what's wrong with cardio ?

I read some posts and it seemed people were not too keen on cardio. Just wondering if it was something they did not enjoy or an issue when trying to lose weight. I just started my weight loss mission and going on the elyptical a few times a week was going to be my exercise of choice.
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Replies

  • canoepug56
    canoepug56 Posts: 161 Member
    Theres nothing wrong with cardio.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited January 2016
    NOTHING. It's good for you. Weight training is also very good for you.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    There is nothing wrong with it and it is good for your health, heart and bone density. You should add in some strength training also.

    Weight loss is down to eating less than you burn so you don't even have to do any to lose weight.
  • se015
    se015 Posts: 583 Member
    Depends on your goals. Is your goal body transformation or simply to lose fat? If its body transformation than I really think weight lifting is the best way for anyone to be lean and fit looking, couple that with a proper diet and some High interval cardio training (like sprinting, calisthenics), etc..you'll see a huge transformation in time.

    I've seen this work a lot and I can tell you the difference between the Women that jog for an hour on the treadmill vs the women hitting the weights and the women hitting the weights to me look way better than those just on the treadmill, same for guys too. Look at a sprinter vs a marathon runner, the marathon runner looks almost sickly and the sprinter looks fit and healthy.
  • Jerseygrrl
    Jerseygrrl Posts: 189 Member
    There's nothing wrong with cardio. Exercise choices are personal, and if this is what works for you, go for it. Some people find it boring. Some people prefer weight training, exclusively.
  • codsterlaing95
    codsterlaing95 Posts: 221 Member
    Cardio = heart health
    Weight lifting + diet = body composition
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    Cardio = heart health
    Weight lifting + diet = body composition

    and combined they are magic!
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    edited January 2016
    I read some posts and it seemed people were not too keen on cardio. Just wondering if it was something they did not enjoy or an issue when trying to lose weight. I just started my weight loss mission and going on the elyptical a few times a week was going to be my exercise of choice.

    There's nothing wrong with cardio. I love cardio. Live for it. Endorphins high is free and wonderful.

    Typically, based on what HR zone you are training in, you can bounce back from one day's effort and go at it gain day after day to burn the -CO portion of the CICO equation.

    Your choice of the elliptical is fine. Running, cycling, swimming, hiking, power walking - it's all good to burn the calories. I managed to get 473 hours of it during 2015, 475 in 2014 and this year I'm upping it a bit (hope to get 500 hours or more).
  • CindyFooWho
    CindyFooWho Posts: 179 Member
    If you find the right combo of exercises, you can get a mix of both, and that burns tons of calories and really slims you down. Kettlebells are great for this, for example. You're lifting/swinging heavy weight and working many different muscle groups which increases your heart rate.
  • dlm7507
    dlm7507 Posts: 237 Member
    Nothing wrong with it. Since you are on MyFitnessPal it might be safe to assume that you are trying to control your weight. Steady state cardio burns calories. Assuming that you don't use a tracker and eat your carbs back it will help you loose weight, but not keep it off. Adding muscle helps you burn calories constantly, not just while you are exercising so it helps you keep it off. But then you may have other goals. Runners run, lifters lift, throwers throw.
  • AdrianChr92
    AdrianChr92 Posts: 567 Member
    Nothing wrong with cardio. Just that weight lifting is superior in terms of calories burned. I do both cause I like running and lifting weights
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Other than being frequently known as boring... nothing.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    Chiruadr wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with cardio. Just that weight lifting is superior in terms of calories burned. I do both cause I like running and lifting weights

    You need to run faster if you think weight lifting is superior in terms of burning calories. ;-)

    Take it up to HR Zone 4 with a few dabbles in HR Zone 5 for an hour and see what the burn is.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    Other than being frequently known as boring... nothing.

    Not boring to most of us....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zLuqKNKOqs
  • AdrianChr92
    AdrianChr92 Posts: 567 Member

    You need to run faster if you think weight lifting is superior in terms of burning calories. ;-)

    Take it up to HR Zone 4 with a few dabbles in HR Zone 5 for an hour and see what the burn is.

    Weight lifting (and I mean serious weight lifting not 20 reps stuff) is superior in terms of calories burned. You are thinking of calories burned through the duration of the exercise. A heavy lifting session will let your body in a recovery state and increased metabolism for around 2-3 days.
  • katsmo
    katsmo Posts: 219 Member
    Nothing wrong with cardio. It gets you off the couch and gets your heart pumping. With an elliptical, I would be a little wary of the calorie burns the machine estimates. They are often wildly inaccurate, which will throw you off your goal for the day, especially if you're eating back your exercise calories. People tend to underestimate portions and overestimate exercise burns. Good luck!
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,105 Member
    Nothing but adding weight training can help more. Nice healthy mix
  • kiddiebqueen17
    kiddiebqueen17 Posts: 100 Member
    Chiruadr wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with cardio. Just that weight lifting is superior in terms of calories burned. I do both cause I like running and lifting weights

    You need to run faster if you think weight lifting is superior in terms of burning calories. ;-)

    Take it up to HR Zone 4 with a few dabbles in HR Zone 5 for an hour and see what the burn is.

    What is HR Zone 4or 5???
  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
    I think some people just don't like cardio. There is nothing wrong with it, its just personal preference.
    This possibly has a lot to do with how boring and monotonous it can be.
    There are so many ways to get in homecare. Trick is to find something that interests you.

    I love walking in the countryside, I take my camera and look for interesting things to photograph.
    You could try taking a class: maybe zumba or street dance.
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
    There is nothing wrong with it and it is good for your health, heart and bone density. You should add in some strength training also.

    Weight loss is down to eating less than you burn so you don't even have to do any to lose weight.

    Agreed!
    I much prefer running to resistance training, but a good mix of both is ideal if you want to improve your overall fitness. Some people do not prioritise cardio because a) they don't like it or b) it doesn't further their goals. If you like the elliptical keep using it.
  • AdrianChr92
    AdrianChr92 Posts: 567 Member
    edited January 2016
    What is HR Zone 4or 5???

    Heart Rate zone 4 or 5.
    4 is 80-90 Procent of your max heart rate.
    5 is 90-100
  • kiddiebqueen17
    kiddiebqueen17 Posts: 100 Member
    katsmo wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with cardio. It gets you off the couch and gets your heart pumping. With an elliptical, I would be a little wary of the calorie burns the machine estimates. They are often wildly inaccurate, which will throw you off your goal for the day, especially if you're eating back your exercise calories. People tend to underestimate portions and overestimate exercise burns. Good luck!

    Thanks for letting me know this about elyptical being "off" for calories lost. I am trying to stick to the 1200 calories the program has suggested.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    NOTHING. It's good for you. Weight training is also very good for you.

    This is the reason I do both of these activities a few times a week.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    Chiruadr wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with cardio. Just that weight lifting is superior in terms of calories burned. I do both cause I like running and lifting weights

    You need to run faster if you think weight lifting is superior in terms of burning calories. ;-)

    Take it up to HR Zone 4 with a few dabbles in HR Zone 5 for an hour and see what the burn is.

    What is HR Zone 4or 5???

    Run Zones (LTHR = lactate threshold heart rate)
    Zone 1 Less than 85% of LTHR
    Zone 2 85% to 89% of LTHR
    Zone 3 90% to 94% of LTHR
    Zone 4 95% to 99% of LTHR
    Zone 5a 100% to 102% of LTHR
    Zone 5b 103% to 106% of LTHR
    Zone 5c More than 106% of LTHR

    Bike Zones
    Zone 1 Less than 81% of LTHR
    Zone 2 81% to 89% of LTHR
    Zone 3 90% to 93% of LTHR
    Zone 4 94% to 99% of LTHR
    Zone 5a 100% to 102% of LTHR
    Zone 5b 103% to 106% of LTHR
    Zone 5c More than 106% of LTHR
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    Seth1825 wrote: »
    Depends on your goals. Is your goal body transformation or simply to lose fat? If its body transformation than I really think weight lifting is the best way for anyone to be lean and fit looking, couple that with a proper diet and some High interval cardio training (like sprinting, calisthenics), etc..you'll see a huge transformation in time.

    I've seen this work a lot and I can tell you the difference between the Women that jog for an hour on the treadmill vs the women hitting the weights and the women hitting the weights to me look way better than those just on the treadmill, same for guys too. Look at a sprinter vs a marathon runner, the marathon runner looks almost sickly and the sprinter looks fit and healthy.

    Really?

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    meb.jpg 16.5K
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    Chiruadr wrote: »

    You need to run faster if you think weight lifting is superior in terms of burning calories. ;-)

    Take it up to HR Zone 4 with a few dabbles in HR Zone 5 for an hour and see what the burn is.

    Weight lifting (and I mean serious weight lifting not 20 reps stuff) is superior in terms of calories burned. You are thinking of calories burned through the duration of the exercise. A heavy lifting session will let your body in a recovery state and increased metabolism for around 2-3 days.

    Let's say for the sake of your argument that a heavy lifting session "increases your metabolism" for 2-3 days. Are you saying that running or cycling at a race pace (Zone 4/5) wouldn't do the same?
  • AdrianChr92
    AdrianChr92 Posts: 567 Member
    edited January 2016
    Chiruadr wrote: »

    You need to run faster if you think weight lifting is superior in terms of burning calories. ;-)

    Take it up to HR Zone 4 with a few dabbles in HR Zone 5 for an hour and see what the burn is.

    Weight lifting (and I mean serious weight lifting not 20 reps stuff) is superior in terms of calories burned. You are thinking of calories burned through the duration of the exercise. A heavy lifting session will let your body in a recovery state and increased metabolism for around 2-3 days.

    Let's say for the sake of your argument that a heavy lifting session "increases your metabolism" for 2-3 days. Are you saying that running or cycling at a race pace (Zone 4/5) wouldn't do the same?

    Pretty much yes. As few people can sustain zone 5 or 4 for longer periods of time. Ignoring the fact that they develop different adaptations. If you are talking about interval training that is another talk
  • Tallawah_
    Tallawah_ Posts: 2,475 Member
    There's nothing wrong with cardio...it's like anything though (including weights), it has to be used appropriately. First and foremost, find something you enjoy doing or you won't sustain it...elliptical is as good a place to start as any...good luck.
  • L_Master
    L_Master Posts: 354 Member
    Chiruadr wrote: »

    You need to run faster if you think weight lifting is superior in terms of burning calories. ;-)

    Take it up to HR Zone 4 with a few dabbles in HR Zone 5 for an hour and see what the burn is.

    Weight lifting (and I mean serious weight lifting not 20 reps stuff) is superior in terms of calories burned. You are thinking of calories burned through the duration of the exercise. A heavy lifting session will let your body in a recovery state and increased metabolism for around 2-3 days.

    Wow. So one heavy lifting session more than doubles your BMR for days at a time? A typical bike ride for me is going to burn 2k-5k calories. Each day. No way any lifting session comes close to raising your metabolism such that you're burning thousands of calories more each day.

    And that's completely ignoring the fact that there are usually several hard interval sessions on the bike each week that accomplish a similar EPOC.

    If your goal is to add muscle/improve body composition a routine based on lifting is 100% the way to go. If you just want to burn calories, cardio blows lifting out of the water.
    Seth1825 wrote: »

    I've seen this work a lot and I can tell you the difference between the Women that jog for an hour on the treadmill vs the women hitting the weights and the women hitting the weights to me look way better than those just on the treadmill, same for guys too. Look at a sprinter vs a marathon runner, the marathon runner looks almost sickly and the sprinter looks fit and healthy.

    meb-Keflezighi-with-both-flags-400x250.jpg

    6db41c5f9946bf48b6f392bcf0a2274d.jpg

    Jordan+McNamara.jpg

    alan-webb.jpg

    Gotta love that sickly distance runner physique!
  • L_Master
    L_Master Posts: 354 Member
    Chiruadr wrote: »
    Chiruadr wrote: »

    You need to run faster if you think weight lifting is superior in terms of burning calories. ;-)

    Take it up to HR Zone 4 with a few dabbles in HR Zone 5 for an hour and see what the burn is.

    Weight lifting (and I mean serious weight lifting not 20 reps stuff) is superior in terms of calories burned. You are thinking of calories burned through the duration of the exercise. A heavy lifting session will let your body in a recovery state and increased metabolism for around 2-3 days.

    Let's say for the sake of your argument that a heavy lifting session "increases your metabolism" for 2-3 days. Are you saying that running or cycling at a race pace (Zone 4/5) wouldn't do the same?

    Pretty much yes. As few people can sustain zone 5 or 4 for longer periods of time. Ignoring the fact that they develop different adaptations. If you are talking about interval training that is another talk

    Everybody can sustain Z4/5 for the same amount of time...as that is the definition of the zones. Z4 is threshold, by definition that is one hour race pace.

    More importantly, training in Z5/Z6, and a lesser extent Z4 IS interval training. Which is normally included in part of a longer ride/run/swim. So not only do you get the EPOC from interval/repeats you also get an extra 60-200+ minutes of aerobic training where you are burning 600-1000 kcal/hr.