Cardio doesn't burn fat!!!

ninerbuff

Scientifically it does once glycogen stores are depleted.

If one is "just" trying to lose weight, all that's needed is a deficit.

If one is trying to keep muscle while losing weight, then a weight lifting resistance program and calorie deficit are needed.

If one is trying to keep muscle, be better fitness wise, and lose weight, then it would include a resistance program, cardio and calorie deficit.


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sarahaldinger

Too often, people forget that the heart is a muscle that needs to be strengthened as well.
I used to hate cardio but since I've started running I've dropped my resting heart rate by almost 20 beats per minute. That's incredible and because of that alone, cardio is worth it.
Plus how are you going to outrun the zombies if all you do is lift?
Let's all get along and realize you need a wonderful balance of these exercises to to be...well...balanced.

LeanQuest

Scientifically it does once glycogen stores are depleted.

If one is "just" trying to lose weight, all that's needed is a deficit.

If one is trying to keep muscle while losing weight, then a weight lifting resistance program and calorie deficit are needed.

If one is trying to keep muscle, be better fitness wise, and lose weight, then it would include a resistance program, cardio and calorie deficit.


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^This^

holdenwj

I think both are important to overall fitness. Being a heart patient, I have noted that 20 minutes on a treadmill has helped me to have more energy, better breather and tighter muscles. Over time I have worked up to a 16.30 minute mile at 11% elevation. My heart rat gets to 106 bpm,(meds knock 20 off the norm). Also I have started yoga, and work out on various weight machines. For the heart and lungs, hard to beat the treadmill. Also 3x per week is good . Good day.

LeanQuest

spamantha57

A miracle it must have been all those years I was skinny by only dancing (cardio) while eating cheeseburgers & never lifted a weight.


(Not against weight lifting or eating healthy; just pointing out the absurdity of people making these threads.)

hope002

Maybe go look at the faces of some people lifting heavy in the gym? Unless the look of "constipated and struggling to take a giant crap" signals sheer pleasure to you they don't seem to be having much fun either.

LOL!!!!

LifeJacketWaterJogger

WHOA, CARDIO DOES BURN FAT AND BUILDS MUSCLES!

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Try being a chick for a week, being allowed to eat say 1200 calories (i.e. that means eating sweet bugger all in the way of food.. even healthy food).. then try being an active chick.. It sucks!! It's not about being able to eat junk food, its about being able to eat 3 meals a day without living on lettuce.

I burnt over 1500 calories mountain biking today.. will probably eat back about 500 of those so I don't starve tomorrow.. BUT I will still lose weight this week.. I do cardio 3 - 4 times a week and weight lifting twice a week, but have found the weight loss has increased hugely since I added more cardio.

Exercise burns calories.. if you haven't eaten those calories, then they are taken from fat stores and to a smaller degree from muscle mass.. but this isn't an issue if you continue to weight train.

Why are you only eating 1200 calories? Set your weight loss to a half pound a week and you'll be happier.

missmegan831

All I do right now is Cardio and I dont eat more ... it actual curbs my hunger , I dont do 1-2 hrs a session either, I do 35-45 mins and I have lost a lot of fat since Nov 1st... I will soon begin to strength train as well, but I feel like something is better than nothing, and not everyone wants muscles and hard bodies so if someone wants to sweat on the ellipitical for 2 hrs let em!:drinker:

Mommy4812

I enjoy both cardio and strength training. However, as another poster has said - you seem confused.

And I'm one of those who actually enjoy cardio BECAUSE of the cardiovascular benefits. I love the way my breathing feels after a good run. My entire respiratory system feels clear and healthy for the day. I love the sound of my heart trying to pump out as much blood as it can.

I also run because I get a high from it. As a recovering drug addict, the high I get from a good run is paramount to staying sober.

So knock on cardio all you want, but knock on it to yourself, please.

It's good you enjoy cardio. But I think 90% of people look at it as torture. Ask any random overweight person at your gym how "high" they're feeling while they huff and puff on the treadmill, their facial expression should give you an idea.

I find myself being that special snowflake alot on here for some reason..... but I truly enjoy endurance cardio, yes the whole huffing and puffing thing, yep love that.... I understand the concept of what you are saying but coming from being home bound for over 2 years and eating myself to 560 lbs. and now 46 months later down 300+ lbs, and spite bad knee's actually enjoying cardio (swimming, elliptical, rowing, whatever it may be) I definitely am not going to give it up anytime soon... Oh and I too enjoy picking stuff up and putting it down 3 to 4 times a week.

Good for you!!! That is great!

CoderGal

actually there should be a mixture of cardio and weight training, i'm over 200lbs if weight training were my only form of exercise i'd look like a beefed up man. no thanks :indifferent:

Untrue. You lack the testosterone to bulk, especially when you have a caloric deficit. People don`t accidentally look like fitness models.

Some women have higher levels of testosterone and can certainly bulk up, even without a high calorie intake. I came across a picture of me 20 yrs ago when I was lifting, and I look like a linebacker! I was actually losing weight during that time, slowly, but it was coming off. I am very muscular, genetically, and it doesn't take much for my muscles to respond.

no, just no.

This. The point is what did you look like before? You realize you just essentially said you got larger while you were losing weight even though the density in muscle is larger (hence physically smaller) then fat...So let's say your muscles grew (the equivalent amount of fat is scientifically lighter) and you lost weight (um this doesn't make sense, did you lose a limb? Because the muscle growth would put on weight even if you lost the equivalent fat). You're basically saying your muscle is significantly flabbier then muscle with a human density...Which leads me to thinking that was a false statement.

WinnerVictorious

Lets see, if I sit on the couch and watch tv for 2 hours I will lose the same amount of fat as I will if I go out and do cardio for those 2 hours. Yeah, it makes a lot of sense to me. Not. But I do agree weight lifting is great for muscle building which also helps to burn more calories.

If you ate less, yes you would. How much more simple can a concept be to understand?

let's see if you can figure out for yourself why you are wrong. here's an example.

#1) 400lb morbidly obese person. eats at a 1000 calorie per day deficit. does no cardio. lifts weights.

in this case, no muscle mass increase is expected because person is eating at a deficit. all weight loss (fat loss) is due to the eating deficit.

#2) 400lb morbidly obese person. eats at a 1000 calorie per day deficit. does 750 calories of cardio. DOES NOT eat back these calories. lifts weights.

in this case, no muscle mass increase is expected because person is eating at a deficit. muscle loss should be minimal. 57% of fat loss is due to the eating deficit. 43% is due to cardio.

can you figure out the difference?

If both the 1st person eats at a 1,750 cals deficit, both scenarios are identical in terms of body composition. And no, cardio doesn't help you retain muscle mass in any significant way.

case 1 is a 1000 calorie deficit
case 2 is a 1750 calorie deficit

you claimed that cardio doesn't help burn fat. i just showed you how cardio adds a significant amount to some peoples' calorie deficits and is thus responsible for a large percentage of their fat burned. you can't change the numbers in my example just because they undermine your assertion. you have to look at my example as i have written it.

maybe you're trying to make a semantics point about what actually causes the internal metabolic process of fat burning. if so, you should have stated that in your OP. you did not.

also, strawman arguments don't help your case, they undermine it.

i didn't say anything about cardio helping to retain muscle mass. i specifically stated in that the example that the person was lifting weights (in order to retain muscle mass).

once again, i've been reminded that arguing with 20 years old know-it-alls on the interwebz is like trying to teach calculus to puppies.

ninerbuff

WHOA, CARDIO DOES BURN FAT AND BUILDS MUSCLES!

Unless glycogen stores are depleted, ANY exercise will burn glycogen first then fat. And no cardio doesn't build muscle. It's working a different type of muscle fiber compared to the one used for hypertrophy.

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CoachDreesTraining

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CoachDreesTraining

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JoshuaL86

Broscience

CoachDreesTraining

Aside from the cardiovascular benefits from running there is honestly no real benefit of running (unless you just enjoy to run).

There is very little stressed placed on the body due to the availability of oxygen. So the body's hormone response minimal. Yes, you may burn some calories during, but you replace those calories right after.

This expands on the topic a little.

http://coachdreestraining.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/skinny-fat-an-american-epidemic/

According to that article the majority of calories burned while doing cardio comes from muscle. If that is true then how was I able to burn 400,000 calories running in the last 12 months without dying? That is around 650 lbs of muscle using the commonly cited figure of 1lb of muscle providing 600 cal of energy.

No, but congrats on the 650 lbs of fat you lost in the last 12 months!

tuckervc

you guys are totally ruining my attempt to hijack this thread with bacon.

I had two slices of bacon tonight for supper. There is one slice left. I think I hear it calling me.....

PikaKnight

you guys are totally ruining my attempt to hijack this thread with bacon.

I had two slices of bacon tonight for supper. There is one slice left. I think I hear it calling me.....