Do I have to strength train??

Whatever cardio you're doing, I'm assumming it's kickbowing or something like that, is including strength training in it, so no I woulnd't say you HAVE to do more. You coulld trow in something else like ab crunches or something. I mostly do cardio but I have issues with my tummy and my bum so I also do lunges, mule kicks, ab crunches and some other ab excercises.

I would MUCH rather do cardio than strength training because I get bored too easily with strength training, whereas cardio keeps me moving and motivated. So my question is do I have to strength train? The cardio workouts that I do include push ups, lunges, kicking, punching etc. so I definitely feel like I'm building muscle.

If you're including resistance then it's not strict cardio anyway. You don't NEED to use weights, many people go strictly with resistance training (using your body weight to build muscle). I find that some aspect of resistance training is great for you anyway. I say, if you don't like the weights, then go for it with resistance. It's a matter of taste.

For many years when I would go to the gym I would not use a whole lot of weight on the machines or do alot of strenght training because I had too much fat to loss to even think about muscle. I must say I was wrong! My sister is a personal trainer and kept telling me to strength train and add some weight to the machines. Why would I listen to her she was 120 5'5 and is perfectly built. Hmmm maybe we have different parents and we just don't know :laugh: I have always struggled with my weight and she never has. So I got a gift certificate for Barnes & Noble in January and I used it to buy the Biggest Loser Cookbook and Fitness Program. Well in the book it says strength training is very important. The more muscle you have the more your metabolism speeds up and the more calories you burn. I tried to find it in the book before posting but I can't find where it says it. I think its like 2 calories for every pound of fat to about 50 calories for every pound of muscle. Needless to say I gave it a shot and my weightloss is moving faster now. I have lost over 25 pounds since I began to do BORING strength training and in less time then when I was doing cardio alone. Guess I should have listened to my skinny sister years ago. :happy: Who would have thought she knew anything about diet and exercise. I would continue to do what your doing and if you would like to add some hand weights it will definately help. You don't need to use heavy weights. I started off low and increased the weight when my body seemed to be getting used to the weight I was using. Just wanted to put in my two cents :happy: Hope you all have a great day! :flowerforyou:

I would MUCH rather do cardio than strength training because I get bored too easily with strength training, whereas cardio keeps me moving and motivated. So my question is do I have to strength train? The cardio workouts that I do include push ups, lunges, kicking, punching etc. so I definitely feel like I'm building muscle.

Oops. Sorry. Too early to be pushing buttons. Anyway...the thing is, muscle burns more calories than fat. The more you build muscle, the more calories you need, thus the more you burn "in the background" so to speak. And of course having a strong core helps you in your cardio routine, as well as with just carrying groceries into the house, etc. so there's a case to be made for adding core strengthening exercises to your workout if nothing else.

The good news is it sounds like your cardio routine includes some exercises that ARE building muscle and strength, especially the lunges and push-ups. So keep it up and enjoy the burn!

I agree with the resistance already in your cardio, so you're fine. One more quick note for everyone who does cardio and strength trains, I read in Self Magazine (think it was this months) that for people with blood pressure problems, it is better to strength train and then cardio. The weights peak the blood pressure, and then the cardio helps stablize it. Good to know for me, I was doing it backwards the whole time!