"No one who does only cardio looks good"

erickirb

for me right now I am basically doing cardio because I just want to lose the weight. I'm going to start adding weights into the mix in a few weeks to tone up my stomach some and see how it goes.............There are so many diffrent things written and each person is diffrent so I'm going to do what works for me and not care what the "books" say. I have another 54 lbs to go before I reach my goal and while I know weights may add pounds initially with a combo of both I will reach my happy medium.

Just an FYI, it is much easier to start strength training now and retain the muscle you do have then it is to build new muscle once you hit your goal weight. This would also have you at a lower BF% at your goal weight then cardio and diet alone.

garita93

I would refer you to this link:

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

At least go down to the pictures, see her at 117, 132, and 147. Decide for yourself what "looks best"

But I will mention that if you google the benefits of strength training, specifically for women, there is a reduction in chances for specific cancers and osteoporosis. Strength training doesn't have to involve weights, you can do body weight exercises.

^^^What a great article!

hummus40

all in the eye of the beholder...for me, i have been training for a marathon that is going on in May of this year. I started running again in December 2011 and although I have not been running everyday I do make it a point to run at least 3 times weekly. (need to pick it up b/c may is right around the corner)....my point is this...I have changed everything that goes into my body and along with "cardio" my body changes have been rather dramatic to say the least.

I started out at the end of november at 150-152lbs (i am 5'4) and after my run last night i weighed in at 118lbs. Say what you want but I have gotten positive feedback and I feel great!! I feel that this is the weight that I feel most healthy and I like the way my clothes feel plus i have a ton more energy!!

Everyone is different ...but i think ppl who do cardio look awesome! and for me...well, i feel awesome!

Lillemeddy

This is from my personal experiences. I used to be a cardio queen. Oh yeah, I lost weight. But I was still the same version of me! Just a little smaller. I still had the same *kitten*, hips wider than my shoulders, scrawny arms etc. Basically, no matter how much cardio I did, I was never happy with my appearance. Even when I tried adding in "toning" exercises...

Now I lift heavy, I do very little cardio.. I eat more food! AND I am happier with how I look. My shoulders/back are getting wider - more proportionate with my hips. My big bum and my big thighs I always hated, I now LOVE looking at in the mirror when I do my Goblet Squats, lunges etc.

Weightlifting have made me LOVE my body. Cardio never ever did that. I did cardio for YEARS, and I have only been lifting heavy for about 6 months.

Jeff92se

everyone thinks cardio is the answer!! and this may be true if you only have like 10 lbs to lose.. but weights are what helped me lately... start seeing the results i wanted!!..

cardio makes u look good with clothes on! weights make u look good naked!! ;]

Yeah, I'll be the judge of that. Please submit pics for review. haha

LorinaLynn

Just wondering... has there been anyone who's ever said, "I gave strength training a good, solid try, but didn't like what it did to my body shape?"

And I don't mean "I got bulky by day 3 of the 30 Day Shred," either.

I can understand not enjoying it. I don't particularly enjoy it. But I enjoy what it does to me. Like shaving my legs or coloring my roots or tweezing between my eyebrows. I don't get joy out of those activities, either, but I like the results of doing it better than the results of not doing it.

rml_16

Just wondering... has there been anyone who's ever said, "I gave strength training a good, solid try, but didn't like what it did to my body shape?"

And I don't mean "I got bulky by day 3 of the 30 Day Shred," either.

I can understand not enjoying it. I don't particularly enjoy it. But I enjoy what it does to me. Like shaving my legs or coloring my roots or tweezing between my eyebrows. I don't get joy out of those activities, either, but I like the results of doing it better than the results of not doing it.

I don't have a problem with weight training. I'm doing it myself. My issue is with certain comments, like the ones saying people who only do cardio aren't fit. Really???

bcattoes

I would refer you to this link:

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

At least go down to the pictures, see her at 117, 132, and 147. Decide for yourself what "looks best"

The pic of her at 117 is very blurry and her belly is covered, but overall I don't see a whole lot of difference. She looks good at 117 and she looks good at 130. Arms and legs don't look that much difference. Tummy looks flat in both pics. Maybe more ab definition at 130, but since they are covered in the 117 pic there is no way to know. Even at 142 I don't see that much difference. She looks fine in all the pics to me.

rml_16

I would refer you to this link:

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

At least go down to the pictures, see her at 117, 132, and 147. Decide for yourself what "looks best"

The pic of her at 117 is very blurry and her belly is covered, but overall I don't see a whole lot of difference. She looks good at 117 and she looks good at 130. Arms and legs don't look that much difference. Tummy looks flat in both pics. Maybe more ab definition at 130, but since they are covered in the 117 pic there is no way to know. Even at 142 I don't see that much difference. She looks fine in all the pics to me.

At 142, she has major definition around her abs and hips. Honestly, for MY body, I prefer the 130 photo to the 142. And as you said, the 117 is covered up and blurry.

Chipmaniac

"Skinny girls look good in clothes. Fit girls look good NAKED!!!"

There's no way to get FIT doing only cardio.

You are completely wrong. In fact, the reverse is probably true. You can't get fit by doing only weights.

unhinge

I wrote it.
And I stand by my opinion.


I've never seen a person look good who only runs. Women can probably get by with it and look decent, but men need to lift weights.

You are referring only to running? Or all cardio? Not sure that I've ever seen a male swimmer and thought "gee- he needs to lift weights"...

You can bet he IS doing strength training!

erickirb

"Skinny girls look good in clothes. Fit girls look good NAKED!!!"

There's no way to get FIT doing only cardio.

You are completely wrong. In fact, the reverse is probably true.

BS.

All you need is a caloric deficit to lose weight (Cardio is not needed to lose fat). While, to retain or build muscle you must incorporate strength training.

Cardio only allows you to eat more to lose the same amount of weight that you can lose on diet alone (safe loss is 0.5 to 2 lbs/week depending on how much you have to lose) doing too much cardio to make your deficit larger will result in the loss of lean muscle.

I am not saying cardio is bad, it is great for heart health and increasing endurance, but it is not needed to lose weight and look good. You would better spend your time cleaning up your diet and doing strength training if fat loss is your goal.

When it comes to being fit, I think you need both strength training and cardio, assuming being fit means being able to run a decent distance at a good clip, and also being strong enough to lift and more things.

mightyfrances

Elite swimmers do lift weights and cross train by running and other "deck workouts" such as abdominals and flexibility.

VAgal123

I wrote it.
And I stand by my opinion.


I've never seen a person look good who only runs. Women can probably get by with it and look decent, but men need to lift weights.

You are referring only to running? Or all cardio? Not sure that I've ever seen a male swimmer and thought "gee- he needs to lift weights"...

Ummm.....swimmers do lift weights and do other cardio. It's called dry-land exercises....

Sarahmeridith

I thought I could do just cardio but now that Im losing I have hanging on my arms it is gross I am going to go buy weights this week. I think myself bc of the amount I have to lose and how loose my skin is already from having kids weght lifting is necassary!

shamrck44

I just wanted to share a conversation I had with a woman at my gym. We do small group workouts with a trainer and the program changes ever week. Our program uses kettlebells, sleds, D-balls etc. So Jen was telling me that since we started adding dead-lifts to our routine she has noticed that it has improved her running. She was amazed because she out running and was thinking "whose legs are these?"
Adding weight/resistance training does more than add bulk, and definition it can make you stronger and better at other things.

My XH never stops commenting on how round my butt is getting from all the squats and lunges.

Chipmaniac

this is me with cardio and body weight exercises only



Add proper strength training



I wish I had a photo of when I was the definition of skinny fat when I ONLY did running & some occasional boxing.

"good" is definitely subjective but I prefer my current shape. And as well as that I get to eat more and not put on fat so easily which is a big plus in my eyes!

Some people are aiming for what you looked like with "cardio only" and not what you looked like with weights.That's the problem. Not everyone defines "looking good" as 5% body fat and cut up.

curvyvegan

I disagree.

Whether someone "looks good" or not is completely subjective. I think muscular people are hot, but I also think lean and trim people look great, too. I think my husband looks good, and his only exercise is walking to/from the bus stop on the way to work, and an occasional bike ride. I think Christina Hendrix is the hottest woman on television and she has gorgeous, voluptuous, womanly curves. To each their own!

sunshineshica

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Might be cliche, but damn it, its true!

I agree with the above statement^^ I'm do a TON of cardio and throw in some weight lifting every now and then. So far no complaints

karinaes

Saw someone on MFP write this as a reply to a different topic today. This can't be true..... right?

this person is overgeneralizing, but i could agree with what they are trying to say.