Cardio makes you fat: "Women: Running into Trouble"

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Replies

  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,247 Member
    I love running and run three to four times per week. I compete in 5k races, will be doing a 10k in October and am moving onto half marathons in the not-too-distant future. Now to do all these things, I need to run and train at running. Spending time in the gym lifting weights (especially heavy weights) is not going to enable me to run that 13.1 miles outside, it may ASSIST but ultimately, it will not be the weights that will get me to do a good time in the HM, it will be the training in the running that does the job.

    I do not just wish to complete the HM, I actually wish to run the whole thing without stopping to walk and to cap it off I want to do a good time - all these resolutions mean:

    1. I cannot be fat or even overweight

    2. I must train in running

    3. I must start to ignore ALL stuff that says too much cardio will make one fat - it is not true, it is a lie and it is misinformation.

    Out.
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
    And I'm still in better shape and fitter than 90% of the people posting in this thread.
  • sizzle92
    sizzle92 Posts: 1,015 Member
    Ok. Doing exercises to strenghten my heart muscle is bad and useless. Noted. :noway:
    I get the feeling you didn't read the article. NOWHERE was this said. Strawman arguments for the loss. :P

    I was referring to a previous poster. I should have quoted. I did not read the article. I don't make it a habit to read non sense except when I come here.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    The article is totally true and has science to back it up. Cardio is a waste of time except for short bursts of activity. The human body was not designed for long runs or treadmill runs like a herd of zebras. It was designed for quick bursts of emergency activity and lifting. I've noticed that runners have no muscle and look so weak as do bicyclists. They're not healthy looking. It's resistance training that builds the body and garners it free of unhealthy fat. But there's no way to get people to believe that. They have been brainwashed by doctors and others. Even the king of cardio, Cooper, admits he was wrong.

    What about all the well documented psychological and mental health benefits of cardio? I don't think reducing or eliminating the need for antidepressants has been a waste of time for me!
  • But you're actually 100% stupid if you think cardio does not assist in the weight loss process.

    Actually, you're 100% stupid if you think that your opinion makes ANYONE that doesn't agree with it, 100% stupid.

    For the record...in the past every ounce of fat I've lost...usually in record time once I start...was lost with heavy lifting and diet. Cardio is 100% unnecessary for fat loss. The only cardio I do is a bit of warmup (and lately raquetball...I finally found cardio I enjoy!). There's plenty of evidence that all cardio provides in terms of fat loss is a higher net deficit.

    So...whether that makes me 100% stupid or not...I'll let you decide. Not that your decisions makes an ounce of difference to me...but I'm sure you'll feel better for having made it.

    Okay, a bit harsh there, my apologies. While I agree cardio is not THE rock of weight loss, you cannot deny it doesn't help. Maybe I just am stupid and can't wrap my mind around it, but any physical activity helps, I think. Personally, I'm watching my intake and heavy lifting, too, and that is where most of my weight loss is coming from. But to think cardio doesn't help just seems silly?

    Alas, to each their own. When it comes down to it, do what works for you and your body.
  • TinaDay1114
    TinaDay1114 Posts: 1,328 Member
    marathon_runner_355110014.jpg

    Yeah. What a cow.

    :wink: :wink: Good one. :wink: :wink:
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    And I'm still in better shape and fitter than 90% of the people posting in this thread.

    We shall see about that, tiny panda man! *pursues with T-rex velocity, waving disproportionately small arms and drooling from the maw*
  • Kara_xxx
    Kara_xxx Posts: 635 Member
    The front of the pack are not because they're doing 50 miles a week, including fartlek intervals and speed sessions.

    Your bog standard back of the packer who is 11 minute miling all his runs, never gets out of steady state and will ahve a completely different calorie burn.

    Runners world forum is FULL of newby mara runner's threads complaining that they're not losing weight!
  • Rachaelluvszipped
    Rachaelluvszipped Posts: 768 Member
    This topic makes me want to run again :wink:

    And just saying I balance both cardio and weights...love the burn either way..and I have a running group that run 6/7days a week mainly running...soooooo ya! :tongue:
  • Kara_xxx
    Kara_xxx Posts: 635 Member
    The article is totally true and has science to back it up. Cardio is a waste of time except for short bursts of activity. The human body was not designed for long runs or treadmill runs like a herd of zebras. It was designed for quick bursts of emergency activity and lifting. I've noticed that runners have no muscle and look so weak as do bicyclists. They're not healthy looking. It's resistance training that builds the body and garners it free of unhealthy fat. But there's no way to get people to believe that. They have been brainwashed by doctors and others. Even the king of cardio, Cooper, admits he was wrong.

    What about all the well documented psychological and mental health benefits of cardio? I don't think reducing or eliminating the need for antidepressants has been a waste of time for me!

    Granted, but that's a whole different argument.
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
    And I'm still in better shape and fitter than 90% of the people posting in this thread.

    We shall see about that, tiny panda man! *pursues with T-rex velocity, waving disproportionately small arms and drooling from the maw*

    Your tiny T-Rex arms can't catch me! :tongue:

    meet-the-robinsons-dinosaur-arms-i3.JPG
  • quill16
    quill16 Posts: 373 Member
    Fact:
    I do an hour of cardio on treadmill ( run 5-7 miles) plus an hour of water aerobics in the pool 5-6 days a week. I have a180 lb weight loss, am at my goal wt according to my doctor and have excellent blood work numbers, and I feel great. I ate1200 cals a day for 18 months,( closer to 1500 now that I am maintaining),and do not eat my exercise cals back.
  • spartangirl79
    spartangirl79 Posts: 277 Member
    Fact:
    I do an hour of cardio on treadmill ( run 5-7 miles) plus an hour of water aerobics in the pool 5-6 days a week. I have a180 lb weight loss, am at my goal wt according to my doctor and have excellent blood work numbers, and I feel great. I ate1200 cals a day for 18 months,( closer to 1500 now that I am maintaining),and do not eat my exercise cals back.

    180lbs is awesome. Kudos to you. :flowerforyou:
  • Jomalone2
    Jomalone2 Posts: 129 Member
    Funny how they do ALL THREE (Cardio, Weights, and Proper Diet) only The Biggest Loser in order to lose weight. I've seen alot of FAT people who only lift weights and maybe the runners in the back of the pack are fat but at least they are doing SOMETHING about it instead of sitting on the couch eating potato chips. Let's face it, we don't all agree but I don't think we should every discourage someone from exercising, regardless of what type it is, if it is something they enjoy! Some are runners, some are swimmers, some are kick-boxers, etc., etc., as the old saying goes - the best exercise is the exercise you enjoy and WILL DO. The one thing I think we can all agree on is that PROPER DIET is the real key - PERIOD. So stop hating and start working out- however you want to do it, and eat right. Just my 2 cents.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    And I'm still in better shape and fitter than 90% of the people posting in this thread.

    We shall see about that, tiny panda man! *pursues with T-rex velocity, waving disproportionately small arms and drooling from the maw*

    Your tiny T-Rex arms can't catch me! :tongue:

    NO BUT MY MOUTH CAN. *lunges and bites down on an ill-placed tree* Phbbphptbbbtttt! *spits leaves*

    Curse you, tiny panda man! *small taloned fists shake with spite*
  • katscoots
    katscoots Posts: 255 Member
    I love running and run three to four times per week. I compete in 5k races, will be doing a 10k in October and am moving onto half marathons in the not-too-distant future. Now to do all these things, I need to run and train at running. Spending time in the gym lifting weights (especially heavy weights) is not going to enable me to run that 13.1 miles outside, it may ASSIST but ultimately, it will not be the weights that will get me to do a good time in the HM, it will be the training in the running that does the job.

    I do not just wish to complete the HM, I actually wish to run the whole thing without stopping to walk and to cap it off I want to do a good time - all these resolutions mean:

    1. I cannot be fat or even overweight

    2. I must train in running

    3. I must start to ignore ALL stuff that says too much cardio will make one fat - it is not true, it is a lie and it is misinformation.

    Out.

    AMEN - and I am in the 1/2 marathon training genre myself. Good luck to you. Keep running!!!
  • recoiljpr
    recoiljpr Posts: 292
    Hmmmmm... and that is why I have lost inches and pounds since starting running for the first time six weeks ago (C25K).

    It's in your head. Lift heavy. Weights will set you free.

    Depends on the person. I've been running for years. At one point a few months ago I was averaging 15 miles a week. Everyone's body reacts to things differently. Long sustained bouts of cardiovascular workouts don't do a lot for me from a fat burn standpoint. I've had to learn to do the variation type exercises (HIIT, to sustained cardio, to heavy lifting, etc). I've found since i've started switching everything up that I am dropping pounds, and dropping it quickly. I think that reason is running has given me a very strong cardio/pulminary system and I can use that to help me in my other exercises.

    I think running is an excellent workout and I will continue running until i'm too old to run. But, I have changed my views over running alone and I will use it as one more addition to my arsenal to get this weight off once and for all.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    All I read was blah blah blah...

    I'll out race you any day of the week.


    Hell, Panda, even I could probably outrace most of 'em... :-)
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    The article is totally true and has science to back it up. Cardio is a waste of time except for short bursts of activity. The human body was not designed for long runs or treadmill runs like a herd of zebras. It was designed for quick bursts of emergency activity and lifting. I've noticed that runners have no muscle and look so weak as do bicyclists. They're not healthy looking. It's resistance training that builds the body and garners it free of unhealthy fat. But there's no way to get people to believe that. They have been brainwashed by doctors and others. Even the king of cardio, Cooper, admits he was wrong.

    What about all the well documented psychological and mental health benefits of cardio? I don't think reducing or eliminating the need for antidepressants has been a waste of time for me!

    Granted, but that's a whole different argument.

    I agree that it's off-topic, but it's a very real benefit of cardio, and I hate when these arguments go back and forth without giving the mental health benefits a nod of importance.

    ETA: I'm also not arguing that strength training doesn't have mental health benefits, just that it's very well documented that cardio DOES have these benefits, as part of an overall rounded fitness program. Thus, it's not a waste of time, even if it's not as effective at fat loss as many assume.
  • sizzle92
    sizzle92 Posts: 1,015 Member
    I think it's well known that weight training is crucial for the human body, but I think it sounds ignorant to say cardio makes you fat.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    I think it's all about moderation... 20 hours of one activity is the problem. If you do a balanced approach (BALANCE people), then you should be fine - some weights, some cardio...

    Just because cardio is good, doesn't mean you need to do 20 hours a week and ONLY do that. Just because weights are good, doesn't mean you need to lift for 3 hours a day every day and never do cardio.

    but that's my figuring. :)

    Yes, but do you have any peer reviewed science to back this up! :bigsmile:

    um.... well I did consult with my peers... me, myself and I... and we all decided that our "figuring" was scientific enough!

    oh... and @chrisanderson2... THANKS!
  • Jynus
    Jynus Posts: 519 Member
    I love running and run three to four times per week. I compete in 5k races, will be doing a 10k in October and am moving onto half marathons in the not-too-distant future. Now to do all these things, I need to run and train at running. Spending time in the gym lifting weights (especially heavy weights) is not going to enable me to run that 13.1 miles outside, it may ASSIST but ultimately, it will not be the weights that will get me to do a good time in the HM, it will be the training in the running that does the job.

    I do not just wish to complete the HM, I actually wish to run the whole thing without stopping to walk and to cap it off I want to do a good time - all these resolutions mean:

    1. I cannot be fat or even overweight

    2. I must train in running

    3. I must start to ignore ALL stuff that says too much cardio will make one fat - it is not true, it is a lie and it is misinformation.

    Out.

    Actually strength training will improve your racing. there are 2 ways to improve times. Strength frequency and stride length. And frequency is basically a non starter as when you compare pros to average joes, there frequency is basically identical. There is only a variance of like 10%. What this means is the difference between pro runners and non pros is all in stride length. They are able to do more per step than average runners.

    So how do you increase stride length? 2 ways. Improve flexibility, and improve strength. Neither of which come from running more. I think you were trying to say that in your 'assist' comment. But I don't want you to think that weights are in some way not useful for getting better running times, they are if done properly.

    And yes, you should ignore all the stuff that says cardio makes you fat. I can't think of seeing an article that says this however basically ever.... I do recommend though that you read things like the article posted in this thread however that gives good information.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    Jynus, do you run? how far, and how often?
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
    I don't know enough about physiology to say if the article is right or wrong but as someone who does regular cardio (not 20 hours a week though!) and can therefore eat a lot of food this has freaked me out a bit.

    Research HIIT. I love cardio, but I do no steady state save walking my dogs. HIIT (elliptical, bike and occasionally swimming) + some mild resistance training, the same stuff done in physical therapy years ago for knee and back/shoulder issues = increased fitness, muscle tone, energy and endurance.
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
    Jynus, do you run? how far, and how often?

    I can answer that.

    None.

    Stride length? You do realize that most new runners "overstride" right?
    Over striding leads to injury. Well done.
  • spartangirl79
    spartangirl79 Posts: 277 Member
    Jynus, do you run? how far, and how often?

    I can answer that.

    None.

    Stride length? You do realize that most new runners "overstride" right?
    Over striding leads to injury. Well done.

    ^^^^^^yep
  • It's my humble opinion that girls who run tend to look really freakin hot. I don't know why, but I've found that girls who look like goddesses tend to be runners.

    Not sure what else there is to say about it.
  • There clearly is evidence that TOO MUCH cardio relative to calorific intake can make your body slow down its metabolism and try store fat, to dispute otherwise is ridiculous. The differentiation between too much and not enough is down to genetics.
    I know for a fact that when I was doing 40 minutes in rounds on boxing training three times a week on top of my lifting I put on fat which I then lost when I dropped cardio completely. The lesson here was do not try lots of cardio on a calorie defecit. Some people it works for other not but unless you have been doing it for extended period personal observations are of very little use. I still do some bits of cardio but only a couple times a week, a bit of running, and rowing here and there but I do it for health I have few illusions that its the key to fat loss,
  • Carrie3B
    Carrie3B Posts: 45 Member
    I have a little bit of a different opinion/take on it! I started exercising in Dec and was weight training, doing bootcamp and running 3-5 miles a few days a week. I lost weight and body fat. Then I got a new (idiot) trainer who decided to put me on a mostly all running schedule (I mentioned that I wanted to run a Half marathon 10 months away). He had me running a hard 7 miles twice a week and then a long run (8-10 miles on the third day). The other days were mostly 40 min of intense stair climber or other cardio. I ended up gaining weight, gaining body fat and did not look as toned. His explanation--"over training". I had several metabolic tests done and my RMR went DOWN (bad), my body was only burning sugar/carbs (bad) whereas before it was burning half fat (good) and half sugar, my heartrate zones were all messed up etc... I parted ways with him and am now doing heavier weights 3 times a week, STILL running 3 times a week but not nearly as hard or as many miles (until I start REtraining for my Half).

    I DO think there is something to be said about people over-exercising at their highest heartrate zones for extended periods of time. YES, I was in good cardiovascular shape, but I felt like I totally jacked up my metabolism. I think running (and other cardio) is essential for good health--but maybe not to an extreme (unless you are training for a specific event). I am definitely no expert but that is just my personal experience.
  • julslea
    julslea Posts: 436 Member
    bump to read later