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

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  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 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 when you are thin, but have a high body fat percentage. I've never really figured out how cardio causes this since.. well, cardio burns fat. But.. alright then.
  • angiereid
    angiereid Posts: 158
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    I have fought the weight battle for a long time, i was on steriods for years d/t health problems but after a hysterectomy a year ago i am off the steriods and i can tell you this much everyone is different on how where and why they lose. For me lifting was great however i had to watch and still do because i tend to bulk up i am 5'7 and weigh about 175 now lost about 15 pounds, but i carry my weight well people always say no way. Cardio was the only thing and still is that ever helps me to lose but i have to watch my eating as well if i do not combine them i cannot lose. i don't ever go on a diet i consider it a lifestyle something i know i can stick too, if i can't eat what i want and am told i cannot have it it doesn't work for me, before i got sick i lost 60 pounds using this just as guide to see where i am at. so it does work you just have to find out what works for you. like i said everyone's body is different. i always lose weight in my face first then arms and inches then. even when i lost 60 pounds i was still a size 10 and people don't understand how because they think you should drop to like size 5, my body doesn't work that way at 140 i am most comfortable i feel good i think i look good and i am not gonna focus on the number of my pants. good luck to you and your journey remember you have been with yourself a long time and you know what works best for you, the rest you can take in stride and realize everyone is going to have an opinion and everyone will think their way is the right way. their is always more than one way to get results in life in anything you do, if it gets the job done then it doesn't matter.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Cardio is fine. I must not have seen this 'bad rap' you mention. Cardio is fabulous for heart health and a comfortable way for many people to lose weight. I enjoy it, but I enjoy lifting more. So if I don't get around to jogging, I'm not worried. I'll get to it, and it will be fun and good for me. But my 20 mins on the elliptical after my weight lifting will be fine cardio until I can around to jogging again.
  • WhittRak
    WhittRak Posts: 572 Member
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    Do not listen to them. Cardio is awesome! And...has worked wonders for me.
  • Ruger2506
    Ruger2506 Posts: 309 Member
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    I can't help to notice that cardio has been getting a seriously bad rep lately....

    I get the idea that strengh/resistance whatever you want to call it is a vital part of losing weight and staying healthy, but there are more and more threads where people get told that 2 days of cardio per week is too much????

    What about the health benefits of regular cardio vs just "heavy lifting"?

    I know what works for me (cardio 4+ times a week from 30 mins to 1.5 hour on long runs, and lifting (though i doubt that some cousins of the Incredible Hulk on here would call it heavy!:tongue: ) 3 times a week....
    it gives me an all round program, burns calories, sustain lean muscle and makes me happy - oh, and got my bp down from borderline hypertention (139/89 to 117/70) and my body fat % down from 49.6 to 29%, so why the dislike of it?

    Any ideas on why cardio is bad all of a sudden? :flowerforyou:

    Not me my friend. I push cardio. There are numerous positive effects of a regular cardio routine.
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
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    Doctors recommend at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day, to the point of "getting warm and slightly out of breath."

    Any exercise is good exercise, as long as you keep it in moderation.

    :bigsmile: :laugh: So...sweating buckets in 5degrees C weather and gasping like a fish on land after 10kms should be OK? :bigsmile:
  • slkiss72
    slkiss72 Posts: 4
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    should I be doing more cardio than strength training...I usually do about 35 min of cardio and 1 hour strength...should that be reversed?
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    I think it's because the notion of Strength Training for women is only recently becoming widely accepted. Initially, it will hog the spotlight, but eventually it will balance out to the point where it's seen as equally valuable to Cardio. It was the missing piece of the puzzle of fitness for many years, and now it's coming to light more people are 'band-wagoning' - not that that is a bad thing in this case.

    In the fitness community, also, skinny-fat is regarded in almost the same light as obesity and low body fat, strength and muscularity are what people like to see in such places. And as cardio doesn't further your progress towards improved strength or muscularity, it's seen as a waste of time.

    Me personally, I just hate cardio. Flat, dead, hate it. I love weight lifting and resistance training though.

    And I think if you truly hate it, don't do it. But, you aren't saying "Oh, weight lifting is BETTER than cardio". You are simply saying you prefer it to cardio. There's a difference. Some people will flat out tell someone to STOP doing cardio and JUST lift. Considering not everyone has the same goals, I think it does a serious disservice to people when you tell them that.
  • fatboypup
    fatboypup Posts: 1,873 Member
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    so skinny fat > normal fat? lol
  • wwww1199
    wwww1199 Posts: 271 Member
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    I love cardio!!
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    Anyone?

    There's a number of reasons ranging from sheer stupidity to specificity of programming.

    I doubt think anyone is bashing cardio per se as opposed to the common approach (particularly amongst women) to combine low calorie dieting with excessive amounts of cardio whilst omitting any kind of strength training whatsoever.

    Clearly this isn't a particularly efficient routine if fat loss or physique sculpting are you primary goals.

    For some reason however this thinking has now morphed into the idea that cardio in itself is baaaaaad or has no place in a fat loss routine or other such nonsense. The fitness industry is partly to blame as to market your services it is always better to have a magic bullet. The magic bullet in vogue these days is high intensity training...
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
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    i love cardio, some people don't so they just bash it. i think what people mean to do is say that it is good but if you find it boring, there are alternatives to getting the weight off, e.g. calorie restriction and strength training, short HITT workouts
  • invisibubble
    invisibubble Posts: 662 Member
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    Me personally, I just hate cardio. Flat, dead, hate it. I love weight lifting and resistance training though.

    And I think if you truly hate it, don't do it. But, you aren't saying "Oh, weight lifting is BETTER than cardio". You are simply saying you prefer it to cardio. There's a difference. Some people will flat out tell someone to STOP doing cardio and JUST lift. Considering not everyone has the same goals, I think it does a serious disservice to people when you tell them that.
    This.
  • Heaven71
    Heaven71 Posts: 706 Member
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    Cardio here, with little to no weight training but I do a small anount of core training exercises and my upper body workouts are usually UBC with weight while on the treadmill. I dislike weight training with a burning passion.
  • kwest_4_fitness
    kwest_4_fitness Posts: 819 Member
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    I just want to thank all of you for a great thread and some great feedback! :bigsmile:
  • MissLuana
    MissLuana Posts: 356
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    Cardio is the base for every trip to the gym. I always do at least 35 minutes on the elliptical every time I hit the gym (6-7 days per week). Once my cardio is done, I lift my weight for the day them I'm out...lol. I don't do a lot of weight lifting everyday. One machine per day, rotating from upper to lower body each day.
  • BlueInkDot
    BlueInkDot Posts: 702 Member
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    Cardio leads to "skinny fat" and some people seem to have issues with the whole "skinny fat" look and think that every muscle should be worked hard and defined.. Yea sure I do strength training but I do not wanna get "ripped"

    I'd like to have a "skinny fat" body.. But if people hear me say that I get stick for it

    If I understand your definition of "skinny fat," (I've never heard the term before) cardio isn't the thing that leads to "skinny fat." It would actually be the lack of muscle... right? So really it's the presense of cardio and the lack of strength training. Do I understand you correctly? I've just never heard the term before.

    Just so you know, if you really want to look fabulous, at least a small amount of strength training is usually a good idea. For example, if you don't have strong pectoral muscles, your boobs will sag slightly. But with strong pectoral muscles, your boobs will be high and perky - who doesn't want that? A girl with just a nice layer of muscle on her looks sexy and fabulous, and I would encourage you to look into it!

    Give me a message if you're interested in learning more - I love to help people!
  • ChristinaBarnhouse
    ChristinaBarnhouse Posts: 274 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.

    I totally agree! I love getting all sweaty and feel great after a good run. I do weights every now and then, but focus mainly on cardio 3-4 times a week and that is what has helped me lose all my weight... 40 pounds so far!! :)
  • jessicae1aine
    jessicae1aine Posts: 885
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    I love cardio. The treadmill is totally my thing, and I feel completely in my element. Popular or not, it's working for me, so I'm staying there. :P I've got some lower back issues going on right now that would probably make me curl up and cry if I tried to do any strength training at the moment anyhow... and muscly girls scare me. -.-
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
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    I think it all depends on your goals, fitness level, and diet. If you want to maintain or increase your LBM than too much cardio is detrimental. Also, traditional road running/jogging is very tough on your joints. Increasing LBM also has the added benefit of increasing metabolism. So I think that is why resistance training is being touted over Cardio. Personally, I think that a little bit of Low Intensity Cardio 1-2x per week, 30-45 minutes is beneficial for weight maintenance/loss and helps keep the body in a fat burning mode.

    Muscle doesn't increase metabolism enough to matter.

    Running has not been shown to be bad for your joints.

    I also fear that there is no such thing as fat burning mode, unless you're referring to the normal usage of fat by your body.

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