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

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  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    I always want to know why the people here always take it to the extremes?

    There's the Strength Training Only! people and the Cardio Only! people.

    So what you can bench 300+ lbs, but can't run to the corner without gasping for breath...
    You're still not fit.

    That's the thing...you act like people are taking it to extremes. Show me one person here that said 'don't do cardio!' Sure, there's people who say 'I don't do cardio!'...but they don't recommend not to to others. What HAS been said, and HAS been proven, is cardio is irrelevant in regards to fat loss. That's all...and its very, very true. Is it good for you in other ways? Sure! I hate running, hate most cardio in general. Its taken me years to figure out that I love raquetball (go figure, every gym I've been in has a row of courts along one wall lol). Thankfully...cardio I can enjoy!...something I've been looking for because I KNOW there's other benefits. But I also know its not necessary for my fat loss, because guess what? I've done it without it.

    Its all over this site. Don't tell me you don't see it.
    I lift and endurance train. I don't preach one side or the other except to point out the fact that most people want to be overall healthier and fit.

    So like I said. Maybe you can squat more than me, but I can hold my own in the weight room and outrace you.
    So who's fitter?

    I'm sorry, I don't use whether I can run or not as a guage of my fitness (although I'm not saying I disagree with you, it IS a guage of fitness). That's like me saying that me being better at working all day in the 114* Phoenix summer sun, then going to lift after makes me more fit. Is my work active? Yes. Does it involve running? No. Is the fact that I can do it 40-60hrs a week without failing an indicater of my overall fitness?

    You bet.

    But either way...the one thing I do disagree with is your statement that the majority of people say strength train only. YES they say strength train only for fat loss, but I've yet to see ONE person say there is no benefit to cardio.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    Cardio isn't the problem. It's the fork and the mouth that's the problem.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I think it's odd that some people seem to be pointing to the heavy "back of the pack" marathon (or half marathon) runners as examples of running not helping with weight loss. That makes no sense. No one has any idea how much those fat marathoners weighed BEFORE they started training for that race. They might be 50 lbs down, for all anyone knows. They're hardly a good example of failure to lose weight through cardio, unless you know enough of them personally to actually begin to make that generalization.

    So yes, there are "fat marathoners" -- overweight people who participate in HMs and marathons. But geez louise, that in no way even begins to prove the idea that distance running hinders weight loss.

    And just to be clear, I think there's a wrong way to do cardio that definitely doesn't lead to the results that are desired ... but that doesn't mean training for a half marathon is going to make me in worse shape than I'm in now. (Especially since my training includes strength training/HIIT.) When I cross the finish line, I will be at least 20 to 30 lbs down as long as I stick to the program and stay within my calorie goals. I will also be better off in physically in almost every measurable way. I have zero doubt of that.

    All of the comments about fat marathoners that I read were in response to a post asking "Have you ever seen a fat marathoner?" which anyone who has actually gone to a marathon has (seen a fat marathoner). If you only watch them on TV they only show the elite runners, so I can see where the confusion comes from. Sort of. Not really.

    And I can tell you from personal experience AND a lot of reading on the subject, that marathon training does not easily make someone lose weight, unless you're starting very overweight/sedentary and any activity would make you lose weight. It's because the calorie deficit hinders your training- it's difficult to do both effectively. You can train only at a small deficit, unless your only race goal is to finish.

    FTR I LOVE running and fully support it, but it is only a piece of the fitness puzzle. Strength training is equally important. I'm fully realistic, though, about the limitations of cardio-only programs.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    Cardio isn't the problem. It's the fork and the mouth that's the problem.

    Ahh, fork-in-mouth disease. I know it well.
  • Usain23
    Usain23 Posts: 3
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    consistent cardio training over weeks and months will yield the best results....consistency is Key..!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    consistent cardio training over weeks and months will yield the best results....consistency is Key..!

    The best results for what?
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    consistent cardio training over weeks and months will yield the best results....consistency is Key..!

    The best results for what?

    And as compared to what?
  • toysbigkid
    toysbigkid Posts: 545 Member
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    bump
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    consistent cardio training over weeks and months will yield the best results....consistency is Key..!

    I kind of think the opposite is true....Your body adapts to LISS or MISS workouts fairly quickly. I would say consistancy is key for developing base endurance, and then you have to constantly make changes to your program if you want continual improvement- add mileage, build speed, develop stamina, whatever.

    But then again the same use it or lose it rule applies, as it does for any conditioning- strength or cardio. So maybe that's what you were getting at?
  • Collinsky
    Collinsky Posts: 593 Member
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    All of the comments about fat marathoners that I read were in response to a post asking "Have you ever seen a fat marathoner?" which anyone who has actually gone to a marathon has (seen a fat marathoner). If you only watch them on TV they only show the elite runners, so I can see where the confusion comes from. Sort of. Not really.

    And I can tell you from personal experience AND a lot of reading on the subject, that marathon training does not easily make someone lose weight, unless you're starting very overweight/sedentary and any activity would make you lose weight. It's because the calorie deficit hinders your training- it's difficult to do both effectively. You can train only at a small deficit, unless your only race goal is to finish.

    FTR I LOVE running and fully support it, but it is only a piece of the fitness puzzle. Strength training is equally important. I'm fully realistic, though, about the limitations of cardio-only programs.


    Gotcha.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    FTR I LOVE running and fully support it, but it is only a piece of the fitness puzzle. Strength training is equally important. I'm fully realistic, though, about the limitations of cardio-only programs.

    What a sensible, balanced and reasonable perspective. I'll have you know that we'll not have this around here! If it should continue, you will be reported to the proper authorities forthwith! :flowerforyou:

    edited to add: I think the article is total BS but I also think so of the ridiculously indignant posturing in this thread is also!
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
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    My opinion? (OP here.)

    This person is a trainer, and trainers don't make money if you can lose weight on the pavement.

    My two cents.

    That being said, I think cardio and weight training should both be included, if nothing else than for sanity. I can't do the same crap on the elliptical every day. I have to switch it up and push myself and do mind games, then get on the machines and do some crunches. I can't imagine zombie-ing out on one cardio machine a day. That being said, I only do about 30-40 minutes of cardio a day, so I'm barely in the 20 hr/week zone. :P
  • Jynus
    Jynus Posts: 519 Member
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    My opinion? (OP here.)

    This person is a trainer, and trainers don't make money if you can lose weight on the pavement.
    yes, it makes FARRR more sense this trainer is lying in a public forum where his reputation would be at stake in the attempt to make a few bucks... And not like runners need trainers or anything anyway, right?
  • wackyfunster
    wackyfunster Posts: 944 Member
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    Alan Aragon and Lyle McDonald both say that cardio is pretty much pointless for normal weight loss scenarios, and they are two of the most knowledgeable fitness experts on the planet. You can accomplish the exact same thing with a larger caloric deficit, and get the same cardiovascular benefits from metabolic weight training, along with superior preservation of lean body mass.

    If you want to do cardio for endurance or sport-specific training, then awesome.
    If you wan to do LISS in conjunction with a strength training regiment for weight loss, then props to you.
    If you want to use cardio as your primary exercise for weight loss, then enjoy losing tons of lean body mass and lowering your metabolism. (I'm sure that one will get me flamed, but hey, the truth hurts sometimes)
  • Jynus
    Jynus Posts: 519 Member
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    I always want to know why the people here always take it to the extremes?

    There's the Strength Training Only! people and the Cardio Only! people.

    So what you can bench 300+ lbs, but can't run to the corner without gasping for breath...
    You're still not fit.
    I would be VERY surprised is anyone whos in a weight class benching that much would possibly be out of breath at doing that. Shockingly enough, submaximal effort and power/speed training is rather cardio intensive. Get your bodyweight on your shoulders and squat till failure, your heartrate will be near max and you'll be sweating hard.

    For a personal story, havn't done cardio in 2 years, ran a 3km last week with no trouble cardiowise. I can bench close to 300lbs. Was I supposed to be out of breath and near death? Didn't really phase me. Problem was more one of ichyness by far and not one of I'm utterly gassed... Coulda easily ran more.

    Basically what I'm saying here is if what you were saying is true, you would be right. But basically you're full of it because strong people who don't do cardio, will by default have a decent base cardio endurance that will be far better than most any sedentary person. Basically you're ignorant as to what strength training actually does.
  • obwize
    obwize Posts: 102
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    Why do I feel like Jynus is the author? :laugh:
    ^^Thinking this.
  • MargotAllen
    MargotAllen Posts: 63
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    tl;dr
  • madamepsychosis
    madamepsychosis Posts: 472 Member
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    Oh for heaven's sake, if you want to do cardio, do cardio. If you want to lift weights, lift weights. If you want to do both, do both. Can we please just leave it at that and stop insinuating people are working out the wrong way?
  • Zangpakto
    Zangpakto Posts: 336 Member
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    Meh, I am losing weight training for a marathon, an ultra marathon actually.... Have lost 60 pounds so far....

    Soooo yea, I call massive BS.... As for 20hrs a week? No one ever tell them of things called interval sessions? Or quality training? Cause my god, if you can run 20hrs a week, you shouldn't have any problem running a damn marathon or more!

    I can run a marathon happily within 6hrs, I need to cut down to under 5hrs to qualify for my ultra next year and am doing good...

    However I train 2 x 1hr easy sessions so 7-10km, 1 x 5-10km time trial run, 1 fartlek (2 if no TT that week), and 1 medium distance 14km+ and 1 long distance run 20km+....

    Haven't been doing it lately because of work, but starting again next week when help comes back so I get time for myself again... Currently working from 8am till 10pm and even 1-2am on occasions....

    But seriously, if it makes you fat, then how did I lose 60 pounds so far with running/cycling? So no, I call absolute BS, if you aren't losing weight, either your diet is incorrect or you just are NOT pushing yourself!
  • aurinje
    aurinje Posts: 3
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    To be fair, to lose weight you need to keep your heart rate pretty much as high as possible for as long as possible. Part of the problem with consistently doing a lot of a particular type of cardio, for example running, is that your heart rate will slow as you get fitter and more efficient at running, so I can see why you would plateau.

    The best thing to do is what many people have said here which is don't just run, change it up, if you aren't out of breath and/or feeling the effort you're putting in, then you won't lose too much weight.

    Either way, cardio is good, even if you don't lose as much weight as you want, there is nothing bad about improving heart rate and lung capacity.

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