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

Mightytaco84

Cardio helps strengthen your most important muscle, your heart. Strong heart dying at 90 > 250 lbs bench press dying at 60.

Rachaelluvszipped

Omg....this post is soooo making me laugh!! :laugh:

I do Cardio and Strength train! Benefits from both are great...the Strength training portion helps the ability of running for longer periods at a time...

People need to really get their information....eeks!!

5Goodyz

Not seeing the complaints about cardio either. My point is this - balance is key. HOwever, if you only want to do cardio that's fine - strength training will benefit your cardio as well. IF you are only doing strength training you may want to consider cardio to help move blood through the body to the muscles you are working.
WHat I am not seeing - the heart is a muscle - it needs to be worked out also. Cardio is awesome for this. As for different zones - unless you you a heart rate monitor (HRM) you are not in a real zone. You may be working but its a generic zone. Get a decent HRM, figure out your different heart rates (resting, max, recovery, etc) and train with that.
I found out recently that I have a hole between the two vetricles in my heart. As I was leaving the cardiologists office (with great news that I am fine) he told me that he would expect to see my heart in the body of an Olympic athlete.
Point is - train your heart also! Go do something!

Phrak

I prefer a calorie deficit and weight training to acheive my goals. I want the body of adonis not the heart of a marathon runner. Also my heart is plenty strong from lifting weights.

katmix

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

Thank you. I am what people on MFP call "skinny fat", and you know what? So what? I do my light cardio and light lifting (I do what fits my busy lifestyle and exercises tastes), and no one will ever mistake me for a buff girl. So what?! I'm happy in my skin...

We're not on here to please anybody but ourselves...

JMarigold

Cardio is great for MOOD.

Anyone who struggles with depression and anxiety can tell you a good bout of cardio on a regular basis will do more for your emotional health than weightlifting. (Or than many prescription medications for that matter!!!!!)

Nothing beats a good old fashioned cardio high.

I will be doing strength training to help with sustainable weight loss and body composition though. I think its the general lack of knowledge about how helpful weights can be in building a great body that has lead to the current emphasis on strength training.

AnarchoGen

Late night spousal-cardio is critical to a healthy lifestyle ... and marriage

:smokin:

Ambrogio1

I prefer a calorie deficit and weight training to acheive my goals. I want the body of adonis not the heart of a marathon runner. Also my heart is plenty strong from lifting weights.

Ditto!

izzydino

I haven't heard to much of the bashing of cardio. But i have heard the importance of strength training. I personally try to get into 3-4 cardio days and then 2 days of weights. i like body pump classes which focuses on one muscle group, with low weights and high reps... I feel like jello at the end

I think it is important to be well rounded not just in food but also in exercise... less chance of burning out

Tori_356

i know right, i feel like im doing something wrong....i'm EXERCISING.....i dont do a LOT of strength training (maybe 40 min a week) but i do do it when i feel like it. i just really much prefer a high energy workout for stress relief

Acg67

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

Thank you. I am what people on MFP call "skinny fat", and you know what? So what? I do my light cardio and light lifting (I do what fits my busy lifestyle and exercises tastes), and no one will ever mistake me for a buff girl. So what?! I'm happy in my skin...

We're not on here to please anybody but ourselves...

You make it seem like you're either skinny fat or "buff" There's a huge area in between.

Phrak

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

Thank you. I am what people on MFP call "skinny fat", and you know what? So what? I do my light cardio and light lifting (I do what fits my busy lifestyle and exercises tastes), and no one will ever mistake me for a buff girl. So what?! I'm happy in my skin...

We're not on here to please anybody but ourselves...

You make it seem like you're either skinny fat or "buff" There's a huge area in between.

People only like black and white, everyone excludes the middle.

fittiephd

I think as long as you do some of both it's good. And I don't think that completely cutting out cardio is coming into fad but I think that people are liking doing HIIT or intervals even more than they used to. I couldn't agree more, I love HIIT! It's faster and more effective. I don't hve time for long workouts

Jeff92se

Both have their benefits. Even bodybuilders do cardio.

mznisaelaine

<---- Pro cardio + strength training

erickirb

I haven't heard to much of the bashing of cardio. But i have heard the importance of strength training. I personally try to get into 3-4 cardio days and then 2 days of weights. i like body pump classes which focuses on one muscle group, with low weights and high reps... I feel like jello at the end

I think it is important to be well rounded not just in food but also in exercise... less chance of burning out

FYI: body pump is more cardio then strength training. If you are able to do more than 15 or so reps you are working different muscle fibers and this class would be more cardio based then strength training based (much like 30 Day Shred)

IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym

I didn't read all the responses, but I will say sometimes people finds what works for them and think its in everyone's best interst to shove it down their throats, too and tell them they are wrong for doing cardio. I don't agree (for myself) that cardio is wrong or bad.


ETA: I do cardio and weights

NancyNiles

I do both. Half my workouts are cardio to get my heart rate up, then lift, and cool down with some laid back cardio (treadmill, bike, etc). The other half of the time I do the circuit where I get a mix of both together. I do the circuit when I only have a half hour or so. If I have time to kill, I'll do the first one because it allows me time to rest between sets.

I'm still new here, but I haven't really seen any cardio bashing. Just a lot of people talking about the difference lifting has made. I don't think lifting is a "fad" as one person said. I was doing circuit training 20 years ago! The importance of lifting isn't news. Lean muscle burns more calories at rest than fatty tissue. For every three pounds of lean muscle you add, you burn an extra 120 calories per day.

Also, this site is touted as a calorie counter and weight loss tracker program. So the people here are not just athletes, runner, lifters, etc. The membership here is a lot of overweight dieters as well. I think you'll find that lifting is highly recommended for obese people who have trouble with a lot of cardio and really need the extra fat burn. As well as older people who are losing muscle mass as they age.

Z_I_L_L_A

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! ) 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:

Hulk no like cardio girl,grrrrr

mamoojack

What is "skinny fat"??? Must have missed this one!!

Phrak

What is "skinny fat"??? Must have missed this one!!

Thin appearance, but high BF levels due to lack of muscle development.

minadeathclutch

people are lazy. and they think HEY IF I LIFT WEIGHTS THE MUSCLES WILL BURN OFF MY FAT WHILE I SIT ON MY *kitten*.

which is way freakin wrong... lazy lazy lazy lazy.

jenniebean1680

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

Thank you. I am what people on MFP call "skinny fat", and you know what? So what? I do my light cardio and light lifting (I do what fits my busy lifestyle and exercises tastes), and no one will ever mistake me for a buff girl. So what?! I'm happy in my skin...

We're not on here to please anybody but ourselves...

You make it seem like you're either skinny fat or "buff" There's a huge area in between.

People only like black and white, everyone excludes the middle.

...which is why I like to take the middle road and do BOTH cardio and weights. I love the natural high I get from cardio (helps fight the depression I occasionally get), and I love being strong and having muscles. They both serve a purpose and make me happy.

jenniebean1680

people are lazy. and they think HEY IF I LIFT WEIGHTS THE MUSCLES WILL BURN OFF MY FAT WHILE I SIT ON MY *kitten*.

which is way freakin wrong... lazy lazy lazy lazy.

....wait for it....

Z_I_L_L_A

I actually burn more doing weight lifting. I also run a 5k in 27:07 and the mile in 7:10. What is your point? Why would I be lazy? I spend 2 hours a day in the gym during weekdays and 3-4 hours on the weekend working out and I wear a HRM which shows my calories burned is more in weightlifting than cardio. Sound like you're lazy looking for the easy button. I do a half hour of fat burning cardio per workout during the week with a 1.5 hour of cardio on the weekend. You assume to know too much.....

erickirb

people are lazy. and they think HEY IF I LIFT WEIGHTS THE MUSCLES WILL BURN OFF MY FAT WHILE I SIT ON MY *kitten*.

which is way freakin wrong... lazy lazy lazy lazy.

That's right, they can sit on the couch and lose that fat, as long as they have a caloric deficit. No need for any exercise to lose 0.5 to 2lbs/week, just cut 250 to 1000 cals off of your maintenance calories.

Phrak

people are lazy. and they think HEY IF I LIFT WEIGHTS THE MUSCLES WILL BURN OFF MY FAT WHILE I SIT ON MY *kitten*.

which is way freakin wrong... lazy lazy lazy lazy.

That's right, they can sit on the couch and lose that fat, as long as they have a caloric deficit. No need for any exercise to lose 0.5 to 2lbs/week, just cut 250 to 1000 cals off of your maintenance calories.

Nah man you must do 5-6 1hr sessions of running a week on top of weight lifting. Forget about taxing your CNS to the point of no return, and having your recovery go down the ****ter.

Acg67

people are lazy. and they think HEY IF I LIFT WEIGHTS THE MUSCLES WILL BURN OFF MY FAT WHILE I SIT ON MY *kitten*.

which is way freakin wrong... lazy lazy lazy lazy.

Sidesteal

people are lazy. and they think HEY IF I LIFT WEIGHTS THE MUSCLES WILL BURN OFF MY FAT WHILE I SIT ON MY *kitten*.

which is way freakin wrong... lazy lazy lazy lazy.

I don't do cardio at all because I just don't enjoy it.

I am not lazy, I train very hard at relatively high volume.

killagb

people are lazy. and they think HEY IF I LIFT WEIGHTS THE MUSCLES WILL BURN OFF MY FAT WHILE I SIT ON MY *kitten*.

which is way freakin wrong... lazy lazy lazy lazy.

Spoken like someone who's been too lazy to lift a weight. :drinker: