Does Cardio build muscle?

Not enough to count as "muscle building"

Your body is a fat storing machine, you have to be really lean and really depleted to ever notice any muscle loss due to cardio. You may not gain alot of muscle doing weightlifting and heavy cardio but you will not lose any substantial muscle unless you are super lean (under 10%BF) doing cardio. I have been an intermittent faster for years I workout in the AM (usually around 7) and don't eat anything till at least 12 or 1PM then I eat all my calories in a 5 hour window. Then i hit the gym again in the evening around 8 PM for interval training on treadmill or bike for an hour. People tell me all the time that I "better eat something or all those muscle gains are gonna be lost because my body is catabolic". I have found that they may be so on paper or in a lab but in the real world its how I feel that is important You have to find what is right for you! As long as you are getting all your MACROs you should be fine.

So I know all the crazy fitness buffs are big into weightlifting, and it doesn't make you bulky, etc etc. I believe that, and I want to get into that and become healthy and fit. But I am also looking for results first, in terms of fitting into my bikini in just over a month, and then after that holiday, I'll start building muscle through weights.
Is that smart? Like will I actually lose weight through cardio? Because at the moment I am 5'4 and 130 lbs, and I want to lose 10lbs. Am I too close to my natural weight to lose anymore weight through cardio?

Sorry, I'm all very confused. So should I ignore the weights for now, lose it through cardio, and then hop of the weights after my holiday, or am I fit enough to not lose anything through cardio? IF any of this makes any sense?

It's only a month. Lifting now won't hurt your weight loss but not lifting now won't really hurt either.

But really it's only a month. Not really much you can do. 10lbs in a month will be really hard for someone your weight. All you can really do is home to lose 2-3 pounds, prevent some bloating, and go get a spray tan and a pedicure, or a new more flattering bikini. I'm sure you'll look great.

If I do nothing but cardio, I get bored. If I do nothing but strength training, I get bored. It may not help answer your questions, but variety is a good thing--at least for me anyway.

As a beginner I would do a fullbody routine 3xper week on non consecutive days. A lot of people will suggest starting strength or stronglifts and these are good routines but you don't have to follow those. There are countless full body routines you can follow on the net. A good basic routine has 4-6 exercises total with the main emphasis on legs, back, chest and shoulders.

It's only a month. Lifting now won't hurt your weight loss but not lifting now won't really hurt either.

But really it's only a month. Not really much you can do. 10lbs in a month will be really hard for someone your weight. All you can really do is home to lose 2-3 pounds, prevent some bloating, and go get a spray tan and a pedicure, or a new more flattering bikini. I'm sure you'll look great.

I'm ok with only losing a few pounds, but I whave heard people say on these threads that if you put on muscle, but dont lose the fat on top of it, you will look bigger? And I know that is only for a little while and then the new muscle burns the fat covering it, but I presume a month isnt enough to burn the fat on top, if you understand what I mean?

Those people are wrong. You won't put on muscle in a month and a half while on a diet.

The only way to put on a significant amount of muscle under your fat is to eat more calories than you burn (by about 10% at least) and be on a pretty serious heavy lifting program.

It reveals muscle. For example, you can do all the sit ups you want and have muscle but it will still be covered by a layer of fat. You need cardio burn the fat to reveal the muscle.

why a month? for bikini season? it'll be there next year too...

If you need "results in a month" then try the insanity or 30day programs (and actually stick to them).

Best bet would be to do a high intensity, body weight and cardio blend of a routine. Cardio alone won't do it. As long as you eat at a deficit, then you will burn fat through cardio, but even that takes a while depending on how much you have to lose.


Honestly, take the unrealistic timeline off... work hard and when it happens, celebrate it.

As for putting weight on and looking bigger? yeah, unfortunately people don't turn into the hulk that fast. If you're eating at a deficit, and doing cardio, with some weight stuff - at most you may see a few pounds up, but more likely it will seem like nothing is changing.

Trust me - I trained for a half marathon and "saw" NO results for about 6 months... and then it seemed like all of a sudden I was where I wanted to be.

Plan for 18months. Not 1.

So I know all the crazy fitness buffs are big into weightlifting, and it doesn't make you bulky, etc etc. I believe that, and I want to get into that and become healthy and fit. But I am also looking for results first, in terms of fitting into my bikini in just over a month, and then after that holiday, I'll start building muscle through weights.
Is that smart? Like will I actually lose weight through cardio? Because at the moment I am 5'4 and 130 lbs, and I want to lose 10lbs. Am I too close to my natural weight to lose anymore weight through cardio?

Sorry, I'm all very confused. So should I ignore the weights for now, lose it through cardio, and then hop of the weights after my holiday, or am I fit enough to not lose anything through cardio? IF any of this makes any sense?

It's only a month. Lifting now won't hurt your weight loss but not lifting now won't really hurt either.

But really it's only a month. Not really much you can do. 10lbs in a month will be really hard for someone your weight. All you can really do is home to lose 2-3 pounds, prevent some bloating, and go get a spray tan and a pedicure, or a new more flattering bikini. I'm sure you'll look great.

I agree ^

I can tell you that over the past 4 weeks I have noticed a difference in my body composition but SMALL differences. I am eating around 1000-1500 calories under maintenance per week (which was about 1800 calories eaten per day for me), trying to eat at least 100 grams of protein per day, and doing 4 days per week of 1) lifting, 2) walking 20 minutes, and 3) 5-15 minutes of elliptical-type cardio. Also some walking on the weekends. Anyway, I lost 2 lbs, I think mostly fat, and my arms, back, and tummy look a little better. When you're not overweight, losing fat definitely takes time, and it's not cardio that makes you lose fat, it's a calorie deficit, but of course cardio can help you get a calorie deficit.
I lift because it's motivating and fun and I want to keep what little muscle I have. I never noticed getting bigger when I first started lifting. I was on a calorie deficit at the time and was getting smaller.

Well I wouldn't say built muscle but it will lower your body fat where you can see your muscles a bit better. That before and after I have only done cardio no weights at all. Not because I don't want too but just because I don't have acces to weights. I will start lifting as soon as I can!!!

You should do both weights and cardio.

Cardio:

Cardio strengthens your heart and lungs and increases blood flow throughout your body. It is good for your brain and your muscles. And you will build muscle, depending on what type of cardio you are doing. I cycle and have major leg muscles--and very lean legs. The same goes for running--you will strengthen the muscles that you use.

Strength training:

As another poster correctly said, lean muscle burns (metabolizes) more calories than fatty tissue. Translation: if you increase the percentage of your body weight that is lean muscle, you will naturally burn more calories.

As far as what you should do, I would add at least 2 days a week of strength training (notice I did not say weights). Depending on what you have available to you, you can do:

Upper: dumbells can be used for the entire upper body workout--bench press, incline press, shoulder press, reclining overhead extensions, "nosebreakers" (for triceps). you can also use straight bars, or pulley systems too. Start with light weights and high reps (15-25) and add weight each set.

If you don't have weights, do pushups, pull-ups (hard, I know), use elastic bands to do curls, etc.

Lower:
Lunges (no weight needed), squats (no weight needed), step-ups (box or step), straight leg raises, leg curls, etc.

If you keep moving from exercise to exercise without resting (known as a circuit), you will keep your heart rate elevated and add a cardio workout to your strength training.

Exercise in general speeds your metabolism, burns more calories and tones and tightens the muscles under your skin. Do core--abs, crunches, bicycles, planks, etc. If your ab muscles are tight and strong, your tummy will look flatter.

It would be helpful for you to have someone show you some exercises--preferably a trainer or someone who knows what they are doing.

Good luck!

A month is gone in a snap of the fingers.

Chose your mid term goals, define a program to get there and start yesterday.

The idea of "I want to see results in a month" sells DVDs and shakes but it rarely works long term. And if you are going from nothing to 100 mph you are likely to hurt yourself.

But, if you do just want to do it that way, any single program will show 'some' results in 30 days.

Building muscle takes a stupid amount of time and effort. A calorie deficit without resistance training causes the loss of lean body mass. I do not understand why people would sacrifice muscle just to see the number on a scale move and then plan on trying to regain what they lost.

You would be much better off to preserve what you already have while losing body fat. That is done with a calorie deficit and resistance training. Resistance training does not have to be weights in a gym. It can be body weight exercises, or adding resistance to what would be considered cardio. Like riding a bike up hills, sprints, HIIT. Weights are just easier to add small increments and keep your body adapting to the increased resistance.

The answer is NO, do not wait to start your resistance training until you lose a certain amount. You will spend an enormous amount of time and effort trying to get back what you already have now. Start today.

bump for reference. Very interesting!

I'm sorry. But, are you people crazy? Have you ever seen a professional soccer players legs? They rarely do resistance training and their legs commonly are like tree trunks. How do you think they get that? they run, run, run.
Have you seen a professional sprinters legs? Now they do a fair amount of weights. But, back in the day, they did not and they had huge legs.
My brother just played soccer and ran hills when he was in high school, and he developed almost 25 inch thighs.
I knew a lot of guys who bicycled in high school, and their thighs just exploded.
Granted, the key here is that these guys were male and they did these activities during adolescence, when a male's testosterone level is high and growth potential is immense. But, clearly, you can build serious muscle doing cardio -- intense cardio.
Most males who build huge muscle lifting weights do so during adolescence too.