No more lifting/muscles. ALL ABOUT THE RUNNING.
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bynonmurrayc
Posts: 37 Member
Hey guys. I need some help. You see, i've got myself in a little jam. I really want to work out every day. without fail. i want to burn at minimum 500 calories a day. However, i find when i lift/work out my muscles, i'm often way too sore to get a decent workout in the next day.
I've resorted to cutting out the toning and to just focus on cardio. Cardio doesn't make me sore and it burns more calories which is good for me because I want to loose 15 pounds.
In addition, i'm naturally a muscley build. I'm an ex gymnast so i feel like building muscle isn't really my worry. I just need to shed the pounds.
Can anyone tell me if i'm off the mark here?
Is this a bad idea?
HELP!
I've resorted to cutting out the toning and to just focus on cardio. Cardio doesn't make me sore and it burns more calories which is good for me because I want to loose 15 pounds.
In addition, i'm naturally a muscley build. I'm an ex gymnast so i feel like building muscle isn't really my worry. I just need to shed the pounds.
Can anyone tell me if i'm off the mark here?
Is this a bad idea?
HELP!
0
Replies
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It isn't the best idea in the world. In the absence of resistance training you are going to burn muscle...especially in a deficit and with incessant cardio.
Also, you burn more calories for the 48 hours recovering from your lifting session...muscle repair requires energy (calories) I workout 6 days per week and lift and do cardio on my non-lifting days with no issue and I'm logging in a good 80-100 hours on my bike...you really shouldn't have an issue.0 -
I find that when I lift regularly, I don't have much of an issue with muscle soreness. It's when I get in a funk and lift sporadically that I have a problem.0
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Is this a bad idea?
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In short. Yes.
If you have to pick only one thing to reshape your body and lose fat, you are better off going to the gym every second day than you are doing cardio every day. Just eat a couple of hundred less calories each day.
You can still do cardio through, as your body adjusts you can do a bit of cardio after lifting or on the days in between, just dont make it too intense.0 -
I agree - Weights every second day "all over body work out" - if you want to do weights every day then do a leg day, arm day etc... and cardio every day.0
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Weight training may not burn a lot of calories WHILE you are doing it (90-130 calories per 1/2 hour), but the after burn is what you want. Unlike cardio, your body will continue to burn additional calories after you weight-train for up to 24 hours following a workout (anywhere from an extra 200-300 calories per day). A boosted metabolism, leaner body composition, muscle definition, and strength are all benefits you will get from weight-training that you will not necessarily get from doing straight cardio. Do both weights and cardio, AND eat right, and you will have way more success.0
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See if you can work in at least one weight training day. I'm a runner and I used to think that I could do upper body weights but forget about the lower body b/c running would take care of the muscles there. Wrong. When I started doing BB squats and deadlifts I saw what a big difference it made in the power I could generated from my hips. As a former gymnast you probably already have enormous lower body strength--why not at least work to maintain that? Cardio is great but it isn't the whole package.
Obviously YMMV etc but I'm firmly in the "both" camp for cardio and strength.0 -
I'll be the voice of dissent here. I run. I do not currently lift. I may throw in some pushups here and there, and that's it. It works for me.0
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I'll be the voice of dissent here. I run. I do not currently lift. I may throw in some pushups here and there, and that's it. It works for me.
I do think it can work, but the issue is it is not optimal.
If a person genuinely hates resistance training then it is probably not the best option for them and they can still probably achieve a good deal of success from that. It is about finding a form of exercise that is enjoyable enough for someone to stick with.
However this seems to be a case of dropping the better exercise choice for the less favourable (in terms of body recomposition and fat loss), without any great reason - therefore is not the best choice.0 -
i personally think this is a bad idea. if you alternate cardio and lifting, you'll attain the body you want and avoid soreness.
and in my opinion aiming to burn any minimum amount of calories is arbitrary.0 -
Whats your TDEE, daily calories, & how much protein do you eat daily? Sounds like something on the diet is causing your body to not heal quick enough. That or did you just start to lift recently it could just be DOMS and that goes away after a week or 2.0
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I'll be the voice of dissent here. I run. I do not currently lift. I may throw in some pushups here and there, and that's it. It works for me.
I do think it can work, but the issue is it is not optimal.
If a person genuinely hates resistance training then it is probably not the best option for them and they can still probably achieve a good deal of success from that. It is about finding a form of exercise that is enjoyable enough for someone to stick with.
However this seems to be a case of dropping the better exercise choice for the less favourable (in terms of body recomposition and fat loss), without any great reason - therefore is not the best choice.
Not optimal for what? It sounds like OP is already quite muscular. As a former heavy lifter, I find that running keeps my muscles well defined, even in my arms. You do actually use your arms when you run, especially sprints. I know this goes against the established dogma here, but honestly, not everyone needs to lift heavy IMO. Especially if they have a past history of good muscle development.
OP - it occurs to me to remind you to get lots of protein, whatever exercise you decide to do. I aim for 100 grams a day at 125 lbs.0 -
I am with others... you lift to preserve your current lean body mass, metabolic rate and give you a lean and tight body. While some people can get good bodies with just cardio its a lot more rare. Most people achieve those results with both. At a minimum you should do 2 full body workouts. After a few weeks you probably wont be as sore. To help with soreness you can eat foods high in potassium and magnesium and get protein to aid in the repair process.
Additionally, you don't have to worry about building new muscle in a deficit as its extremely hard.. especially for women. And lastly there is no reason to aim to burn 500 calories a workout, as you set a deficit in your diet.0 -
I used to do almost all cardio. I was of a like mind, it burns more calories and gives me great endurance, so that's all I need right? Well when I started strength training again, after a couple months my definition was so much better, I was so much more toned all over, I knew I HAD to keep lifting! I also took up Taekwondo which seems to have a mixed effect, improving both my cardio fitness AND my muscle definition. I also notice that since I have toned up, I am burning more calories and generally don't gain much weight even if I can't get my normal exercise in. I recently went on an overseas trip for almost two weeks and other than a lot of moderate walking (my cardio normally is running, elliptical, rowing, bicycling, stair climber etc.) got no exercise, ate like a PIG (mediterranean diet, but still I pigged out, buffets are a disaster!) and two days after I got back I was at my normal weight. ( 5' tall, 90 lbs.) So do both, it really really is the best for you!0
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It isn't the best idea in the world. In the absence of resistance training you are going to burn muscle...especially in a deficit and with incessant cardio.
Also, you burn more calories for the 48 hours recovering from your lifting session...muscle repair requires energy (calories) I workout 6 days per week and lift and do cardio on my non-lifting days with no issue and I'm logging in a good 80-100 hours on my bike...you really shouldn't have an issue.
i was thinking this….0 -
i personally think this is a bad idea. if you alternate cardio and lifting, you'll attain the body you want and avoid soreness.
and in my opinion aiming to burn any minimum amount of calories is arbitrary.
this too!0 -
Hey guys. I need some help. You see, i've got myself in a little jam. I really want to work out every day. without fail. i want to burn at minimum 500 calories a day. However, i find when i lift/work out my muscles, i'm often way too sore to get a decent workout in the next day.
I've resorted to cutting out the toning and to just focus on cardio. Cardio doesn't make me sore and it burns more calories which is good for me because I want to loose 15 pounds.
In addition, i'm naturally a muscley build. I'm an ex gymnast so i feel like building muscle isn't really my worry. I just need to shed the pounds.
Can anyone tell me if i'm off the mark here?
Is this a bad idea?
HELP!
Re-define what you accept as a decent workout.
Your recovery ability while in a diet is impaired anyway - if you want mediocre results from hard work, your method is the way to get there.
You can get a 500 calorie workout in the day after lifting.
But if you don't want to basically waste the lifting workout by killing the repair process, do the cardio in what has been called for a long time the Active Recovery HR zone, recently called the fat-burning zone.
This adds little stress that requires recovery, and it helps what you need, blood flow to muscles.
Also, you aren't burning that much lifting anyway, unless you do it a long time.
Perhaps you are confused between diet and exercise.
Diet is for weight loss - done right just fat loss, done wrong muscle mass too.
Exercise is for heart health and body improvement - done right it can aid fat loss, done wrong it can help burn muscle off.
So what is your real purpose in wanting to workout so much?
6 days is possible if you just want some exercise, but gotta be smarter about it, unless you just want spinning your wheels burning calories.0 -
I'll be the voice of dissent here. I run. I do not currently lift. I may throw in some pushups here and there, and that's it. It works for me.
I do think it can work, but the issue is it is not optimal.
If a person genuinely hates resistance training then it is probably not the best option for them and they can still probably achieve a good deal of success from that. It is about finding a form of exercise that is enjoyable enough for someone to stick with.
However this seems to be a case of dropping the better exercise choice for the less favourable (in terms of body recomposition and fat loss), without any great reason - therefore is not the best choice.
Not optimal for what? It sounds like OP is already quite muscular. As a former heavy lifter, I find that running keeps my muscles well defined, even in my arms. You do actually use your arms when you run, especially sprints. I know this goes against the established dogma here, but honestly, not everyone needs to lift heavy IMO. Especially if they have a past history of good muscle development.
OP - it occurs to me to remind you to get lots of protein, whatever exercise you decide to do. I aim for 100 grams a day at 125 lbs.
But without knowing her body composition its impossible to validate that claim of having a good amount of muscle. In all fairness how many threads do you see with people swearing the destroyed their metabolism or burn 1000 calories during an hour of cardio. I am not saying it isnt true but its a claim... thats it.0 -
If you are trying to reduce overall size, you're better off doing both cardio and strength. Even former gymnasts find that more of the bulk is fatty tissue as opposed to lean mass if they've been away from the mat for a while. Looking at your photo, though, you don't have bulky legs. Not even close.
You do cardio after strength and on off days. That is what I do. I do cardio almost daily. There is no rule that you can't do cardio on days you strength train. In fact, cardio increases blood flow to the muscle fibers, aids in quicker healing and less DOMs
If you like running, great. Cycling, walking, swimming, Zumba, etc. are all also good.0 -
My personal experience - When I am starting out, I go nuts on the cardio for a few weeks straight. It sheds kilos/pounds and wakes up your metabolism. then once I am happy with that I will get into the weights.Weights are super important. Everybody will tell you that. And you know it. And with practice you'll eventually get past that soreness and be great.
So in short I think the running is great for a little while but only as a kick-starter to a long term journey
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A few obsevations/suggestions:
As a former gymnast, you should be pretty familiar with a lot of bodyweight moves and static holds that you can do as your strength training. You don't have to be killing yourself that you are so sore you can't workout the next day.
Stop aiming for an arbitrary calorie burn. Work out and let the numbers fall where they fall.
Exercise for the right reasons, not arbitrary ones.
Lots of people (me included) happily blend running and strength training. There's no need to have to choose one over the other.0
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