fed up off reading that cardio isn't beneficial

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Replies

  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    My main reason for cardio is heart health. Plain and simple.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    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
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    "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
    super_monty Posts: 419 Member
    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
    thepict51 Posts: 13

    What do people mean by eating in deficit?

    Eating few calories than you are expending every day.
  • thepict51
    thepict51 Posts: 13
    Thanks for info
  • jaye121
    jaye121 Posts: 6
    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
    jenluvsushi Posts: 933 Member
    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.

    arms2-1.jpg

    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.

    rear-view-1.jpg

    bikini-front-copy.jpg

    Proof that lifting heavy will not make you look like a man ^^^^^ Thanks for sharing and you rock girly!
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    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
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    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.
  • LiftHuff
    LiftHuff Posts: 131
    Meh. Yes, some people are more inclined to be low bf%. However, the fact remains that fat burns during a caloric deficit, and lifting is the best way to maintain LBM while eating at a deficit. Careful, smart eating coupled with a sensible lifting program is all one NEEDS to get shredded. The key is having the willpower to manage your appetite in balance with your programming.

    Does cardio help? Well, it burns a lot of calories quickly, so it helps increase your chances of having a TDEE that's higher than your intake. But the deficit, not the cardio, burns the fat.
  • GemmaMcIntosh
    GemmaMcIntosh Posts: 15
    I lost 3 inches from my waist in 6 weeks because of the treadmill at the gym - and my fitness is improving which is fantastic. The scales may not be going down as fast as I'd like but the measurements sure are so I am ALL FOR CARDIO!! :)
  • GemmaMcIntosh
    GemmaMcIntosh Posts: 15
    Oh, in saying that (above) - I also love strength training too, to get that nice muscle definition. What's the point of having skinny arms if they're just flat with no nice shape? Honestly I'm really not that clued up but I think a bit of everything is the best. Cardio for health and fitness and strength for muscles and toning.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    when I first starting working out I did a lot of cardio mixed in with weight training. When I wanted to put on more muscle I cut the cardio out and went to lifting heavy. I still like to mix in a few 20 minute HIIT sprint intervals....but I do not do long distance running or more than 25 minutes of cardio two times a week...
  • swanny320
    swanny320 Posts: 169 Member
    Cardio is beneficial. If it wasn't, ancient man would have died when the sabre tooth tigers chased them. Ha! Seriously though, just like a well balanced diet is essential to good health, so is a well balanced exercise program. Of course cardio is beneficial. It builds a strong cardio-vascular system but as someone who is a runner and trains for long distance races I can tell you that cross training (weights etc.) is essential. Everything in moderation.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    I don't see too many people saying that it's not beneficial. I see a LOT of people, with whom I agree, saying that lifting weights is a much more beneficial way to look and feel better, and that cardio is not *necessary.*

    Personally, I do cardio because I want to be physically fit in as many ways as possible... but I eat back my exercise calories, so it's really only allowing me to eat more, rather than contributing to a larger deficit.
  • emmalouc93
    emmalouc93 Posts: 328 Member
    I agree.... I have nothing against this new muscular, lean anti 'skinny fat' trend, but it just isn't for me. I like the good old fashioned soft look, I like a little fat! 0% fat is not what I am aiming for, and while I see that weight training is probably a quicker option for weight loss, I will stick with my cardio for now.
  • subcult
    subcult Posts: 262 Member
    Cardio is beneficial. If it wasn't, ancient man would have died when the sabre tooth tigers chased them. Ha! Seriously though, just like a well balanced diet is essential to good health, so is a well balanced exercise program. Of course cardio is beneficial. It builds a strong cardio-vascular system but as someone who is a runner and trains for long distance races I can tell you that cross training (weights etc.) is essential. Everything in moderation.
    naah ancient man couldn't out run them he just pulled a "Brockway" and beat them with their own kind or with the heavy boulder he was busy doing caveman presses with.
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 827 Member
    Balance is the key. Personally, I think it's important to include a variety of cardio workouts, strength training, and some stretching and balance work too. Why put your eggs all in one basket? Each one has numerous benefits and is beneficial to good overall health!:flowerforyou:
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    http://www.bodyactive-nation.co.uk/articles/main-articles/experts-q-a/why-cardio-is-useless-to-achieving-your-goals
  • checof
    checof Posts: 114
    Well, you clearly know more than any of us, so who are we to argue?

    The OP didn't imply that she knew more than anyone, she was simply sharing her point of view. Your snark is uncalled for and petty.

    Personally I've been very successful with cardio in the past, and I enjoy doing it. I lost 40 pounds using the treadmill and the elliptical alone a few years back - of course, I was also dieting. There's no denying cardio has its benefits, though clearly lifting has its place. I'm looking forward to start lifting next month, but I'll continue to use the elliptical. :)
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    I agree.... I have nothing against this new muscular, lean anti 'skinny fat' trend, but it just isn't for me. I like the good old fashioned soft look, I like a little fat! 0% fat is not what I am aiming for, and while I see that weight training is probably a quicker option for weight loss, I will stick with my cardio for now.
    It's interesting for you to have that perspective when the woman in your ticker demonstrates a physique obtained by strength training.
  • splucy
    splucy Posts: 353
    I sure hope that cardio is not a waste of time as that is 80% of my work out at the gym.

    I don't want to do too much strength training because I feel I have the muscle mass and that I just need to strip body fat to reveal it =/
  • socalgirl68
    socalgirl68 Posts: 85
    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.

    So true!!
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    I sure hope that cardio is not a waste of time as that is 80% of my work out at the gym.

    I don't want to do too much strength training because I feel I have the muscle mass and that I just need to strip body fat to reveal it =/

    The strength training is what is going to help you strip the fat.. not the cardio.
  • splucy
    splucy Posts: 353
    I sure hope that cardio is not a waste of time as that is 80% of my work out at the gym.

    I don't want to do too much strength training because I feel I have the muscle mass and that I just need to strip body fat to reveal it =/

    The strength training is what is going to help you strip the fat.. not the cardio.

    oh man that sucks.... so these last 4 days have been a total waste of time lol I've been to the gym 4 times this week doing mostly cardio >.<
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Cardio is my prozac. Strength training is what's reshaping my body and making me run fast. They're both beneficial for overall fitness, but cardio doesn't reshape your body.
  • ILoveTheBrowns
    ILoveTheBrowns Posts: 661 Member
    Like a bunch of politicians on here everyone pushing an agenda
  • saragato
    saragato Posts: 1,154
    I'm of the mind it works. A couple of years ago my doctor put on a diet and I started walking for an hour or two 5 days a week. I dropped around 60lbs just doing that and nothing else as far as exercise. Granted I gained most of it back after the diet made me borderline anemic from an iron deficiency and I had to gorge on iron-rich foods for a while, but it still worked. Hell I lost my first 17lbs here doing just cardio outside of a gym and then joined the Y when I wanted more variety.
  • xXMollySarusXx
    xXMollySarusXx Posts: 46
    I've been reading quite a few posts on here recently regarding cardio and how it isn't actually effective towards weight loss.

    I'm sorry but i think this is really discouraging; all exercise is good exercise.

    There is no hidden secret towards losing weight, cut down on your calories, eat healthy and exercise; even if your execrise consists of just walking for half an hour a few times a week, it is still going to make a difference.

    I joined MFP in May this year and so far i have lost 17lbs, at first i was very flakey with my gym schedule and would only go once or twice a week and not putting my full effort in, in the last month or so i make sure i go 3/4 times a week and i do 45mins of cardio and 15 mins of weight training 3/4 times a week and i'm losing weight.

    If you're at your goal weight and want to tone up then yes, cardio probably isn't that beneficial, but for all other aspects i think it should be encouraged, not only for weight loss but for your fitness and general wellbeing.

    Rant over! :)

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