"No one who does only cardio looks good"

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  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I do not lift weights and I think I look good.

    Yes, you look phenomenal. But the bent arm side plank you're doing in that photo is strength training.

    Plus, and I really hate playing the age card because I hate it when it's played on me, but... you're 22. In another 10 or 20 years, you might need to do more to continue to look so incredible.
  • amie0724
    amie0724 Posts: 48 Member
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    I do cardio and seldomly do weights , however , I am a big fan of pilates . I believe if you want definition , you should do cardio and burn off all of the fat then add light weights.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I do cardio and seldomly do weights , however , I am a big fan of pilates . I believe if you want definition , you should do cardio and burn off all of the fat then add light weights.

    That is 1970's an 80's misconception. Nothing will do more to transform your body then a slight caloric deficit combined with a heavy lifting strength training program.
  • LPCoder
    LPCoder Posts: 404 Member
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    I have a medium to large frame, (as calculated based on bone widths), and I don't look good without a little muscle definition. I need muscle toning to support my frame and give me a healthy look. That doesn't mean I go to the gym to work weights. I can do all the toning I need at home, or in my Zumba class just by adding weights on my arms. At home I have an exercise ball and I do sit-ups on it. Pulse up and down on it for leg definition, squeeze it for inner thigh strength. When I decided to lose weight, I promised myself that if I was on the computer, I would sit on my ball; if I wanted to watch TV, I would sit on my ball.

    Instead of being a couch potato, I am now a ball-bimbo! LOL!
  • apriliamark
    apriliamark Posts: 22
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    Depends on your definition of 'good'
  • BeeElMarvin
    BeeElMarvin Posts: 2,086 Member
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    Yet another "mfp generalization". No rule or statement can be applied to everyone.
  • tmarie2715
    tmarie2715 Posts: 1,111 Member
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    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"...

    o-push-the-limit-in-michael-phelps-.jpg

    Ahh! Good point. I was inclined to agree with the guy who made the OP quote, but now I changed my mind. ;)

    That being said, most people aren't doing the amount of swimming that an Olympic swimmer would do to get that body. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe they also adhere to a strict diet and workout plan that probably involves lifting.
  • jamiesadler
    jamiesadler Posts: 634 Member
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    I would agree with it. Cardio only can produce a skinny fat person. Muscle definition comes from strength training. But then again it all depends on your version of what looks good.
  • rbear713
    rbear713 Posts: 220 Member
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    I do mostly cardio just to burn off some of the outer layer of fat so when I do start to do alot of weight training the muscle will show thru.

    ^^^ this is my plan too. just started TRX and strength training along with my cardio regimen.

    But, cardio only is not necessarily only cardio. Some would call swimming cardio - ever look at a swimmer's body? skinny fat my *kitten*.
  • Fit4Evolution
    Fit4Evolution Posts: 375 Member
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    i see i will get lost in a whole lot of posts but .. here i go anyhow.. cardio will burn carbs fat and muscle/protien so you will slim down and lose muscle mass.. so if you dont want to lose muscle mass or look "tone" do strength training and build / retain the muscle
  • nicholjenny
    nicholjenny Posts: 74 Member
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    I do mostly cardio just to burn off some of the outer layer of fat so when I do start to do alot of weight training the muscle will show thru.


    I'm doing a bit of both, but mainly cardio to lean out. Plan to hit the weights more when I get body fat % down a bit more. :heart:
  • WhittRak
    WhittRak Posts: 572 Member
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    Not true. Period.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I do not lift weights and I think I look good.

    Is that you in your avatar? If so, I think you look more than good!

    I'm starting to get more serious about lifting mostly because I'm having so much trouble losing (pretty sure it's my BC) and I'm hoping it will jump start my metabolism. But when I didn't lift and was thinner, I looked pretty good. I was a dancer and when I walked (didn't run back in the day, though I do now), I did a lot of hills. I also practice yoga. I was in pretty great shape.
  • maryduggins
    maryduggins Posts: 219 Member
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    I don't think sooooo... I've got some runner friends (who *only* run) and they look pretty good and are in exceptional shape(:
  • hollz118
    hollz118 Posts: 10
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    I like to do 3 nights of cardio and 2 nights of strength like yoga it gives me awesome definiton and makes me look alot thinner!!
  • Devlyn_P
    Devlyn_P Posts: 294 Member
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    By only doing cardio If you were very overweight and had little muscle mass to begin with = Skinny Fat

    Incorporating weight lifting/ plyometrics to your training will help increase LBM to fill your skin when you lose fat. When you lose weight rapidly some people get that "skinny fat" lose skin and have to recomp to fill those areas. Best approach is slow and steady sticking with the program to avoid that skin suit.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
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    Another example would be women professional ballet dancers. They have strong, lovely legs without the benefit of weight work because of their genetics (which is why they have advanced as dancers) and the tremendous amounts of exercise they do. I've read that they don't use weights on their legs because they don't want to destroy their "line." They might do a little work on their arms.

    And then I would ask, what is the oldest average age of a woman professional ballet dancer? They peak out around the mid 20's and I remember myself in my mid 20's not having to work too hard to look good (blessed with good genetics). I guarantee that any of them that are older than that are having to make adjustments to how they work in order to continue within the strength required for their profession, otherwise, injuries start to happen more and more. This could be said for most any sport.
  • OnWisconsin84
    OnWisconsin84 Posts: 409 Member
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    It absolutely depends on your definition of 'good'. I fell into 'cardio only' and ended up not liking the way I looked. Soft, mostly. Once I started adding weights & saw the definition I was getting I started shifting more towards weights than cardio. For me, it's about balance. My preference is to look toned, with muscle definition than to have a jiggly, flabby body (how I look with just cardio - may not be how EVERYONE looks with just cardio).
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I do not lift weights and I think I look good.

    Yes, you look phenomenal. But the bent arm side plank you're doing in that photo is strength training.

    Plus, and I really hate playing the age card because I hate it when it's played on me, but... you're 22. In another 10 or 20 years, you might need to do more to continue to look so incredible.

    But it's not the kind of weight lifting people on here are talking about. People here always say that things like jogging up steep hills or anything that relies solely on body weight resistance doesn't count. I don't agree with this, but it's what I read on here all the time.

    And, yeah, at 22 it is a lot easier to look good than at 32 or 42. Boy oh boy do I miss my metabolism! lol
  • JGT2004
    JGT2004 Posts: 231 Member
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    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.

    Thanks for posting this. I am saving it to read later! Looks intriguing.

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