fed up off reading that cardio isn't beneficial

marie_cressman

Eh, I like cardio and strength training personally. Cardio... good for the heart? Am I wrong (no seriously, am i? I've done some reading, but let's be honest... I have a horrible memory)? I want a healthy heart.
I enjoy strength training as well because... I used to be more of a wienie than I am right now. Yep. I was a wimp. I didn't do yard work. I didn't do much of anything that required me to be strong to be honest. I like being/feeling stronger physically. I actually couldn't do a push up at all at one point in time. I can't do a whole crap load... I don't think I could hang with my husband and his friends just yet, but one day I will... and I'll blow those guys out of the water. Yep. I am a BAMF in progress son! LOL

That being said, I think it's beneficial to do both for general health and fitness. I don't aim to be a body builder. I don't aim to be a marathon runner. I aim to be healthy and more fit (and right now I'm more fit than I have ever been in my life).

CarleneOelofse

I wholeheartedly agree with you!

djsupreme6

I find it beneficial to do both, however I normally do cardio both aerobic and anaerobic as well as cardio based strength training which consists mostly of bodyweight movements...things like Tabata style...HIIT workouts...interval training can incorporate aspects along with eating well of course

erickirb

im a beginner so i do mostly cardio. every day for at least 30 minutes. I just started to incorporate strength training. i dont lift heavy because i dont want big bulky muscles. I want to tone the muscles i do have and use those muscles to "eat away" at the fat surrounding them... i can say that i started this MFP in may and before may i did VERY little exercise. so no one can say cardio doesnt help with weight loss. im down and i love t...

As a woman with lower testosterone than men you will not get bulky lifting heavy (it is even difficult for men to get bulky without seriously trying too). You will achieve the look you are going for much quicker lifting heavy. Another thing you need to bulk up is a caloric surplus, if you are trying to lose weight you will not gain muscle, and failing to lift a large % of your wight loss will come from muscle.

azalais7

im a beginner so i do mostly cardio. every day for at least 30 minutes. I just started to incorporate strength training. i dont lift heavy because i dont want big bulky muscles. I want to tone the muscles i do have and use those muscles to "eat away" at the fat surrounding them... i can say that i started this MFP in may and before may i did VERY little exercise. so no one can say cardio doesnt help with weight loss. im down and i love t...

Just FYI, you would have to work extremely hard, lifting incredibly heavy and eating over maintenance, to even hope to get big bulky muscles as a woman. For the vast majority of us, lifting heavy a few times a week will create precisely the "toned" look you want and raise your metabolism a bit.

On edit: What erickirb said.

LorinaLynn

I love cardio. I love running. It's great for my heart and lungs, and burns lots of calories so I'm able to eat pretty much whatever I want without negative repercussions.

But I am AMAZED at what strength training did to improve my body shape. It even helped improve my running.

Heavy lifting does NOT give women big bulky muscles unless they're eating at surplus and working really, really, really hard at it. Even then, they might need steriods.

This is what it's done for me. My arms are smaller and more shapely.



I'd already lost 20 pounds when the first bikini shots were taken, and 30 pounds by the second. The last photos are after about a year of strength training with a few pounds gained.

jypsyjulia

So what if cardio isn't the best for weight loss? It's fantastic for your BODY! It helps your heart and lungs. HEALTH should be more important to people than just losing weight.

TroJon

CARDIO IS FUKIN AMAZING

WHOEVER SAID IT ISN'T HAS NEVER BEEN SHREDDED LEAN

thepict51

Cardio Vascular exercise is very good for you - good for the ticker and the BP. Personally, I don't want to drop dead with a coronary or a stroke. I'm fortunate to live in the NE of England and we have some beautiful country side , and som e of the best beaches in the country . Not bothered about pumping iron. Anyway can't afford gym membership.

What do people mean by eating in deficit?

Bill

kjw1031

What do people mean by eating in deficit?

Eating few calories than you are expending every day.

SoDamnHungry

My main reason for cardio is heart health. Plain and simple.

JustJennie1

I lift heavy and do cardio. Lifting gives me my muscle and the cardio (running particular for me) leans me out. If I do just weight lifting alone I gain weight no matter how heavy I lift or what I'm eating. How do I know? Because I've done it before! I've done lifting alone and I gained -- and not in the OMG it's all muscle way either. I know my body and I know what works for me. I have to do cardio. Period. I also eat at a deficit and no, I don't eat all my exercise calories back. Some maybe but not all.

Determinednoob

"Weight loss" does not require any exercise. "Fat loss while not looking like shiz when you're done" requires resistance training. Cardio is an optional tool for creating a calorie deficit. It does seem like there is evidence to suggest that overdoing cardio can be counterproductive.

super_monty

I like a good mix of cardio and strength, the strength training isn't kicking in yet I am too cardio heavy atm, cardio is great for the heart.

But for me I feel fitter/healthier with the cardio heart pumping etc etc

thepict51

What do people mean by eating in deficit?

Eating few calories than you are expending every day.

thepict51

Thanks for info

jaye121

I recently ramped up my cardio workouts by alternating my Couch-to-5K workouts with cycling and walking with the goal of burning on average 500 calories per day. (I use a Polar heart rate monitor that is much more conservative than the MFP calculator, btw.)

I have noticed a significant drop in my appetite that I attribute to the amount of exercise I'm getting and I love this.

Before I experienced this, I would tell myself that I should just try to eat less because it's easier to skip a 300 calorie snack than it is to burn off 300 calories through exercise. Now, I am finding it easier to reduce my caloric intake because of the effect exercise is having to suppress my appetite and I'm **much happier**.

jenluvsushi

I love cardio. I love running. It's great for my heart and lungs, and burns lots of calories so I'm able to eat pretty much whatever I want without negative repercussions.

But I am AMAZED at what strength training did to improve my body shape. It even helped improve my running.

Heavy lifting does NOT give women big bulky muscles unless they're eating at surplus and working really, really, really hard at it. Even then, they might need steriods.

This is what it's done for me. My arms are smaller and more shapely.



I'd already lost 20 pounds when the first bikini shots were taken, and 30 pounds by the second. The last photos are after about a year of strength training with a few pounds gained.

Proof that lifting heavy will not make you look like a man ^^^^^ Thanks for sharing and you rock girly!

fishgutzy

Lots of great ideas here. All of it points to one unavoidable truth. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.
I mix swimming and working with a trainer that looks like a 6' tall version of Michael Clarke Duncan (RIP).
I have read in multiple sources that weight training while trying to lose fat helps keep the lean muscle mass.
I have also seen where studies have shown that excessive exercise can work against losing weight because it can over excite the appetite and lead to binges. Like all things, moderation is key. I been in the extreme before. Actively bulimic for a long 10 year period. Clinical definition is 3 to 4 times a week. I was doing that, and then some in a single day.

When I swim I do about 2 miles (one time I pushed it to 3 miles). Takes between 1:20 and 1:30. Not exactly Olympic speed. :bigsmile: But it works form me. I can't come close to spending that much time on stationary bike or elliptical due to arthritis in my feet and tail bone. Hopefully as I get closer to my goal weight I can do more time on my feet and in a saddle. Maybe even a spinning class again.
My orthopedists is always telling me to listen to my body. Pain is a signal that something is not right. So I listen and do what doesn't cause pain, other than some muscle soreness the next day.

Matt_Wild

Cardio is vital to getting ripped. You can be street lean or stage lean. There is a big difference. Very few people can get away with no cardio. Those few people don't visit this board.

This is simply silly. Google Martin Berkhan. He lives at ~5% bf and does little other than heavy compound lifts. Getting ripped is all in the kitchen. Sure, you can do cardio to create a larger caloric deficit, but the deficit is creating the fat loss, not the cardio specifically.

Read what he said again.

Agreed here. Martin Berkhan is one person. He may not need a huge amount of cardio if any to keep lean. However, genetically we are not all the same. I get in FAR better and sharper shape by incorporating a decent amount of cardio in my diet/cardio/lifting regime and I regularly get sub 5% for comps.