is cardio alone enough?

mustgetmuscles1

So proud of all the great answers being given. :flowerforyou: Finally the truth is catching on.

mustgetmuscles1

Im curious about this subject too..for instance when I work on the elliptical considered cardio...it feels like im working and building muscles in my legs...cant this also be strength training? or no?

Complicated answer. At first the resistance from the elliptical can be enough to be considered resistance training but you will quickly adapt to each new setting and after a week or two you will no longer get the same benefits. This is why people new to exercise can see benefits from pretty much anything they do even some cardio. Just my opinion though.

I feel the same can be said about body weight training. Eventually you will get so efficient at normal push ups and such that the will eventually turn into conditioning instead of resistance and you will need to find ways of making them more difficult or start lifting weights.

victoriannsays

recommend me some lifting/strength training stuff?? anyone?

I dont go to a gym.. Hate gyms.. Whats some stuff I can do at home???

gmallan

From the sound of your goals you definitely need to include some strength training. Lifting weights would probably get you the best results but if you are a bit intimidated by that you could work your way up to it.

Start by including some body weight exercises: squats, lunges, push ups, press ups, dips, burpees, crunches, planks... You could try doing some circuit work - alternating 1 minute of cardio with 1 minute of a strength work.

Then build your way up to doing weights, adding them into your routine slowly and perhaps alternating them with some body weight exercises.

As you get stronger and more confident with the movements move onto lifting heavier weights. You might want to get some PT sessions to make sure your form is good

Determinednoob

recommend me some lifting/strength training stuff?? anyone?

I dont go to a gym.. Hate gyms.. Whats some stuff I can do at home???

You Are Your Own Gym in a google search

vabchloser

and what defines strength training?? Does it have to include a barbell???????

I've been fairly successful in weight loss (I started at 270-ish and am at 192). I do 3 days of running and walking (total 1 hr of cardio) and three days of walking with calisthenics thrown in to help keep my muscle until I'm happy with my fat loss (at which point I'm quitting the walking days, upping my calories a little, and making them 100% weight training)

On my walks I set my timer to 5 mins and have it repeat (My Tracks app on my smartphone does this). Then I stop and do incline pushups, brain busters, tricep dips, sit ups, leg lifts, crunches, squats, step-ups, modified burpees, and whatever else I can think of (just one type of exercise each 5 mins!). Just lay right down there on the cement jogging path at the park and take care of business. Or use a bench, or whatever is around. By the time I do three rounds of arm, core, leg, burpees...1 hr and 20 mins has passed and I'm totally spent.

vabchloser

disregard this post..oops

Nina1007

I've had to lose weight before, years ago. Just doing cardio didn't help me become defined I was still mushy but in clothes I looked thin. I'm using weights this time around and I still have 35 lbs to lose but I can see better definition in my body already. And I think it helps me lose 2lbs a week some weeks rather then just one. Not sure if that's the strength training but it certainly doesn't hurt it.

maryd523

I could never stick to a strength-training routine (too bored, intimidated, etc) until I found Bodypump! It's so awesome. Good music, good instructors, a full-body workout that is different every time you go. Feeling your muscles burn as you push to the finish with a bunch of other people and the instructor cheering you on is a much different scenario than lifting on your own. I do it 2-3 times a week and I love it.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Determinednoob

I heard a rumor that lifting weights is uncomfortable

mustgetmuscles1

I heard a rumor that lifting weights is uncomfortable

Hmmm that might explain the faces I make. Then again maybe not.

ndj1979

you might find this article interesting http://www.leangains.com/2012/10/train-like-man-look-like-goddess.html

It makes sense that a lot of girls are afraid of getting too big..I mean what guy wants to date a girl with bigger biceps than him lol..but from what the lean gains site says woman can train like men and you won't get too huge. i would incorporate squats (the barbell kind), deadlifts, pull ups/chin ups, presses, etc into your strength training regimen. Also, too much cardio will cut into your strength gains so you may want to back off the cardio or maybe just do some sprint intervals once a week..

WendyTerry420

and what defines strength training?? Does it have to include a barbell???????

Yes. And I'm assuming you'd enjoy using a pink one.

No.

WendyTerry420

Google squats and body weight exercises. Start by being able to use your own body in practical ways, like pushing, pulling, and lifting things. You don't have to buy any equipment to get started.

maryd523

I could never stick to a strength-training routine (too bored, intimidated, etc) until I found Bodypump! It's so awesome. Good music, good instructors, a full-body workout that is different every time you go. Feeling your muscles burn as you push to the finish with a bunch of other people and the instructor cheering you on is a much different scenario than lifting on your own. I do it 2-3 times a week and I love it.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I would be bored too if i used pink dumbbells and treated it as cardio. You need intensity, "mental strength" as well.

I'm not understanding your meaning at ALL.

joehempel

I couple my running with DDP Yoga...uses dynamic resistance in that program, and boy your muscles BURN while holding some of those positions.....and those slow 3 count or 10 count pushups can be awesome!

SPNLuver83

No it is not. And neither is your food intake. In order to look defined you must do strength training AND fuel your body enough.

ElizaRoche

it seems I will always have the same figure then..................... after losing 60+ lbs doing just cardio I look the same way (sarcasm)

im sorry, i wont do strenght training as I HATE to lift weighs.. hate it hate it hate it. Plus its not safe when you dont have a personal trainer (no money to hire one, no money to join a gym), a cousin of mine was into it, did more cause he ´thought´ he could handle it and had a heart attack, and passed 9 years ago. Since then, im afraid of the weighs without professional help.

Ill stick to my cardio :drinker:

californiagirl2012

I am intaking roughly 1350 in calories a day.. I usually never eat back my exercise calories.. Im 5'5, 135.. 22yo.. Can I become more "defined" with just cardio..or is lifting necessary for being more "defined" and losing weight? Any advice?

Cardio is good for you but won't give you much shape. You can not out exercise too many calories. Only a calorie deficit will make you lose weight, not exercise. For shape and muscle definition weight lifting will give you the most. Also the more fat you lose from your calorie deficit the more your muscles will show.

I would encourage you to start a beginner weight lifting routine. Just 3 days a week. Why?

Lifting weights is KEY. I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am.

Start lifting now, lift heavy and change it up often, find a lot of weight routines with free weights, make it fun, embrace it, make it part of your life. Only 3 days a week is all it would take. Crank up your tunes and learn to love it, because your body will love it and it will make your quality of life better in many ways, especially when you get older like me.

Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.

If you are a girl you don't have the hormones to get big naturally. I lift heavy and I'm still really tiny. My lean body mass is only 104 lbs and that is fairly heavy for a 5'1" female, and quite a bit of this is due to my having very dense bones from 30 years of lifting, not all muscle, and I'm still quite tiny.

My muscles really are not that big, but they show a lot of definition because I'm quite lean. If I gained some fat then I would have a softer more toned look (which is OKAY too!). Then if I gained more fat I would look bulking and hefty like I did most of my life until last year. YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT. Lean and ripped, soft and toned, or hefty, it all depends on how much fat you leave on your body. Calories are the only thing that changes fat. Exercise is for changing or maintaining your lean body mass only. Lifting weights will give you the best bang for your buck for shaping your body. I finally changed my shape by putting lifting first and cardio 2nd. You cannot out exercise too many calories. I learned this the hard way ---> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

californiagirl2012

it seems I will always have the same figure then..................... after losing 60+ lbs doing just cardio I look the same way (sarcasm)

im sorry, i wont do strenght training as I HATE to lift weighs.. hate it hate it hate it. Plus its not safe when you dont have a personal trainer (no money to hire one, no money to join a gym), a cousin of mine was into it, did more cause he ´thought´ he could handle it and had a heart attack, and passed 9 years ago. Since then, im afraid of the weighs without professional help.

Ill stick to my cardio :drinker:

I've never had a personal trainer and I think I turned out fine, I have not injured myself, and I have not had a heart attack and in fact I'm healthier now then ever before at almost age 52. I found an awesome weight lifting routine and I have not seen any of the routines around here give results as good as the one I'm using. See for yourself --> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/752246-i-m-afraid-to-try-an-new-weight-lifting-program-now

Lrdoflamancha

Bump

joehempel

Plus its not safe when you dont have a personal trainer

BullS**7T

ElizaRoche

Plus its not safe when you dont have a personal trainer

BullS**7T

so you call BS that my cousin died cause he lifted more and his heart couldnt handle it?... go tell that to the doctors .

ElizaRoche

it seems I will always have the same figure then..................... after losing 60+ lbs doing just cardio I look the same way (sarcasm)

im sorry, i wont do strenght training as I HATE to lift weighs.. hate it hate it hate it. Plus its not safe when you dont have a personal trainer (no money to hire one, no money to join a gym), a cousin of mine was into it, did more cause he ´thought´ he could handle it and had a heart attack, and passed 9 years ago. Since then, im afraid of the weighs without professional help.

Ill stick to my cardio :drinker:

I've never had a personal trainer and I think I turned out fine, I have not injured myself, and I have not had a heart attack and in fact I'm healthier now then ever before at almost age 52. I found an awesome weight lifting routine and I have not seen any of the routines around here give results as good as the one I'm using. See for yourself --> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/752246-i-m-afraid-to-try-an-new-weight-lifting-program-now

good you feel good with those routines you found... :drinker:
still not interested in strenght training, but thanks for the link.

rwhawkes

I just want to chime in and say that this has been a very informative thread. I would expect the fantastic-looking ripped guys saying that it's all about weightlifting and sure enough there's lots of that. But there are other voices arguing convincingly for cardio + lifting. The one that really resonates at my age (57 next Monday) is that we lose a certain amount of muscle every year as we age, and I do not plan to give that up without a fight now.

I've been on this site for a month and a bit, and my experience is exactly as described for cardio alone - lose a few pounds and then plateau. I'm gonna get serious about spending some time in the gym getting to know the weights to see how that works out in addition to the cardio.

Thanks as always for the interesting discussions.

joehempel

Plus its not safe when you dont have a personal trainer

BullS**7T

so you call BS that my cousin died cause he lifted more and his heart couldnt handle it?... go tell that to the doctors .

Sorry your cousin died....that's horrible.

But a personal trainer can't tell you what your heart can handle. MILLIONS of people strength train without a personal trainer.

maryd523

it seems I will always have the same figure then..................... after losing 60+ lbs doing just cardio I look the same way (sarcasm)

im sorry, i wont do strenght training as I HATE to lift weighs.. hate it hate it hate it. Plus its not safe when you dont have a personal trainer (no money to hire one, no money to join a gym), a cousin of mine was into it, did more cause he ´thought´ he could handle it and had a heart attack, and passed 9 years ago. Since then, im afraid of the weighs without professional help.

Ill stick to my cardio :drinker:

Kinda sounds like excuses to me.

pinkraynedropjacki

Do cardio & you are not building strength so then no lean body mass & then your not doing anything good to yourself at all. Get some resistance bands & go full body.

bushidowoman

Cardio alone helped me to see the number I wanted to see on the scale.
Weights helped me to look the way I wanted to look in my undies.
And no PT or gym here...I work with dumbbells in my bedroom.

shrinkingkiwi

If you don't have muscles to stabilise your body you might find you start to get pain. I am getting knee pain but doing special exercises in my butt/hips to correct this. I was fine for 3 months running 5 km every second day then it hit me. Fortunately got it early. I suspect the same applies to other joints - ankles etc. The problem with the pain is it can stop your cardio training.

If you want to avoid other exercises at least as a minimum get your stability checked by a physio and some basic exercises. So worth it in the long run.

I would be a bit wary of getting exercises off the internet as everyone's body is different and it helps if someone can show you the correct technique. They are harder than they look, but I can happily do mine in front of the TV.

Also you will look better - but your wellbeing should be your top priority really. You will still be reaping the rewards when your are old.