Get Off That Treadmill! Cardio is Counterproductive!

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  • YogaNikki
    YogaNikki Posts: 284 Member
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    If Dr. Oz or a magazine told people that breathing was bad for them, we could seriously weed out some of the stupid.

    :heart:
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    *sighs*

    I do pretty much only cardio and have done for months. I'm now in good shape and everyone says so- including my GP!

    I think my ticker speaks for itself.

    First, I want to say that is great that you've taken control of your health and made progress.

    But, I always grimace when someone wants to point to thier ticker as proof of something. All that really proves is that you had a lot to lose to get into a healthy range and you did. It's doesn't prove your methods were optimal and it says nothing about your current body compostion or your performance and functionality.

    So, you used cardio as a tool. Great! At some point if you do not include some resistance also, you will begin to lose crictical muscle mass. That will not be optimum.

    I think it was Matt who said, it's just a tool and what tool (or tools) you use depends on your goals. It' not an either/ or question but as another poster more eloquently put it, it's about balance. There's an old saying that if the only tool you have is a hammer, every probelm looks like a nail.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    Basically how I understand it from my gym manager is for the 1st 20mins of a cardio workout you burn things like toxins ie alcohol out of your system while you warm up... then the next 20mins you burn anything you have stored from the last 24hrs like carbs protein etc.... only after 40mins graft do you then start to burn your fat stores!

    So Ladies and Gents your fat burning work out starts after your first 40 minutes of excersise!!! (**Shrugs shoulders and sighs**)

    No.

    Your body uses a mix of fat and other fuel substrates at the same time whatever activity you are doing.

    The confusion arises in that some activities use a higher percentage of fat in comparison to carbs etc depending on the circumstances including the duration. If you work at lower intensity then the % of fat used is greater or if you have been exercising for a while then your body will seek to protect diminishing carb stores by using a greater % of fat for fuel.

    Should you be concerned? No. The actual amount of fat physically used in any given workout is miniscule no matter what you are doing. What is important is the overall amount of calories burned, which creates a deficit, which prompts the body to use more fat for energy throughout the course of the day / night.
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
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    There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding in this thread. The article was talking about cardio being counterproductive to strength gains. If you are someone who is lifting heavy and whose goal is to gain strength/size, then cardio can and most likely will hinder your gains. If you are someone whose goal is endurance or distance running or just enjoy cardio more than lifting, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with cardio and it is a wonderful workout.

    The title of the thread is misleading, but if you take time to understand what it is saying, then you will see that it isn't bashing cardio. All it's saying is be careful how you use cardio when training for maximum strength and size.

    I agree with the fact that excessive cardio is not conducive to strength gains, but moderate cardio should not have that impact

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/cardio-and-mass-gains.html

    I agree with that. It's all in how you choose to use the cardio. There is a fine line, though, at which point it will most likely start to cut into gains.
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
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    I have to disagree when said that Cardio is a waste of time. I do Cardio for a number of reasons; For my heart, to clear my head, to work up a sweat, to blow off some stress, etc. The benefits of Cardio go beyond weight loss. I do some form of Cardio every single day. I do strength train 3-4 times a week, but Cardio will always remain a part of my lifestyle.
  • Lady_Bane
    Lady_Bane Posts: 720 Member
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    Weights are what helped me shed that final 5 lbs, the final 5 that cardio didn't.
  • reneelee
    reneelee Posts: 877 Member
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    Weights are what helped me shed that final 5 lbs, the final 5 that cardio didn't.

    I needed to read that, thanks for sharring!
  • RiannonC
    RiannonC Posts: 145 Member
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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))

    News flash: not everyone is obsessing over their weight training performance. Some people are more concerned about their running performance.

    Guess you better go tell all those Olympic runners that they are wasting their lives with counterproductive activity.

    Also, some of us here LOVE cardio. I love it more than ice cream and would participate even if it were bad for me, which it isn't.

    Thank you all the same.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    *smashing head into wall*

    Know exactly what you mean!! lol

    Basically how I understand it from my gym manager is for the 1st 20mins of a cardio workout you burn things like toxins ie alcohol out of your system while you warm up... then the next 20mins you burn anything you have stored from the last 24hrs like carbs protein etc.... only after 40mins graft do you then start to burn your fat stores!

    So Ladies and Gents your fat burning work out starts after your first 40 minutes of excersise!!! (**Shrugs shoulders and sighs**)
    Wait, what? You burn glucose and fat 24/7. You don't just arbitrarily burn one or the other, it's an all the time thing.

    :laugh:

    Tigersword, I better tell tell my body to stop burning fat in the *first* 20 minutes. (Or am I a special snowflake since my workouts don't go past 30 minutes?) :laugh:
  • reinventingandrea
    reinventingandrea Posts: 323
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    oh gosh! you mean to tell me that after losing 160+ pounds with nearly 95% cardio that I'm doing it wrong? I think not! Do what works for you, as I shall continue doing.
  • Julie7741
    Julie7741 Posts: 93 Member
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    I figure the most important thing for weight loss is that people get off the couch and get moving! How we train will depend on our goals. I am going to run a mini marathon in May. Therefore, my workouts consist of running and gradually increasing my mileage each week. Is that counter-productive? Or a waste of my time? I don't think so.

    Since I've been running, my legs have become very chiseled looking, and my body fat percentage has declined. I am much healthier than I was 6 months ago.

    I have managed to shed over 50 pounds, stop two blood pressure medications and a blood sugar med. My sugar is normal, and my bp is 110/60 with no medications. Resting heart rate is 65. I'd say cardio has done it's job.

    The bottom line is this- People need to do what works for them and what will help them achieve their goals. There is no right or wrong way. Cardio and weight training can both be effective tools in boosting our efforts. We are all here for a reason. Any exercise is better than what we were doing to become overweight in the first place!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I think for some who is already at a healthy weight and working on recomposition, that cardio can be limited to 20 minutes a day 2-3 days a week, just for healthy heart and lungs. But for someone who is obese, it's more efficient to have a mix of strength training and cardio in order to maximize fat burning. Personally, I burn twice as much fat when I do both when compared to times when I just did one or the other.
  • kiraleilani
    kiraleilani Posts: 124 Member
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    *smashing head into wall*

    Know exactly what you mean!! lol

    Basically how I understand it from my gym manager is for the 1st 20mins of a cardio workout you burn things like toxins ie alcohol out of your system while you warm up... then the next 20mins you burn anything you have stored from the last 24hrs like carbs protein etc.... only after 40mins graft do you then start to burn your fat stores!

    So Ladies and Gents your fat burning work out starts after your first 40 minutes of excersise!!! (**Shrugs shoulders and sighs**)

    This has to be one of the weirdest (and inaccurate) things I've ever heard. Ridiculous! Like your body during a workout is saying, "Okay, where are those calories from yesterday's food? LINE UP! Your turn to burn! Okay, NOW, where are the stored fat cells? You can line up to burn now!" THAT IS SO HILARIOUS!!! From the minute you start to move, you're burning calories.

    Oh my freaking word. I am STILL laughing about this!!!
  • _stephanie0
    _stephanie0 Posts: 708 Member
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    liftweightsfaster.jpg
  • bradwwood
    bradwwood Posts: 371 Member
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    as someone that smoked for 30 years, I think I'll continue to do things that help my respiratory and cardiovascular system be as healthy as they can be.

    thanks
  • hammirene
    hammirene Posts: 1
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    .
  • ECW202
    ECW202 Posts: 13 Member
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    I do cardio and strength training, but I love running. I feel running is what makes me sane and I feel "off" on days that I don't run. Running clears my head and is great therapy! :)
  • REDI4CHANGE60
    REDI4CHANGE60 Posts: 170
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    304059_534342873261837_641447562_n.jpg

    THIS!!
  • trinitymarieecakes
    trinitymarieecakes Posts: 3 Member
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    I really hate any article that singles out certain exercises as useless or a waste of time.

    Do what you're motivated to do, and stop listening to the people who say that this or that is a waste of time. NO EXERCISE IS A WASTE OF TIME IF YOU'RE DOING IT.

    End of f***ing story.

    My words exactly!!
  • da76211
    da76211 Posts: 1
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    I've been hearing that cardio is great for weight loss, but i guess whatever floats your boat. I've lost 10 lbs so far doing nothing but cardio and i think thats pretty good for only 3 1/2 weeks. I think people should do whatever works for them, but don"t discourage others in the meantime. It took me a long time to be as consistent as i have, so no negativity.

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