Doing cardio with out gaining muscle...

Graelwyn75

Just a question to clarify here-During the last 4 months I did a lot of reading here and I have played a lot with calories, exercises I want and can do, and currently I am in the following: I am 5'6", 179lb and want to lose 30- 40 lb from here. I have set up my MFP on TDEE-30%, 1708 (BMR1349), do not eat my calories back, and everyday I do 1 hour cardio in treadmill, increasing the incline and burn 500 calories according to the machine set on 10lb lower than my actual weight. I have started doing JM shred in 30, and have experimenting with different classes in the gym, from zumba to muscle confusion. Three times weekly, I just do all the weight machines in the gym, in the women's area, 3x10, with the weight set so it is difficult but I can do 10 repetitions. Will this be fine to lose weight and tone? I also want to lose body fat all over, see the scale go down and inches decrease. I have lost 4 inches from belly waist and 2 inches from waist the last month that I have implemented this exercise schedule. Even though I know you can not spot lose, I find that I started to be more firm in different areas of my body, and I do fit in smaller size clothes. Can I continue with this cardio routine and machine weights? Do I need to do free weights? I am confused when people say weight training, whether they mean free weights , or the gym machines. Can just cardio everyday be fine to loose weight on the scale?

Drop the cardio to 2-3 days a week. Steady state cardio will increase the chances of catabolization muscle. People doing high amounts of cardio will burn more muscle. And there is no reason to work the same muscle every day. You will just be more prone to injury. If you like zumba, do that for your cardio (2-3x a week) and spend the other days just doing weight training. The advantage of free weight vs machine is you will work more muscles with free weights as you engage your core more. You can always start with a program like Strong Lift 5x5. It's a beginner weight training program and can be found free by google. This way you will optimize strength gains (which high amounts of cardio can effect) and you will improve muscle retention.

Aah, I never heard about this catabolization muscle. What about all these people in MFP who just do cardio everyday and have lost all this weight, either by just walking or treadmill? I did the different classes at the gym, more so my muscles and body does not get used to the same exercises. What I like with the treadmill, is that I go in the evening after 8pm and just watch the same show so I wont get bored with the exercise. Do you recommend then that I just do 5 days treadmill cardio incline to 500 calories as I do, and do 2 days of muscle training? I also want to continue the JM Shred daily because I saw the greatest waist and belly waist reduction in inches. Do machine weights work OK? I want to reach my weight goal/lose body fat/dress size, and then start thinking on how to tone with free weights. The machine weights seem to have firm the areas and it is not flabby anymore.

That's the recommendations from the cdc:(http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html#Aerobic)
5 hours (300 minutes) each week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and
weight training muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

Catabolizing lean body mass means you are losing muscle due to not enough stored energy. This besides the point. In regards to your workout, I recommend literally only doing cardio 2-3 days a week. You can do the cardio from the treadmill, a HIIT workout from JM or zumba or another class. All aerobic exercise = cardio IMO. I will state that if you do HIIT instead of steady state cardio, then you increase the chances of maintaining your muscle. In the other 3 -4 for days, you should do resistance training. This could include full body, endurance or pure strength programs. Depending on your goals will depend on what your program will be. If you want overall fitness and strength, a program with heavy weight and reps in the 6-12 range will be optimize. If you are an endurance trainer, then lower weight higher rep will suffice. Fat loss should be equal for both though.

From a personal standpoint, I am doing endurance training. The only downside to this is I am losing strength in which I previously gained during my heavy lifting days. But due to an injury, I changed my program.


And for those who lost doing all cardio, that's is all about the calorie deficit. The deficit is what creates the weight loss. The issue with losing with just cardio is simple; a portion of their loss is from muscle. And since muscle is tight and lean, the more you have the tighter your body will be. Also, the more muscle you have, the more support you provide your body, the faster your metabolic rate and you will have a ability to eat more calories.

Is hiit better than steady state in terms of fat loss ? I have read that it is more effective to do 20 minutes of hiit than an hour of steady state ? I do 20 minutes on the treadmill, 1 minute sprinting as fast as I can, then back to a walk or slow jog for 2 minutes, and so forth, as well as doing some high resistance work on the elliptical and bikes, and strong lifts. Not gotten bulky yet, in spite of doing interval training or rolling hills at level 10 resistance.

strikerjb007

Is hiit better than steady state in terms of fat loss ? I have read that it is more effective to do 20 minutes of hiit than an hour of steady state ? I do 20 minutes on the treadmill, 1 minute sprinting as fast as I can, then back to a walk or slow jog for 2 minutes, and so forth, as well as doing some high resistance work on the elliptical and bikes, and strong lifts. Not gotten bulky yet, in spite of doing interval training or rolling hills at level 10 resistance.

That's not something you read. That's a fact. This has been published in journals. Check biolayne.com for more information on this. People often think that burning 500 calories running like a zombie on the treadmill is the same as burning 500 calories doing HIIT. Newflash, it's not.

tigersword

Well, yes, burning 500 calories is burning 500 calories, the difference is the time it takes to burn them differs.

strikerjb007

Well, yes, burning 500 calories is burning 500 calories, the difference is the time it takes to burn them differs.

NO.

LeggyAmericanGirl

What is wrong with muscle? Its crucial to your body movement. Muscle isnt evil.

psuLemon

Is hiit better than steady state in terms of fat loss ? I have read that it is more effective to do 20 minutes of hiit than an hour of steady state ? I do 20 minutes on the treadmill, 1 minute sprinting as fast as I can, then back to a walk or slow jog for 2 minutes, and so forth, as well as doing some high resistance work on the elliptical and bikes, and strong lifts. Not gotten bulky yet, in spite of doing interval training or rolling hills at level 10 resistance.

That's not something you read. That's a fact. This has been published in journals. Check biolayne.com for more information on this. People often think that burning 500 calories running like a zombie on the treadmill is the same as burning 500 calories doing HIIT. Newflash, it's not.

Well in all technicality, HIIT is not more effective at burning fat, but what it is more effective in is burning more calories in a shorter amount of time and more effective at preserving lean body mass. As tigersword states, burning 500 calories doing HIIT is the same at burning 500 calories at running, but the time required to do so is much less.

Hendrix7

LOL at this whole thread.

strikerjb007

Is hiit better than steady state in terms of fat loss ? I have read that it is more effective to do 20 minutes of hiit than an hour of steady state ? I do 20 minutes on the treadmill, 1 minute sprinting as fast as I can, then back to a walk or slow jog for 2 minutes, and so forth, as well as doing some high resistance work on the elliptical and bikes, and strong lifts. Not gotten bulky yet, in spite of doing interval training or rolling hills at level 10 resistance.

Again, no.
That's not something you read. That's a fact. This has been published in journals. Check biolayne.com for more information on this. People often think that burning 500 calories running like a zombie on the treadmill is the same as burning 500 calories doing HIIT. Newflash, it's not.

Well in all technicality, HIIT is not more effective at burning fat, but what it is more effective in is burning more calories in a shorter amount of time and more effective at preserving lean body mass. As tigersword states, burning 500 calories doing HIIT is the same at burning 500 calories at running, but the time required to do so is much less.

Again, no. People don't do HIIT because it saves time.

WendyTerry420

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:

You can't gain muscle from cardio. Where did you get the idea that you could?

WendyTerry420

Again, no. People don't do HIIT because it saves time.

I do HIIT to save time.

emma155

What is wrong with muscle? Its crucial to your body movement. Muscle isnt evil.

As mentioned IF muscle gain means some weight gain then maybe it is best to avoid if you rely on scales for motivation, maybe just carry on with eating well, the question was asked wether intoducing 2-3 hours of cadio could creat a small gain of around 1lb a week wich might mean i do not see the 1lb loss a week i am currently experiencing, i have worked out that it would be hard to gain 1lb of muscle in a week there is nothing wrong otherwise with gaining muscle but I already have some from horse riding

emma155

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:

You can't gain muscle from cardio. Where did you get the idea that you could?

You can get muscle from any movement in theory, just propbaly not alot. If you introduce running when you havnt done much before to are going to get stronger leg muscles- fiar enough not alot but i was not talking about alot

Mlkmaid

Cardio BURNS muscle in the morning and BUILDS muscle in the evenings.

Just make sure you're doing it at the right time, and you'll be fine.

Your statement is inaccurate and downright silly. FYI - cardio doesnt burn muscle, it burns calories. Cardio does NOT hurt your ability to gain muscle at all and it might even HELP you to ADD muscle mass. It's drastic caloric reduction that is responsible for the muscle loss, not the cardio! If you don’t consume enough protein and enough calories, your body will cannibalize your muscles.

strikerjb007

Again, no. People don't do HIIT because it saves time.

I do HIIT to save time.

yes, that is a bonus, but that's not the real advantage.

Crankstr

wow.

strikerjb007

People like scientific studies to support something so here...

http://www.colorado.edu/intphys/Class/IPHY3700_Greene/TIPS/exIntesity/Tremblay.pdf

And don't take this as the only way or absolute truth.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

Cardio BURNS muscle in the morning and BUILDS muscle in the evenings.

Just make sure you're doing it at the right time, and you'll be fine.

Your statement is inaccurate and downright silly. FYI - cardio doesnt burn muscle, it burns calories. Cardio does NOT hurt your ability to gain muscle at all and it might even HELP you to ADD muscle mass. It's drastic caloric reduction that is responsible for the muscle loss, not the cardio! If you don’t consume enough protein and enough calories, your body will cannibalize your muscles.

What? No, Cardio will not help you add muscle. If you are working at a deficit you will lose both fat and lean mass. If you are working at a deficit and strength training you will still lose lean mass, but you will preserve more then if you are just strictly working cardio. The appearance of your muscles doesn't indicate the building of lean mass, only the lowering of your bf%.

Lupercalia

Crazy thread. I can't read through it all right now, so forgive me if someone's already said this stuff:

OP, what is the problem with you having muscles in your legs? We all do....surely you think it's better for those muscles to be strong than flabby and atrophied, yeah? You are not going to get huge thighs from doing whatever cardio machine you're doing. If that's you in your photo, I wouldn't say you have what I consider to be "muscular legs". They look rather skinny to me, which I'm guessing is the look you're going for.

I think rather than worrying about the scale so much (the scale is probably the WORST measure of progress, as it is very misleading and subject to all sorts of strange variables), get a measuring tape and go by that instead.

I've dropped a bunch of sizes by NOT doing cardio, watching my diet closely, and lifting heavy weights. Weight doesn't matter--what matters is size. I wear two sizes smaller than I did when I was at this same weight before. That is entirely down to fat loss and a bunch of muscle being more compact than a bunch of fat. Not the actual number on the scale.

IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym

this is a joke, right? Muscle from cardio? Seriously?!?

Pipil503

Again, no. People don't do HIIT because it saves time.

I do HIIT to save time.

yes, that is a bonus, but that's not the real advantage.

The real advantage is that you are in fat burning mode even after the workout for up to 2 hours, maybe more. It's all because of the EPOC (Excess Post-excercise Oxygen Consumption) phase being way more pronounce which also burn calories. But one thing that isn't mentioned is that HIIT training will also burn lean muscle mass energy because the body requires energy at a faster rate than what fat cells can provide with.