Why do people cut cardio when lifting weights?
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Sorry but there are a couple of horrible myths in there!The way I understand it....
Lifting burns fat and BUILDS lean muscle.
Cardio burns fat and BURNS lean muscle.
So....it ultimately depends on what you want to do.
I'm still new at it....but that is basically what I've picked up.
I want to be strong AND slim down.....make my body better overall....and I have found that lifting does a MUCH better job than cardio in that department.
The more muscle you have the higher your metabolism...burning fat all day. Cardio only burns while you are doing it (and at the expense of lean muscle which helps burn fat)
So I lift and do minimal cardio for endurance. I may run one or twice a week if the lifting hasn't worn me down. It is VERY important to let your body rest between lifting workouts.
Edited to add.....I have bad knees and have had trouble with them for a few years now. The docs have had a hard time figuring out what was wrong. All but one pretty much told me I was getting old and to get over it and live with it (ticked me off). The one...the last one.....told me that (what should have been obvious to me) I just needed to lose a little weight and strengthen the muscles supporting my knees.
Long story short.........cardio hurt my knees until I started lifting (squats and deadlifts). Lifting strengthened my legs and knees so now running doesn't hurt anymore.
"Cardio burns fat and BURNS lean muscle." Incorrect - you would need a totally inadequate diet for your body to fuel itself with lean muscle. Not something ordinary people need to worry themselves. Cardio burns glycogen and fat.
"The more muscle you have the higher your metabolism...burning fat all day. Cardio only burns while you are doing it (and at the expense of lean muscle which helps burn fat)"
True in part but the resting calorie burn from added muscle is tiny. Both cardio and strength training have an EPOC effect - strength training far higher, small effect for cardio (HIIT higher than low intensity but not terribly significant).
This however is spot on "So....it ultimately depends on what you want to do."
As I have both strength and CV fitness goals I do both and accept that there is a compromise.
Thanks Hon....
I appreciate the feedback.......
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I cut cardio because lifting is freaking exhausting, and I found I didn't need it to lose weight.
^^ this0 -
Because cardio is sweaty and nasty and exhausting and doesn't make you look better.
Doesn't lifting make you sweaty?? and exhausted????
Not really, no.0 -
I cut cardio because lifting is freaking exhausting, and I found I didn't need it to lose weight.
^^ this
+10 -
I cut cardio because lifting is freaking exhausting, and I found I didn't need it to lose weight.
^^ this
+1
And, well... Cardio is just damn boring...0 -
Because cardio is sweaty and nasty and exhausting and doesn't make you look better.
Doesn't lifting make you sweaty?? and exhausted????
Not really, no.
hmm well I'm exhausted after heavy lifting!!0 -
Because cardio is sweaty and nasty and exhausting and doesn't make you look better.
Doesn't lifting make you sweaty?? and exhausted????
Not really, no.
hmm well I'm exhausted after heavy lifting!!
I'm tired in that I'm somewhat spent, but not exhausted the way I am after intense cardio. Lifting doesn't really burn calories and deplete glycogen the way cardio does.
I don't want to take a nap after 1-1.5 hours of lifting. After 1-1.5 hours of running all I want to do is sleep.0 -
Because cardio is sweaty and nasty and exhausting and doesn't make you look better.
Doesn't lifting make you sweaty?? and exhausted????
Not really, no.
hmm well I'm exhausted after heavy lifting!!
I'm tired in that I'm somewhat spent, but not exhausted the way I am after intense cardio. Lifting doesn't really burn calories and deplete glycogen the way cardio does.
I don't want to take a nap after 1-1.5 hours of lifting. After 1-1.5 hours of running all I want to do is sleep.
would you suggest doing cardio separate from weight lifting days??0 -
Because once I started lifting heavy weights, I realized how much I hate cardio.0
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Bumping for later reading0
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First let me offer that this is actually a great question and one that I am currently debating.
I will start working with a trainer on strength training tomorrow and while I do a little on my own I am looking to increase/improve my working out results. I love doing my cardio because it is the only my time and allows me to zone-out, I know he is going to cut my cardio down and though we will discuss this and come to a happy balance at least now I understand some to the reasoning why
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I am so jealous of people who can cut cardio!! I really wish I could, too, but when you only have 1200 calories a day to work with, getting a couple hundred extra to eat thanks to cardio counts for a lot
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CUZ GAINS...DONT WANNA LOZE THEM GAINZ...
Also you can get your heart rate up & sweat hard lifting weights...0 -
I am so jealous of people who can cut cardio!! I really wish I could, too, but when you only have 1200 calories a day to work with, getting a couple hundred extra to eat thanks to cardio counts for a lot
Working out to eat more is a fast way to have an unhealthy relationship with food.0 -
I haven't cut cardio but I have replaced some with lifting. I'm going on the advice of my trainer that the circuits he has designed for me are most efficient in fat loss. I have also heard though don't know the science on that cardio can burn muscle which I don't want.0
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I am so jealous of people who can cut cardio!! I really wish I could, too, but when you only have 1200 calories a day to work with, getting a couple hundred extra to eat thanks to cardio counts for a lot
Working out to eat more is a fast way to have an unhealthy relationship with food.
NO!! Last week I wanted a hot chocolate so I went for a walk first.0 -
A hard lifting session wears me completely out. I rarely have the steam to do any serious cardio after. I do some cardio on my rest days though, lately, it's been boxing drills but in the past it was light swimming, light running, walking, nothing too serious.0
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I am so jealous of people who can cut cardio!! I really wish I could, too, but when you only have 1200 calories a day to work with, getting a couple hundred extra to eat thanks to cardio counts for a lot
Working out to eat more is a fast way to have an unhealthy relationship with food.
^^ This.
Off topic but I personally don't log my exercise on MFP. I don't want to "eat away" my caloric burn from exercise.
As for me, I might do a little walking after a lifting session. If I'm feeling especially adventurous, I might do a couple rounds of HIIT on the treadmill. I lift heavy for reps 4x per week. I've been trying to increase strength on my lifts so I've been keeping my cardio to a minimum. This may change as my goals change. I'm thinking about cutting again. Summer is right around the corner.
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I am so jealous of people who can cut cardio!! I really wish I could, too, but when you only have 1200 calories a day to work with, getting a couple hundred extra to eat thanks to cardio counts for a lot
Working out to eat more is a fast way to have an unhealthy relationship with food.
NO!! Last week I wanted a hot chocolate so I went for a walk first.
Exactly. :flowerforyou:0 -
Because cardio is sweaty and nasty and exhausting and doesn't make you look better.
Doesn't lifting make you sweaty?? and exhausted????
Not really, no.
hmm well I'm exhausted after heavy lifting!!
I'm tired in that I'm somewhat spent, but not exhausted the way I am after intense cardio. Lifting doesn't really burn calories and deplete glycogen the way cardio does.
I don't want to take a nap after 1-1.5 hours of lifting. After 1-1.5 hours of running all I want to do is sleep.
would you suggest doing cardio separate from weight lifting days??
Eh. Do you really enjoy "cardio"? I don't "do cardio" in that I head to a treadmill or strap on running shoes for the purpose of cardiovascular exercise. Instead I find things I actually enjoy doing that happen to be active, such as racquetball, tennis, playing frisbee, or hiking. Then I do those things a couple times a week. The thought of hitting a gym to do cardio makes my skin crawl.
But yeah I try to do that sort of thing on non-lifting days.0 -
I do a longer weight session 3 days a week, followed by a run. I was doing 30 minute cardio and 40 min run, but I've changed that to a 40 min weight, 30 min run, then walk it down for 5-10 minutes. T, Th I do whatever cardio I want. Weekend are usually walks. I move every day because it makes me feel so great.0
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I was JUST thinking about this because I had my RMR tested and the trainer suggested that I start lifting to gain more muscle and cut back on the cardio. He suggested this because I, personally, am burning more sugar than fat. He wants to flip that so I burn more fat than sugars and to do that I can do cardio, but it won't get me to where I need to be. I also need to be at below 164 bpm to burn fat...as my heart rate goes up, my ration of fat to sugars flips. I don't know if that means I HAVE to reduce cardio...but at this point I'm in good shape so unless I'm training for a marathon for endurance I can cut back and just FOCUS more on the weights. I don't think I really answered your question, but just wanted to let you know I'm also sort of wondering why. Maybe once I build up more muscle I can kick in the cardio again to help lose some of the extra lbs. I do want to change my body comp and know that weights/resistance is the only thing that will do that from having done it in the past.
I have many many questions to ask but first fat to sugars or sugars to fat....what is he speaking of?
I think he is talking about the ability to manipulate substrate partitioning. I could be wrong but I think I recall seeing something that indicates that women are more sensitive to this cross over than men.
However, imo, it is worrying over things that have a negligible impact, especially when in a caloric deficit. Looking at things at the acute level often misses the overall impact.0 -
Someone on another post stated," I do cardio to lose weight, I lift weights to lose the jiggle." Great statement.0
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I honestly think not doing cardio might not be such a good thing for lifters.also, this is one of the best cardio workouts you'll ever get:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/par37.htm
that's a very complex lift, so start with just the bar and slowly add weight, focusing on proper form . watch a ton of videos of proper form, and shoot video to share online for a form check. don't let your ego get the best of you.
Since cardio tends to take a beating let me at least give it some props for being generally simple. The whole, "watch your form. do lots of research," aspect of lifting is the biggest turn of for someone with an average/slightly below average level of fitness. I'm just happy getting healthier and a little better looking. I don't need to feel like I'm training for the Olympics or like everyone at the gym is going to hold up a score card after my sets over. That's probably me showing how Type B I am but whatever.
to each their own, i think even cardio is more complex than you may think. Frankly, most people use improper form when doing ANY exercise, be it cardio or lifting. Every time i go to the gym I see people running and landing on their toes or heels, or riding a stationary bike with the pedal too close to their toe or heel.
Hang cleans are a complex lift in that if involves multiple movements and there is a risk for injury. That is not to say complex means difficult, though.
You do make a good point in that I think lifting is intimidating for a lot of people because they're not sure how of proper form and recognize the potential for injury. I'm not sure I would have ever started lifting had a coworker not shown me the ropes at our work gym.
My routine the last year especially has been pretty much all cardio. I rejoined the gym a few weeks ago and am working with a trainer on the weights and she's actually impressed with where I'm starting. I'm working my muscles to serious fatigue, yet within a day I'm able to do some decent cardio. I'm finding I can't do anything the day I work legs (especially after!) but the day after I work legs, I can run. And I run very steep hills, so it's quite the workout.
Cardio helps you learn to breathe and it builds endurance and I can't see how that isn't useful to a lifting routine.
I know I'm new at all this, but this has been my observation of my own body and abilities.
There are lifting routines that are built to work on endurance, so not sure why you think you can't build endurance, stamina or even cardio with lifting.
Try doing a few sets of kroc rows (of up to 25 reps per set) and tell me that doesn't help build endurance or cardio.0 -
Working out to eat more is a fast way to have an unhealthy relationship with food.
Why would you say that? It seems pretty logical to me, and the whole way MFP is set up seems designed for exercising so you can eat the calories from it! There are a lot of people who feel fine on 1200 calories flat, and that's awesome for them, but it leaves me feeling hungry/tired all the time, so I do cardio to help give me some leeway. I don't really think that's unhealthy when it's what keeps me on track for my deficit goals. :huh:0 -
Because once I started lifting heavy weights, I realized how much I hate cardio.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I feel like I'm chasing my tail doing those cardio classes! lol
(although as an ex-smoker I do enjoy running.....because I was never able to before)0 -
I think it truly depends on the person's goal. If they are in a caloric surplus with the goal of adding size and strength, cardio isn't really needed for this period of time. Now, someone may enjoy cardio and still do it, but it's not something that really adds to the goal of size and strength.
For some, myself included, cardio is not enjoyable. I do prefer, however, to play sports like indoor soccer or basketball to meet that need. For me, "that need" would be when I'm at a caloric deficit with the intent to burn fat and am not aiming for size and strength gains, at that time.0 -
Because cardio is sweaty and nasty and exhausting and doesn't make you look better.
Doesn't lifting make you sweaty?? and exhausted????
Not really, no.
hmm well I'm exhausted after heavy lifting!!
I'm tired in that I'm somewhat spent, but not exhausted the way I am after intense cardio. Lifting doesn't really burn calories and deplete glycogen the way cardio does.
I don't want to take a nap after 1-1.5 hours of lifting. After 1-1.5 hours of running all I want to do is sleep.
would you suggest doing cardio separate from weight lifting days??
Eh. Do you really enjoy "cardio"? I don't "do cardio" in that I head to a treadmill or strap on running shoes for the purpose of cardiovascular exercise. Instead I find things I actually enjoy doing that happen to be active, such as racquetball, tennis, playing frisbee, or hiking. Then I do those things a couple times a week. The thought of hitting a gym to do cardio makes my skin crawl.
But yeah I try to do that sort of thing on non-lifting days.
Ya I actually do like cardio its my time to think!! lol But i've cut back on it alot and started focusing on weight training ! the results have been amazing too!0 -
Ya I actually do like cardio its my time to think!! lol But i've cut back on it alot and started focusing on weight training ! the results have been amazing too!
Then by all means do it. I suggest you limit yourself to no more than 3 days a week and preferably on non-lifting days.0 -
Or a fast way to have a healthy relationship with exercise!Working out to eat more is a fast way to have an unhealthy relationship with food.
I am aware I need to be careful in 'exercising for cake', as it can be easy to get used to eating more calories - though part of that means making an effort to eat appropriate food on days I don't.
Note that I never really like/liked 'pure' cardio like running - however now I'm better at it I've been out for a good few runs recently on my own. I don't tend to push myself as much as when with others.
Knowing that you need an hour's exercise to justify a nice dessert in the evening can be a good motivator to make different food choices!
Incidentally, I've found that I actually do better doing cardio and strength on the same day - however always with a 6-8 hours between them, so glycogen stores can be replenished. I've been surprised to find that I often seem to do better with cardio first! My legs may feel a bit tired the next day, but often don't later on the same day0
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