Has anyone lost body fat by doing cardio only?
Phill2488
Posts: 97 Member
The popular opinion on here is that to lose body fat you need to do strength training, but as anyone on here lost body fat with no strength training and only cardio? Stomach fat especially
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you will lose bodyfat if you're ina calorie deficit, regardless of exercise.
you will maintain more lean mass if you strength train while losing weight.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »you will lose bodyfat if you're ina calorie deficit, regardless of exercise.
Thank god. I hate strength training. An unpopular opinion I know, but I find it really boring, and I've tried everything to make it more fun, but nothing has worked.
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yes0
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michellemybelll wrote: »yes
I like your answer. Short and straight to the point0 -
Yes! I only did swimming and the elliptical machine the first 6 months of my ~diet~. Managed to lose 10kg but after that, I really had to introduce other workouts because I stopped losing weight.0
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Running. Especially distance. Even in a single run if you're running far enough (like other exercises) you switch from using sugar/glucose for fuel to using fat.0
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I did only cardio for about the first 6 months and I lost weight just fine. I now do strength training once a week with HIIT and callisthenics (press ups, sit ups, etc.) where I use weights when applicable during training. I am loving it and it is totally not boring! I have a personal trainer who keeps it fun.
I think as you drop the weight it is nice to feel the muscle coming through. Start with cardio and you can always add weights in later.
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The popular opinion on here is that to lose body fat you need to do strength training, but as anyone on here lost body fat with no strength training and only cardio? Stomach fat especially
Sorry, but that is not the popular opinion at all and you have misinformed yourself.
People suggest strength training because its a good way to reduce the amount of muscle loss as well as several other benefits. Of course you can lose weight based on a calorific deificit, but you cant spot reduce.
Cardio is a good calorie burner, but you have to do a lot to lose decent amounts of weight by exercise alone.-1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »you will lose bodyfat if you're ina calorie deficit, regardless of exercise.
Thank god. I hate strength training. An unpopular opinion I know, but I find it really boring, and I've tried everything to make it more fun, but nothing has worked.
Keep in mind that you don't need to do the standard weight lifting programs. Any program that provides resistance will help you maintain muscle. You can do body weight resistance or programs like cross fit/body pump. And resistance training can improve your cardio workouts.
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Yes! Me! Only running outdoor and eventually skiing in winter. I've lost 7kg, mainly fat, and I've also gained some lean mass.0
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TavistockToad wrote: »you will lose bodyfat if you're ina calorie deficit, regardless of exercise.
Thank god. I hate strength training. An unpopular opinion I know, but I find it really boring, and I've tried everything to make it more fun, but nothing has worked.
I can empathise. It's not exactly the most fun thing especially if you train on your own. I read between sets, 1 side at a time. Sometimes I watch TV while doing it. 0 -
My workouts tend to be mostly cardio with a teeny bit of weight-bearing... I've lost weight, yes, but I cannot tell you if it's all fat or if I've lost muscle, too.
I'm not a huge fan of weightlifting, either. I know that I should do it, but I really hate having callouses on my hands from the bars. I hate the way that the steel bars make my hands smell. I hate the bros who hang out in that part of the gym.
However, there are lots of other things you can do to maintain muscle mass: currently I'm liking a TRX workout. Plyometrics are good, too. Work with a trainer to find something that you enjoy doing.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »you will lose bodyfat if you're ina calorie deficit, regardless of exercise.
Thank god. I hate strength training. An unpopular opinion I know, but I find it really boring, and I've tried everything to make it more fun, but nothing has worked.
Good to know. I feel the same way about strength training.
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you can lose body fat while just doing cardio, but it'll be hard if you do low intensity, steady state cardio. push yourself. do sprint- and hill-repeats and work outside your comfort zone.0
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In addition to calorie deficit I only run. I have a scale that tells me body fat and muscle composition and over time I've dropped a couple percent of fat and increased my muscle percentage in addition to losing overall weight.0
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TavistockToad wrote: »you will lose bodyfat if you're ina calorie deficit, regardless of exercise.
Thank god. I hate strength training. An unpopular opinion I know, but I find it really boring, and I've tried everything to make it more fun, but nothing has worked.
Keep in mind that you don't need to do the standard weight lifting programs. Any program that provides resistance will help you maintain muscle. You can do body weight resistance or programs like cross fit/body pump. And resistance training can improve your cardio workouts.
I do Pilates and Pole dance for my strength training. Both extremely fun/enjoyable and not as boring as weights-I've never been a lifting kind of gal.
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Capt_Apollo wrote: »you can lose body fat while just doing cardio, but it'll be hard if you do low intensity, steady state cardio. push yourself. do sprint- and hill-repeats and work outside your comfort zone.
If OP starts from a mainly sedentary life style, simple walking (low intensity, steady state) on a regular basis can do wonders for weight loss. Sprint and hill repeats might be asking too much and too soon from the beginner.0 -
There are no exercises that will specifically reduce belly fat. A calorie deficit will cause weight loss. The lost weight is from both fat and muscle. The purpose of resistance training is to reduce muscle loss while in a caloric deficit.Stomach fat especially
A lot of people don't go "all in" on a single form of exercise. They use a balanced approach alternating cardio days and strength training days.
If you want to lose weight watch your calories and maintain a calorie deficit. You don't have to exercise at all.
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I don't weight lift at te gym but I do use hand weights and bands. I follow some routines on youtube and I also do Pilates. Right now I'm only up to 25lbs. The guys in the gym really intimidate me in the weight area and even the women who are in there do as well. Eventually I'll go in there but right now I'm content doing it at home.0
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higgins8283801 wrote: »I don't weight lift at te gym but I do use hand weights and bands. I follow some routines on youtube and I also do Pilates. Right now I'm only up to 25lbs. The guys in the gym really intimidate me in the weight area and even the women who are in there do as well. Eventually I'll go in there but right now I'm content doing it at home.
yes, it can be intimidating to go in the weight area. But remember, every single person in the weight room also started as a beginner. Most of them understand that and are usually to focused on what they are doing to be concerned about a beginner.0 -
Weight loss is achieved entirely through calorie deficit. Cardio helps to create one more effectively than diet management alone as it helps to create one without having to restrict your calories so much. The reason for strength training while losing weight is because it improves functional fitness and preserves the muscle you have, which, if you were doing cardio alone, would disappear along with your fat. This is not good especially as a woman because muscle is directly linked to bone density which is especially precious to women in adulthood.0
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Dave198lbs wrote: »higgins8283801 wrote: »I don't weight lift at te gym but I do use hand weights and bands. I follow some routines on youtube and I also do Pilates. Right now I'm only up to 25lbs. The guys in the gym really intimidate me in the weight area and even the women who are in there do as well. Eventually I'll go in there but right now I'm content doing it at home.
yes, it can be intimidating to go in the weight area. But remember, every single person in the weight room also started as a beginner. Most of them understand that and are usually to focused on what they are doing to be concerned about a beginner.
I understand that. I just don't have the slightest idea how to even use the stuff in there, so when I go in I will be so clueless. I have seen people in there get annoyed at people being slow while figuring out the equipment. Just makes it hard for me to want to go in there knowing that.
I have lost 30lbs so far, and am doing pretty good with the at home routines. Once I get comfortable with 25lbs weights I will have to grin and bear it and just go over there.
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(caveat, haven't real the thread)
I went from 230lbs to 156lbs mostly with eating less and adding cardio.
The reason why strength training is recommended when losing weight is to preserve muscle mass and target fat to come off preferentially.
If you're interested in a strength program, look at Stronglifts or Starting Strength. I prefer the book for Starting Strength because the author goes into detail on how to do the lifts properly, different cues to keep it that way, and common form faults that everyone seems to do.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »you will lose bodyfat if you're ina calorie deficit, regardless of exercise.
Thank god. I hate strength training. An unpopular opinion I know, but I find it really boring, and I've tried everything to make it more fun, but nothing has worked.
Ditto. I absolutely loathe lifting. I hate the muscle burn. It is boring and if you have to go to a gym to do it, as I do, you have to deal with the other people in the gym and that whole dynamic, which I also loathe.
All that said, though, there are benefits to lifting other than just muscle retention, especially for older people like myself. Bone health is the big one for me, so I make myself do it for that reason, but not for weight loss.
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I started my diet with only walking and other cardio with little or no lifting.. However, now that I’m getting near my idea weight i have started lifting.. and I find it enjoyable after I started it.. I put my audiobook on and delete everyone else in the gym from my mind... I could care less if someone is upset because I’m too slow on the machine... or dumbbells... I paid to go just like they did... my workout is more important (or at least it is to me) then theirs....
and you don't have to like lifting... to do it... that is an immature attitude.. getting healthy is more important then like or dislike…
and do you remember when you were young how you hated broccoli or carrots…. But after a while you learned to love them… or at least you put melted cheese on them… well do the same for lifting… do it until you see an improvement…. Or at least do some of the fun ones with a gym partner that makes it more enjoyable.
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I remember about a year ago I posted a thread in which I whined (not that you're whining, but I certainly did) that I only liked running and all I wanted to do was run and PLEEEEASE wouldn't someone tell me that I never had to strength train? I got very similar answers to yours: you can do it, but you might not be as happy with the results as you think. After hitting a five month plateau I started incorporating strength training and I'm SO much happier with my body composition now. I'm only about 3 pounds lower in actual weight, but the changes are incredibly motivational and have allowed me to develop an appreciation for strength training I never had. I may not enjoy the process completely, but I do enjoy seeing my abilities progress and my body change...and that seems to be enough to keep me coming back to it.0
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The popular opinion on here is that to lose body fat you need to do strength training, but as anyone on here lost body fat with no strength training and only cardio? Stomach fat especially
I guess the next question is, what kind of stomach do you want? Honestly, if you don't have low enough body fat and adequate muscle, then you won't have abs. So at some point, you might have to lift and even more, you might have to bulk to get abs if that is you goal.
Personally, i exercise to reach my goals, not set goals based on my exercise. And for the type of body I want, resistance training is a must.
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I've been struggling with this also. I love cardio, enjoyed strength training the few months that I did it. But I got really bored doing it by myself. If I had someone to work out with, I probably would be willing to try it again and stick with it. But I do not, so I feel that I'll probably be sticking to only cardio for the foreseeable future. I hope I will still see some results though with fat loss.0
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The popular opinion on here is that to lose body fat you need to do strength training, but as anyone on here lost body fat with no strength training and only cardio? Stomach fat especially
I guess the next question is, what kind of stomach do you want? Honestly, if you don't have low enough body fat and adequate muscle, then you won't have abs. So at some point, you might have to lift and even more, you might have to bulk to get abs if that is you goal.
Personally, i exercise to reach my goals, not set goals based on my exercise. And for the type of body I want, resistance training is a must.
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The popular opinion on here is that to lose body fat you need to do strength training, but as anyone on here lost body fat with no strength training and only cardio? Stomach fat especially
Yes, I have not done any strength training except what is part of my water aerobics class and I have lost lots of body fat and I can actually see muscle definition in my legs and a little in my arms. I hope to get my stamina up to the point where I can swim laps for cardio, which also will strengthen the arms.
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