stop overdoing cardio and hit the damn weights!!!

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  • lbrown73
    lbrown73 Posts: 31 Member
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    I'd rather not thanks. For a start I can't afford weights and certainly can't afford to join a gym (and wouldn't anyway, they are overpriced.) Secondly I wouldn't enjoy it, whereas I love the cycling I do every day.
    If I get to the stage where I think lifting will benefit me then I might look into it again, but for now I'm still losing weight and inches by just doing cardio so I'm going to stick with it.

    If you ever decide you want to do some weight training, Walmart has dumbbells that are less than $5. You don't have to join a gym or buy expensive equipment in order to do weight lifting.
  • Kotuliak
    Kotuliak Posts: 259 Member
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    Umm, no. I will not hit the weights. And not because I think it'll make me bulky.
    1. I don't want to.
    2. I reeeaallly enjoy walking and jogging.
    3. I have no intentions of paying for a full gym membership to have access to weights.
    4. I'm still working on losing fat, toning is for when I'm closer to my goal. I can barely do many squats or lunges right now.

    I don't get why so many people think everyone should lift. People are going to do what they enjoy.

    #4 is where I am at, it may be bass ackwards but I don't understand toning muscle that is hidden behind 70lbs of fat. Once I am closer to my goal weight I will tone up my body as I do enjoy lifiting and doing cardio
    1. Toning takes time. If you start now, when you lose the 70 pounds, a beautifully toned and shaped muscle will appear.
    2. It's not only about aesthetics. Resistance training helps with weight loss.
  • kellenas
    kellenas Posts: 154
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    I've just begun the 5x5 and I'm excited to see how it changes my body. I'm very inspired by the women that I see lift heavy.
  • Fabnover40Kat
    Fabnover40Kat Posts: 300 Member
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    I actually do feel that weights have made me bulky in some areas, more so than when I was more focused on just cardio. Before I was just fat and now I have that look of a defensive football player, only on a miniature scale. However, I need to lose some bodyfat. Right now my calves and biceps have more muscle mass than I would like to see, and they don't have a lot of fat on them. I don't think I would trade that though for the gains I've seen in strength and power and the positive changes in my back and shoulders. I feel that I am an anomaly. I don't see anyone else in my gym who is female and looks like me.

    I seem to bulk real easy especially the upper body! I still have body fat though ....its just weird! LOL!
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    I actually do feel that weights have made me bulky in some areas, more so than when I was more focused on just cardio. Before I was just fat and now I have that look of a defensive football player, only on a miniature scale. However, I need to lose some bodyfat. Right now my calves and biceps have more muscle mass than I would like to see, and they don't have a lot of fat on them. I don't think I would trade that though for the gains I've seen in strength and power and the positive changes in my back and shoulders. I feel that I am an anomaly. I don't see anyone else in my gym who is female and looks like me.

    I seem to bulk real easy especially the upper body! I still have body fat though ....its just weird! LOL!

    Then there are a ton of people who want your secret.
  • NikiChicken
    NikiChicken Posts: 576 Member
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    Umm, no. I will not hit the weights. And not because I think it'll make me bulky.
    1. I don't want to.
    2. I reeeaallly enjoy walking and jogging.
    3. I have no intentions of paying for a full gym membership to have access to weights.
    4. I'm still working on losing fat, toning is for when I'm closer to my goal. I can barely do many squats or lunges right now.

    I don't get why so many people think everyone should lift. People are going to do what they enjoy.

    Except for #4, this is absolutely me! As for 4, I am still losing fat, but I actually do squats, lunges and other toning exercises for my abs, arms, legs and butt, but I do not "lift" per the definition you are going with, I think. I don't enjoy it - heck, I don't even LIKE it. People should do what works for THEM because ANY exercise that is done on a regular and consistent basis is GOOD. Why do you even care what someone else does?
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
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    I think that most people forget that while you're running, walking, or doing any kind of cardio, you're still improving your muscles. You don't have to do EVERYTHING you can just do whatever you feel like doing. I barely lift weights because I don't have a personal trainer, I am not used to lifting and when I lift something or do exercised I tend to do something wrong and ache without getting any better. I really think that you need to improve your strenght before getting into lifting. When I began this journey I was feeling tired after a simple walk, I don't even want to think about what would have happened if I started lifting back then.
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
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    I think a lot of people don't understand how intimidating it is for a woman to start lifting. I do some body weight exercises at home and will work on weight machines in the gym but the free weight room is full of huge guys, I just don't feel welcomed and my efforts were sometimes laughed at. Additionally I feel to properly lift heavy you really need instruction, or can risk some serious injuries, and I definitely cannot afford a personal trainer!

    Can you do one session with a personal trainer to get them to show you around and help you do a routine? A lot of people will do that.

    When i started I bought some weights and a book and learned form myself at home.
    You don't need a personal trainer. There are even you tube videos out there now to show you proper form on any machine or weight you can think of.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    I do both!!! :bigsmile:
  • atb0821
    atb0821 Posts: 458 Member
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    I think OP is just referring to the fact that many women feel like cardio is what they "should" always be doing. I used to be the same way. I would walk into the gym and head straight to the elliptical; the weights section was for dudes and it was scary. Thanks to being on here I've realized how beneficial getting into the scary weight section actually is. Yes, it's kind of intimidating busting up into a group of dudes and grabbing a big barbell. But you get used to it. Youtube videos help, bodybuilding.com videos help. I think doing a combo of weights and cardio is ideal, but cardio is definitely not the only answer to reshaping your body.
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
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    One thing I do find is that people often say, "Wow, you've lost so much weight lately." And I respond that I have not lost weight in a year. I changed my body composition.

    Weight lifting is great for helping women achieve and maintain bone density, so don't knock it just because you happen to like cardio better. I happen to like both. I feel that weights have had a much greater impact on how I look though.

    This is why I lift weights. I'm 61, I have osteopenia and I don't want to get osteoporosis. I also know that as I get older, I lose muscle mass faster. For these 2 reasons alone, I began lifting weights. I continue because I really love it, and because I get the ego bump of "wow you look great" I'm still fat - I still have a long way to go, and I'm not in any sort of hurry!
  • jazi719
    jazi719 Posts: 150 Member
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    Use weights for your upper body. I have bad knees but am still able to do squats, I just don't do lunges.
  • just_Jennie1
    just_Jennie1 Posts: 1,233
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    I do both.

    30 min. of cardio followed by an 60-70 min of lifting. The cardio leans me out and the lifting gives me muscles.

    A woman will never get bulky unless she is taking steroids period. I lift heavy (for me) and I love it. I like the way my body has been transformed, I like seeing my muscles and having people tell me I should compete or ask me if I'm a gymnast.
  • mrslcoop
    mrslcoop Posts: 317 Member
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    Why can't I love doing both? I think everything in moderation is key. Lift a couple days, cardio a couple days. I truly enjoy both and I won't give up running just to solely lift because I enjoy it.

    I will say that while I have not “bulked” up because I eat at a deficit so that makes it impossible (that and estrogen), I have noticed my shoulders are now broader… I could stand to do without that, but that comes with lifting unfortunately and I do like being stronger.
  • jazi719
    jazi719 Posts: 150 Member
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    For those of you stuck on cardio and didn't look at the link at the beginning of this thread, look at it!! Here it is again: LOOK AT THE PHOTOS!

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    Here's another one:

    http://health.yahoo.net/experts/yahoo-spotlight/why-your-cardio-routine-making-you-fat

    I always looked 10-20lbs lighter because of weight lifting. I do not lift heavy, I do not do it at a gym. I have free weights at home and I do it to a DVD, although you don't need a work out DVD. Did you know that weights makes you a better runner too?

    No one is telling you to stop your cardio routine, just start using weights in place of it for 2-3 days a week. If I had my choice, I would never do cardio and only do weights. Did you know that lifting increases your heart rate too?

    Forget the scale. When my scale said 150, I was in a size 8 jeans and no one could believe I was over 135.

    And no, don't wait until you get to a certain size to tone up, lifting will help you burn faster and even well after your done working out.

    Try it for 6 weeks, 30min three times a week. See how your clothes fit.

    Again , it worked for you but why does that give you authority to tell other people that they shouldn't be doing cardio if that's what they truly enjoy. It's their choice, trying to dissuade other people from doing what they like makes no sense to me.

    I also agree with some of the comments above, cardio bashing is so old and pointless. Some people can't afford the gym or purchasing weights for the home, they may not have access to the equipment but at least they are getting up , moving around and exercising.

    I am not dissuading anyone as exercise is exercise. What I am doing is encouraging women who don't lift to at least try it. I am speaking of my own experiences. I started using weights almost 30 years ago using 5 measly pounds doing The Firm workout. It changed my life. I get so many compliments when I wear a tank top, even now, being overweight.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    Umm, no. I will not hit the weights. And not because I think it'll make me bulky.
    1. I don't want to.
    2. I reeeaallly enjoy walking and jogging.
    3. I have no intentions of paying for a full gym membership to have access to weights.
    4. I'm still working on losing fat, toning is for when I'm closer to my goal. I can barely do many squats or lunges right now.

    I don't get why so many people think everyone should lift. People are going to do what they enjoy.

    Lifting burns fat and maintains muscle mass. Why would you want to lose both fat and LBM to get to a number on a scale then have to go through the painstaking work of trying to put muscle back on (which is verify difficult, especially for women), when you could lift now, maintain LBM, and lose mostly fat. Sure, the scale won't move as much, but the tape measure will, and you'd probably be more happy with the "tone" you have before you get to your goal weight....IMHO.

    Edit: I do both (actually, a bit more cardio) and after reading the rest of this thread, wow there is a lot of misconception out there that "lifting does noting but help with asthetics, and lifters are vain".... wow.
  • myurav
    myurav Posts: 165 Member
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    I enjoy doing both :) I've been lifting heavy for a little while, and now I'm starting the 5/3/1 program (we'll see how that goes, but I'm excited to have a set routine!).

    Lifting heavy things is fun, and makes me feel like a stronger person. My cardio, usually elliptical or running, gives me more leeway for food (yeesssss) and keeps my heart pumping.

    I loove, love, love the definition in my shoulders and my legs, and I recently tried on a dress that I fit into when I was about 10 lbs lighter, so I am a big proponent of lifting. The long-term health benefits, in terms of bone density and overall faster recovery in case of injury, speak for themselves.

    But everyone's different, and any exercise is a step in the right direction!
  • ashleynratliff
    ashleynratliff Posts: 20
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    I started my fitness journey back in March of this year. I love cardio but I recently started lifting with a trainer and I LOVE it! I was becoming skinny-fat now I'm becoming skinny-fit.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
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    I also agree with some of the comments above, cardio bashing is so old and pointless. Some people can't afford the gym or purchasing weights for the home, they may not have access to the equipment but at least they are getting up , moving around and exercising.

    ^^^ Totally this. Cardio is great exercise .. and I enjoy doing both cardio and weights. Each person has their own goals and we should all respect that.

    Doing weights keeps me from looking pathetic .. but cardio is just plain good for me. So no harm in doing both. End of story.

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