Is cardio good for me?

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  • Annerk1
    Annerk1 Posts: 372 Member
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    I do this, and it seems to be working well:

    Cardio every day. The amount varies by what other exercise I'm doing and what my body tells me.

    Monday I strength train with a PT.
    W & F I strength train by myself, mixing up arms, legs, abs, shoulders, and back. (My PT gives me a schedule each Monday for the other days.)

    Su, Tu, Th, and if I feel like it, F I take a yoga class. They range from slow flow to fast flow to fundamentals to restorative.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Get the book New Rules of Lifting for Women and read it. It's easy to read and very informative on what/why/how/when you should train
  • frankizoy
    frankizoy Posts: 83 Member
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    doing a mixture of cardio and strength training is supposed to be better and help you lose weight faster :)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    long bouts of steady state makes you squishy

    This is compete cobblers!
    Please try and give sensible advice appropriate to the person posting the thread.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Well it can't possibly be bad for you. Add resistance training like weight lifting or something.

    If anyone tells you you should stop cardio you should stop listening to them.
    My friend told me to do cardio but also incorporate strength training.

    Your friend was correct. If you only do cardio, you'll lose muscle mass at almost the same ratio as fat. A lot of times you wind up with the same body, just smaller. Begin resistance training NOW in addition to your cardio so that your losses come primarily from your fat stores.
    So what should I be doing exactly?

    Add a basic lifting program--2 days per week, 6--8 exercises involving large muscle groups--to your routine.

    You can start with lighter weights--weights that cause fatigue in 12-15 reps--and progress to some heavier weights as you get stronger and more comfortable with lifting. Doing free weights is best, but machines are perfectly fine to start.

    That's it--don't overcomplicate the issue. Weight training works with cardio and diet in ways that makes your program more effective. That's all you need to know right now. All the other stuff--muscle mass, etc--is just background noise and is often complete nonsense--e.g. the idea that you need to "gain" muscle--at 5'4" and 200 lbs, you've got plenty of muscle.
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
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    You need to do both. If you retain more muscle during weight loss by adding strength, you'll also burn more fat at rest than you would by just doing cardio.

    I personally am short for time and running is my true love, so i needed a strength program I can do at home. I use the You Are Your Own Gym ap. I do strength for an hour 3 days a week using only body weight excercises. Works for me and I don't need to go to thegym.

    I also run 4 days a week for a weekly total of about 3 hours of running.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    when you lose weight, you lose both fat and lean mass.

    if you strength train, and eat enough protein to fuel the muscles as you lose weight, you will keep more of the muscle you have, so you'll have more of a 'firm' look by the end of it.

    i wish i did more strength training when i lost weight (by cardio and counting calories).

    but you can still do cardio, obviously, yes that is good for your heart, will burn calories, and it helps some people keep their appetite down - just add strength training into your week

    Every word of this. The more muscle you keep, the fewer pounds you'll have to lose to achieve your goal body.

    I do both now. While I was losing, I did mostly cardio. I wish I started strength training earlier, because I'm amazed at the changes it made to my body. It would have been nice if I'd kept more of my lean mass while losing fat and completely avoid that droopy bum phase. :laugh:
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    Remember that mostly you lose weight from the diet. You will mostly lose fat and this is especially true if you have a high BF%. Until you are down to within a few pounds of goal, it doesn't make a huge difference. It does make a difference, just not much. When zeroing in, you do want gym time to get the right shape.
  • Jennacita
    Jennacita Posts: 116 Member
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    You should do both. Weight training preserves muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories at rest. Also some weight work can burn just as many calories as a cardio session. Mix things up by doing both. Alternate weights and cardio days. Do circuit workouts. New Rules is a great book. Also Cathe.com has great workouts and gives great instruction on form.
  • SJackson50
    SJackson50 Posts: 282 Member
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    when you lose weight, you lose both fat and lean mass.

    if you strength train, and eat enough protein to fuel the muscles as you lose weight, you will keep more of the muscle you have, so you'll have more of a 'firm' look by the end of it.

    i wish i did more strength training when i lost weight (by cardio and counting calories).

    but you can still do cardio, obviously, yes that is good for your heart, will burn calories, and it helps some people keep their appetite down - just add strength training into your week

    Every word of this. The more muscle you keep, the fewer pounds you'll have to lose to achieve your goal body.

    I do both now. While I was losing, I did mostly cardio. I wish I started strength training earlier, because I'm amazed at the changes it made to my body. It would have been nice if I'd kept more of my lean mass while losing fat and completely avoid that droopy bum phase. :laugh:

    All of this. I am twenty pounds heavier than my lowest weight, but a size smaller...I believe it is all due to strength training from day 1.
    Good luck with your goals!
  • sam45890
    sam45890 Posts: 43 Member
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    When I started losing weight I did only cardio. After about 6 months I did Jillian Michaels 30 day shred every couple of days, this is a mixture of cardio and resistance training. It made a huge difference to my body shape within about 4 weeks. I would say do both and if you want something you can do easily at home look into 30 day shred or a similar circuit training dvd. Good luck.
  • Andrea8985
    Andrea8985 Posts: 107
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    do HIIT training,long bouts of steady state makes you squishy

    No. Chick just started walking and doing Zumba. She's not even close to being ready for HIIT. High intensity intervals are great but incredibly over prescribed on this site.

    I disagree. Yes, I started out doing just walking/jogging for a couple of months...but I love HIIT! I'm nowhere near in shape, and I can handle HIIT. Yes, it's difficult. That's the point. Results don't come if everything you're doing is easy for you.

    OP: Stick with the cardio. Add strength training. If you're like me and have no idea where to start with strength training, there are lots of websites/books/DVDs/hell, even phone apps that can help. I don't have much strength training at the moment, but I feel better adding it in.
  • bluestool
    bluestool Posts: 5 Member
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    Dear OP:

    I love the phrase "find your fitness." You've heard a lot of opinions on the subject of cardio/weights etc. Find what YOU enjoy and what YOU'll stick with, tweak it based on your results, and you'll find success!

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