also small and I favor weight lifting over cardio.3
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DanceDiva234 wrote: »Ok, so I am very short at only 5'0 and a half. I have about 10-15 pounds to lose. Whenever I come across other shorter women some swear they only strength train and do not do any cardio. I know this is not for everyone, I know many definitely do cardio including myself.
My question is: What is their reasoning? Will cardio lead to weight gain because of building muscle? Basically, should I rethink doing cardio to lose weight?
Maybe it is an odd question, but many petite women I've seen begin to make me rethink my ideas of how I would like to shed off pounds. I know I can't lose all the weight and maintain the weight lost only by dropping my calories. Without cardio, I don't see how only strength training can lead to weight loss.
Because the exercise preferences of petite women vary, just as they do for average and tall women and men of all heights. How did you leap from some petite women lift to petite women don't do cardio ?13 -
I suspect you may get the best answer by asking those shorter women you come across who swear they only strength train.
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Not every petite person!!
I love cardio but I do strength training/lift progressively as well - it's good for my bone health/stamina and I also like having great muscle tone all over - cardio wouldn't do that, it only burns calories in the moment whereas muscle burns extra cals all day long.
Don't knock it til you try it
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DanceDiva234 wrote: »Ok, so I am very short at only 5'0 and a half. I have about 10-15 pounds to lose. Whenever I come across other shorter women some swear they only strength train and do not do any cardio. I know this is not for everyone, I know many definitely do cardio including myself.
My question is: What is their reasoning? Will cardio lead to weight gain because of building muscle? Basically, should I rethink doing cardio to lose weight?
Maybe it is an odd question, but many petite women I've seen begin to make me rethink my ideas of how I would like to shed off pounds. I know I can't lose all the weight and maintain the weight lost only by dropping my calories. Without cardio, I don't see how only strength training can lead to weight loss.
Because the exercise preferences of petite women vary, just as they do for average and tall women and men of all heights. How did you leap from some petite women lift to petite women don't do cardio ?
Deductive reasoning fail?4 -
DanceDiva234 wrote: »My question is: What is their reasoning? Will cardio lead to weight gain because of building muscle? Basically, should I rethink doing cardio to lose weight?
I wonder if they're thinking that losing a layer of fat results in better muscle definition? Its not that the muscles are bigger, it's just that you can actually see them!
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I think there's an overall shift in mentality from cardio to lifting for many, demographics aside. Lifting is a way for many to exercise and not feel like they are dying.
Personally I don't get it because if you're "lifting heavy" it can feel just as rough as a long run, but you don't necessarily have to lift that heavy I guess. I enjoy both, and I learned first hand you're only kidding yourself if you just lift. You can lose weight and look great, but the cardio carryover is grossly exaggerated.0 -
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Lol, well my gym is full of petite women who focus on Zumba. And man do Zumba people get offended if someone is in their "spot" in the studios.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Zumba is fun! Lol- Funny about the territorial feisty ladies.
Do you see good results with cycling? I've heard rumors that cycling is good for getting smaller. I tend to bulk up and want to avoid that. I'd rather get elongation and the Pilates type feminine body. I take after my dad, I'm afraid to say.1 -
Lol, well my gym is full of petite women who focus on Zumba. And man do Zumba people get offended if someone is in their "spot" in the studios.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Zumba is fun! Lol- Funny about the territorial feisty ladies.
Do you see good results with cycling? I've heard rumors that cycling is good for getting smaller. I tend to bulk up and want to avoid that. I'd rather get elongation and the Pilates type feminine body. I take after my dad, I'm afraid to say.
you can't change genetics sadly... calorie deficit to lose weight.1 -
I think there's an overall shift in mentality from cardio to lifting for many, demographics aside. Lifting is a way for many to exercise and not feel like they are dying.
Personally I don't get it because if you're "lifting heavy" it can feel just as rough as a long run, but you don't necessarily have to lift that heavy I guess. I enjoy both, and I learned first hand you're only kidding yourself if you just lift. You can lose weight and look great, but the cardio carryover is grossly exaggerated.
I don't think that's the reason a good amount of people prefer to lift. Lifting creates a much more preferable aesthetic, for me at least. I definitely focus on lifting, with some cardio. It's not because it feels "easier", which it isn't.
Running and cardio in general just burns calories and gives a good work out for your cardiovascular system. However, the major differences I've seen in my body have come from lifting. Which is one of the reasons why I prefer it.
Anyways. For the OP, maybe you're just focusing on petite women's workouts because you're petite yourself? A lot of people just lift and do no cardio regardless of their stature.
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Is shorter petite women to you only in the 5'0" to 5'1"foot range? I may be a giant then, still waiting on cardio to make me bulkay either way. I hate to say it but exercise (cardio and lifting weights.. I do both btw) is not for loosing weight..0
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RosieRose7673 wrote: »I think there's an overall shift in mentality from cardio to lifting for many, demographics aside. Lifting is a way for many to exercise and not feel like they are dying.
Personally I don't get it because if you're "lifting heavy" it can feel just as rough as a long run, but you don't necessarily have to lift that heavy I guess. I enjoy both, and I learned first hand you're only kidding yourself if you just lift. You can lose weight and look great, but the cardio carryover is grossly exaggerated.
I don't think that's the reason a good amount of people prefer to lift. Lifting creates a much more preferable aesthetic, for me at least. I definitely focus on lifting, with some cardio. It's not because it feels "easier", which it isn't.
Running and cardio in general just burns calories and gives a good work out for your cardiovascular system. However, the major differences I've seen in my body have come from lifting. Which is one of the reasons why I prefer it.
Anyways. For the OP, maybe you're just focusing on petite women's workouts because you're petite yourself? A lot of people just lift and do no cardio regardless of their stature.
I don't disagree with better looks, but if you read enough posts people tend to state how much they hate cardio and so they only lift. I prefer lifting myself and I don't blame them for choosing just one, just something I've noticed. They are working out, so who cares in the end. I just fell into the lol no cardio trap before and wasn't pleased with my performance outside the squat rack.0 -
OP rather than focusing on assumptions about what others are doing, just make sure that your approach is right for you. You said you've only got 10-15 lbs to lose? That means your calorie deficit in MFP should be set to lose no more than 0.5 lb/week. Are you using a food scale to weigh your food? Logging everything accurately, honestly, and consistently? When you do cardio, are you eating back some of those calories?
As others mentioned, strength training can not only help preserve lean body mass while losing weight, for those at a healthy weight already it can give the body composition they desire often times more than excessive cardio.4 -
RosieRose7673 wrote: »I think there's an overall shift in mentality from cardio to lifting for many, demographics aside. Lifting is a way for many to exercise and not feel like they are dying.
Personally I don't get it because if you're "lifting heavy" it can feel just as rough as a long run, but you don't necessarily have to lift that heavy I guess. I enjoy both, and I learned first hand you're only kidding yourself if you just lift. You can lose weight and look great, but the cardio carryover is grossly exaggerated.
I don't think that's the reason a good amount of people prefer to lift. Lifting creates a much more preferable aesthetic, for me at least. I definitely focus on lifting, with some cardio. It's not because it feels "easier", which it isn't.
Running and cardio in general just burns calories and gives a good work out for your cardiovascular system. However, the major differences I've seen in my body have come from lifting. Which is one of the reasons why I prefer it.
Anyways. For the OP, maybe you're just focusing on petite women's workouts because you're petite yourself? A lot of people just lift and do no cardio regardless of their stature.
I don't disagree with better looks, but if you read enough posts people tend to state how much they hate cardio and so they only lift. I prefer lifting myself and I don't blame them for choosing just one, just something I've noticed. They are working out, so who cares in the end. I just fell into the lol no cardio trap before and wasn't pleased with my performance outside the squat rack.
Oh I agree with that. I feel overall more fit when I do both. I was just saying that a lot of people prefer the visual changes that lifting tends to create.
With people who say they hate cardio, it's akin to others saying they hate lifting, football, basketball, rowing, etc. It's just not something they enjoy. Not necessarily that they think it's "too hard". It's just boring or not enjoyable. And why force yourself to focus on cardio, or any other physical activity, that you don't enjoy when there are others that you do enjoy. It's less likely that someone sticks with something they don't enjoy versus something they do.
I do think cardio is boring. That's just me. The combo of boredom and lack of physical change from cardio is why I focus on lifting. That's all. To each their own!
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@DebSozoLol, well my gym is full of petite women who focus on Zumba. And man do Zumba people get offended if someone is in their "spot" in the studios.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Zumba is fun! Lol- Funny about the territorial feisty ladies.
Do you see good results with cycling? I've heard rumors that cycling is good for getting smaller. I tend to bulk up and want to avoid that. I'd rather get elongation and the Pilates type feminine body. I take after my dad, I'm afraid to say.
"Cycling is good for getting smaller?"
Cycling encompasses a huge range of distance, speed, terrain and goals. Compare the physique of a sprint cyclist to an endurance cyclist and they are very different.
And there will be cyclists losing, gaining or maintaining weight based on their diet and preferences.
It is a good calorie burner based on intensity or duration of course, far easier to cycle for 3 hours than run for 3 hours.....
Advanced cyclists do, as a generalisation, tend to want to stay light to maximise their power to weight ratio for performance but that's far from universal. I saw quite a chubby guy participating in a 24hr race, he wasn't going to win it though.
BTW - I'm currently cycling 600 miles a month and getting bigger. 1 -
DanceDiva234 wrote: »Ok, so I am very short at only 5'0 and a half. I have about 10-15 pounds to lose. Whenever I come across other shorter women some swear they only strength train and do not do any cardio. I know this is not for everyone, I know many definitely do cardio including myself.
My question is: What is their reasoning? Will cardio lead to weight gain because of building muscle? Basically, should I rethink doing cardio to lose weight?
Maybe it is an odd question, but many petite women I've seen begin to make me rethink my ideas of how I would like to shed off pounds. I know I can't lose all the weight and maintain the weight lost only by dropping my calories. Without cardio, I don't see how only strength training can lead to weight loss.
Because the exercise preferences of petite women vary, just as they do for average and tall women and men of all heights. How did you leap from some petite women lift to petite women don't do cardio ?
This. Simple.4 -
Weird. I don't talk about exercise habits with other people all that much. But that seems off.
I'm not particularly petite (5'5", CW 137 lbs) but have found that a few hours of cardio a week accelerates my weight loss. I think this is because it is tough for me to generate a big deficit being sedentary because my BMR isn't that high, and I can't eat much less than 1400-1500 calories and still be a happy person. I would suspect that this effect is even more noticeable for the 5'0" people.
I also lift 3 times a week, but don't really factor that into my calorie counts.0 -
4'9 here. I don't do much of either because I'm a lazy *kitten*. Apart from a hike every now and again. 0
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Right. I have to stick with "sturdy" and make the best of getting as small as I reasonably can.TavistockToad wrote: »Lol, well my gym is full of petite women who focus on Zumba. And man do Zumba people get offended if someone is in their "spot" in the studios.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Zumba is fun! Lol- Funny about the territorial feisty ladies.
Do you see good results with cycling? I've heard rumors that cycling is good for getting smaller. I tend to bulk up and want to avoid that. I'd rather get elongation and the Pilates type feminine body. I take after my dad, I'm afraid to say.
you can't change genetics sadly... calorie deficit to lose weight.
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