Why has cardio become a swear word on MFP all of a sudden?

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  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    Just a thought, but... are you really telling me I'm not gaining muscle from doing cardio? My sore muscles must have been misinformed.

    Yes, you are gaining muscle. My muscular legs from tons of cardio attest to that.

    they make look more muscular but doing cardio alone will not build the legs up.

    Why not? Aren't you, essentially, weight lifting with every step? I would think the legs are the one area that would build muscle from cardio.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    The best bet for overall health is a balance: strength training, cardiovascular training, and stretching.

    And balance. Most medical recommendations say to get some of each (strength, aerobic, stretching, balance) on a regular basis.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    I love cardio, I like getting out of breath and sweaty and I like getting my heart beat up and going red, makes me feel good.

    I've seen a few posts saying bad stuff about cardio, I don't get it either.

    You mean sex? haha
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Just a thought, but... are you really telling me I'm not gaining muscle from doing cardio? My sore muscles must have been misinformed.

    Yes, you are gaining muscle. My muscular legs from tons of cardio attest to that.

    they make look more muscular but doing cardio alone will not build the legs up.

    Why not? Aren't you, essentially, weight lifting with every step? I would think the legs are the one area that would build muscle from cardio.

    No if you can do that many reps you are not putting enough load on the muscle for it to build, you are working a different type of muscle (slow twitch vs. fast twitch). You need to over load the muscle, not just work it for it to grow.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    This guy's legs are huge:

    frank_schleck_leopord_2011.jpg
  • amycool
    amycool Posts: 57 Member
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    I love cardio, I like getting out of breath and sweaty and I like getting my heart beat up and going red, makes me feel good.

    I've seen a few posts saying bad stuff about cardio, I don't get it either.

    You mean sex? haha

    Oh crap! I'm on the wrong forum!
  • shiseido_faerie
    shiseido_faerie Posts: 771 Member
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    I'd like to have a "skinny fat" body.. But if people hear me say that I get stick for it

    This is definitely something I've seen on the posts about cardio "skinny fat" I don't even know what that is, is it just a body that doesn't have muscles all over it?

    Skinny fat is also known as normal weight obesity. It's when your BMI is in the normal range (18.5-25), but your Body Fat % is high enough to put you in the obese category.

    ^^This
    And it's unfortunately the category I fit into right now :S so here I am, learning to eat healthier and get in shape!! :)

    As far as the original post, I have no idea why people are all anti cardio lately, I would think that a nice well rounded routine would be best as they both have benefits?
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    I never pay much attention to the "crowd", myself. I do what works for me and if it stops working, then I change it up. End of story.
  • bobie1978
    bobie1978 Posts: 204 Member
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    I love cardio! Even though I need to weight lift more. They are both good for you but each has their own purpose! :)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I'd like to have a "skinny fat" body.. But if people hear me say that I get stick for it

    This is definitely something I've seen on the posts about cardio "skinny fat" I don't even know what that is, is it just a body that doesn't have muscles all over it?

    Skinny fat is also known as normal weight obesity. It's when your BMI is in the normal range (18.5-25), but your Body Fat % is high enough to put you in the obese category.

    ^^This
    And it's unfortunately the category I fit into right now :S so here I am, learning to eat healthier and get in shape!! :)

    As far as the original post, I have no idea why people are all anti cardio lately, I would think that a nice well rounded routine would be best as they both have benefits?

    And for health it does, cardio has some amazing benefits, it is just not needed to lower BF% and maintain muscle, that can be done from maintaining a deficit (with or without cardio, and strength training while ingesting enough protein.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    Just a thought, but... are you really telling me I'm not gaining muscle from doing cardio? My sore muscles must have been misinformed.

    Yes, you are gaining muscle. My muscular legs from tons of cardio attest to that.

    they make look more muscular but doing cardio alone will not build the legs up.

    My legs look great from doing cardio like spin, treadmill and elliptical and i feel more muscle in my legs and butt. I haven't done any weights with my legs.

    Exactly. Yes, most cardio is weight bearing so the muscles are actually being worked, but either way, I've gotten nice, muscular legs from doing cardio. I do strength training on my upper body 3-4 days a week, too. But I love my cardio and will keep doing it because I have seen the results.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
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    Cardio is simply more tiring then weight lifting (in my experience).

    But I think training your heart and lungs via cardio is just as important as building muscle and toning.

    PS: I haven't really seen any hatred towards cardio on here? There are people who are trying to lose weight without exercise but that doesn't mean they hate cardio...
  • clintbritt3
    clintbritt3 Posts: 123
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    Someone always thinks they have all the answers..... all the cardio haters must be professional trainers or something since they think they know so much. Cardio is for fat burning and keeping your heart healthy, it makes you feel so good, why would anyone not do it. I personally need a lot of cardio to loose a lot of the weight before I even want to think about weight training....
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    . I personally need a lot of cardio to loose a lot of the weight before I even want to think about weight training....

    Why?

    I have nothing against cardio and do it twice/week but if you follow MFP you just eat the cals you burn from cardio back, so there is no benefit from a weight loss standpoint. It is good for your heart yes, but does nothing you could not do with diet alone for weight loss. And if you don't eat at least most of the cals back that you burn, there is a good chance you will be burning a lot of muscle, not just fat, for all the cardio.
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
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    oh, cardio is a swear word now?

    cardio cardio cardio cardio cardio cardio cardio

    Seriously though, I do cardio 5-6 per week. I intend to start doing weight lifting too, should i find the time. What's not good is neglecting either one. (yes, that's right, I'm BAD!).
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I do both. I feel better while I'm DOING cardio. I love running! But I love the results from strength training.
  • andreanicole686
    andreanicole686 Posts: 406 Member
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    Cardio isn't bad. You just should add in strength as well. There is plenty of evidence that says you should do cardio at least 3-5 times a week about 30-45 minutes and I will continue to do that. Each persons body is different do whats best for you. I've lost 9 pounds so far due to manily cardio and eating right. I am just now adding in weights. EVERY BODY is different.

    Actually all of our bodies (genetics) are very very similar with only slight differences. Cadio is a good calorie burned, which allows you to eat more and lose the same amount of weight as if you did no cardio.

    Men and women are going to tone differently with cardio. I know people who do cardio only and are losing weight quickly and others who aren't. It also has to do with what type of food you are eating, your body shape and your genetics.

    Most of the difference comes down to lifestyle (sedentary or active and diet) deit plays about an 80% role in weight loss, 10% genetics, 10% exercise
    Thats exactly what I just said. Just because I didn't have the exact percentage like you listed doesn't mean I didn't already know that. lol Geez thanks for telling me what I already knew. :)
  • valenief
    valenief Posts: 134 Member
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    I <3 cardio!! I like running biking! I've always been able to shed the weight by increasing my cardio and it's great for your heart just don't over do it!
  • SMarie10
    SMarie10 Posts: 956 Member
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    Bump for later.
  • foster59803
    foster59803 Posts: 439 Member
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    Cardio is great, but so is strength training and women, especially, tend to shy away from lifting weights or building muscle.

    A good, healthy lifestyle usually incorporates some of both.

    ^^ This exactly


    Yes... I think it does depend on each individuals fitness goals. But weight lifting/weigh bearing exercise is not only for "getting ripped'. It has many health benefits, especially for women. It can increase bone mass (in women under 30) and stop bone deterioration in women over 30. It is also very beneficial in injury prevention. As you strengthen muscles around your joints etc. you are able to sustain cardio exercise for longer with lower risk of injury. To each their own... I don't really think it is strictly 1 or the other... for my body I know I am getting a balanced workout and more well rounded health benefit from incorporating weigh lifting and cardio into my life.

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