WTH is going on?

j6o4

They didn't build those leg muscles with cardio (aerobic) exercise. they built them with anaerobic exercise. by definition, cardio doesn't build muscle mass. anaerobic exercise does. that can be strength training or even certain types of high effort, short duration exercises such as repeated sprints. if you look at Olympic sprinters, they have large leg muscles, but i'm sure they also augment their sprinting with strength training because it gives them overall better results.

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mimieon

Muscle is gained from strength training, calorie surplus and high protein diet, it doesn't happen by accident or from cardio. Especially without testosterone levels like a man.

Actually, of course you can gain muscle from cardio! You can gain muscle through any use of muscle. You don't think you use muscles when you do cardio? Of course, strength training is more efficient at building muscle. You can also gain muscle when in calorie deficit if you have excess fat - this is because the excess fat creates the calorie surplus you need. You also don't need a high protein diet, you only need a diet adequate in protein. To the OP, not sure what exactly is going on but if you are losing size, I wouldn't be too worried about it

This^

Not This^

you can lose fat and BF% with cardio and that can make your existing muscle mass more apparent. you can improve your cardiovascular fitness with cardio. but you can't add muscle mass (unless you include your heart muscle).

if you could, there would be no such thing as skinny fat. there would be no need to strength train. none of the cardio bunnies who lost large amounts of LBM while doing nothing but cardio on a large deficit would exist.

i'm a bit surprised that a dietitian would claim otherwise.

at the beginning, you may get some very minor benefit when starting cardio because some types can also act as a bodyweight calisthenic, but that benefit ends pretty quickly.

I am not sure what the true answer to the question is but have you seen the leg muscles on the soccer players? They are called muscles right?

they didn't build those leg muscles with cardio (aerobic) exercise. they built them with anaerobic exercise. by definition, cardio doesn't build muscle mass. anaerobic exercise does. that can be strength training or even certain types of high effort, short duration exercises such as repeated sprints. if you look at Olympic sprinters, they have large leg muscles, but i'm sure they also augment their sprinting with strength training because it gives them overall better results.

Then I guess the point is it may depend on exactly what kind of exercise the tc is doing that she qualifies as "cardio". Many forms of exercise may include both anaerobic and aerobic stuff.

sexymuffintop

Muscle is gained from strength training, calorie surplus and high protein diet, it doesn't happen by accident or from cardio. Especially without testosterone levels like a man.

that statement is Just so wrong and full of so many myths

Links to studies to validate your reasoning?

TMcChamp

get a new scale??
If your clothes are too big, you see you are shrinking, then perhaps your scale is shot...

sexymuffintop

Why do people have to insist on splitting hairs on this matter? The OP is NOT obese, is not going through the magical newbie gains. Why is it so difficult to understand that to create new tissue in the body naturally (ie muscle in this case) you need to eat at a surplus and overload the muscles. It's basic science. I am reminded yet again why it seems pointless to post on these boards.

hannakengu

Why do people have to insist on splitting hairs on this matter? The OP is NOT obese, is not going through the magical newbie gains. Why is it so difficult to understand that to create new tissue in the body naturally (ie muscle in this case) you need to eat at a surplus and overload the muscles. It's basic science. I am reminded yet again why it seems pointless to post on these boards.

I'm not obese either. I walk all day at work, and yes, lift some heavy boxes etc., but not enough to count it as strength training of any kind. My thigh muscles are visible and they've definitely grown during my two years at my job. Does strength training get faster and better results? Absolutely. Does cardio get results eventually? It's slower and less efficient, but yes.

Just to add, I haven't done much strength training for my legs at all, since doctors told me I'm not allowed to do squats, lunges etc. because of issues with my back, so any changes in my thighs are because of cardio. So maybe, to answer the OP's question, you're in a similar situation with me?

sexymuffintop

Why do people have to insist on splitting hairs on this matter? The OP is NOT obese, is not going through the magical newbie gains. Why is it so difficult to understand that to create new tissue in the body naturally (ie muscle in this case) you need to eat at a surplus and overload the muscles. It's basic science. I am reminded yet again why it seems pointless to post on these boards.

I'm not obese either. I walk all day at work, and yes, lift some heavy boxes etc., but not enough to count it as strength training of any kind. My thigh muscles are visible and they've definitely grown during my two years at my job. Does strength training get faster and better results? Absolutely. Does cardio get results eventually? It's slower and less efficient, but yes.

Just to add, I haven't done much strength training for my legs at all, since doctors told me I'm not allowed to do squats, lunges etc. because of issues with my back, so any changes in my thighs are because of cardio. So maybe, to answer the OP's question, you're in a similar situation with me?

Cardio doesn't build muscle, seriously I'm not lying to you lol. It's fat loss you are seeing. The muscle was always there, you are just losing fat that was covering it, hence why it looks more developed now.

meeper123

losing size is still losing inches are better than pounds any day -.o also sometime your muscles will store some extra water when you exercise a lot

mimieon

Why do people have to insist on splitting hairs on this matter? The OP is NOT obese, is not going through the magical newbie gains. Why is it so difficult to understand that to create new tissue in the body naturally (ie muscle in this case) you need to eat at a surplus and overload the muscles. It's basic science. I am reminded yet again why it seems pointless to post on these boards.

True, that she is not obese makes it quite unlikely. I think people are just trying to make sense of this, it also seems very unlikely that as she loses inches and clothing sizes she is gaining more and more waterweight .

j6o4

Why do people have to insist on splitting hairs on this matter? The OP is NOT obese, is not going through the magical newbie gains. Why is it so difficult to understand that to create new tissue in the body naturally (ie muscle in this case) you need to eat at a surplus and overload the muscles. It's basic science. I am reminded yet again why it seems pointless to post on these boards.

I'm not obese either. I walk all day at work, and yes, lift some heavy boxes etc., but not enough to count it as strength training of any kind. My thigh muscles are visible and they've definitely grown during my two years at my job. Does strength training get faster and better results? Absolutely. Does cardio get results eventually? It's slower and less efficient, but yes.

Just to add, I haven't done much strength training for my legs at all, since doctors told me I'm not allowed to do squats, lunges etc. because of issues with my back, so any changes in my thighs are because of cardio. So maybe, to answer the OP's question, you're in a similar situation with me?

Cardio doesn't build muscle, seriously I'm not lying to you lol. It's fat loss you are seeing. The muscle was always there, you are just losing fat that was covering it, hence why it looks more developed now.

But what if it was cardio plus a caloric surplus?

east2west14

Why do people have to insist on splitting hairs on this matter? The OP is NOT obese, is not going through the magical newbie gains. Why is it so difficult to understand that to create new tissue in the body naturally (ie muscle in this case) you need to eat at a surplus and overload the muscles. It's basic science. I am reminded yet again why it seems pointless to post on these boards.

I'm not obese either. I walk all day at work, and yes, lift some heavy boxes etc., but not enough to count it as strength training of any kind. My thigh muscles are visible and they've definitely grown during my two years at my job. Does strength training get faster and better results? Absolutely. Does cardio get results eventually? It's slower and less efficient, but yes.

Just to add, I haven't done much strength training for my legs at all, since doctors told me I'm not allowed to do squats, lunges etc. because of issues with my back, so any changes in my thighs are because of cardio. So maybe, to answer the OP's question, you're in a similar situation with me?

Cardio doesn't build muscle, seriously I'm not lying to you lol. It's fat loss you are seeing. The muscle was always there, you are just losing fat that was covering it, hence why it looks more developed now.

But what if it was cardio plus a caloric surplus?

That will build muscles.

pyrowill

Muscle is gained from strength training, calorie surplus and high protein diet, it doesn't happen by accident or from cardio. Especially without testosterone levels like a man.

that statement is Just so wrong and full of so many myths

No it really isn't.

pinkraynedropjacki

Well then I'm still stumped cause there is no way it's water weight...not after this long at it. There is no way it's muscle cause I dont eat a surplus or do any strength (even though I should) and I am losing fat & size but not weight. Scales are not broken cause they work fine for everyone else in the house.

Grrrrr.

east2west14

Muscle is gained from strength training, calorie surplus and high protein diet, it doesn't happen by accident or from cardio. Especially without testosterone levels like a man.

that statement is Just so wrong and full of so many myths

No it really isn't.

Sprinting is a form of cardio doesn't matter if its anaerobic or aerobic that is not what we are arguing about. Cardio is cardio and it guilts muscles. Here is proof.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/food_coach&id=8687727

melb_alex

You are exercising too much

7 days a week??

Eat clean and lift weights than you should see considerable improvements

I'm 182cm, 69kg (size 10-12) and train 4-5 times a week and only do cardio for an added push but always do weights.

meeper123

Well then I'm still stumped cause there is no way it's water weight...not after this long at it. There is no way it's muscle cause I dont eat a surplus or do any strength (even though I should) and I am losing fat & size but not weight. Scales are not broken cause they work fine for everyone else in the house.

Grrrrr.

Like i said muscles use water to heal (well sorta) also inches lost way better than a number the scale will catch up

mimieon

Well then I'm still stumped cause there is no way it's water weight...not after this long at it. There is no way it's muscle cause I dont eat a surplus or do any strength (even though I should) and I am losing fat & size but not weight. Scales are not broken cause they work fine for everyone else in the house.

Grrrrr.

Are you consistently weighing at the same time, same clothes/no clothes, etc? Maybe your bone density has increased because of the exercise and improved diet? Seems like a stretch though

pinkraynedropjacki

You are exercising too much

7 days a week??

Eat clean and lift weights than you should see considerable improvements

I'm 182cm, 69kg (size 10-12) and train 4-5 times a week and only do cardio for an added push but always do weights.

I can't lift. Physically not able to do so. I'm not looking for improvements. I'm looking for answers as to why or how I'm losing size, fat not gaining muscle yet not losing weight. Been exercising daily since Feb last year. I'm not exercising too much for me.

pinkraynedropjacki

Well then I'm still stumped cause there is no way it's water weight...not after this long at it. There is no way it's muscle cause I dont eat a surplus or do any strength (even though I should) and I am losing fat & size but not weight. Scales are not broken cause they work fine for everyone else in the house.

Grrrrr.

Are you consistently weighing at the same time, same clothes/no clothes, etc? Maybe your bone density has increased because of the exercise and improved diet? Seems like a stretch though

Yep, same time & totally naked.

ironanimal

You got the right of it. You probably have major water retention going on from working out every day - it's nothing to worry about so long as your keep shrinking and if you don't necessarily need the weight to drop.

If you do want to dump the water weight to see where you're at temporarily, take a day of low carb (<30g). I retain water like a ***** and I sometimes do that to check if things are still working.