Why Don't Petite Women Do Cardio?

jdhcm2006 wrote: »

5'1 here, and I do cardio and strength training. Sometimes at the same time. I do pole, which is strength combined with elements of cardio. And aerial arts which is a lot of strength, but the warm-ups include cardio. I will throw in cardio dvds here and there. It all comes down to a person's goals. I will do cardio dvds when I need to bank calories.

This weekend, I need to bank calories b/c I'm going on a road trip and road trip eating is not all that great. But generally, I'll pick doing a pole class or aerial class over jogging or walking on a treadmill b/c it's getting me to my goals of being able to complete a certain move or routine.

I wish I could get into weight lifting, but I know it would give me the stomach I want sooner. But I'd much rather be on the trapeze bar or spinning around the pole than lifting free weights. To me it's fun. And enjoying your workout is the surest way that you'll stick with it.

Weight lifting will make a HUGE difference in your ability to do pole/aerial. I had to quit aerial because my upper body wasn't strong enough and I kept hurting my rotator cuff. After lifting for 6 months, I went back and I could knock the *kitten* out of moves I couldn't even come close to doing before. You can get there doing aerial alone, but it will take a lot longer.

jdhcm2006 wrote: »

mom23mangos wrote: »

jdhcm2006 wrote: »

5'1 here, and I do cardio and strength training. Sometimes at the same time. I do pole, which is strength combined with elements of cardio. And aerial arts which is a lot of strength, but the warm-ups include cardio. I will throw in cardio dvds here and there. It all comes down to a person's goals. I will do cardio dvds when I need to bank calories.

This weekend, I need to bank calories b/c I'm going on a road trip and road trip eating is not all that great. But generally, I'll pick doing a pole class or aerial class over jogging or walking on a treadmill b/c it's getting me to my goals of being able to complete a certain move or routine.

I wish I could get into weight lifting, but I know it would give me the stomach I want sooner. But I'd much rather be on the trapeze bar or spinning around the pole than lifting free weights. To me it's fun. And enjoying your workout is the surest way that you'll stick with it.

Weight lifting will make a HUGE difference in your ability to do pole/aerial. I had to quit aerial because my upper body wasn't strong enough and I kept hurting my rotator cuff. After lifting for 6 months, I went back and I could knock the *kitten* out of moves I couldn't even come close to doing before. You can get there doing aerial alone, but it will take a lot longer.

I know that it will help tremendously, but I can't afford to do all three. Aerial and pole are not cheap, and pole is my #1, aerial is my #2, meaning I will always make sure I have the money to do pole, and then aerial. If for some reason I can only afford to do one each month, pole wins out every time.

Besides you can do strength training exercises on the bar, pole, and silks. You can do all types of strength moves three on the apparatuses that are meant to prepare you for the poses. I personally, don't have any issues with the strength portion of it, for me whenever I have an issues it's almost always a mental block. My brain saying "you want me to do what?" lol.

absolutely

plus doing strength with apparatus helps with body awareness. i would rather do aerial conditioning over weights any and all day.

mbaker566 wrote: »

jdhcm2006 wrote: »

mom23mangos wrote: »

jdhcm2006 wrote: »

5'1 here, and I do cardio and strength training. Sometimes at the same time. I do pole, which is strength combined with elements of cardio. And aerial arts which is a lot of strength, but the warm-ups include cardio. I will throw in cardio dvds here and there. It all comes down to a person's goals. I will do cardio dvds when I need to bank calories.

This weekend, I need to bank calories b/c I'm going on a road trip and road trip eating is not all that great. But generally, I'll pick doing a pole class or aerial class over jogging or walking on a treadmill b/c it's getting me to my goals of being able to complete a certain move or routine.

I wish I could get into weight lifting, but I know it would give me the stomach I want sooner. But I'd much rather be on the trapeze bar or spinning around the pole than lifting free weights. To me it's fun. And enjoying your workout is the surest way that you'll stick with it.

Weight lifting will make a HUGE difference in your ability to do pole/aerial. I had to quit aerial because my upper body wasn't strong enough and I kept hurting my rotator cuff. After lifting for 6 months, I went back and I could knock the *kitten* out of moves I couldn't even come close to doing before. You can get there doing aerial alone, but it will take a lot longer.

I know that it will help tremendously, but I can't afford to do all three. Aerial and pole are not cheap, and pole is my #1, aerial is my #2, meaning I will always make sure I have the money to do pole, and then aerial. If for some reason I can only afford to do one each month, pole wins out every time.

Besides you can do strength training exercises on the bar, pole, and silks. You can do all types of strength moves three on the apparatuses that are meant to prepare you for the poses. I personally, don't have any issues with the strength portion of it, for me whenever I have an issues it's almost always a mental block. My brain saying "you want me to do what?" lol.

absolutely

plus doing strength with apparatus helps with body awareness. i would rather do aerial conditioning over weights any and all day.

I agree. Doing aerial conditioning is what helped me hone in on my lats and remind me to pull my shoulders into their sockets.

I soooo want to say it's because they can't reach the pedals.

(Short person here, and that's actually sometimes true. )

I truly believe that the right workout is the one you will actually consistently do...but I don't believe you are actually "fit" if you leave anything out.
I started weight lifting this past April, after a lot of dragging my feet about it. Do I love it? No. But I like it. And I know it was the missing piece of my fitness puzzle.
I LOVE running and HIIT body weight training and try to fit in yoga for 10 minutes in front of the tv each night.
I think of my 6 workouts a week as apocalypse training. You want to be strong to fight off the aliens, but also want to be able to outrun them. LOL!!
Also, cardio is extremely good for stress relief
And is recommended by mental health professionals consistently.
Sleep professionals recommend it too.

People that say they hate cardio are probably spending too much time at the gym on the machines.

A bike ride, dancing, basketball, softball, touch football, talking a walk, hiking,swimming, chasing the kids around the park is all cardio. You really HATE all those?

LazSommer wrote: »

I think there's an overall shift in mentality from cardio to lifting for many, demographics aside. Lifting is a way for many to exercise and not feel like they are dying.

Haha tell that to my trainer... I honestly think a good hard jog is less mentally scarring then trying (and failing) to do that 100th pressup. And don't don't even get me started on sit-ups.

The short women you talk to must not like cardio. I'm short, and I love cardio. Having a low TDEE, I like burning a few more calories, and getting to have another piece of cheese.

DanceDiva234 wrote: »

Thank you everyone for replying. I definitely have a better insight into the benefits of strength training over cardio. A lot of women find cardio doesn't help them lose weight while others do. Just a debatable topic to look into. I was in no way trying to offend anyone, as it seems like some were upset over the topic.

I know many large people who only do strength training because cardio is to brutal for them. I wasn't trying to ignore taller people, I was more focused on petite women because of my own views and issues.

I will continue doing cardio because I have noticed it makes me feel better.

Not a lot of what you are saying makes sense...

Weight loss comes from being in a consistent calorie deficit. Calories In < Calories Out. You can create the deficit through diet (reducing calories in), or exercise (increasing calories out), or both.

Cardio is a method to increase your calories out, improve your cardiovascular health, etc. strength training is a means to preserve lean body mass while in a calorie deficit. They are not mutually exclusive.

Petite people, average stature, and tall people can all do cardio, strength training, or no exercise at all and still lose weight. None of this is a one size fits all approach.