Is cardio a waste of time?

It depends on your goals. And they are?

I'd say it isn't a waste of time for the member who posted today in the Success sub-forum after losing 166+ pounds. His "secret"? Eating under 2,000 calories and walking 5 miles a day.

Moving is better than not moving. Moving not-slow is better than moving slow.

Similarly, lifting/pushing something is better than lifting/pushing nothing.

Either define your goals, and figure out a process to get there, or figure out what you like to do enough to stick to, and work out some goals.

Good luck! :drinker:

GoalWeight165by2016 wrote: »

I have been reading these boards and I often see posts along the lines of 'lift weights, it's better'

There are a few knuckledraggers around that still spout the cardio is bad for you nonsense, but the vast majority seem to work on the basis of some combination of resistance and CV training. The balance depends on your goals. If the goal is maximisation of muscle growth then CV work does make that slightly more difficult.

Resistance training helps develop strength, and retain lean mass while you're in deficit, CV work helps to drive your calorie deficit, builds aerobic capacity and endurance. Some forms of CV work will have other beneficial physiological effects, but one needs a decent aerobic base to build on.

Personally speaking, I spend most of my training time running, do some cycling, a bit of swimming and some rowing. I do a couple of bodyweight resistance sessions per week, although that's the least interesting part of my plan. I've lost a decent amount of weight and reduced mybodyfat percentage by about a third. So it's not a waste of time.

That said, I can see why lots of people dislike cardio when it involves droning along on ellipticals or stationary bikes inside and air conditioned room. Absolute purgatory.

You won't find many runners or cyclists who don't also do some form of resistance work, as it helps mitigate injury risks and improves performance.

Cardio can reduce appetite in some people (not everyone has this response but some do) and I've read that it can work synergistically with weight training to help muscles grow - but I'm not sure this is true for all types of cardio at all intensities/durations. Too much can interfere with recovery. It really depends on how you plan out your program - how much weight, volume etc go into your strength stuff vs how much time/intensity goes into your cardio. Ive read that low rep strength training can go well with longer, slower cardio, and that higher reps/lower weights mean you can do more intense cardio.

Hopefully more knowledge able people than me will help out.

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As a 5 foot tall female if I don't do some form of cardio I'm stuck eating <1200 calories a day, which sucks. Therefore I bust my butt on the treadmill or elliptical (bad back) and earn some extra calories so that I can maintain a deficit without eating so few calories that it becomes unhealthy. My 6'2 boyfriend with 18,000+ calories a day doesn't always need that extra burn and is fine with strength training alone. I figure it depends on your needs, but just like with your food, balance is key. Do some cardio do some heavy lifting if that's your thing, find what helps you achieve your goal and do THAT!

GoalWeight165by2016 wrote: »

I have been reading these boards and I often see posts along the lines of 'lift weights, it's better'
Currently I do a strength + cardio workout MWF, it lasts about an hour total, including warm up and cool down, and it just alternates between a strength move (some with free weights, some along the lines of push ups and other body weight exercise) for one minute and a cardio move for one minute.
And if I can't get to the gym, I ride a stationary bike at home for an hour.
Should I increase, decrease, do something differently?
In the beginning I thought it doesn't matter, just MOVING is better than NOT MOVING, but I'm at the point now where I know I'll do the work, and now i just want to make sure to spend my time efficiently.

I think you're misinterpreting things...generally I see people telling people they should lift when all they do is cardio. Both are pretty important and serve different purposes fitness wise. It has nothing to do with losing weight...you can do nothing but eat to your calorie goal and lose weight; no exercise required. Exercise is for fitness and when you understand that, you will understand the value of both.

Cadio is basically weight lifting for your heart and lungs and actual resistance training is for your muscular skeletal structure. Start thinking about your body as a whole machine and how you would train that machine to function optimally.

Also, you're going to be much better off in the long run if you can start identifying with exercise for the purpose of fitness...so many people so closely identify exercise with weight loss that they fail to maintain their weight because they don't identify with exercise for the purpose of fitness regardless of weight control goals.

I enjoy running, hiking, and spin classes so no, not a waste because I enjoy it and it does help my overall health and fitness.

I vote for a balance of both. But choose workouts that you love. Find out what motivates you and keeps you going.

999tigger wrote: »

Nope wolfman ive seen plenty of posts where the answer is just to do weights with a good amount of sneering at cardio.

I didn't say there weren't any...I said the majority...and I stand by that. If all you want to see is "just do weights" then those are the only posts you see. The vast majority of knowledgable people here will tell you to do some combination of both. And generally speaking, the individuals who don't really do cardio do not because they are bulking or trying to optimize strength gains for which a lot of cardio can be detrimental.

And again, most of the "sneering at cardio" is aimed at people doing incessant amounts of cardio, cardio, cariod, cario...for which I also sneer unless you're actually training for something that would require that. A general fitness regimen should be pretty balanced...both are important and again...I think MOST people will tell you that.

If your goals include staying healthy, then some form of cardio as part of your lifestyle is essential, rgardless of whether you are trying to lose weight or not. When you read a post telling you otherwise (and I have seen lots of those too) then you know this poster is not someone to take seriously You will find that most posters who really give good advice about weight lifting here, are not the ones who sneer on cardio or any form of exercise.

I love to cycle more than lift weights..I'm not sure how often you ride a stationery bike each week, if you can find the time to do 5 hours a week and watch your caloric intake the weight will fall off.

Hey,
Many years ago I did a lot of weight training with a personal trainer. The only cardio I did was 10 minutes cycing/ dreadmill at the start to warm up. Yes I built a lot of muscle and had good muscle tone but my CV system was rubbish. If you'd asked me back then to run a mile I simply couldn't have done it. If you'd asked me to dead lift 210Kg I could have done it.

Fast forward almost 10 years and currently all my workouts are cardio. I run 3 times a week and do circuit training 3 times a week for an hour a day. Personally I feel in much better shape today than when I was weight training. I feel and look much healthier. Physcologically I'm a lot better too. Cardio is one hell of a stress buster and as a depression suffer it has kept me off anti-depressants.

I heavy lift all day at work. 50kg aircraft batteries won't move themselves. Even so I plan on adding in a weight training regime alongside my cardio. Muscle tone and healthy CV system equals win win in my eyes.

The only problem I have is with people who don't do cardio as 'Lifting is cardio'. That right there is the bull*hit statement of the year. Yet it gets your heart rate up but its not comparable to a 10k run.

Cheers,
Shaun.

I started with cardio (primarily exercise bike) but have begun to incorporate weight training in the past week, along with the cardio. I know I need to build some muscle, which is good at my age and helps with metabolism. Won't give up the cardio though. As soon as the weather turns nicer here in the northeast, I'll be outside walking and riding my bike.