Cardio vs weight training?

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Replies

  • lucyford22
    lucyford22 Posts: 198 Member
    I have ready some... let's say, exotic, points of views since being apart of the diverse MFP population but I am kind of surprised to see an actual "cardio hater." It...it doesn't make sense? ... I get not enjoying cardio...but hating? Deeming it pointless? Huh?
  • JakeBrownVB
    JakeBrownVB Posts: 399 Member
    30-40 minutes of nightmarish time consuming cardio just to have a beer or two. Doesnt seem worth it.

    I thoroughly enjoy kickboxing. I'd hardly consider it "nightmarish." Beer was simply a funny example...but if I can literally enjoy an entire extra meal because I burned off 500 calories with my workout, THAT makes it worth it in addition to my improved endurance, flexibility, and CV health.
    [/quote]

    Then this is simply a difference of what we enjoy and I certaintly cant argue with that.
    Hate cardio and I see too many women waist themselves into oblivion on only muscles workouts. Nothing sexier than a women with some muscle tone.
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member
    The only slight benefit cardio has is that it will increase your cardio vascular fitness.. but I couldnt really give 2 shts about that, im only here for the aesthetics.
    Jake - maybe when you are older and your relatives start keeling over from heart attacks & strokes you might just change your mind about the importance of CV health....
    Not hating on cardio, its just you can only be in a 500-800 max deficit anyway, so why waist time doing cardio when you could just eat less?

    How about these reasons?:
    Nutrition
    Enjoyment
    Beer
    Bacon

    OP - would suggest you do both cardio & strength for health, fitness and body composition. I'm not a fan of both cardio and strength in the same workout, one tends to compromise the other. Alternate days perhaps?

    Dito

    Also dito!

    Find something that you enjoy and can stick with! I love lifting so do that, with plenty of walking, yoga and HIIT x3 a week.
  • JakeBrownVB
    JakeBrownVB Posts: 399 Member
    Benefits of cardio- Cardio fitness, burn calories

    Benefits of weights- Cardio fitness, burn calories, build/maintain muscles mass, sculpt body, increase caloric/maintain caloric requirements, increase strength

    wheres the arguement again?
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    Weights to retain muscle mass
    Cardio to create a deficit
    Eating below maintenance to create other half of deficit
  • BEEUK
    BEEUK Posts: 113
    Lots of cardio only = Skinny fat
    Lots of lifting only = muscle under fat.

    For me its a mixture of both, alternate between the two. I cycle 10 miles a day 5 times a week so workouts revolve around lifting more than cardio. Heart health and that 'fit feeling' will only come from getting a decent sweat on. Guns and definition from lifting.

    Depends on what your goals are :D
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Which one do you enjoy? Do that one
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    I usually do cardio everyday, and weights everyday.

    Cardio in a morning (usually) and always do weights at night before bed.

    Works for me.
  • littlebee26
    littlebee26 Posts: 116
    Oh for goodness sake.....no one can open their mouths on this site without a tout going crazy!!! Chill out will you. He has an opinion. He expressed it. You obviously do not share that opinion. Get over it!! Sheeesh, such a bunch of over sensitive moaners!!!
  • littlebee26
    littlebee26 Posts: 116
    i've decided to report jake's post due to his foul language. i just don't think there's any reason to speak that way here.

    Oh for goodness sake.....no one can open their mouths on this site without a tout going crazy!!! Chill out will you. He has an opinion. He expressed it. You obviously do not share that opinion. Get over it!! Sheeesh, such a bunch of over sensitive moaners!!!
  • SoulEater7
    SoulEater7 Posts: 31
    Oh for goodness sake.....no one can open their mouths on this site without a tout going crazy!!! Chill out will you. He has an opinion. He expressed it. You obviously do not share that opinion. Get over it!! Sheeesh, such a bunch of over sensitive moaners!!!

    Haha a comment like this requires a "like" button on MFP, I totally agree.

    I personally Hit the weights as hard as I can and finish with a light 100 cal cardio session, just enough to get my heart going, blood flowing but still light enough to hold a convo....if I had somebody to talk too lol.
  • BEEUK
    BEEUK Posts: 113
    Jake - I was talking about my own personal experience, sorry wasn’t clear. If I eat completely clean, with no cheat meals and no alcohol then I could lift alone. However I want to actually enjoy my time on this planet so I factor in the naughty stuff and factor it back out with a few 45 minute jump-abouts a week.
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    BOTH
  • JakeBrownVB
    JakeBrownVB Posts: 399 Member
    Jake - I was talking about my own personal experience, sorry wasn’t clear. If I eat completely clean, with no cheat meals and no alcohol then I could lift alone. However I want to actually enjoy my time on this planet so I factor in the naughty stuff and factor it back out with a few 45 minute jump-abouts a week.

    ahh fair nuff :D

    Probably the best reasoning I have ever heard for cardio
  • CindaWhite
    CindaWhite Posts: 104 Member
    vs... everyone tries to find the shortcuts.

    AND

    A lot of people do try to find the shortcuts but this OP simply wanted to know which would be better use of his time. He titled the question VS but he asked whether to do one over the other or both and why.

    I think it is sad that one person chose to be rude and insulting and totally dominated this topic in a way that was not at all beneficial to the OP. As for myself I have not been at this long enough to give a beneficial piece of advice so I came here to see what I could learn. I learned I don't care for one members posts. How sad.

    If it is of any help my favorite answer was the first one given by lovelylela415.
  • JakeBrownVB
    JakeBrownVB Posts: 399 Member
    This isn't the misc dude, chucking around the term *kitten* isn't going to go down well.

    hahaha yep I got that. off to the misc i go
  • Marks281172
    Marks281172 Posts: 127 Member
    Couple of points.

    As an ex powerlifter that competed in the 120kg+ category, for a long time I held the belief that cardio/conditioning was pointless and would hamper my lifting. It was only when I started to realise that the legends of powerlifting all did some form of conditioning, be it hill sprints, sled pulls, prowler pushing etc that I started bringing it and saw massive benefits, I wasn't burning out after the Squat which helped my bench and DL hugely... and also manged to drop down a weight category. Which was a huge benefit as I was no longer competing against guys 30kg heavier than me.

    Weight lifting burns as many cals as cardio? Based on what? Im doing a 5x5 program to try and hold on to some strength at least while eating a deficit and I have HRM'd a session. Im currently at 110kg on my bench and 160kg on my Squat so not tiny numbers, but it still comes in under 400 cals burnt in an hour session (5x5 Squat,Bench,Mil Press,Row then some assistance work). And its known that a HRM will over estimate weight lifting due to the heart rate spikes while lifting. Running even at my slow 6mph pace, your still looking at 6-700 cals an hour.

    Weight lifting is my thing, I love it and fat or not quite so fat its something I always do and love.. but at the old age of 40 I now realise you need to take a bigger picture approach to thing and cardio definitely has its place.

    ...and cardio doesn't have to mean sitting on an exercise bike in a gym for 2 hours 5 days a week :)

    For best results, personally I say do both.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Why this strange idea that you don't build muscle from cardio exercise. I don't know about most people but when I'm swimming I'm putting resistance on my muscles. When I'm running my legs are definitely getting the equivalent of weights trying to drag my 250 pound body along. Personally do what you enjoy. I do find the strange I'm right you're wrong attitude of Jake and some other lifting proponents rather childish. People should do the exercise that works for them. There is no right or wrong just what works for you personally be it cardio or lifting.
  • Marks281172
    Marks281172 Posts: 127 Member
    Agree Doob, my quads got a lot thicker and certainly more defined when I started running. Some of that will be fat loss of course but my outer sweep definitely got out there more :)

    ..and im sure most bodybuilders would kill for the shoulders swimmers have.
  • peggymdellinger
    peggymdellinger Posts: 151 Member
    Jake,

    spelling that word with a ph instead of an f will not work here.

    sorry, but you've discounted all credibility by doing that.

    I think, perhaps, that he simply can't spell judging by his misspelling of so many other words.... I love how he calls others "dumb" just after he spells lose with two o's. This is just one more poster to ignore when it comes to overall physical fitness.
  • lovelylela415
    lovelylela415 Posts: 91 Member
    circling back -

    agree with everyone. it's not cardio "versus" weight training. Like all things in life, we benefit from balance. At least i'm finding that I do, because i got on the scale today to find i've lost 6 lbs, and my body fat percentage is now in "athletic" range!!

    seems that myfitnesspal deleted jake's post with "ph" instead of F - Thank you to the powers that be. I appreciate you looking out for us, because that was certainly unproductive.
  • Lizzymama4
    Lizzymama4 Posts: 2
    Thanks for the info!!
  • kamccarter
    kamccarter Posts: 7
    If you're solely exercising for aesthetics, then fine, just do weights.

    But honestly, if you're at the gym anyway, wouldn't you want to reap the benefits from cardiovascular exercise? Aside from the increased calorie burn, you are strengthening your heart, lungs, brain, aside from the increase in strength in large muscle groups you apply. Let's also add the fact that your blood pumps more efficiently and reaches intrinsic muscles and capillaries that get the least nutrition during normal function.

    And I'm not just a cardio bunny, either. I lift.

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