cardio is pointless in my opinion

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  • furenaef
    furenaef Posts: 157 Member
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    yes, i do them bc i enjoy them and not bc i am trying to create a defecit to lose weight, i only do it on the weekends when it doesnt rain

    so your suggesting overweight people should just strength train, and never do cardio?

    ill bite your strawman argument, losing weight is like 90% nutrition, idk why everyone acts like they are michel phelps here and think that cardio is going to make you thin after eating 4999kcals. yeah “cardio will help” no one is disputing that. But your much better of strength training vs just doing cardio. Cardio builds muscles? Like 1g of muscle, weight training correctly= much more muscles that burn more fat.

    And you cant live forever always doing more cardio and eating a defecit. Mathematically that sounds bad
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
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    cardio is what the name implies. it's to keep your heart working efficiently and for stamina. nothing funnier than to watch a muscle-man try to run.. they don't get far before huffing and puffing.
  • nicolem51
    nicolem51 Posts: 16
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    bump to read later
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    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.

    100% agree. For anyone who is interested google "chronic cardio" and you can learn about the effects of too much cardio.
    I even have a scientific clinical study that shows what a lifetime of running and marathons does to the heart. Not good. (and the hearts swells up after a marathon and can take about 3 months to go back to normal).

    People seem to forget that the heart is a muscle. You can overwork and strain a muscle. You can pull a muscle. Any muscle that you overwork has the potential to bonk out - certainly don't want the heart bonking out. Once or twice a week I do about 25 mintues on the treadmill. For 30 seconds every 4 minutes I run full speed. I get my heart rate back to normal then I do it again. This does just as much - if not more - for your cardiovascular system without drenching the body in cortisol.

    People also don't realize that exercise is stress on the body. You are breaking the body down. Gains happen during recovery, not during the exericse.

    How did this turn into 'chronic cardio' is pointless in my opinion?
  • supercatie18
    supercatie18 Posts: 82 Member
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    I think instead of criticizing people who are focused on one over the other people should understand that everyone's abilities and resources are different and anything that leads to weight loss and healthier lifestyle should be applauded.

    THIS
  • bugaha1
    bugaha1 Posts: 602 Member
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    Why does it have to be an either/or question? Strength training and lifting improves metabolism long term as muscle is more thermogenic than fat. Strength training and lifting also improve bone density. Cardiovascular improves heart function, hence the reason it is called Cardiovascular. Cardio=heart in latin, vascular=veins. Improved heart function improves lung function and endurance.
    Sure, you can lose weight doing just one or the other, but then you miss out on other health benefits. Just like we focus on balanced nutrition we should also focus on balanced fitness. Not everyone can join a gym or buy weights, but everyone can go out for a walk, take the stairs, and other cardiovascular exercises. Form matters much more in strength training to prevent injury, not everyone can develop good form without a trainer.
    I think instead of criticizing people who are focused on one over the other people should understand that everyone's abilities and resources are different and anything that leads to weight loss and healthier lifestyle should be applauded.

    I think this comment should be applauded.

    Standing up :drinker:
  • dafoots0911
    dafoots0911 Posts: 347 Member
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    Why does it have to be an either/or question? Strength training and lifting improves metabolism long term as muscle is more thermogenic than fat. Strength training and lifting also improve bone density. Cardiovascular improves heart function, hence the reason it is called Cardiovascular. Cardio=heart in latin, vascular=veins. Improved heart function improves lung function and endurance.
    Sure, you can lose weight doing just one or the other, but then you miss out on other health benefits. Just like we focus on balanced nutrition we should also focus on balanced fitness. Not everyone can join a gym or buy weights, but everyone can go out for a walk, take the stairs, and other cardiovascular exercises. Form matters much more in strength training to prevent injury, not everyone can develop good form without a trainer.
    I think instead of criticizing people who are focused on one over the other people should understand that everyone's abilities and resources are different and anything that leads to weight loss and healthier lifestyle should be applauded.
    Well said!
  • divacat80
    divacat80 Posts: 299 Member
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    Cardio has helped a lot from the beginning of my battle. Now i have a nice lower heart rate,my stamina has improved, i don't get short of breath when climbing stairs and i can finally run to catch that bus. Not to mention that i don't get asthma attacks anymore!

    Overdoing cardio is pointless, but half an hour of cardio every day has never hurt anyone.

    At this point of my weightloss,i'm trying to get more focused on weight training but i love my cardio classes so much that i can't stay away from them.

    Do whatever you please for as long as it keeps you moving and away from that damn couch

    :)
  • sydimar
    sydimar Posts: 21 Member
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    Why does it have to be an either/or question? Strength training and lifting improves metabolism long term as muscle is more thermogenic than fat. Strength training and lifting also improve bone density. Cardiovascular improves heart function, hence the reason it is called Cardiovascular. Cardio=heart in latin, vascular=veins. Improved heart function improves lung function and endurance.
    Sure, you can lose weight doing just one or the other, but then you miss out on other health benefits. Just like we focus on balanced nutrition we should also focus on balanced fitness. Not everyone can join a gym or buy weights, but everyone can go out for a walk, take the stairs, and other cardiovascular exercises. Form matters much more in strength training to prevent injury, not everyone can develop good form without a trainer.
    I think instead of criticizing people who are focused on one over the other people should understand that everyone's abilities and resources are different and anything that leads to weight loss and healthier lifestyle should be applauded.
  • gsmithnp
    gsmithnp Posts: 139 Member
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    I tend to alternate: strength training one day, cardio the next. It keeps me from getting bored with one or the other, and I get the benefits of both. Plus, if I've done upper-body and core one day, doing cardio the next (elliptical) allows those muscles to recuperate. So, my weekly routine is something like this:
    Monday: elliptical (5:1 intervals--fast and steady for 5 min, slow for 1, repeat until done)
    Tuesday: strength training (upper body/core focus, maybe a little lower body)
    Wednesday: elliptical (maybe intervals, maybe a muscle-toner or other program--I tend to mix it up)
    Thursday: strength training (balance of upper and lower body)
    Friday: elliptical (see above)
    Saturday: strength training (fairly intense lower body concentration with a little other stuff thrown in for fun).
    Sunday: rest

    Except for weekends, I generally only am able to workout for 30 minutes a day, and this routine seems to work well for me. If I could, I'd do 30 minutes of BOTH types of activity every other day with rest in between, but I can't. Sure, my weight loss/endurance improvement/strength is taking longer to happen, but I'm OK with that. I'm down almost 20 pounds, I feel great, I'm looking better, I'm stronger, and (most importantly) I'm healthier. Who cares HOW it happened, the fact is I found a routine that works for me and I'm not a-changin' it!!
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
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    What the point of increasing the size of your muscle? How will that help anyone? It's not directly related strength.

    What sports do you participate in where muscle size is important for your sport?

    Muscle size is directly related to strength, and for the people saying “cardio is good for your cardiovascular health” are not awear that any type of exercise is good for your cardiovascular health.

    Just because cardio starts with the word cardio, doesn’t imply that it is the only exercise good for your “heart”

    and just because your "cardiologist " says its good, doesnt mean isnt written in stone. cardio is ok, but people have died doing cardio and as well as people that have not died doing cardio. such black statements as "my doc says this, so it must be this and all other possible answers are wrong" is just stupid

    im pretty sure kayaking and cycling is cardio

    yes, i do them bc i enjoy them and not bc i am trying to create a defecit to lose weight, i only do it on the weekends when it doesnt rain

    so your suggesting overweight people should just strength train, and never do cardio?

    Unless it's raining.
  • gothicfires
    gothicfires Posts: 240 Member
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    I think i smell a Troll.
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
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    You have to create a deficit to lose weight. You can't gain muscle on a deficit. Thus, weight lifting is useless as a tool to lose a lot of weight because to get the additional mass that will increase your BMR, you'll have to eat over your TDEE. You'll gain muscle but fat will come along with it. This is why body builders go through build and cut cycles. Weight lifting will make you look good but it's pointless (see what I did there?) for losing a substantial amount of fat.

    It's erroneous to assume that if someone burns 1000 calories doing cardio exercise that the person is going to be compelled to eat all 1000 calories back and thus offset any deficit they created. I know that on the days that I burn a lot of calories, I struggle to eat back all of the calories because I'm simply not hungry enough. The 1400 or so calories I burn a day biking doesn't make me ravenous. In fact I think it has somewhat of an appetite suppressing effect, at least in relation to the amount of calories I'm burning. On days that I don't do cardio, I actually feel more hungry and have to be vigilant regarding my intake so I don't go over my daily allotment.

    At the end of the day, my cardio burns help me to eat enough to feel satisfied without having to risk going over my ideal net calorie consumption. It's also good for my heart, lungs, and mind. I don't care about leaving a good-looking corpse. Health is more important to me.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
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    Please provide medical studies that show that cardio is pointless and that it has no health benefits.

    Don't worry. I'll wait.
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
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    Please provide medical studies that show that cardio is pointless and that it has no health benefits.

    Don't worry. I'll wait.
    You'll be waiting a long time. I don't understand why there is so much insecurity expressed by weight lifters. I've yet to see a thread saying "weight-lifting is pointless" from a marathon runner.
  • Yani51
    Yani51 Posts: 48 Member
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    Why does it have to be an either/or question? Strength training and lifting improves metabolism long term as muscle is more thermogenic than fat. Strength training and lifting also improve bone density. Cardiovascular improves heart function, hence the reason it is called Cardiovascular. Cardio=heart in latin, vascular=veins. Improved heart function improves lung function and endurance.
    Sure, you can lose weight doing just one or the other, but then you miss out on other health benefits. Just like we focus on balanced nutrition we should also focus on balanced fitness. Not everyone can join a gym or buy weights, but everyone can go out for a walk, take the stairs, and other cardiovascular exercises. Form matters much more in strength training to prevent injury, not everyone can develop good form without a trainer.
    I think instead of criticizing people who are focused on one over the other people should understand that everyone's abilities and resources are different and anything that leads to weight loss and healthier lifestyle should be applauded.

    I think this comment should be applauded.

    Standing up :drinker:

    This gets my vote and applause too....
  • FireRox21
    FireRox21 Posts: 424 Member
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    I have been doing nothing but cardio for the past three years and have yet to lose any weight. In fact, I have gained. I started with a trainer this week and he has me warm up for a lap on a treadmill, but stresses strength/resistance training. After I work out for an hour doing dry land, he has me swim for an hour and a half for the cardio benefits.

    I truly believe cario has some awesome health benefits, but you can't lose weight with cardio alone!!!
  • JivinGgirl
    JivinGgirl Posts: 1
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    Muscle development is important for keeping metabolism up, maintaining strength and keeping bones strong. BUT, without an aerobic activity to keep the most important muscle in our body fit- our hearts, the rest of it won't happen. The heart needs to pump blood to our muscles in order for them to work properly, remove the lactate build up from exercise and keep us fit to have the stamina to exercise. Don't disrespect the need to work out this essential organ- resistance training and lifting weights don't do it- you need to move.
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
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    Why does Cardio have to be just for weight loss? I do Cardio every day because of the mental benefits and for my heart health.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    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.

    What the point of increasing the size of your muscle? How will that help anyone? It's not directly related strength.

    What sports do you participate in where muscle size is important for your sport?

    Professional Wrestling!!!

    The fans want to see the big freakish muscles!!!

    :laugh:

    Truth! And don't forget bodybuilding competitions. (Is that a "sport" though?)

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