Is cardio really necessary?

dainali

Ok, random question, & during my search I've found semi mixed reviews. I think it was based mostly on personal preference, but my question is this:
do I really need cardio if I don't truly have much, if any, weight to lose?
I'm around 115-120 (need a more accurate weight but that's what I have for now), so at 5'3 I'm not really in need of losing weight, per say. What I need is to increase my lean muscle, hence my investment more in weight lifting rather than cardio. Not to mention...well, aside from the benefit of heart health, I really hate cardio. I just can't run around for hours & miles & be remotely happy. I can do it in the context of a sport, or something like kickboxing for example, but....other than that I really have never enjoyed it (& this is coming from a former soccer player).
I know weight loss is all about calories, whether you have a deficit or not, so I understand the logic behind that. I just want to really know if, aside from lifting, if cardio is really all that necessary. It probably wouldn't hurt me to do it, but right now there's quite a bit of snow on the ground where I live, thus running is rather difficult, as is getting into town where the gym even is. Maybe when it gets warmer I'll incorporate it a bit more but for now...is it ok to focus mainly on getting stronger?

kmuree

I honestly don't know whether or not it's ideal to weightlift alone with no cardio, but cardio does have incredible benefits, regardless of your side, age or goal. Even as little as thirty minutes can be so good for the little things you never even think of.

I, like you, can't run for hours on end, because I simply don't enjoy it. The key is finding something you do enjoy. You'd be surprised how fast a little cardio goes by if you do fifteen on an elliptical and fifteen on a spinning bike. (Or, since you're not near a gym, even a little fitness DVD - Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred is a great little cardio burst and it's free on YouTube).

Good luck on finding your answer!

Natmarie73

My personal trainer who has trained tri-atheltes and fitness models told me that if I want to lose body fat I need to do cardio but if I want to build lean muscle I need to strength train. I am doing both as I have some body fat to lose but not a lot and also want to bulk up a bit. So I guess if you don't want to lose any body fat then cardio is not really necessary as long as you don't eat too much.

It would be more important to strength train so you don't lose any muscle mass.

vanguardfitness

Not at all. A lot of lifters on this site strictly lift. I find that cardio strips away lean body mass too much and haven't done it in years. Once in a blue moon when it's warm out I might go out for some interval running. But that doesn't last me more than 15-20 minutes, and if it interferes with my recovery then I just don't do it.

My resting pulse is in the high 40s to low 50s

Arranna1212

Cardio isn't necessary to achieve a lean body. I have friends who HATE cardio and they're pretty damn fit. I have two male friends that are around 170 lbs and about 10% body fat and neither of them do cardio.

spamantha57

Please keep doing cardio! You don't want to be 30 years old & end up with heart issues even though you eat fabulous!
As far as the losing weight thing, both cardio & strength training are ideal. They compliment each other. They will help you reach your goals quicker & make you feel great too.

- NESTA certified

kwyze

I would recommend still doing SOME cardio even if its just a brisk walk or taking the stairs...
Obviously we all want to look great and you can achieve that with diet and weights but who wants to be the person gasping for breath if they have to walk up a slight hill?? There are more benefits to cardio then weightloss...

florentinovillaro

I would personally continue BOTH. One for strength, toning and muscle. The other for heart health, cutting and definition. Then again, it depends on the final look you want to achieve.

jasonredmond1994

You don't need to do cardio to lose weight. Start off on a small deficit of 200-300, when you hit a stalling point (which should take awhile) and the weight isn't coming off anymore increase the deficit to 400-500 and continue doing this in small increments until you're where you want to be. I think cardio should be used as a last resort for losing weight once you're finding that you have dropped your calories as far as they can comfortably go then you will want to look at increasing your physical activity instead of lowering your calories any further. This approach is more for someone looking to hold onto their muscle though.

Hornsby

You don't need to do cardio to lose weight. Start off on a small deficit of 200-300, when you hit a stalling point (which should take awhile) and the weight isn't coming off anymore increase the deficit to 400-500 and continue doing this in small increments until you're where you want to be. I think cardio should be used as a last resort for losing weight once you're finding that you have dropped your calories as far as they can comfortably go then you will want to look at increasing your physical activity instead of lowering your calories any further. This approach is more for someone looking to hold onto their muscle though.

The OP said she didn't need to lose weight but wants to add lean body mass. Why would you recommend she eat at a deficit?

obsidianwings

Cardio during bulking is especially unnecessary, but even when you are trying to lose its not needed, as long as you eat under calories, assuming you don't care about cardiovascular fitness

MeanderingMammal

do I really need cardio if I don't truly have much, if any, weight to lose?

Bluntly, no if you're talking purely about weight loss. But you're clearly not talking purely about weight loss.

For all round health your ideal is a balanced programme of resistance and CV training, the two are complementary. That said the term "Cardio" encompasses a lot of different things, from tedious hamster wheels in the gym to routinely doing Century rides once a week. Personally I enjoy running for a range of reasons, but I find lifting tedious in the extreme so limit myself to bodyweight work as a necessary evil.

What I've derived from a lot of discussion on here is that lots of the lifting zealots claim to do no cardio, but then describe the things that they do that deliver a CV benefit; skipping, circuits, sprint intervals etc.

alisonlynn1976

It's something that helps me create a calorie deficit, but it's not necessary for weight loss, no.

Qskim

Unlike you I've still got a little to lose. I hate most cardio too. I do two weight sessions per week (some HIIT) with a PT and kickboxing at home whenever but I like it. It's probably the only cardio I enjoy. Other than that I just try to be busy.

Quite honestly, with the changes and results I've had from lifting I'm finding it hard to give a damn about the scales so given you aren't really looking to lose weight perhaps just focus predominately on weight training for changes in body composition.

There's a good group on here called Eat, train, progress. They can help you with setting yourself up for the goals you want.

slhall0822

Disclaimer: I am by no means an expert on this subject. That being said, I know cardio is really good for your heart (regardless of your weight) and overall circulatory health, which in turn is good for your entire body because your blood is the medium that circulates nutrients to every cell in your body.

That alone motivates me to incorporate cardio into my routine, more so than the weight loss benefits used to motivate me... especially now that I'm getting older and I'm becoming more concerned about my heart health and how I feel mentally versus my reflection in the mirror Good luck figuring out what works best for you.

toddis

I'd guess it depends on how lean you want to get? Or if you are just concerned with the weight or also with health.

Body builders during contest prep do cardio. You don't have to narrowly define cardio as the stuff you find boring.
HIIT is amazing and challenging. Circuit weight training with short breaks. Going for an hour walk, etc.

bionicbody

I find that interval running works for me....I don't like long distance running....short sharp bursts make me feel physically and mentally better...that along with walking and yoga...

Meggles63

I find that interval running works for me....I don't like long distance running....short sharp bursts make me feel physically and mentally better...that along with walking and yoga...

This^^ I do intervals once a week and weight lifting 3 days a week. Lifting weights can do just as good a job for cardiac health as running.

Deadlay

To rephrase, is cardio really necessary for weight loss? No.

But it is necessary for me because of job requirements and I find lifting and running compliment each other.

rockmama72

I like videos labeled as "toning" for this very reason. You get the benefits of strengthening with either hand weights or body weight, plus you get a decent elevation in heart rate because of the pace. There are some cardio Pilates videos I've been wanting to try.

JobyHux

Physical activity is a plus, but I've lost 40lbs and I never run. Just a good diet... Plus I kill it at the gym with the weights!

OverDoIt

If you do a circuit or super-sets, meaning less than 30 seconds rest in between you should be good. When we lift challenging and heavy weights in rapid succesion we are really getting the blood pumping and the heart rate going. You may want to condense your workout/split and use super-sets for a few weeks to see how your body is responding. Everyone is different, and we do not all fit into the same box that makes writing books and programs for fitness so simple. If you find yourself sweating and shaking and huffing and puffing at the end you will know you clocked in and got to work. You are a snowflake, there is no one else like you so train according to what your body tells you.

FlowersInTheDirt

To build lean muscle mass no.
But for your general health cardio is a necessity.
Even if it's just 10 mins a day it will help keep your body healthy.

I'm with you, I hate cardio but it needs to be done.

mumblemagic

Most people say that health wise, cardio is good for you, so I would say keep doing it. I doubt it will hurt not doing it for a couple of weeks while there is snow on the ground, but in general I should think it's good for you.

However, there is no reason you have to do boring cardio. I like running, but many people do not. You could:
- go dancing, nightclub, dance class, or on your own in your bedroom to cheesy music you would never admit to enjoying
- use a workout DVD
- go cycling
- do kickboxing or martial arts
- try fencing, actually this is supposed to be one of the best cardio sports you could do apparently
- play tennis, badminton, squash etc. with your friends
- go swimming

There is absolutely no reason why cardio has to be a chore. You could mix it up a little, too.

MichaelVRenner

Cardio work out should be part of your daily life to stay heart healthy.

Bry_Fitness70

I think people who don't like cardio or struggle with cardio will tell you that it isn't necessary. For 20-30 something year olds, sharing your low HR or shirtless selfie without cardio isn't exactly telling us anything - let's see what impact a cardio-free life will have on you when you are 40, 50 and beyond.

emboslice94

I don't like cardio.

But I have a higher BF% so I do it to get rid of weight. lately, after every lifting set, I do 1 minute of jump rope, does the trick for me plus its fun.

SideSteel

I think people who don't like cardio or struggle with cardio will tell you that it isn't necessary. For 20-30 something year olds, sharing your low HR or shirtless selfie without cardio isn't exactly telling us anything - let's see what impact a cardio-free life will have on you when you are 40, 50 and beyond.

Do you think that someone who trains in a variety of rep ranges at moderate and high intensities is going to have negative impacts on health markers later in life because they missed out on specific adaptations from performing cardio?

I doubt this is the case.

Now I'm not trying to build a case AGAINST cardio. But I certainly question whether an athletic person who resistance trains at high intensity is missing out on basic health benefits by not performing cardio.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

No, you don't have to do cardio.


But cardio /= jogging. If you enjoy kickboxing or soccer, do that instead. There are adult leagues, classes, etc. I enjoy mountain biking. Sometimes I force myself to do the boring machines to keep in shape for the biking but it's all biking motivated.

toddis

I think people who don't like cardio or struggle with cardio will tell you that it isn't necessary. For 20-30 something year olds, sharing your low HR or shirtless selfie without cardio isn't exactly telling us anything - let's see what impact a cardio-free life will have on you when you are 40, 50 and beyond.

Do you think that someone who trains in a variety of rep ranges at moderate and high intensities is going to have negative impacts on health markers later in life because they missed out on specific adaptations from performing cardio?

I doubt this is the case.

Now I'm not trying to build a case AGAINST cardio. But I certainly question whether an athletic person who resistance trains at high intensity is missing out on basic health benefits by not performing cardio.

I believe both have specific adaptations.

If one weight trains in a cardio fashion, is it still weight training? (circuits, very short rest periods, higher rep ranges)

ironanimal

I think people who don't like cardio or struggle with cardio will tell you that it isn't necessary. For 20-30 something year olds, sharing your low HR or shirtless selfie without cardio isn't exactly telling us anything - let's see what impact a cardio-free life will have on you when you are 40, 50 and beyond.

Do you think that someone who trains in a variety of rep ranges at moderate and high intensities is going to have negative impacts on health markers later in life because they missed out on specific adaptations from performing cardio?

I doubt this is the case.

Now I'm not trying to build a case AGAINST cardio. But I certainly question whether an athletic person who resistance trains at high intensity is missing out on basic health benefits by not performing cardio.

I believe both have specific adaptations.

If one weight trains in a cardio fashion, is it still weight training? (circuits, very short rest periods, higher rep ranges)

By the same token, if you can still tax your cardiovascular capacity and build it over a period of time to increase endurance, without doing ''cardio'', what benefit does it provide to someone who does not desire to be exceptionally good at running/cycling etc?

My own anecdotal experience is that my capacity for running and swimming have improved, with no real effort dedicated to the activities over the last year and a bit, purely through regular weight training. I always push myself to the limit - and that places a heavy strain on the cardiovascular system, regardless of the activity undertaken.