Cardio doesn't help you lose weight...

erickirb

Please everyone, lets all refrain from feeding the troll.

iuangina

When I say something, people think I'm arguing, but when other people say something, they think the person is giving knowledge. I don't have time to fight with people. If a person believes I'm wrong, then fine. Use the ignore button.

I could never do this. You complete me.:flowerforyou:

:laugh:

Steven

Hello Posters,

I've received many requests this morning to moderate this thread. I am happy to oblige on the counts of personal attack, insults, etc.

Unfortunately, I and the other moderators are not medical authorities, so I can't step in, as requested, and delete posts based on their factual content. I can ask that the debate remain civil, and that the name-calling and pouring-of-fuel on the drama fire cease.

This is actually a rather nuanced topic, and most members would benefit from having the concepts in this thread clarified. Please avoid sweeping generalizations, and make every attempt to distinguish personal opinion from scientific fact.

Please be aware that from this post forward, any personal attacks, insults, or drama-mongering will result in folks being blocked from the topic. Please keep it civil.

Thanks,
Steven
MyFitnessPal Staff

poisongirl6485

Or doesnt understand what the term "after burn" means in this context.

What does it means?

Oh geez. I don't see how it's hard to understand.

Muscles burn more calories than fat. So by LIFTING WEIGHTS, you're helping your muscles to burn more fat at rest and while working out, even doing cardio. So doing cardio by itself is fine, but if you add in strength training too, the muscles will be MORE EFFECTIVE at burning fat around the clock. Basically, your body will become more efficient at burning calories.

AZackery

Just because you prefer Cardio does not mean that weight lifting doesnt burn fat. AZackery Please do research before you give such strong, bold statements. Or say in your opinion.

If I only lift weights, how long will it take me to lose fat?

what923

People say it's all diet, and while it does seem to be mostly diet for me, I swear I AM losing more weight on the days I do cardio (even when eating the exercise calories back). There has to be some individual variation if everyone has such strong opinions one way or another.

Keep in mind that exercise also increases your metabolism for 1-2 days after the exercise session. So if you burn 500 calories running, and then eat 500 calories back, you'll still be burning additional calories as your body rebuilds your muscles and strengthens them.

AMEN! I find ahamm002's explanation to match most closely to what I was thinking.
Plus- where is the love? Can't we all just get along. Honestly when people ask me what I'm doing to lose so much weight I answer (not to be cocky but truthful) "I'm working my a** off!" Overall fitness is a full-time tricky job. Not that my trainer is perfect but most of what he's told me put together with hello...COMMON SENSE!... and what I've read makes for a comprehensive plan. It is super tricky to do everything- create a calorie deficit to lose weight (could be fat or muscle), eat properly so your body has enough energy to burn the max amount of calories when you do work out no matter what you are doing (your body metabilism will slow down if it thinks it's starving), AND maintain/increase muscle to stay 'fit'. Sometimes the advice seems counterintuitive- like when muscle training you may need to eat more calories (especially protein) so your body can build the muscles and you may put on a little weight (muscle= heavier than fat) before you start to lose...but we all know (or should if you don't) that you can easily maintain weight and lose lots of inches (you are transferring the larger fat for the leaner & heavier muscle- to be clear it's not always easy to do this but usually at the beginning if you have a moderate amount to lose).
This is not as easy as it appears- it's practically rocket science! ha

AZackery

because you are spreading false truths.

Believe what you want.

SteveO1966

Exercise is a must but in my experience diet is at least 75% of the equation. Over eating or eating high calorie can take hours of work to overcome.

vim_n_vigor

Just because you prefer Cardio does not mean that weight lifting doesnt burn fat. AZackery Please do research before you give such strong, bold statements. Or say in your opinion.

If I only lift weights, how long will it take me to lose fat?

IMO 5 seconds.

Jeff92se

because you are spreading false truths.

Believe what you want.

Shakeweights don't count.

iuangina

Or doesnt understand what the term "after burn" means in this context.

What does it means?

Oh geez. I don't see how it's hard to understand.

Muscles burn more calories than fat. So by LIFTING WEIGHTS, you're helping your muscles to burn more fat at rest and while working out, even doing cardio. So doing cardio by itself is fine, but if you add in strength training too, the muscles will be MORE EFFECTIVE at burning fat around the clock. Basically, your body will become more efficient at burning calories.

^This is so true.

CaptainGordo

Just because you prefer Cardio does not mean that weight lifting doesnt burn fat. AZackery Please do research before you give such strong, bold statements. Or say in your opinion.

If I only lift weights, how long will it take me to lose fat?

Willing to bet that, along with a calorie deficit, it will be faster than those 13 years of Tae Bo.

mmmichelle8486

Just because you prefer Cardio does not mean that weight lifting doesnt burn fat. AZackery Please do research before you give such strong, bold statements. Or say in your opinion.

If I only lift weights, how long will it take me to lose fat?

Willing to bet that, along with a calorie deficit, it will be faster than those 13 years of Tae Bo.

hahahaha...... was thinking the same of those "intense workouts"

iuangina

it really is all related to the intensity of workouts and the calories you consume. I think the best is a combination of both weights and cardio. This helped me lose nearly 100 lbs.

mustangpg

Lots of discussions going on here. What I've found for me is that I can exercise 6 days a week and if I don't watch how many calories I eat and eat too many, then I don't lose weight. So for me watching my calories is key, but exercise is very important too. Here are some things I've read and I want to throw out some thoughts. What I read on the boards is in the ( ):

(I don't like to exercise.) If you keep telling yourself you don't like to exercise, then you won't. Find something you like to do. Go for a walk, do yoga, take Zumba, play soccer, whatever it is, find it. I really have a hard time believing someone can't find something physical to do that they like.

(fat burning zone is the way to lose fat most effective) Whatever! Burning more calories than you consume burns the most, not a fat burning zone.

(Cardio is the best form of exercise) A program with cardio and resistance training is best. Cardio is great to burn fat, build endurance, strengthen your heart, good for your lungs. Resistance training is good to build muscle which in turn will help you burn more calories, makes your bones stronger, builds sexy muscles, changes your shape more than just cardio training alone does.

Why would anyone not want to do both? I have one body and I want to be as active in my 70s as I am now in my 30s. I don't enjoy going to the gym, I prefer outdoor exercise. I don't like doing the typical weight training program. You know the one, do 3 sets of 12 reps for each body part. I prefer a boot camp style workout, using my body weight as resistance. I love soccer. I don't like running long distances, so I do sprints instead. I just find things I like to do and it helps me to stick with it.

SteveO1966

Just read about this last night in Lifetime Fitness Magazine. Here is the articlce from ExperienceLife!, Dec 2011.

Slow and Steady vs. Hard and Fast

Q2: I’ve read a lot of the hype about HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) for fat loss. Some even say it works so well that it should replace longer, steady aerobic activity. What’s your take?

A: Although the debate between “slow-n-steady-staters” and “get-’er-done-quickers” is long and heated, more experts have migrated to the HIIT side in recent years. “At this point, there’s no longer an opinion when it comes to HIIT vs. steady-state aerobic activity; there’s only fact,” says Robert dos Remedios, strength coach at College of the Canyons in Southern California and author of Cardio Strength Training: Torch Fat, Build Muscle and Get Stronger Faster (Rodale, 2009). “The research shows not only superior fat loss with HIIT, but also superior aerobic and cardiovascular benefits. I see this with my athletes, as well.” Technically speaking, at lower-intensity levels, the ratio of the fat calories you burn is higher, but the total number of calories you burn overall is lower — unless you exercise for a long, long time. With the amount of time most people have available for exercise, HIIT tends to be the more practical choice.

When it comes to fat loss, says Dos Remedios, it comes down to building muscle, increasing your metabolism, and creating an “afterburn” effect, where your body burns more calories for hours after exercise (this is known as excess postexercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC). EPOC seems to be a key component in fat loss and occurs only when your exertion level is high enough.

bry_all01

You are all wrong.

Fire burns fat.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

drog2323

When I say something, people think I'm arguing, but when other people say something, they think the person is giving knowledge. I don't have time to fight with people. If a person believes I'm wrong, then fine. Use the ignore button.

I already did

Spearo

If taken literally, it's a true statement.

People tell me I'm thin because I run so much (and lift too).

I remind them that if/when they start exercising, which is usually motivated by a desire to not be fat, they will get hungry and eat more. So how are you going to eat? If you don't watch the intake, you will not lose weight. I know lots of overweight people who can run/lift for days!

And BTW I don't think losing weight is the healthiest motivator, especially for me. I run for other reasons. Being fit, slim, mentally/physically/spiritually healthy helps me stay on track with eating to a much higher degree than if I just wanted to sit around and count calories. That's the main value of exercise in relation to weight control.

CaptainGordo

Use the ignore button.

That takes all the fun out of it.

AZackery

Just because you prefer Cardio does not mean that weight lifting doesnt burn fat. AZackery Please do research before you give such strong, bold statements. Or say in your opinion.

If I only lift weights, how long will it take me to lose fat?

Willing to bet that, along with a calorie deficit, it will be faster than those 13 years of Tae Bo.

hahahaha...... was thinking the same of those "intense workouts"

It's funny how a person want answers from me, but can't provide answers. I'm so happy for the new feature on MFP.

Jeff92se

If taken literally, it's a true statement.

People tell me I'm thin because I run so much (and lift too).

I remind them that if/when they start exercising, which is usually motivated by a desire to not be fat, they will get hungry and eat more. So how are you going to eat? If you don't watch the intake, you will not lose weight. I know lots of overweight people who can run/lift for days!

And BTW I don't think losing weight is the healthiest motivator, especially for me. I run for other reasons. Being fit, slim, mentally/physically/spiritually healthy helps me stay on track with eating to a much higher degree than if I just wanted to sit around and count calories. That's the main value of exercise in relation to weight control.

Nice post. It's way too easy to eat way beyond your exercise calories if you aren't careful. Might take a few hours to burn 1,000 calories but you can eat that in about 10 min

deeharley

You are all wrong.

Fire burns fat.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Lighting my butt now.

TheBraveryLover

Anything that allows you to burn or decrease calories, helps you to lose weight. That includes cardio, strength training, eating less than your TDEE, breathing, sleeping, etccccccc. :-D

vim_n_vigor

Just because you prefer Cardio does not mean that weight lifting doesnt burn fat. AZackery Please do research before you give such strong, bold statements. Or say in your opinion.

If I only lift weights, how long will it take me to lose fat?

Willing to bet that, along with a calorie deficit, it will be faster than those 13 years of Tae Bo.

hahahaha...... was thinking the same of those "intense workouts"

It's funny how a person want answers from me, but can't provide answers. I'm so happy for the new feature on MFP.

There isn't a simple answer to give here. It depends on intensity, duration, sex, height, weight, calories taken in, your activity level, medications you take........

rybo

I wasn't about to read this whole debate as some of the "advice" given should not be followed by anyone, so I stopped reading.

Using personal experience, I've at different times in my life did nothing but lift weights and did little to no cardio, and have run & run and did little to no strength training. When in weight lifting mode, I could eat absurd amounts of food, and if my weight did creep up, slight dieting/adjustment was all that was needed to get me back to where I needed to be.
When running is my primary form of exercise, I must pay much more strict attention to what I eat, or I will not lose weight.

RonSwanson66

Keep in mind that the "afterburn" effect pales in comparison to the calories burned during exercise. Weight training, HIIT, and LISS all have their place, but the decision behind which method to use should not be influence by "afterburn" but rather by how well each fits with your goals.

From Lyle McDonald:

"For example, the superiority of intervals is usually based on the supposed afterburn/EPOC, an idea that research into EPOC shows is irrelevant. And even looking at the (non-diet controlled) studies comparing intervals to steady state, the results are hardly anything to write home about. Half a kilogram more fat over 20 weeks, a pound over 12 weeks, whatever. Yeah, you’ll be ripped by 2032 at that rate. Do intervals have advantages over steady state in some ways? Yes. But steady state has its own set of advantages (not the least of which that it can be done daily which interval can’t, or rather shouldn’t)."

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/steady-state-versus-interval-training-getting-to-the-point-part-2.html

Anecdotally, I was at my strongest and leanest when I ditched HIIT altogether and focused on weight training and 20-40 minutes of LISS per day. Since I was a competitive weightlifter at the time, HIIT didn't fit well because it hindered my recovery.

YMMV

cheeksv

I credit not gaining a pound on holiday to all the intense hours of walking and some jogging I did. Literally ate the most delicious, unhealthiest, large amounts of food in London for a week. I think I had sausage every morning the entire time I was there lol Did not gain an ounce and after it all I did not feel guilty. I have yet to make weights a full part of my workout and at that point hadn't lifted in about a month sooooooo I think the cardio was doing a great job at burning the calories and keeping that gain at bay. I will be adding weights but, I know cardio got me here.

CaptainGordo

It's funny how a person want answers from me, but can't provide answers. I'm so happy for the new feature on MFP.

Folks provide data from reputable sources every time, and you can never provide anything beyond personal opinion and web articles written by anonymous sources.

mmmichelle8486

I wasn't about to read this whole debate as some of the "advice" given should not be followed by anyone, so I stopped reading.

Using personal experience, I've at different times in my life did nothing but lift weights and did little to no cardio, and have run & run and did little to no strength training. When in weight lifting mode, I could eat absurd amounts of food, and if my weight did creep up, slight dieting/adjustment was all that was needed to get me back to where I needed to be.
When running is my primary form of exercise, I must pay much more strict attention to what I eat, or I will not lose weight.

My husband as well.... he loses weight and gets very slim just by lifting at the gym, NO cardio, and eating whatever crosses his path haha....