is cardio skippable if you lift?

micqs

Hello! I am about a month and a half into a lifting program and it has started adding cardio at the tail end of the workout. My question is, is this really necessary? I go to the gym for an hour and spend basically the whole hour lifting. So I guess I am just slow. Id really prefer not to be at the gym longer than an hour as I go prior to work and get up at 430 to do so but I mean if I am unable to reach my goal solely lifting alone, Ive got to change something. My fitness goal is to lose weight while gaining muscle and toning. How important is cardio in relation to my goal?

supratt

Not counting the obvious things like improving your heart health and mental well-being, cardio will just allow you to eat more. This is due to two things: the calories you burn while you do the cardio, and the extra calories you burn from your increased metabolism after you finish your cardio.

There is no requirement to do cardio in order to lose weight. You have exactly the right approach with your lifting, which will prevent muscle loss while you are on a caloric deficit. If you want to eat more, then by all means do the cardio and eat back the calories.

supratt

I just re-read the last sentence of your post, where you said you want to gain muscle while you lose weight. It is impossible to gain muscle while you are at a caloric deficit. The best you can hope for is to minimise loss of existing muscle mass.

micqs

I dont need/want to eat more. I guess my main goal is to lose weight, muscle and toning are added bonuses I eat anywhere from 1700-1900 calories a day. I use TDEE to calculate calorie intake so that's where I get my cal numbers from.

jwdieter

You can achieve your appearance goals without cardio.

gmallan

Nope cardio is definitely not necessary for muscle gain and technically not necessary for weight loss either although some people find it either speeds things up or allows them to have a bit more flexibility in their diet (i.e. eat more).

The problem with your goal as listed is that gaining muscle and losing weight are opposing processes. Generally speaking gaining muscle requires a calorie surplus (as you're building) and losing weight (fat) requires a calorie deficit. There's a fair bit of debate on this topic but the commonly held view is that beyond some initial "newbie" muscle gains when you first start lifting you won't be able to build muscle while at a calorie deficit.

So basically if you're got a lot of weight to lost then you probably want to eat at a slight deficit (but plenty of protein) while lifting to retain most of the muscle mass you have and then once you get closer to your goal weight start doing bulk/cut cycles to build muscle.

The only thing to note is that while you can't build significant amounts of muscle in a deficit you can gain strength through neuromuscular adaption.

Also in order to focus on different goals: strength, size, endurance you need to properly structure your lifting program towards your goal. Generally low reps build strength, middle range reps build size and higher reps build endurance.

Final point I promise. While cardio isn't necessary to meet your physique goals, it is important for other reasons like heart health and cardiovascular fitness so I would never recommed cutting it completely. Also good on days where you are extra hungry or have special events that involve eating.

Best of luck

tindy5799

I've definitely gotten substantially stronger while eating at a deficit (last summer, I did heavy weight lifting + eating 1500 calories a day), my lean body mass increased and body fat decreased. I've been repeatedly told that this is physically impossible but my test results at the beginning and three months later didn't support that. I'd say keep doing what you are doing and skip the cardio if you're like me and hate it. I would eat a little more if you are lifting and not counting that as burning any calories. I usually just have a one scoop protein shake after and don't log that as it "balances out" my 1-1.5 hours of weight lifting.

Sactown900

Not necessary, but it adds to your calories deficit. My workouts are 45 minutes with 30 second rests between sets.

I am still losing, clothes looser and still gaining strength. My cycling and walking (30 minutes on the "non-lift" days) add endurance to what it takes for me to get enough O2 while flying through a whole body workout every "3rd day."

I also do not eat my exercise calories. If I do 400 calories of cycling and lifting thats 2800 calories a week I get to deduct. I have lost 30 lbs in the past 12 months working out this way.

20 more to go.

Stay with it.

lsmsrbls

There's no need to do cardio if you don't care about your health.

__freckles__

There's no need to do cardio if you don't care about your health.

Huh? :huh:

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WalkingAlong

Read "The New Rules of Lifting". There's no need to lift for an hour and then do 'cardio'. Or even lift for an hour.

randomtai

There's no need to do cardio if you don't care about your health.

:huh:

wassergottin

No, you need to do at least some cardio each week. It's good for your cardiovascular health. Honestly, cardio is why I have such awesome health stats (combined with healthy eating) and weights are good for your health as well. It's recommended to do at least 30 minutes of some form of cardio (walking, running, biking, swimming, eliptical, climbing stairs, horseback riding, etc.) thrice weekly. (Coming from a woman with an avg. blood pressure of 100/60 and a heart rate of 45 bpm. Also, with a healthy blood panel. ) Before I did consistent cardio, my heart rate was above 60 bpm.

LolBroScience

There's no need to do cardio if you don't care about your health.

lolwut

basillowe66

Cardio is necessary for a healthy heart. You might alternate your lifting and cadio every other day or so!!

Basil

jonnythan

Cardio after lifting may be counterproductive to muscle maintenance or growth. It burns calories but is not in any way necessary, especially right after lifting.

It's good for your cardiovascular health, but so is lifting. Don't feel like you need to do cardio. I do suggest you find some activity you enjoy rather than putting in hours on a treadmill or something.

LolBroScience

No, you need to do at least some cardio each week. It's good for your cardiovascular health. Honestly, cardio is why I have such awesome health stats (combined with healthy eating) and weights are good for your health as well. It's recommended to do at least 30 minutes of some form of cardio (walking, running, biking, swimming, eliptical, climbing stairs, horseback riding, etc.) thrice weekly. (Coming from a woman with an avg. blood pressure of 100/60 and a heart rate of 45 bpm. Also, with a healthy blood panel. ) Before I did consistent cardio, my heart rate was above 60 bpm.

It is beneficial for cardiovascular health. However, you don't need it... i have your exact same health markers and don't do any cardio.

usmcmp

There's no need to do cardio if you don't care about your health.

There are studies that prove that lifting weights alone improves your cardiovascular health.

dare2love81

Depends on what your goal is. If your goal is to lose fat, then yes, doing 30-45 minutes of cardio after lifting will help to speed this process. Cardio in excess of that will start to tap into your muscle.

Having said that, a lot of my friends on here lost fat from lifting alone. So really, it's all up to you and trying different things to see what works best. Personally, I lose fat easier/faster if I do cardio after lifting - but I also have a fair amount of fat left to lose.

Unfortunately, there is no "one fits all" answer here...

jonnythan

Depends on what your goal is. If your goal is to lose fat, then yes, doing 30-45 minutes of cardio after lifting will help to speed this process. Cardio in excess of that will start to tap into your muscle.

Having said that, a lot of my friends on here lost fat from lifting alone. So really, it's all up to you and trying different things to see what works best. Personally, I lose fat easier/faster if I do cardio after lifting - but I also have a fair amount of fat left to lose.

Unfortunately, there is no "one fits all" answer here...

Your "45 minutes" is arbitrary. Where did you get that number?

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dare2love81

Depends on what your goal is. If your goal is to lose fat, then yes, doing 30-45 minutes of cardio after lifting will help to speed this process. Cardio in excess of that will start to tap into your muscle.

Having said that, a lot of my friends on here lost fat from lifting alone. So really, it's all up to you and trying different things to see what works best. Personally, I lose fat easier/faster if I do cardio after lifting - but I also have a fair amount of fat left to lose.

Unfortunately, there is no "one fits all" answer here...

Your "45 minutes" is arbitrary. Where did you get that number?

From several trainers and a few bodybuilders. I know it's not quoting a specific scientific journal, but I figure if they follow that and it's working for them, there must be *some* truth to it.

Cardio in excess will deplete/diminish muscle growth after lifting, however I don't know that it's been scientifically determined how much is "excess". I don't think it's fair to say that ANY cardio after lifting will hinder muscle growth though.

I just go with what I see working for those who have been doing this awhile...but, I also recognize that this may not work for everyone. It's just my opinion. *shrugs* I don't pretend to have all the answers. Believe me, if I did, I wouldn't be hanging out on MFP's forums...

SLLRunner

There's no need to do cardio if you don't care about your health.

Well, shoot, I love my carido but your response is presumptuous. Just because someone chooses not to do cardio does not mean they don't care about their health, it just means they do not want to do cardio.

RaggedyPond

If I want to do cardio I just lift faster.

booyainyoface

cardio is boring... but good for your heart. maybe add some plyometrics between your weight sets- you could add box jumps or squats between upper body sets, and jump rope or something between lower body stuff.

SideSteel

If I want to do cardio I just lift faster.

i did 9 reps on a set of squats the other day.

That was cardio.

RaggedyPond

Heck yea it is.

supratt

cardio is boring... but good for your heart. maybe add some plyometrics between your weight sets- you could add box jumps or squats between upper body sets, and jump rope or something between lower body stuff.

Cardio in a gym might be boring, but there is plenty of other cardio you can do that is very enjoyable. I love nothing more than going for a 10km run around the edge of the bay where I live. I honestly think cardio does wonders for my mental health and general mood, but it's true that it is NOT required for weight loss.

suziepoo1984

I do only the cardio that is fun for me, like zumba, hip-hop, u-jam and recently running) and as a bonus i get to eat more calories! Lifting makes me feel stronger and sexier and i love the feeling!