Should I forget cardio?
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Replies
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I feel like it's smart to add different exercises...weights are great, build muscle burn more...cardio for the heart...doing both seems like a perfect balance0
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It depends on what your end results are. Cardio raises your heart rate and burns fat. If you want to experience a quicker fat loss, incorporating a short session of high intensity cardio may be the way to go. Spinning is a good idea, so is an ellipitcal with resistance. Biking only works your legs really, and while it does burn calories, there are more effective ways to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. However, it looks like you do enough cardio as it is with swimming and kettlebells, so the choice really is yours. I would personally increase the intensity of my swim workouts if I wasn't fond of the machines, incorporate more sprint laps, etc.0
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I haven't read through all the responses, so I'm sure they're saying the same thing, but I'll just say it too. Don't skip cardio! It's ONLY beneficial! Obviously, you don't need to go running marathons and stuff. For weight loss, yes it will speed up the process. For health, it's definitely what we all need. I HATE running, but keeping the heart strong is super important! So keep doing what you're doing, because you already have a lot of cardio in there. It won't hurt to throw in some bike stuff too if you want. Good job on doing so much!0
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Swimming & kettlebell classes can be cardio. Cardio is anything that elevates your heart rate, basically.
Strength training is great for shaping your body so you can get the "look" or results that you want. Some people don't do cardio at all, since it's not necessary for weight loss or body recomposition. However, I like to do it for the health benefits. Too many people in my extended family have heart problems and other health issues and doing cardio a few times a week makes me feel better about lessening my chances of being another statistic.
"Some people don't do cardio at all, since it's not necessary for weight loss or body recomposition."
Where in the world did you get this information from??????0 -
I don't know the science or weight-loss benefits of cardio, though I've seen several posts slamming it, which really did surprise me.
However, even if they one day prove that cardio has zero benefits (seems unlikely), it makes me motivated and happy. It makes me chase after goals, it makes me "feel" like I'm doing something in a way that weights and food don't, and it also gives me all sorts of happy endorphins. I know for a fact that if I quit doing cardio for too long, it's only a matter of days before I fall off the wagon completely.0 -
Other than the 2x lifting sessions per week, everything else you're doing might be considered cardio.0
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I lift heavy weights as my main exercise and occassionally I'll do some interval training on the treadmill. Lifting weights is also cardio as it raises your heart rate and makes you sweat.
Please read this article, it is absolutely true. I've been lifting heavy weights (currently pressing 40kg, back squatting 60kg and deadlifting 120kg) for 18 months and I've never looked or felt so good - plus I don't look like Jodie Marsh - just toned, defined and healthy.
http://www.niashanks.com/2012/10/myth-buster-6-female-strength-training-myths-that-wont-die/
I think the anti-cardio thing relates specifically to women. This is an excellent article on why it's important that women do intervals rather than long distance running in their workouts in order to lose weight.
http://constantlyvaried.wordpress.com/?s=skinny+fat+cortisol+and+why+cardio0 -
Swimming & kettlebell classes can be cardio. Cardio is anything that elevates your heart rate, basically.
Strength training is great for shaping your body so you can get the "look" or results that you want. Some people don't do cardio at all, since it's not necessary for weight loss or body recomposition. However, I like to do it for the health benefits. Too many people in my extended family have heart problems and other health issues and doing cardio a few times a week makes me feel better about lessening my chances of being another statistic.
"Some people don't do cardio at all, since it's not necessary for weight loss or body recomposition."
Where in the world did you get this information from??????
Why do you ask? It is definitely true.0 -
Swimming & kettlebell classes can be cardio. Cardio is anything that elevates your heart rate, basically.
Strength training is great for shaping your body so you can get the "look" or results that you want. Some people don't do cardio at all, since it's not necessary for weight loss or body recomposition. However, I like to do it for the health benefits. Too many people in my extended family have heart problems and other health issues and doing cardio a few times a week makes me feel better about lessening my chances of being another statistic.
"Some people don't do cardio at all, since it's not necessary for weight loss or body recomposition."
Where in the world did you get this information from??????
Why do you ask? It is definitely true.
I agree definitely true, some of the fittest people don't do any cardio. Allot of body builders don't. I don't do cardio (not saying I'm the fittest person), but I do do a cool down on the elliptical after my weight training but it wouldn't count as cardio since it's only 10-15 minutes.0 -
Cardio is not needed to lose weight - a calorie deficit is. If your diet is spot on you can lose weight without an ounce of cardio. Yes cardio burns calories, but so does weight lifting (at a lesser rate). The beauty of weight lifting is you burn calories after the fact, and the more muscle (lean body mass) you have, the more calories you will burn at rest.
IMO Cardio is not needed over 3x a week unless you're training for a marathon or some other endurance event. The benefits of weightlifting far out weigh those of cardio and should be the priority in one's workout regimen, not the other way around which seems to be the case around here.0 -
Ok so everywhere people are telling me that I should forget about cardio and concentrate on the weights and strength training. Although this is news to my ears as I hate the treadmill I can't help but feel like I need to do some cardio to lose weight.
At the moment I am doing 3x Kettlebell classes, 2x Pilates 1x Yoga, Swimming and lifting 2x a week.
To speed up my results should I incorporate cardio 3/4x a week for say 30mins?
Advice please?
If you enjoy what you're doing and you're slowly getting benefits from it, then why change what you're doing on the basis of what random people on the internet tell you?
Everyone seems to think that what they're doing is the best thing to do and everyone else should do it too. Just keep active anyway you want (as long as you're enjoying it, right?) and don't eat a crap-ton of calories over maintenance and you'll get there. It'll take as long as it takes..... might as well have fun on the journey!0 -
Swimming & kettlebell classes can be cardio. Cardio is anything that elevates your heart rate, basically.
Strength training is great for shaping your body so you can get the "look" or results that you want. Some people don't do cardio at all, since it's not necessary for weight loss or body recomposition. However, I like to do it for the health benefits. Too many people in my extended family have heart problems and other health issues and doing cardio a few times a week makes me feel better about lessening my chances of being another statistic.
"Some people don't do cardio at all, since it's not necessary for weight loss or body recomposition."
Where in the world did you get this information from??????
Why do you ask? It is definitely true.
I agree definitely true, some of the fittest people don't do any cardio. Allot of body builders don't. I don't do cardio (not saying I'm the fittest person), but I do do a cool down on the elliptical after my weight training but it wouldn't count as cardio since it's only 10-15 minutes.
Not sure what people consider "fit", but it's all pretty relative. Maybe a lot of body builders can lift a car, but maybe they can't hike for four hours. Maybe someone can run a marathon, but can't do a single pull-up. I think cardio is a good idea to be all around healthy. Aside from the argument of it helping you lose weight or not, it's cardio....it's about your heart health. You want....or should want your heart to be healthy. Especially when we're talking about being people overweight, they're hearts aren't in the best shape they can be. So yes, cardio is necessary.0 -
Do some squats, deadlifts, bench and overhead presses, chin ups, and power cleans at max capacity and tell me you feel like you need to go jog afterwards for heart health.0
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Cardio is vital for your health and the best way to burn fat.
Good point. Except for it being completely untrue.0 -
Swimming & kettlebell classes can be cardio. Cardio is anything that elevates your heart rate, basically.
Strength training is great for shaping your body so you can get the "look" or results that you want. Some people don't do cardio at all, since it's not necessary for weight loss or body recomposition. However, I like to do it for the health benefits. Too many people in my extended family have heart problems and other health issues and doing cardio a few times a week makes me feel better about lessening my chances of being another statistic.
"Some people don't do cardio at all, since it's not necessary for weight loss or body recomposition."
Where in the world did you get this information from??????
Why do you ask? It is definitely true.
I agree definitely true, some of the fittest people don't do any cardio. Allot of body builders don't. I don't do cardio (not saying I'm the fittest person), but I do do a cool down on the elliptical after my weight training but it wouldn't count as cardio since it's only 10-15 minutes.
Not sure what people consider "fit", but it's all pretty relative. Maybe a lot of body builders can lift a car, but maybe they can't hike for four hours. Maybe someone can run a marathon, but can't do a single pull-up. I think cardio is a good idea to be all around healthy. Aside from the argument of it helping you lose weight or not, it's cardio....it's about your heart health. You want....or should want your heart to be healthy. Especially when we're talking about being people overweight, they're hearts aren't in the best shape they can be. So yes, cardio is necessary.
I agree with "fit" being a relative term, I disagree with cardio being necessary. You can do a good weight training work out and get your heart pumping, cardio isn't for everyone and I don't think you are putting your heart at risk by not doing it.
"Aerobic exercise can indeed increase lung capacity and strengthen the heart muscle which is related to a decrease in cardiovascular disease[6] but it isn’t the only way to do it nor the most efficient. With regards to your heart and lungs it should be noted it is physically impossible to train your muscles without working your heart as well. The two are not disconnected, yet this basic fact of physiology is often overlooked in discussions regarding aerobic exercise requirements. Any improvement in muscle mass and strength brought on by anaerobic exercise of adequate intensity will correspond with an improvement in cardiovascular health parameters as well. The impact of a high intensity workout to your cardiovascular system should not be underestimated, and those who argue that it doesn’t stimulate your heart and lungs have simply never executed a compound resistance movement to a point of momentary muscular failure or beyond. Needless to say, a high intensity set of squats to even close to the threshold of muscular failure leaves even the most conditioned of athletes gasping for air. You can’t work muscles at high intensities without significantly elevating your heart rate."
http://www.naturallyintense.net/blog/exercise/rethinking-the-need-for-cardio/0 -
Not sure what people consider "fit", but it's all pretty relative. Maybe a lot of body builders can lift a car, but maybe they can't hike for four hours. Maybe someone can run a marathon, but can't do a single pull-up. I think cardio is a good idea to be all around healthy. Aside from the argument of it helping you lose weight or not, it's cardio....it's about your heart health. You want....or should want your heart to be healthy. Especially when we're talking about being people overweight, they're hearts aren't in the best shape they can be. So yes, cardio is necessary.
This is tired. The OP did NOT ask about tips for her heart. She asked about losing weight. If you want to promote things you believe to be true about heart health, start your own thread or respond to posts that ask about tips for heart health. You'll still be wrong there if you think her current routine isn't good for her heart, but at least you'll be relevant to the question asked.
Hey OP, you should be flossing, because flossing is good for hygiene. I know that wasn't your question, but some of us want to throw in helpful tips no matter how irrelevant they are to your progress, so I thought I'd offer my .020 -
At 500-1300 calories per day, the last thing I'd do is add more activity.0
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Not sure what people consider "fit", but it's all pretty relative. Maybe a lot of body builders can lift a car, but maybe they can't hike for four hours. Maybe someone can run a marathon, but can't do a single pull-up. I think cardio is a good idea to be all around healthy. Aside from the argument of it helping you lose weight or not, it's cardio....it's about your heart health. You want....or should want your heart to be healthy. Especially when we're talking about being people overweight, they're hearts aren't in the best shape they can be. So yes, cardio is necessary.
This is tired. The OP did NOT ask about tips for her heart. She asked about losing weight. If you want to promote things you believe to be true about heart health, start your own thread or respond to posts that ask about tips for heart health. You'll still be wrong there if you think her current routine isn't good for her heart, but at least you'll be relevant to the question asked.
Hey OP, you should be flossing, because flossing is good for hygiene. I know that wasn't your question, but some of us want to throw in helpful tips no matter how irrelevant they are to your progress, so I thought I'd offer my .02
Flossing removes excess food from between your teeth keeping it from getting digested which obviously makes it the best way to lose fat.0 -
Not sure what people consider "fit", but it's all pretty relative. Maybe a lot of body builders can lift a car, but maybe they can't hike for four hours. Maybe someone can run a marathon, but can't do a single pull-up. I think cardio is a good idea to be all around healthy. Aside from the argument of it helping you lose weight or not, it's cardio....it's about your heart health. You want....or should want your heart to be healthy. Especially when we're talking about being people overweight, they're hearts aren't in the best shape they can be. So yes, cardio is necessary.
This is tired. The OP did NOT ask about tips for her heart. She asked about losing weight. If you want to promote things you believe to be true about heart health, start your own thread or respond to posts that ask about tips for heart health. You'll still be wrong there if you think her current routine isn't good for her heart, but at least you'll be relevant to the question asked.
Hey OP, you should be flossing, because flossing is good for hygiene. I know that wasn't your question, but some of us want to throw in helpful tips no matter how irrelevant they are to your progress, so I thought I'd offer my .02
Flossing removes excess food from between your teeth keeping it from getting digested which obviously makes it the best way to lose fat.
http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20000919/is-flossing-good-for-your-heart0 -
Not sure what people consider "fit", but it's all pretty relative. Maybe a lot of body builders can lift a car, but maybe they can't hike for four hours. Maybe someone can run a marathon, but can't do a single pull-up. I think cardio is a good idea to be all around healthy. Aside from the argument of it helping you lose weight or not, it's cardio....it's about your heart health. You want....or should want your heart to be healthy. Especially when we're talking about being people overweight, they're hearts aren't in the best shape they can be. So yes, cardio is necessary.
This is tired. The OP did NOT ask about tips for her heart. She asked about losing weight. If you want to promote things you believe to be true about heart health, start your own thread or respond to posts that ask about tips for heart health. You'll still be wrong there if you think her current routine isn't good for her heart, but at least you'll be relevant to the question asked.
Hey OP, you should be flossing, because flossing is good for hygiene. I know that wasn't your question, but some of us want to throw in helpful tips no matter how irrelevant they are to your progress, so I thought I'd offer my .02
Flossing removes excess food from between your teeth keeping it from getting digested which obviously makes it the best way to lose fat.
http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20000919/is-flossing-good-for-your-heart
Thread has officially been won. Fire Rock, your trophy is in the mail0
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