cardio is pointless in my opinion

1. It's good for my heart.

2. Some of us still have considerable fat stores to deplete and weight training with a calorie surplus ain't gonna get it done.

Neither is cardio in a calorie surplus O.o

Until the zombies come.......

Seriously though I think the aerobic benefits are better here then with just strength training. I like to incorporate both.

damned zombies!

Do you weigh anything? Yes - hence running is resistance training. Do you breathe heavier when you lift weights and increase your heartbeat? Yes - hence lifting is cardio. Stupid pointless discussion.

Cool story, bro.

why use all your energy tying to create a deficit in your body to lose weight? why not just channel that energy to muscle development.

and before anyone gets butt hurt, i kayak and cycle every weekend.

unless you are in a sport that requires aerobic fitness, then yeah there is a point, but other then that just a waste of time.

Umm or unless you are here to get healthy which generally includes your heart. CARDIO is for the heart and I know it is important because my CARDIOLOGIST says so. Weight training is good too but they BOTH are necessary for health.

I am sure that all cardiologists would disagree. Just sayin.

but that's for heart health right? the OP is talking about weight loss.

I thought we all agreed that Weight Loss isn't the be all and end all of your fitness journey.

I am getting into running so I do a fair amount of cardio. I still do weight training 3 days a week and I run a mile before I lift to warm up.

why use all your energy tying to create a deficit in your body to lose weight? why not just channel that energy to muscle development.

and before anyone gets butt hurt, i kayak and cycle every weekend.

unless you are in a sport that requires aerobic fitness, then yeah there is a point, but other then that just a waste of time.

You do have a point when it comes to weight loss. Cardio is optional. Cardio does not make you lose weight, nor does it change your shape. As I got older I stayed physically active but my weight did the slow creep up year after year. I could never understand why and I worked out harder and harder and still the weight crept up. I kept on running and lifting, but still the weight kept increasing and it didn’t seem to me like I was eating too much, I have never been one to stuff myself or binge, and I don’t watch TV and I stay active. I thought something was wrong with me, a slow metabolism or something. The last few marathons and even the 50 mile race I completed I kept thinking maybe this time the weight will come off (training plus the race). Nope, after 15 years of yo-yo I finally realized it's all about calories and a calorie deficit. You can not out exercise too many calories.

Weight lifting changes your shape and increases your bone density. I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am. Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, and you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.

For weight loss all that matters is calories. A healthy balanced diet within a calorie budget for a deficit that is right for YOU is all that matters for weight loss. Don't make it complicated.

Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.

I happen to love running and won't give it up, and I do it as much as I lift. But I know many people who have succeeded with weight loss simply focusing on calories, eating at a deficit, and creating a beautiful body by lifting weights. Cardio is certainly optional.

Both are important. But for OPTIMAL results, there is a hierarchy issue as strength training should be prioritized over cardio. Doing too much cardio can make lifting days suffer, so there is a fine line. If fat loss is your goal, the name of the game is maintaining as much LBM you have, so you won't necessarily build any muscle (unless you were completely sedentary and/or have muscle memory). Even whilst bulking, cardio will help the gains somewhat lean, unless you're a behavioral ectomorph. And as stated above, cardio is good for the heart, but so is strength training if you lift with intensity vs. taking too much rest in between sets.