just doing cardio

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  • amandavictoria80
    amandavictoria80 Posts: 734 Member
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    Your heart rate actually needs to be between 75%-85%. Not 50%. 50% doesn't even break a sweat. Just saying.


    sigh.... "Minimum of 50% of your HR Max to be classified as cardio" by book definition for arguements sake as far as classifying what is and what isnt cardio.
    I wouldnt break a sweat at 50% either!! But there are many people that would!

    What you are refering to is a specific target heart rate zone... Just saying.

    I'm not sure where you get that info? Working at 50% is warm up or maintenance and hardly sufficient. Ones heart rate needs to be at a minimum of 60% for it to be considered aerobic.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    A lot of people are confusing 'cardio' (as in cardiovascular) with 'exercise'. Not the same thing.
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
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    Calm down people. Walking IS cardio!! Just not intense cardio. I think we can all agree that all cardio has different levels of intensity. A walker is not going to get their heart rate up like some one doing sprints, HIIT's, or runners. It all depends on what your goals are. If you want to challenge yourself...you pick up the pace. But absolutely walking is cardio!!!!
    I consider walking to be cardio. But for our purposes, arguing about what is and what is not cardio is about as useful as trying to define "clean". The latter is subjective.
    The term "cardio" is a colloquialism - defining it isn't very easy. For example, all resistance training involves the cardiovascular system to some degree.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
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    I disagree with the people that said walking isn't cardio

    Me too. I will agree it doesn't burn a ton of calories, though, compared to some other stuff. I have been doing a walking hills/interval treadmill routine though that is a really good workout!

    I also disagree about cardio not building muscles, because I think it depends. I found Biking consistently a few days a week did wonders for my legs. YMMV.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Yes you can lose fat by just doing cardio, as long as your nutrition is good and you're leaving yourself a calorie deficit.
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
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    Read this thread for more info:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/603152-you-will-lose-your-lean-mass-if-you-just-do-cardio
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Calm down people. Walking IS cardio!! Just not intense cardio. I think we can all agree that all cardio has different levels of intensity. A walker is not going to get their heart rate up like some one doing sprints, HIIT's, or runners. It all depends on what your goals are. If you want to challenge yourself...you pick up the pace. But absolutely walking is cardio!!!!
    I consider walking to be cardio. But for our purposes, arguing about what is and what is not cardio is about as useful as trying to define "clean". The latter is subjective.
    The term "cardio" is a colloquialism - defining it isn't very easy. For example, all resistance training involves the cardiovascular system to some degree.

    Nice use of the word colloquialism

    For simplicity's sake I do 2 kinds of work outs -

    cardio - where the main focus of the work out is to get my heart rate up, sometimes in intervals and sometimes at steady state
    strength training - main focus is picking up things that feel heavy to me

    We all know the 'cardiovascular system' is working during all forms of exercise
  • parvati
    parvati Posts: 432 Member
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    I'm not sure where you get that info? Working at 50% is warm up or maintenance and hardly sufficient. Ones heart rate needs to be at a minimum of 60% for it to be considered aerobic.



    For YOU 50% might be a warm up because of YOUR fitness level but that is not the case for every individual....
    As for where im getting my info, its what is stated in the "nationally accredited" resource manuals that you get when you aquire your PT, WT & FIS specialist certifications....

    Where are you getting your info? Google?
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    For YOU 50% might be a warm up because of YOUR fitness level but that is not the case for every individual....
    As for where im getting my info, its what is stated in the "nationally accredited" resource manuals that you get when you aquire your PT, WT & FIS specialist certifications....

    Where are you getting your info? Google?

    Wouldn't an unfit person experience an increase in heart rate from lower exertion levels? My understanding was that the heart rate would still be high just at a lower intensity level for exercise. This would make walking more likely to fall into a 'cardio' classification for an unfit or overweight person than for a fit person. To me this makes sense.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    ok i am going to chime in now.... I couldn't care less at what my heart rate is at and who considers walking cardio or just exercise... that was not my question to begin with! call it what you want, whether or not you see it as cardio or just exercise the point is i am moving and not sitting on my *kitten* :) ok.... the point i am trying to get answered is i am not a hug exercise freak and don't do it as often as i should for variable reasons... so now that i am almost at my goal i want to just maintain but see if i can get a bit more of my lower belly fat off. that's all... otherwise i am 100% happy with my loss and how i look.... I try to eat good 80% of the time, my eating habits have done a complete 360 and i do get off my butt to exercise just not as often as i was when i was trying to loose it. I can get in a good 30 min no prob after that it's not always a guaranteed thing daily. so if 30ds or rin30 is all i can get in strength related i think it's better then nothing even if some don't consider that strength.... i tell you i have see the difference with those dvd's and i don't need to go hard core or get ripped, etc.. i just don't want to be as soft...and those dvd's have done what i want. so back to my original question, if one can say that walking or going for a few bike rides a week and doing my jm' dvd's 3 times a week will be good to maintain my weigh loss and maybe still help reduce some of my lower belly fat, then that is great and i will continue to do what i have been doing...... thx
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
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    Your question is discussed in the thread I linked.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    ok i am going to chime in now.... I couldn't care less at what my heart rate is at and who considers walking cardio or just exercise... that was not my question to begin with! call it what you want, whether or not you see it as cardio or just exercise the point is i am moving and not sitting on my *kitten* :) ok.... the point i am trying to get answered is i am not a hug exercise freak and don't do it as often as i should for variable reasons... so now that i am almost at my goal i want to just maintain but see if i can get a bit more of my lower belly fat off. that's all... otherwise i am 100% happy with my loss and how i look.... I try to eat good 80% of the time, my eating habits have done a complete 360 and i do get off my butt to exercise just not as often as i was when i was trying to loose it. I can get in a good 30 min no prob after that it's not always a guaranteed thing daily. so if 30ds or rin30 is all i can get in strength related i think it's better then nothing even if some don't consider that strength.... i tell you i have see the difference with those dvd's and i don't need to go hard core or get ripped, etc.. i just don't want to be as soft...and those dvd's have done what i want. so back to my original question, if one can say that walking or going for a few bike rides a week and doing my jm' dvd's 3 times a week will be good to maintain my weigh loss and maybe still help reduce some of my lower belly fat, then that is great and i will continue to do what i have been doing...... thx


    LOL...I hear ya! Your whole thread got totally hijacked (I myself have some part in this :blushing: ).

    But YES when it comes down to it just keep moving, you're doing awesome:flowerforyou:
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    thx. and opps i forgot to read the link.... i opened it and that was it,lol i'll get to that now.
  • TexanThom
    TexanThom Posts: 778
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    thx. and opps i forgot to read the link.... i opened it and that was it,lol i'll get to that now.


    Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
  • Nessiechickie
    Nessiechickie Posts: 1,392 Member
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    I also disagree with people saying that walking is not cardio, except for if you walk very slowly of course.
    My mother-in-law has lost over 20 pounds for just walking everyday over 1hr a day, she walks very fast and does hills.
    That is all I am doing at the moment for exercise is walking and just started yoga.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    wow that thread was overwhelming....
  • FlyeredUp
    FlyeredUp Posts: 663 Member
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    Lin I would recommend also implementing some type of weight training program as well, If you dont, about 22% of your your total weight loss ( depending on the person) will be made up from lean muscle and you will be much more happier with the way you look once you reach your goal then if you dont start a weight lifting program. Good Luck!
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
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    You can lose weight without exercise as long as you have a caloric deficit.
  • parvati
    parvati Posts: 432 Member
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    For YOU 50% might be a warm up because of YOUR fitness level but that is not the case for every individual....
    As for where im getting my info, its what is stated in the "nationally accredited" resource manuals that you get when you aquire your PT, WT & FIS specialist certifications....

    Where are you getting your info? Google?

    Wouldn't an unfit person experience an increase in heart rate from lower exertion levels? My understanding was that the heart rate would still be high just at a lower intensity level for exercise. This would make walking more likely to fall into a 'cardio' classification for an unfit or overweight person than for a fit person. To me this makes sense.

    Yup! I've said that several times today in this thread!
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
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    Lin I would recommend also implementing some type of weight training program as well, If you dont, about 22% of your your total weight loss ( depending on the person) will be made up from lean muscle and you will be much more happier with the way you look once you reach your goal then if you dont start a weight lifting program. Good Luck!
    Where did you get 22% from?

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