All cardio no strength training

byHISstrength

As others have mentioned, you can definitely lose weight just with cardio, but from what I've learned strength training is important to do along with cardio to build strengh, make you leaner, and you actually burn more calories long after your workout than you do with just cardio.

EthanJeremiahsMama

yeah but ... i mean... why do you only want to do one part of fitness? its like- half-assing it.

just cardio and you'll be thinner and look better in clothes, add ST, flexibility, agility, etc and you'll look great naked.

this!

redraidergirl2009

Running is strength training somewhat for your legs.

No its not. Running doesn't provide enough resistance to cause hypertrophy

Actually it does if you go from not running at all, to running. You can't deny that there would be some increase in muscle if one started running.

gashinshotan

This isn't 100% true - I didn't have man boobs after losing the weight through cardio only and was way less flabbier. I did lose muscle but my running speed went through the roof (dropped from 9 min mile to 5:50). And you CAN lose weight fast WHILE maintaining or even gaining muscle with PSMF-type diets (basically low cals with so much protein that you don't lose muscle). While I did experience some psychological discomfort as you mentioned, I've adapted within a couple months and I now accept that weight loss will be a lot slower from now on which is why I started lifting (which actually helped me lose even more weight while gaining muscle). Check out PSMF diets though - I'm thinking of doing one over the next two weeks... from the logs im reading, people lose about 12-15 lbs and 4-5% Bf while maintaining muscle.

When you're obese sometimes the only way to lose fat FAST enough to feel good about yourself is the fastest way....

yeah but ... i mean... why do you only want to do one part of fitness? its like- half-assing it.

just cardio and you'll be thinner and look better in clothes, add ST, flexibility, agility, etc and you'll look great naked.

Fast is not always the healthiest or best for your body you are working toward. And that FAST self-esteem boost is superficial and wont last very long because its not meant to happen overnight.

This is evolution people- not sea monkeys

If you wanna go really fast- here's what'll happen.

Your skin wont shrink as fast as your mass...
Your brain may not be able to keep up with the mental changes that come with having a dfferent body
You may lose some muscle and be smaller and have more endurance, but not necessarily stronger
You will become so focused on reaching your goals at a certain pace, and not understand that as you get closer to your goal- its MUCH harder to lose weight, MUCH harder to lose it consistently- and you may not know how to shift to Non-Scale Victories as easily.
You may get frustrated after so much fast loss at the beginning, that when you stall at 40 pounds gone- and you havent been at it long enough to understand why- you may get discouraged and start regaining.
What you are revealing under the fat may not look like what you thought it would, because you're only shedding fat and muscle and not creating your new shape

THis is supposed to take long enough for you to take off the extra and shape your new body from scratch all at once- WHILE being able to strengthen your self-esteem and thicken your skin and learn that what you weigh is not wh you are.

People dont realise how much time they spend agonizing over what they weigh all the time until they arent there anymore. You may say- Oh my weight doesnt define me... but how often do you pass up things that seem fun because you think you cat, think youll injure yourself, look stupd, feel out of place, break something, humiliate yourself... so you punish yourself and say No.

If you take your time to do this right and not rush to meet a fast ft loss goal right at the beginning, then you are off on your way to doing this the right way- body and mind.

The only way to do something is 100%.

If you rush, take shortcuts, (by shortcuts- i do NOT mean science, math or common sense - I mean skipping the nutrition portion f all this) or dont take care of you are on the inside.... well then enjoy the flabby man titties and identity crisis later -giggle-

Good luck!!!

bcattoes

Of course it's possible.

thepetiterunner

You can, yes. However, I'm a runner as well and found that strength/weight training HUGELY improved my running and helped me lose weight/get more toned and shapley much much faster than running alone ever did.

Doing lunges, squats, leg presses, etc, definitely helped my running capabilities and working out my core and arms made me less fatigued while running as well (I used to get sore from trying to hold good running posture). I can't say enough good things about how they complement one another.

Katie3784

You can still lose weight, but especially with you being a man, I think it's not smart to rely only on cardio. You will not build muscle, and could end up flabby. Strength training is vital to toning and muscle building. If I had to choose based on lack of time or something, I would definitely choose strength training over cardio, and I am a woman.

yoovie

of course it not 100% true because I listed a long line of maybe's possibly's and be careful's and all humans are different. Also- you probably dont have flabby man titties cause youre at a 31 pound loss- thats not coming down from Obese- as you specified- obese is NOT 50 pounds overweight. obsese covers a lot more than a nuimber above healthy.

If someone wants to know up front- should i half a$s this sht and take a short cut or a fast track- or should i change my life in a well rounded balanced way at a pace that is healthier all around...

Well... Im going to tell that person, hey- cardio is cool. But its only part of the pie.

cardio
strength
toning
lifting
agility
flexibility
rest and recovery
soft tissue pampering
nutrition
habit changing
endurance and stamina
skin/hair/teeth health
environment makeover
learning the difference between moving toward results and focusing on results...

fitness is your relationship with your body, not your jeans

or just do one + nutrition

SavageRabidBeast

Very well put. I started my goal of dropping weight and getting back in shape back in the middle of January. I decided to weigh myself one Sunday night after family supper at my parent's place and weighed in at 208. Sure, some of that weight is what I put on during the day with meals but that made me decide to get my *kitten* in gear and improve my health and appearance. By doing total body workouts 3 times, an arm workout , and cardio for a half hour 5 times a week, as well as upping my protein intake and just watching my total calories per day I have dropped to 189 as of this past Monday.

In response to "just doing cardio" by the original poster.....you may still lose weight but when you do just cardio you lose both fat and muscle weight. So my advice is to do a total body workout 3 times a week with at least one day of rest in between. It doesn't have to be lots of exercises but just do one or two exercises per body group. That will not only help you keep the muscle that you have but also increase your metabolism up to 48hours which is more than just cardio does. The end result is you will lose weight the proper way and look much better also. You may also wanna try and take in as much protein per day as your goal weight. Take that goal weight and multiply it by 10, 11, or 12 depending on how active you are. That number is what you should set your daily calorie intake to be. You may not have time for all that so just watch what you eat, take in more protein if possible and take in less added sugars. Hope that has helped some.....

gashinshotan

PSMF PSMF! I should have done this.... but my goals back then were different (running speed/endurance) which is why I went all cardio.

honeysprinkles

You can lose weight without any exercise at all, you'll just have to eat less. So yes, it's possible. However, it wouldn't be a bad idea to incorporate some mix of cardio and strength training to help get you in shape!

yoovie

Cardio alone - especially hunching over the treadmill for a half hour a day- wont give you a six pack or guns or a strong back or toned legs.

But your heart will be a bit better off.

RAFValentina

And what about strength training just to help improve posture and help you get along with life safely injury free... weak backs, cores, glutes etc cause poor running form which leads to running injuries. In addition a weak back / core may cause you an injury doing day to day life... add some strength training in..2 15 min sessions a week is good enough for you!

sunshineshica

When you're obese sometimes the only way to lose fat FAST enough to feel good about yourself is the fastest way....

.

but this guy isn't obese at 5'11 185. My husband used to be the same weight and was no where near obese. He's 202 now trying to get to 210 very little cardio all strength training. It's actually been a real big struggle for him to do but Anywho, I believe running is the best way to slim down fast. That's what I do and I do Speed Intervals. Seems to make me sweat alot more that way. If I have time at the end of my run at the gym, I do the ab machine with weights and back extensions. But for the most part running is my thing to do. I'll add in more strength training once I get to my goal.

SqautsAndOats

Running is strength training somewhat for your legs.

No its not. Running doesn't provide enough resistance to cause hypertrophy

Actually it does if you go from not running at all, to running. You can't deny that there would be some increase in muscle if one started running.

Yes running can provide some beginner n00b gains, but they are very short lived. You compared running to strength training for legs. I would love to see the power lifter or body builder than runs to get stronger legs.

yoovie

posted just now by MFP user - LORINALYNN in the BEFORE/After thread- if she wants me to take this down I will- and I told her I posted this.

gashinshotan

Running 30-45 degree hills is strength training and if. You run 2-4 miles on hills its a combo of both....my legs grew significantly and I attribute hill running to me being able to outrun an experienced marathoner in only two months of running.... (not just beat but literally lap this person 4 times in a 4 mile race)

Running is strength training somewhat for your legs.

No its not. Running doesn't provide enough resistance to cause hypertrophy

Actually it does if you go from not running at all, to running. You can't deny that there would be some increase in muscle if one started running.

Yes running can provide some beginner n00b gains, but they are very short lived. You compared running to strength training for legs. I would love to see the power lifter or body builder than runs to get stronger legs.

yoovie

Running 30-45 degree hills is strength training and if. You run 2-4 miles on hills its a combo of both....my legs grew significantly and I attribute hill running to me being able to outrun an experienced marathoner in only two months of running.... (not just beat but literally lap this person 4 times in a 4 mile race)

it's HIIT. Doing lots of cardio can change the way your muscles appear through the skin though- 100%

Outrunning an experienced marathoner in a 4 mile race means nothing. My bff can only run 4-6 miles and he's meant for speed not distance. He can outrun me and beat me by minutes and minutes- but he cant keep up with me after mile 6 and I go on through 20 miles.

Racing an endurance athlete in a sprint proves nothing.

19danno77

A good workout would satisfy both...follow the High Intensity Training guide for a great 2-4-1. No rest between sets, single sets to true failure, 15-30 minutes for a total workout that keeps your heart rate around 150 BPM and shreds muscle tissue...rest one week, repeat.

sunshineshica

posted just now by MFP user - LORINALYNN in the BEFORE/After thread- if she wants me to take this down I will- and I told her I posted this.

Did this lady stop doing cardio or did she add weight lifting to cardio?