Is cardio really necessary?

mina5000

I think you should do everything. Switch it up
Cardio, weights, bodyweight toning, pilates/yoga. Keep your body surprised and keep it moving and eat clean

Capt_Apollo

I think you should do everything. Switch it up
Cardio, weights, b]bodyweight toning[/b], pilates/yoga. Keep your body surprised and keep it moving and eat clean

what is body weight toning?

and consistency gets results. no need to switch things up and keep your body surprised.

asciident

Cardio's not necessary to maintain weight (or lose it) but it's important for heart and lung health. Even just some walking is fine. Which is probably why quite a few lifters don't bother. They're probably walking around and getting cardio in incidentally that they don't have to make a workout of it.

1pandabear

It is not very sexy, but while routine cardio is like fiber in your diet, both are good for clean arteries, they help to prevent stroke and heart failure. Personally I don't want a stroke. But cardio doesn't have to be boring. Karate classes, for example. Karate offers lots of cardio, plus develops your balance, flexibility, coordination and the ability to defend yourself.

holliebevineau

Cardio just feels good. It keeps my energy level up throughout the day and I am always in a better mood after workout. Good Luck!!

mina5000

I think you should do everything. Switch it up
Cardio, weights, b]bodyweight toning[/b], pilates/yoga. Keep your body surprised and keep it moving and eat clean

what is body weight toning?

and consistency gets results. no need to switch things up and keep your body surprised.

Body weight toning - doing squats and lunges, push ups, one arm push ups, tricep dips. a workout with out weights and holding a move such as planks. Keeping every muscle in your body contracted to get a decent calorie burn.
i add jump squats burpees too. I just like to switch up my workouts as i get bored but i have a routine. i dont do the same thing two days in a row,

tjthegreatone

I do both. Cardio 5-6 days a week, strength 2-3 times a week.

I fell completely out with restricting my diet and I pretty much eat what I want (I log it all). A few months back something snapped, and after 3 years of obsessing about my diet I figured life's too short.

I do lots of cardio so I can eat more without turning into a complete heifer. And I love the endorphins. It means that despite eating 2500-3000kcal a day for the past four months I have only gained about 5-10lb from my low weight. And I'll take those pounds to have my life and sanity back.

I strength train because it is fun. However it is pretty hard work, takes up a fair bit of time and the next day is usually wiped out by DOMS. And sometimes I find myself thinking that I'm spending an hour plus after work in an environment I paid for to do what many people used to do as a matter of course as part of their daily activities half a century ago (manual labour).

Can't say I look any more 'toned' and ripped than when I didn't strength train, but then I'm female and have a bit more body fat than before so.

Frankly I reckon that as far as heart health goes, genetics are far more important.

dainali

I think you should do everything. Switch it up
Cardio, weights, b]bodyweight toning[/b], pilates/yoga. Keep your body surprised and keep it moving and eat clean

what is body weight toning?

and consistency gets results. no need to switch things up and keep your body surprised.

Body weight toning - doing squats and lunges, push ups, one arm push ups, tricep dips. a workout with out weights and holding a move such as planks. Keeping every muscle in your body contracted to get a decent calorie burn.
i add jump squats burpees too. I just like to switch up my workouts as i get bored but i have a routine. i dont do the same thing two days in a row,

I do enjoy doing both body weight workouts & things such as burpees, mountain climbers, etc. Using those sort of helps get my heart rate up, since right now I'm doing a lot of this at home due to the horrid weather. Going to the gym when the roads are covered in snow & ice is...terrifying (I only manage to go into town for school, but even then I'm scared). So for now I've been doing a lot of that. It has helped & I know I'll work some more 'proper' cardio into my routine sooner or later. Though I admit I'm rather out of shape cardio wise, since when I was doing the Jillian Michael's ripped in 30 DVD....even the 2 minutes of cardio in her intervals made me want to die. Slightly sad, especially since I'm young, but eh. Working on it.

But I do like to switch things up in terms of cardio since I know I get bored with it if it isn't somewhat 'fun' to me. Weight lifting is never boring for some reason, but cardio...I've just never enjoyed it. So by switching it up that'll help I'm sure. Intervals/HIIT would probably keep me on my toes. So I agree with switching things up in that aspect since I know I'll need it or I won't stick with it. Short attention span when it comes to cardio I guess :P

rockmama72

OP, definitely check out the Fitness Blender website. They have exactly what you've described in all different lengths and fitness levels. I've got a foot of snow too so I'm using it a ton!

Wendy__D

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).

So why not just do it in the context of a sport? Join a kickboxing class, an ultimate frisbee league, etc., etc. If gym equipment type cardio (treadmill, bike, elliptical) bores you, maybe something where you push your heart and enjoy friends would fit the bill?

patriciapowerswilliamson

Hello,
I just wanted to add that walking is cardio. Cardio is very important for your heart maintenance of a health blood pressure. Walking up and down hills for just 30 minutes at a brisk pace is all you need.

I would never take exercise advice from anyone who thinks that cardio is not important.

Capt_Apollo

i would never take exercise advice from someone who thinks that walking up and down hills for just 30 minutes is all you need.


you can go run a mile. you can go walk four. you can swim. you can go for a bike ride or a hike.

hills for thirty minutes being all you need? pick your words more carefully next time.

WheezyFbb

Cardio is associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes regardless of weight loss achieved, so from a health point of view, cardio is good for you.

However, if you (like myself) dread cardio, then don't get discouraged and give up on exercising altogether. There are other exercises you can do (i.e. resistance training, sports, dancing, etc) that can also help you get healthier. I personally haven't done cardio in years.

ChaplainHeavin

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?

Cardio may not be necessary to lose weight but it will be essential in being fit. If you want to be able to walk up a flight of stairs without gasping when you're 40 or 50 I would suggest you start doing something at least 3 times a week. Fast walking works great.

RGv2

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.

:huh:

jirwin323

I always thought it mattered until my son surprised me, after not seeing each other for a year (he lives very far away and can only come home at Christmas) he lost 130pds just by eating 1350 calories a day. NO CARDIO no strength training. I wouldn't do it that way but you can't argue with success. He is now focused on bulking and cutting.

BTW - he secretly videoed our reaction and posted it on the internet only to have The Today show interview us about his most wonderful surprise - http://www.today.com/health/son-surprises-parents-130-pound-weight-loss-2D11876422.

obsidianwings

I always thought it mattered until my son surprised me, after not seeing each other for a year (he lives very far away and can only come home at Christmas) he lost 130pds just by eating 1350 calories a day. NO CARDIO no strength training. I wouldn't do it that way but you can't argue with success. He is now focused on bulking and cutting.

BTW - he secretly videoed our reaction and posted it on the internet only to have The Today show interview us about his most wonderful surprise - http://www.today.com/health/son-surprises-parents-130-pound-weight-loss-2D11876422.

Wow that is so cool! Congrats to him!

ElliottTN

If you like food and booze as much as me then cardio is a must or else you will be eating those 100 calorie snack packs for dinner every night.

obsidianwings

If you like food and booze as much as me then cardio is a must or else you will be eating those 100 calorie snack packs for dinner every night.

LOL I can relate to this

ninerbuff

For cardiovascular health? Yes. To lose weight or body fat? No.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition