ONLY strength training?

Anyone here JUST do strength training and no cardio? And had success becoming lean?
If yes, can anyone give me a good routine? I started the squat challenge but want to add to it...

Replies

  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
    I don't do any cardio and I've lost 30kg so far. I'd recommend starting a beginner program like Stronglifts 5x5, Starting Strength or Jason Blaha's beginner 5x5.
  • tenytintin
    tenytintin Posts: 8 Member
    ydyms wrote: »
    Anyone here JUST do strength training and no cardio? And had success becoming lean?
    If yes, can anyone give me a good routine? I started the squat challenge but want to add to it...
    I'm part of team no cardio and doing strength training!
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    Mycophilia wrote: »
    I don't do any cardio and I've lost 30kg so far. I'd recommend starting a beginner program like Stronglifts 5x5, Starting Strength or Jason Blaha's beginner 5x5.

    Yes, add All Pros Beginners routine to options. Drop the squat challenge.

  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    I only do cardio when it's put into my programming. So maybe 5 times this year so far? Get on a good progressive program and reap the rewards.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    your diet is going to be far and away the bigger component of being lean, not whether you lift and do no cardio or do cardio and don't lift. regular exercise increases your body's energy (calorie) requirements and thus is is easier to maintain a deficit when you're exercising more regularly. someone who only lifts and is trying to cut fat is going to by and large have a lower energy (calorie) requirement than someone who does both...thus you would be required to eat less to accomplish the same goals as someone who does both.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,616 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    your diet is going to be far and away the bigger component of being lean, not whether you lift and do no cardio or do cardio and don't lift.

    This. Incidentally, going "strength only" doesn't mean you have to avoid all cardio whatsoever. I warm up my muscles with an easy mile jog before I lift, at a pace where I barely break a sweat or have to breath harder but it does get my joints moving and body temp up.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    Diet plays a bigger part of getting lean than anything else.
    But, to answer your question, I've dropped ~30lbs since May with only strength training.
    Had to get my diet in order first though..........
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited September 2015
    When I was quite overweight I pretty much only strength trained and ate at a deficit. I DID get about an hour total of cardio per week. I had some luck in maintenance lifting without cardio, and now I'm cutting again without cardio. I have to say it is difficult for me now that I have a lower bodyfat% to continue losing without cardio, but it's possible.

    And I've done Wendler's 5/3/1 in a deficit, PHUL in maintenance, and now cut back to SL 5x5 for a deficit again (less volume for less calories).
  • KittensMaster
    KittensMaster Posts: 748 Member
    I alternated 2 weeks weights and 2 weeks cardio

    I gained a little muscle and lost a little fat in the course of a month

    It kept it from being boring

    Now I ride my bike 4 days a week and lift 2

    Cardio burns way more calories than lifting, but I love lifting!

    Diet, cardio... Get you lean. Lifting hard and adequate protein put on mass.

    I like adding lean mass and do not subscribe to this bulking up and adding a bunch of fat.

    It is not necessary.
  • jswede1149
    jswede1149 Posts: 44 Member
    Trainers say that many body builders have horrible cardio. I've lost 125 of my 137 pounds walking 9,600 miles. I found it easy to transition to the TRX system because my cardio and legs are strong. I would reconsider shunning cardio.
  • DvlDwnInGA
    DvlDwnInGA Posts: 368 Member
    Cardio is great for that muscle that you never see, and is the most important one in your body. Your heart. You don't need cardio to look "lean," but that is not a good reason not to do it.
  • jersey_54
    jersey_54 Posts: 278 Member
    Lol Never did cardio, dash 40 in 4.9 vertical jump 29. Goin d1 next year, Altho cardio do help but it's not neccesary AT ALL if you are looking for strength. SS, strong lift, ice cream are great ways for gaining hella lot of strong but if you aren't begginer and are intermediate or advanced level. Try p/p/l, P.H.A.T and many other great stuff
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
    Team No Cardio here.
  • LenGray
    LenGray Posts: 858 Member
    Cardio and weight training both have their purposes. Weight training strengthens your outer body, making it less prone to injury, building up bones and joints, and building muscle so that you can perform more efficiently and powerfully. However, standing around lifting weights won't burn a lot of calories, which means you won't have much of a deficit to play with if you're trying to lose weight.

    Cardio strengthens your body's internal systems. The immune system, internal organs, and circulatory system all work hard during cardio and are strengthened. Heat builds in the body and a lot of calories are 'burned', which leads to a higher deficit which aids in weight loss.

    I love weight lifting and would encourage everyone to give it a try, but depending on your goals, you might consider having cardio in your routine too.
  • jersey_54
    jersey_54 Posts: 278 Member
    Lol actually strength training is cardio too if you look at it that way, Cardio for me is just another three sets with higher intensity
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    LenGray wrote: »
    Cardio and weight training both have their purposes. Weight training strengthens your outer body, making it less prone to injury, building up bones and joints, and building muscle so that you can perform more efficiently and powerfully. However, standing around lifting weights won't burn a lot of calories, which means you won't have much of a deficit to play with if you're trying to lose weight.

    Cardio strengthens your body's internal systems. The immune system, internal organs, and circulatory system all work hard during cardio and are strengthened. Heat builds in the body and a lot of calories are 'burned', which leads to a higher deficit which aids in weight loss.

    I love weight lifting and would encourage everyone to give it a try, but depending on your goals, you might consider having cardio in your routine too.

    What? You would more than likely already be in a caloric deficit attained through diet alone.

    Also, try doing any type of strongman training, circuits, and the like... and tell me it's not taxing enough to burn calories.
  • jersey_54
    jersey_54 Posts: 278 Member
    LenGray wrote: »
    Cardio and weight training both have their purposes. Weight training strengthens your outer body, making it less prone to injury, building up bones and joints, and building muscle so that you can perform more efficiently and powerfully. However, standing around lifting weights won't burn a lot of calories, which means you won't have much of a deficit to play with if you're trying to lose weight.

    Cardio strengthens your body's internal systems. The immune system, internal organs, and circulatory system all work hard during cardio and are strengthened. Heat builds in the body and a lot of calories are 'burned', which leads to a higher deficit which aids in weight loss.

    I love weight lifting and would encourage everyone to give it a try, but depending on your goals, you might consider having cardio in your routine too.

    What? You would more than likely already be in a caloric deficit attained through diet alone.

    Also, try doing any type of strongman training, circuits, and the like... and tell me it's not taxing enough to burn calories.

    Lol this. Lifting itself burn so many cals
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    I don't do any planned cardio, just lifting. However, I'm active fairly active (walking to and from client meetings, to and from train etc) so I have a decent amount of calories burned through NEAT I'm sure.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    I play ultimate once per week because it is fun. So, yes I do some cardio. However, my real exercise is StrongLifts 5x5 and I've lost 30lb. I'm supposedly at 17% body fat (I need to practice with the calipers).

    If you want to lose weight, eat at a deficit. If you want to get strong, do a good whole body program like Strong Lifts, if you want to increase endurance, then do cardio.
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    I alternated 2 weeks weights and 2 weeks cardio

    I gained a little muscle and lost a little fat in the course of a month

    It kept it from being boring

    Now I ride my bike 4 days a week and lift 2

    Cardio burns way more calories than lifting, but I love lifting!

    Diet, cardio... Get you lean. Lifting hard and adequate protein put on mass.

    I like adding lean mass and do not subscribe to this bulking up and adding a bunch of fat.

    It is not necessary.

    Running a bulk cycle does not equal adding "a bunch of fat". Any calorie surplus that adds muscle mass will also add some fat, but it doesn't have to be a "bunch".
  • leeann0414
    leeann0414 Posts: 1 Member
    edited September 2015
    I play ultimate once per week because it is fun. So, yes I do some cardio. However, my real exercise is StrongLifts 5x5 and I've lost 30lb. I'm supposedly at 17% body fat (I need to practice with the calipers).

    If you want to lose weight, eat at a deficit. If you want to get strong, do a good whole body program like Strong Lifts, if you want to increase endurance, then do cardio.

    I agree this might be the best advice yet
  • mbcieslak87
    mbcieslak87 Posts: 206 Member
    You will get lean from a calorie deficit - how you create a calorie deficit is up to you, but most people would agree that you can't out-work a bad diet, so definitely start there if you're trying to lean out.
    That being said, both cardio and lifting serve their purpose and I think that people have different experiences with them too. I personally know my abs look their best when I'm running often; I don't know exactly why, but nothing else seems to do the trick as quickly or as well. However I never see definition in my legs or bum from running, but quickly saw some when I started SL 5x5 this past January. Basically my advice is, if you hate cardio, try going without it and see how it goes. If you aren't getting the result you want, then adjust as needed and see what works best for you.
  • ydyms
    ydyms Posts: 266 Member
    Thanks all! How much time do you spend on lifting? I'm trying to develop a routine now...
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited September 2015
    ydyms wrote: »
    Thanks all! How much time do you spend on lifting? I'm trying to develop a routine now...

    You should do a structured beginners program, not put together your own routine. You need to be sure you are working the appropriate muscle groups, with a progressive overload. Programs to look into: Strong Lifts 5x5, Starting Strength, New Rules of Lifting...for starters.

    ETA: Stronglifts and Starting Strength are full body workouts, 3 times per week, 45 min to an hour to start, at least before the weight gets very heavy and you need longer rests.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    ydyms wrote: »
    Thanks all! How much time do you spend on lifting? I'm trying to develop a routine now...

    You should do a structured beginners program, not put together your own routine. You need to be sure you are working the appropriate muscle groups, with a progressive overload. Programs to look into: Strong Lifts 5x5, Starting Strength, New Rules of Lifting...for starters.

    ETA: Stronglifts and Starting Strength are full body workouts, 3 times per week, 45 min to an hour to start, at least before the weight gets very heavy and you need longer rests.

    Thats how I started out. Worked great.

    I didn't do cardio for a long time and got leaner just lifting at maintenance. Did some strength-focused work, did some hyper trophy-focused work. Decided to try running because one day I had this notion that it was kind of silly that I could squat more than my body weight for reps, yet I couldn't run a mile.

    (Fast forward a year) Now I enjoy running and that's more my focus just because.

    BTW, when I started running, I found out that lifting had great cardio benefits. The only thing keeping me back from going out and running miles right off the bat was the need to build tendon/ligament/bone strength in my legs and feet. I was never huffing or puffing, even running at a pretty good clip. I would have never been able to do that prior to lifting.