Doing cardio with out gaining muscle...

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emma155
emma155 Posts: 152
in Health and Weight Loss
Obviously it is good to exercise to lose weight but if you really get on the cardio you surely must gain weight? From muscle build up? (not water weight, im not worried about that) I already have muscly legs and if i do lots of exercise and gain muscle I am likely to get annoyed because I cant track my weight on the scales, my weight loss is about dropping a dress size rather than getting fitter..... Thanks guys :happy:
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Replies

  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
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    Olympic runners do more cardio in a day than most of us do in a month. They're all skinny as *kitten*!!!
  • Sunka1
    Sunka1 Posts: 217 Member
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    I was a spin addict for several years with an occassional token weight lifting day. It was not until I added strenghth training that my measurements went down. I was also worried about getting chunky looking from gaining muscle. I did gain muscle but not the bulk we women tend to dread.
  • emma155
    emma155 Posts: 152
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    Olympic runners do more cardio in a day than most of us do in a month. They're all skinny as *kitten*!!!


    Very good point but their physique is not quite what I am after if you know what I mean? :wink:
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    You will not get large muscles from cardio.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Even with a good hypertrophy program and a calorie surplus women typically gain no more than half a pound of muscle a month. Cardio won't make you gain muscle. If anything, you're probably losing muscle.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    In order to build muscle you need to be using a lot of resistance. You need to lift HEAVY weights... have hard resistance. You also need to be eating at a calorie surplus to build muscle.

    While on a calorie deficit and doing cardio, you will not build muscle. Unfortunately with a deficit and cardio most of us will lose some muscle... more so with a higher deficit.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    You will not get large muscles from cardio.

    Your body is used to supporting your weight, so you doing cardio isn't really building any muscles cause your legs are used to holding you up all day.. of course doing excess cardio in a large deficit can also eat away at your muscle in other parts of your body
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
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    It's extremely hard to gain muscle just from cardio. You'd have to be training with some serious resistance. Now you can lean out to the point the muscles you do have are more defined, but that's completely different.
  • MellyGibson
    MellyGibson Posts: 297 Member
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    Just a thought -

    If you're worried about size more (dropping inches) wouldn't a tape measure be a better tool than the scale anyway?
  • ShaunShaunphenomenon
    ShaunShaunphenomenon Posts: 141 Member
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    If your real worry is about tracking what you lose? then perhaps you should use measurements and not just a scale. I have gained arm muscle from doing workouts and while I might not be able to get a good reading. I've upped my Cardio a lot and my arms are bigger, but I keep losing weight. You will have toned legs, it depends on how much cardio you do.
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
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    You care more about the number on the size tag than about looking/being fitter?

    Okayyy...

    You do realize that if you strength train and shape your muscles, you can lose inches but the scale won't budge, right? Weight is not related to size. I've seen women on here who lost inches all over but gained five pounds because muscle is more dense than fat.

    Personally, I'd rather look awesome in a dress that's a size 8 than be squishy and a size 6. Nobody can see your size tag, but they CAN see how you look in it. It's not like the size is printed on the back.
  • emma155
    emma155 Posts: 152
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    I was a spin addict for several years with an occassional token weight lifting day. It was not until I added strenghth training that my measurements went down. I was also worried about getting chunky looking from gaining muscle. I did gain muscle but not the bulk we women tend to dread.


    Interesting.... I am aming to loose 1lb a week (I am on week 6 of 16) and I am not over weight but could afford to lose a few inches off my waist etc, I weigh myself every week and if i dont see the 1lb a week drop I know I will get disheartened (and probably give up) so should I just stick to what I am doing?
  • SpecialSundae
    SpecialSundae Posts: 795 Member
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    Olympic runners do more cardio in a day than most of us do in a month. They're all skinny as *kitten*!!!


    Very good point but their physique is not quite what I am after if you know what I mean? :wink:

    What physique are you aiming for? Cardio doesn't really make you build muscle.
  • SergeiKay
    SergeiKay Posts: 90 Member
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    agreed with above posts.

    Cardio is not efficient at building muscle. But i would also add that manipulating TWO variables here would get you to your goal:
    Cardio AND calorie intake. If you're in a caloric deficit and doing cardio, you're on a track of losing body fat.
  • Energizer06
    Energizer06 Posts: 311 Member
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    BF% - will tell you if its muscle or fat
    Measurements - will tell you where your gaining or losing
    scales - will tell you after the above two conditions have already been met. So, yeah scales pretty much suck as a tool to gauge progress


    Cardio and lifting with light weight / lots of reps will tone and reduce BF% (most people call it "toning up")
    Heavy weight / small reps - gains mass (most call it "bulking up")

    WEIGHT GAIN IS STRICTLY DEPENDENT UPON YOUR NUTRITIONAL INTAKE/EXPENDATURE.

    It is impossible to gain weight (other than water weight) if your burning more calories than your taking in. You might look different in the mirror and think your gaining. That's why an athlete looks completely different than the "Average Joe" when they are the same height and same weight. It's called caloric burn.

    "Nutrition is a diet..........Nutrition with exercise is a LIFESTYLE"
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Don't worry, you won't.
  • emma155
    emma155 Posts: 152
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    You care more about the number on the size tag than about looking/being fitter?

    Okayyy...

    You do realize that if you strength train and shape your muscles, you can lose inches but the scale won't budge, right? Weight is not related to size. I've seen women on here who lost inches all over but gained five pounds because muscle is more dense than fat.

    Personally, I'd rather look awesome in a dress that's a size 8 than be squishy and a size 6. Nobody can see your size tag, but they CAN see how you look in it. It's not like the size is printed on the back.


    Ok I understand what you are saying, but for me its about loosing motivation, its always been my problem with dieting, I find I need to measure so I can tell my self im doing well.... it may sound strange to some people but for some it must make sense?????
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I was a spin addict for several years with an occassional token weight lifting day. It was not until I added strenghth training that my measurements went down. I was also worried about getting chunky looking from gaining muscle. I did gain muscle but not the bulk we women tend to dread.


    Interesting.... I am aming to loose 1lb a week (I am on week 6 of 16) and I am not over weight but could afford to lose a few inches off my waist etc, I weigh myself every week and if i dont see the 1lb a week drop I know I will get disheartened (and probably give up) so should I just stick to what I am doing?

    If you're not overweight then there's a good chance that trying to lose 1lb/week isn't a great idea.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    Cardio and lifting with light weight / lots of reps will tone and reduce BF% (most people call it "toning up")
    Heavy weight / small reps - gains mass (most call it "bulking up")

    Agree to disagree..
  • emma155
    emma155 Posts: 152
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    I was a spin addict for several years with an occassional token weight lifting day. It was not until I added strenghth training that my measurements went down. I was also worried about getting chunky looking from gaining muscle. I did gain muscle but not the bulk we women tend to dread.


    Interesting.... I am aming to loose 1lb a week (I am on week 6 of 16) and I am not over weight but could afford to lose a few inches off my waist etc, I weigh myself every week and if i dont see the 1lb a week drop I know I will get disheartened (and probably give up) so should I just stick to what I am doing?

    If you're not overweight then there's a good chance that trying to lose 1lb/week isn't a great idea.


    It depends what you call over weight... My BMI is ok but could be better, I know my fat % is too high

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