Questions for you lifters --- why no cardio?

lelee32287
lelee32287 Posts: 6 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've noticed several times that a lot of folks seem to limit or even stop cardio workouts once they start a heavy lifting program. I've even seen a statement on a least one fitness website that pretty much said NOT to do cardio once you start lifting. So, why is that? Don't you still want/need to do cardio for overall fitness (not to mention the calories burned)?

Also, how do you set your TDEE and calorie goals if you're concentrating on heavy lifting with little to no cardio?

Replies

  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I heavy lift three times a week for about 90 minutes each time = 4.5 hours = moderately active (for me this is true, but all caloric levels should be tested as they are estimates)

    I do some cardio still - 10 minute warm ups and 15 minutes HIIT at the end of my workout. I used to run distance (and still do for fun) but weight training was my way of getting stronger and improving my ability to reach the running distances - I used to feel like my body parts belonged to someone else at the end of a 10 mile run. Now I am much stronger and do not feel so terrible at that distance (even went to 11.5 miles on my last run).

    Weight training has done me well - I am stronger, leaner, and a fat burning machine. I had none of those affects from distance running alone.
  • JDBLY11
    JDBLY11 Posts: 577 Member
    I heavy lift three times a week for about 90 minutes each time = 4.5 hours = moderately active (for me this is true, but all caloric levels should be tested as they are estimates)

    I do some cardio still - 10 minute warm ups and 15 minutes HIIT at the end of my workout. I used to run distance (and still do for fun) but weight training was my way of getting stronger and improving my ability to reach the running distances - I used to feel like my body parts belonged to someone else at the end of a 10 mile run. Now I am much stronger and do not feel so terrible at that distance (even went to 11.5 miles on my last run).

    Weight training has done me well - I am stronger, leaner, and a fat burning machine. I had none of those affects from distance running alone.

    I disagree. I am pretty convinced that walking and running gives muscle too. My cousin and my sisters friend were camp counselors and they got super muscular legs just from doing the camp activities in a hilly area. You can gain leg muscles from walking and running.
  • Jackson4590
    Jackson4590 Posts: 145 Member
    I ran five nights per week and ate well and lost a little weight. Then I hurt my knee, stopped running, and continued on the same diet. My weight loss progresses on the same path it did while I was running. When my knee got better I started lifting and realized lifting burns calories too (and more muscle continues to burn it). I don't think quitting running is "the answer" but *for me* there was no significant change when I stopped running. Why not build more muscle lifting if I'm going to burn the same amount of calories?
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I heavy lift three times a week for about 90 minutes each time = 4.5 hours = moderately active (for me this is true, but all caloric levels should be tested as they are estimates)

    I do some cardio still - 10 minute warm ups and 15 minutes HIIT at the end of my workout. I used to run distance (and still do for fun) but weight training was my way of getting stronger and improving my ability to reach the running distances - I used to feel like my body parts belonged to someone else at the end of a 10 mile run. Now I am much stronger and do not feel so terrible at that distance (even went to 11.5 miles on my last run).

    Weight training has done me well - I am stronger, leaner, and a fat burning machine. I had none of those affects from distance running alone.

    I disagree. I am pretty convinced that walking and running gives muscle too. My cousin and my sisters friend were camp counselors and they got super muscular legs just from doing the camp activities in a hilly area. You can gain leg muscles from walking and running.

    You are welcome to your opinion, as I am to mine. I merely expressed my experience as the OP's request.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Most of the advice regarding not doing cardio is aimed at people who are bulking, i.e. want to get bigger, specifically the ones having trouble doing so. The reason is that you obviously burn calories doing cardio so you have to eat even more than you would if you were not doing cardio. That said, I like to run. It's good for my heart and I have no intention of stopping. Besides, I have never had a problem eating enough.

    Oh, and as for gaining mass running? LOL
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    I heavy lift three times a week for about 90 minutes each time = 4.5 hours = moderately active (for me this is true, but all caloric levels should be tested as they are estimates)

    I do some cardio still - 10 minute warm ups and 15 minutes HIIT at the end of my workout. I used to run distance (and still do for fun) but weight training was my way of getting stronger and improving my ability to reach the running distances - I used to feel like my body parts belonged to someone else at the end of a 10 mile run. Now I am much stronger and do not feel so terrible at that distance (even went to 11.5 miles on my last run).

    Weight training has done me well - I am stronger, leaner, and a fat burning machine. I had none of those affects from distance running alone.

    I disagree. I am pretty convinced that walking and running gives muscle too. My cousin and my sisters friend were camp counselors and they got super muscular legs just from doing the camp activities in a hilly area. You can gain leg muscles from walking and running.
    You're trying to argue that type I muscle can experience hypertrophy. It's true it can to a limited extent. but you CANNOT build any sort of size from it.

    And even then, I would argue their muscle legs were moreso from fat loss than muscle gain. It's very likely their legs were smaller, and not larger.
  • rick_po
    rick_po Posts: 449 Member
    I've noticed several times that a lot of folks seem to limit or even stop cardio workouts once they start a heavy lifting program. I've even seen a statement on a least one fitness website that pretty much said NOT to do cardio once you start lifting. So, why is that? Don't you still want/need to do cardio for overall fitness (not to mention the calories burned)?

    There's nothing wrong with doing a little cardio, but you have to be careful about over-training. A novice lifter is working her body extremely hard in new ways, and she don't want to break down by piling too much bicycling on top of heavy squats. It's fine to work hard, just be careful not to do too much.

    As for over-all fitness, I know for a fact that my heart works harder lifting weights than it does on a stationary bike .

    My suspicion is I burn more calories lifting, too, but I'm not positive about that. I've noticed I always lose weight easier when I'm lifting, but I don't track my diet close enough to prove it one way or the other.
  • DragonSquatter
    DragonSquatter Posts: 957 Member
    I think it comes down to personal preferences.

    Personally, I absolutely hate LISS (low impact steady state) cardio especially if it's on a machine. I get bored, irritated, and just unhappy doing it. With lifting, I enjoy it more. I find I'm far more mentally engaged in the exercise, and, thus, I tend to be much better at it than I am as a runner.

    It really comes down to what YOU want to get out of your fitness routine though. I do know a lot of people who enjoy lifting AND running. In fact, in an ideal world, I think doing a healthy amount of both cardio and strength training is optimal for peak general fitness.

    Weight training burns quite a bit of calories as well, though not in a single burst like cardio workouts do. A lot of the extra calories burned are done so during recovery when the muscle is repairing itself not just when the lifts are performed. This is why rest and adequate intake (not too large a calorie deficit) are critical for strength gains.

    Personally, I use the TDEE - 20% method for determining my intake, and I'm adjusting as I go. If I start to notice serious problems with my recovery, I'll up it a bit to compensate. However, my goal is to lose fat and preserve as much muscle as possible along the way. Strength gains are a secondary priority at this time. Your goals may differ.

    My advise is to set yourself a goal based on what you enjoy doing and what you hope to accomplish and go from there. If you want to incorporate lots of cardio and strength training, you should do that. Don't let other people's preferences decide what is ideal for your needs and goals.
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    I've noticed several times that a lot of folks seem to limit or even stop cardio workouts once they start a heavy lifting program. I've even seen a statement on a least one fitness website that pretty much said NOT to do cardio once you start lifting. So, why is that? Don't you still want/need to do cardio for overall fitness (not to mention the calories burned)?

    Also, how do you set your TDEE and calorie goals if you're concentrating on heavy lifting with little to no cardio?
    Lifting covers cardio good enough that base fitness will be covered. And the point for a lot of lifters is to GAIN weight, not lose it. Cardio interfears with that goal by requiring further calories be eaten for little benefit.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member


    Oh, and as for gaining mass running? LOL

    :drinker:
  • Refr_Quicksilver
    Refr_Quicksilver Posts: 44
    BUMP... want to see peoples opinions on this one... I do both,,, but i fine tune according to how i want to look... bigger muscles,, mass,, guess what... lower cardio routines... however, toned up,,, leaner body,,, cardio comes a roarin' back... we are all different,, figure out your body,,, and adjust accordingly.
  • BenchPressingCats
    BenchPressingCats Posts: 1,826 Member
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    ETA: I do cardio probably4-5 days a week and usually lift 3. I prefer lifting but do cardio because food.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    Lifting spares me from having to do cardio. Today I did 15min on the elliptical. I was good with that.
  • vestarocks
    vestarocks Posts: 420 Member
    Thanks for posting this as I've often wondered myself. ...but then I started heavy lifting and yep it's a cardio workout for me.
  • medicvaldez
    medicvaldez Posts: 42 Member
    Lifting speeds metabolism..im still big but i notice if I keep cardio at a minimum and increase weights i can break through a plateau with no problem...so i cut it down to 15-30 mins and haven't hit a plateau yet...now i started using mfp to track my macros and still have 70 to go but i've down a ton from my start of about 300 and i owe it all to iron.
  • jajnn
    jajnn Posts: 33
    If I had more time I'd dedicate more of it to cardio but since I don't I focus on lifting heavy.
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
    Honestly I do both pretty evenly since I find both equally important. I need both strength and cardio endurance to keep up with the dog on hikes and runs and backpacking trips.

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