"No one who does only cardio looks good"

Hernandeak11

of course "looking good" is subjective, but i couldn't imagine only doing cardio. I just love how tight and defined everything is with weights--a result I'd personally never get doing solely cardio.

ErinBeth7

This has turned into a never ending argument. It is a subjective statement; therefore, there is no right answer.

ilovedeadlifts

You can do resistance cardio and build muscle. For example I was a competitive runner for years and during the racing season wouldn't lift weights because we would do sprints, hills, stairs, and other types of speed work which does help tone. Not everyone needs to look like they have muscle to look good - sometimes the lean look works.

Interval training is a bit different and will definiatley add some muscle to you.
I do hill sprints and sled drags/pushes. But not "cardio".

The quote came from a thread that was basically weighing treadmill/elliptical sessions against weight training.
I picked weights over the hamster wheel.

Hoakiebs

That's probably too much of a generalization, but strength training will tighten things up a bit.

ilovedeadlifts

This has turned into a never ending argument. It is a subjective statement; therefore, there is no right answer.

Gonna just agree with this so the thread dies.


Show me 1 runner that doesn't lift weights and looks good, and I'll show you 5 guys who lift weights and don't do cardio that look better.

Joneses17

In my opinion the answer is no. I know people who have lost weight or stayed in shape by only doing cardio. Think of someone who runs a lot and doesn't visit a gym or lift weights. The still have tone and abs but tend to be lean. My personal preference is a muscular build.

marieautumn

i think people who do only cardio may be skinny, but they lack the muscle tone i generally find attractive. i think in order to really look good you need strength training AND cardio. just my thoughts though, but the cardio only people always look "skinny fat" to me.

BrettPGH

I lost a bunch of weight focusing almost solely on cardio. Wish I had been strength training way sooner. Lean is nice, but you need muscle. You really do. Now my calorie intake is up and I'm lifting and loving the results I'm seeing.

sdrawkcabynot

We could revise it to something like

You may look ok doing only cardio but you would look much better if you were strength training as well

This!

slimkay1

bump

cyclerjenn

I do a lot of Cardio, but I do an restistance to that cardio, by running up hills, Riding my bike up hills or on a harder resistance, hiking and climbing over rocks, kyaking. All of these exercises build muscles, which tones my body, as well as work my heart.

Ambrogio1

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"...

He does lift weights

YassSpartan

I guess it all depends of a few factors. For instance, looking good is depends on a personal preference. Some people are attracted to those are muscular, others don't. Therefore saying that those who only do cardio don't look good, it is a matter of personal preference.

Also, some people who only do cardio, have a certain level of muscle, so assuming that cardio only equals no muscle mass and being skinny, that is completely wrong. Now, if we're going to make reference to those extra skinny athletes who train for long distance running, then we could say they don't look good, but that's just my personal preference. For others, they my look good.

kieva626

Yeah for females I don't agree with this statement...I don't lift although it looks like I do from genetics and different types of cardio can give you muscle tone.

You're wrong, you look like a "do you even lift mode"

To each his own. But I guess I'm wrong along with all the people who ask me about my workout and non existent lift routine on a regular basis. And I got my body fat down to 18% this way which is pretty good for a female that doesn't aspire to be muscular.

nsimportant

I didnt touch cardio for 6 months now. Best thing I ever did for my body composition was to stop "pushing" myself with HIT and running,before it was 6 days working out and even twice a day and I did push hard it.
Ended up looking pathetic (my before picture is after P90X doubles and my after picture is 1 month of gym and 4 workout days).
Before I thought more exercise = better body but...... boy was I wrong it just burns You out quicker. First month in Gym i found out how pathetically weak I really was, even thou I could do tons of pushups and few pullups.
I find it easier not to eat 300 calories then to run my *kitten* off for it.
So I am sticking to gym 3-4 times a week heavy weight lifting compound exercises for 45min - 1h and its the way to go.
This is my experience and I pity all the people "burning calories" and exercising for calories sake and not for the pure fun of those exercises.

ilovedeadlifts

i think people who do only cardio may be skinny, but they lack the muscle tone i generally find attractive. i think in order to really look good you need strength training AND cardio. just my thoughts though, but the cardio only people always look "skinny fat" to me.

this x1000000

gashinshotan

4 months of only-cardio got me here:
2/23/11 - 150 lbs



1 month of heavy lifting + 1 week high protein diet/no cardio got me here:
3/23/11 - 144.6 lbs
:

shanlynt

I'm sick of this debate. End of story.

macpatti

Show me 1 runner that doesn't lift weights and looks good, and I'll show you 5 guys who lift weights and don't do cardio that look better.

"looks good" or "looks better" to whom? To say "no one" who does only cardio looks good is a false statement, in my opinion. I know plenty of people who only run and they look great. Perhaps the statement would be better received as, "No one who does only cardio looks as ripped and as toned as they would if they also added lifting". But there are plenty of people who look "good" by only doing cardio.

ashnm88

I did mostly cardio, but when I started to go back to Curves (women's gym) doing the circuit training I noticed myself starting to tone up.

My job also involves lifting and helping clients.

tabik30

4 months of only-cardio got me here:
2/23/11 - 150 lbs



1 month of heavy lifting + 1 week high protein diet/no cardio got me here:
3/23/11 - 144.6 lbs
:

wow!

BigDaddyBRC

Looks are about perception. Anyone that differs from that is a fool.

ilovedeadlifts

Fu** it.
I give up.
No one gets that it was a generalization that is correct in 98% of cases.


The person was asking which of the two if they had to choose, so I used a simple statement.
No one has even proven that statement wrong in the 4 pages of this thread. Other than "michael phelps" who does lift weights btw.

zombilishious

It's whatever a person WANTS to look like. I just had this convo this morning with a coworker. She started an intensive (100+lb) weight loss journey in March and is doing well with it by using the treadmill and taking zumba classes. It's not the first time I've suggested she try to incorporate weight training, and she's certainly seen the changes it's made in me lately. Her response was: "you can keep the definition and tone, if that's what you think looks good. I'm a soft, southern girlie girl and I think it's gross"

A_Fit_Mom

I lost weight with cardio only, but just started with circuit training and using small weights. (30 DS) and I have already noticed the inches coming off in just a week.

So I definitely think you need to do more than cardio when it comes to inches.

ashnm88

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

Like!

ilovedeadlifts

It's whatever a person WANTS to look like. I just had this convo this morning with a coworker. She started an intensive (100+lb) weight loss journey in March and is doing well with it by using the treadmill and taking zumba classes. It's not the first time I've suggested she try to incorporate weight training, and she's certainly seen the changes it's made in me lately. Her response was: "you can keep the definition and tone, if that's what you think looks good. I'm a soft, southern girlie girl and I think it's gross"

Gonna go out on another limb here and say anyone that needs to lose more than 100 pounds probably has morphed ideas of what "definition and tone" are, and what looks "good".

marieautumn

It's whatever a person WANTS to look like. I just had this convo this morning with a coworker. She started an intensive (100+lb) weight loss journey in March and is doing well with it by using the treadmill and taking zumba classes. It's not the first time I've suggested she try to incorporate weight training, and she's certainly seen the changes it's made in me lately. Her response was: "you can keep the definition and tone, if that's what you think looks good. I'm a soft, southern girlie girl and I think it's gross"

Gonna go out on another limb here and say anyone that needs to lose more than 100 pounds probably has morphed ideas of what "definition and tone" are, and what looks "good".

I agree

Articeluvsmemphis

4 months of only-cardio got me here:
2/23/11 - 150 lbs



1 month of heavy lifting + 1 week high protein diet/no cardio got me here:
3/23/11 - 144.6 lbs
:

wow!

glad I wasn't the only one drooling, lol

Espressocycle

Well, girl, you look good. In fact, in general girls can get away with being skinny fat if they have the right assets, although plenty of women do look better tones or even need to tone to look good. Men absolutely need some muscle to look good, as they go from paunchy to emaciated pretty quick. Of course, looks are just looks. It's about how you feel. And most people feel better with some resistance training thrown in.