Get Off That Treadmill! Cardio is Counterproductive!
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This post is counter productive.
I do cardio because right now its the only thing I can do - Doctors orders. I figure moving my *kitten* in some way is better than sitting on the couch.0 -
I only got through page 2 of 6 reading through the comments - so sorry if someone already pointed this out.
The point of the article, as I understand from OP, is not that cardio is bad for you. I took it to mean that if you're doing a cardio session before a weight lifting session, you may fatigue yourself and not get the most out of your lifting session. And, if you do a cardio session after weight lifting, again your muscles might be fatigued. I assumed by cardio they meant hard core cardio, not a cool down on the treadmill to stretch your muscles.
If I read it correctly, then I agree. It doesn't say cardio doesn't have a place at all in your workout regime - only that you shouldn't do it before you're about to hit the weights hard, or after you've already hit the weights.0 -
I've lost almost 40 lbs between June 1 & November 1 and most of my exercise has come from the treadmill I bought off Craig's List and I've also diligently used MFP to track my eating. In other words, I literally walked my *kitten* off this summer so I'll never be convinced the treadmill isn't effective. Granted, I need to start some weights now to tone up, but it definitely helped me lose weight.0
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3 days lifting, 3 days cardio. Alternate between long distance and HIIT, I don't do any serious cardio on lift days, and I don't do any serious lifts on cardio days. The most I'll do is a warmup jog before lifting, or some calisthenics after cardio.0
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Yea i'm gonna pass on this 'information', as many others are basically going to do.
I'm a jogger - sometimes bad weather permits outside jogging or perhaps its too damn dark or cold or hot.... so uh, i'm going to hit that treadmill. If i'm a jogger, i need to jog so treadmill or outside - cardio is my friend.
Also - i love cardio for heart health concerns. I like my blood pumping especially on days i'm not doing Plyometrics or whatever.
I really feel this information you've left the community is misleading and wrong.
Here's to CARDIO!!!0 -
I am so confused! Some people are saying cardio is OK, some people are saying cardio is bad! I hope Dr. Oz can clear this up for us on today's show.0
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BTW, cardio to lose weight versus cardio as part of your lifting sessions are two different things. Losing weight comes down to one thing: calories in have to be less than calories out. If you don't get that right, you'll never lose weight. Some people are not weight lifters, so they should do their cardio. But, if the goal is to pack on muscle, you won't do it running any marathons.
I think most people understand this but the title of this post is meant to get people worked up. Also, her post implies that lifting is the way to go.
Original Post... Yup, she says "don't waste your life on cardio!" That's a pretty bold statement. Some of us like wasting our life on cardio. She does go on to ask about incorporating the two but after the topic and her first statements I stopped taking her serious.Hello Gym Bunnies!
Hope you're all dandy. :0)
I'm afraid I'm the barer of bad news... well, simply relaying some new revelation: yup... as the title of the post says... don't waste your life on cardio! According to an article in Muscle and Fitness October Issue (Page 114) mixing it up prior or post weight training will detract from the intensity and performance. So get off that treadmill and go home!
So? What do you do? When do you integrate cardio in your routine, pre-workout, post-workout or on separate times or dedicated to only cardio days? How often do you cardio your fat off?
Thank you! :0))0 -
This is exactly right.I only got through page 2 of 6 reading through the comments - so sorry if someone already pointed this out.
The point of the article, as I understand from OP, is not that cardio is bad for you. I took it to mean that if you're doing a cardio session before a weight lifting session, you may fatigue yourself and not get the most out of your lifting session. And, if you do a cardio session after weight lifting, again your muscles might be fatigued. I assumed by cardio they meant hard core cardio, not a cool down on the treadmill to stretch your muscles.
If I read it correctly, then I agree. It doesn't say cardio doesn't have a place at all in your workout regime - only that you shouldn't do it before you're about to hit the weights hard, or after you've already hit the weights.0 -
This is exactly right.I only got through page 2 of 6 reading through the comments - so sorry if someone already pointed this out.
The point of the article, as I understand from OP, is not that cardio is bad for you. I took it to mean that if you're doing a cardio session before a weight lifting session, you may fatigue yourself and not get the most out of your lifting session. And, if you do a cardio session after weight lifting, again your muscles might be fatigued. I assumed by cardio they meant hard core cardio, not a cool down on the treadmill to stretch your muscles.
If I read it correctly, then I agree. It doesn't say cardio doesn't have a place at all in your workout regime - only that you shouldn't do it before you're about to hit the weights hard, or after you've already hit the weights.
^^^ I also agree with this.0 -
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Every time a thread like this starts there end up being replies all across the spectrum.
I do weights after swimming. Usually 2 miles(72 laps), and once a month a 5K ( 110 laps last night).
When I swim a 5K I tend to stick with a rapid core sequence of 15 to 20 minutes. Heavy weight s when I do 2 miles.
I find the swim helps loosen up my muscles and joints. Particularly my left shoulder that has arthritis. Makes it lot easy to do shoulder and deltoids.
I doubt everyone here is trying to bulk up and get a cut beach body and it seams most fitness magazines assume that is everyone's goal.
My goal is to get to a healthy weight and improve my general fitness and just maybe be able to throw away my CPAP.0 -
*smashing head into wall*
Dear sweet baby Jesus.
Cardio helped me lose 32 lbs. I think it works.
Dumb.
Congrats on the 32 lbs. I don't think anyone is doubting that cardio will help you achieve weight loss. The question is concerning how it might interfere with strength gains. The answer, if your goals are to gain strength, is that doing too much cardio along with heavy strength training can and will be counterproductive at some point.
I'm not into strengh quite yet. But that is good to know.0 -
Have to agree: NO FORM OF EXERCISE IS A WASTE OF TIME.
I run b/c I LOVE to run, its how I decompress....
I'm not saying weight training isn't good for you, I weight train 2x per week currently b/c I am training for my first half marathon and following a training schedule (Hal Higdon)...now whether or not his training schedule is the best or not? I don't really know but it seems like a good plan to me, so I'm giving it a shot. SO, cardio is kind of important for this.....
Also, I think it might depend on what your goals are...I am 43, I have 17% body fat....pretty da-gone good if you ask me for an old-er broad. I wouldn't mind losing 1" off my hips and waist and about 5 lbs...but it isn't critical. My resting heart rate is dynamite....I think I'm fine and don't really think of myself as a gym bunny, but hey....if someone wants to call me a bunny at 43....okay, I'm game. My husband calls me sexy pants :blushing:0 -
This is exactly right.I only got through page 2 of 6 reading through the comments - so sorry if someone already pointed this out.
The point of the article, as I understand from OP, is not that cardio is bad for you. I took it to mean that if you're doing a cardio session before a weight lifting session, you may fatigue yourself and not get the most out of your lifting session. And, if you do a cardio session after weight lifting, again your muscles might be fatigued. I assumed by cardio they meant hard core cardio, not a cool down on the treadmill to stretch your muscles.
If I read it correctly, then I agree. It doesn't say cardio doesn't have a place at all in your workout regime - only that you shouldn't do it before you're about to hit the weights hard, or after you've already hit the weights.
^^^ I also agree with this.
Then I guess I don't understand why so many posters are all fired up about being denied their cardio .... they're arguing a point that was never made in the first place.0 -
Just my thoughts - no science to back it up - just what works for me to keep me motivated and productive -
Too much of the same thing doesn't challenge my body enough and I get bored. I need variety especially in regards to cardio. I went through a phase where I was doing only Leslie Sansone DVD's or walking on the treadmill. I would sweat a lot and get out of breath....but I was getting very little results as far as seeing a change in my body. I decided to give Jillian Michaels 30 day shred a try. Holy hell.....I could barely make it through the 25 minute DVD (even though I was used to 3+ miles on the treadmill). So for me - I need to change up my approach every few months to get results. AND lifting weights and strength training/body weight exercises have given me the most results.
Morale of the story - If you love your cardio, please by all means keep doing it!!! You should do things you love. Don't let anyone on here bully you into thinking you're not being productive. But if you're looking to branch out......strength training, weight lifting, body weight exercises will do wonderful things to your body.
But most of all ....just move!!!!!!!0 -
So then what about circuit training; that is hard core cardio WITH weight training at least when I was doing the Tough Mudder Boot camp and it kicked!!! The WHOLE way through. Neither my cardio nor my weight training suffered during the 60 minute workout and over the 2 months I was doing it (until I got whiplash in a car accident) -- I gained a lot of speed in my running and strength in my weight training. I'm not sure I completely agree with the article, yet.0
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It doesn't say cardio doesn't have a place at all in your workout regime
Re-read the title.0 -
Hello Gym Bunnies!
Hope you're all dandy. :0)
I'm afraid I'm the barer of bad news... well, simply relaying some new revelation: yup... as the title of the post says... don't waste your life on cardio! According to an article in Muscle and Fitness October Issue (Page 114) mixing it up prior or post weight training will detract from the intensity and performance. So get off that treadmill and go home!
So? What do you do? When do you integrate cardio in your routine, pre-workout, post-workout or on separate times or dedicated to only cardio days? How often do you cardio your fat off?
Thank you! :0))
Ok, so I don't have so much a problem with the article, but I DO have a problem with this post in general.
a) the title is meant to inflame. which it did to some extent. got the warring sides to bring their guns
b) the intro is derogatory, from the "hello gym bunnies", to the "get off your treadmill and go home"
c) the content is worded in such a manner that a number of people who are truly looking for help to get better may get further confused.
If you want to bulk, that's one thing.
If you want a strong heart, that's another.
If you want to be fit and muscular... THEN IT IS ALL ABOUT BALANCE!
BALANCE
B A L A N C E
As far as I'm concerned, you don't need to spend an hour on the treaddy and three hours on the weights 5x a week to get in shape.
Balance your eating habits (no you DON'T have to go crazy eg. paleo, cleanses, etc)
Balance your workouts (eg... I run - cardio - and I box - cardio/strength)
Balance your life... and you will end up looking great. It may take some time, but it will work.
If you want to be RIPPED - then yeah, go nuts on the weights.
If you want to be super LEAN - then ok, go nuts on the treaddy, in the pool, on the road....
If you want to cleanse, fine. If you want to eat clean, great. But you don't HAVE to in order to get healthy.
IF you want to just simply look and feel good in your own body... remember the word BALANCE.
Cardio is great for cutting fat (as long as you're not pumping it back into your diet)
Strength training (including body weight workouts like crunches, squats, pushups, planks) will add resilience to your body.
But damn, why do we have to create topics like this that are meant to divide? Soooo frustrating!0 -
I don't know what the context in which that contention was made - if it said something like cardio *before weight lifting* was counterproductive, ok we can discuss that. But cardio as a mechanism to burn calories is a proven fact. Personally, I do the elliptical for 45 minutes 3 times a week and lift weights twice a week. Then on the weekend, I rake leaves, at least this time of the year, or do other yard work. I will echo what others have said about cardio improving endurance and about feeling great after a workout, and I suspect cardio was useful in lowering my cholesterol and decreasing those nasty liver enzymes down to within healthy ranges. But whatever inflates yer airbag.0
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this post should be deleted.0
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But if the post gets deleted, we couldn't read all the intelligent rebuttal comments which are awesome.
I'm sure that something got lost between the article message and the posted message. (at least I can hope so.)0 -
You're completely wrong, but cool story!0
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And for the record I like doing cardio. I do it for heart health as well as because I sometimes run races and if I don't do cardio then running a long distance would be near impossible. Not only that but when I can't make it to the gym cardio at home is my only option for a workout.0
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Hello Gym Bunnies!
Hope you're all dandy. :0)
I'm afraid I'm the barer of bad news... well, simply relaying some new revelation: yup... as the title of the post says... don't waste your life on cardio! According to an article in Muscle and Fitness October Issue (Page 114) mixing it up prior or post weight training will detract from the intensity and performance. So get off that treadmill and go home!
So? What do you do? When do you integrate cardio in your routine, pre-workout, post-workout or on separate times or dedicated to only cardio days? How often do you cardio your fat off?
Thank you! :0))
Having learned to lift and run on in Division 1 track and field program that was put together by fantastic full-time trainers and coaches...(granted that was a couple years ago)...I wouldn't advise anybody to get off the treadmill...I will stick with their expertise as they know a bit more about things than prob some staff writer at a fitness magazine.
While my thoughts on treadmills in general aside...because I prefer to be outside...the key to the madness is 'balance'. Cardio as it is suggestion works your cardiovascular but depending on the type it can work your entire body, core, mind, legs, arms everything. It is not either counterproductive nor does it detract from any lifting work that you might be doing, in fact...it would enhance it. What might happen however, is that your body might need to ajust to any drastic changes or curve-balls you throw it.
My weight workouts (heavy ones) are always 'after' cardio because my muscles are warm. So to all of you KEEP UP THE CARDIO!!!0 -
So no *kitten*? :sad:0
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It would seem to me that there would need to be a balance... how else are you going to exercise your heart and lungs without cardio?0
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It might be counterproductive if you're trying to bulk up, the the majority of people here are trying to lose weight and getting off of our duffs and burning some calories is very productive.0
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I only got through page 2 of 6 reading through the comments - so sorry if someone already pointed this out.
The point of the article, as I understand from OP, is not that cardio is bad for you. I took it to mean that if you're doing a cardio session before a weight lifting session, you may fatigue yourself and not get the most out of your lifting session. And, if you do a cardio session after weight lifting, again your muscles might be fatigued. I assumed by cardio they meant hard core cardio, not a cool down on the treadmill to stretch your muscles.
If I read it correctly, then I agree. It doesn't say cardio doesn't have a place at all in your workout regime - only that you shouldn't do it before you're about to hit the weights hard, or after you've already hit the weights.
Yes but no one wants to read it properly, they just skim through it and then scream about how much weight they have lost just through cardio! A few people on here seem to have an aversion to anyone lifting weights, and insist that the only way to lose weight is with cardio and they will refuse to believe anything else!0 -
Hahahahahahah!!!!0
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