cardio...........no thanks

124

Replies

  • grnice
    grnice Posts: 96
    So for those of us that have a significant amount of weight to lose (100+), are you saying that the weight loss is all about food and we should focus more on calorie defecit than burning calories? If we need to burn more calories, wouldn't cardio accomplish that better/faster than strength training?
  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
    I feel like when I do HIIT (bodyrock!) I get a good cardio and toning workout. Absolutely in love with it!
  • jenlb99
    jenlb99 Posts: 213 Member
    I'm a kickboxing addict and look like I lift heavy -- but I don't at all. I haven't picked up a weight in years and have no intention to.

    My workout is heavy on the cardio but has also sculpted my muscles like crazy. For me, it's the best of both worlds.
  • HorrorChix89
    HorrorChix89 Posts: 1,229 Member
    What about Zumba?

    What about Zumba while holding hand weights?

    What about Zumba while holding hand weights and wearing a belly dancer skirt that makes a lovely sound when you wiggle you butt just the right way?

    What about Zumba while holding hand weights and wearing a belly dancer skirt that makes a lovely sound when you wiggle you butt just the right way and having an instructor who mixes up fast moves with slow moves and squats?
  • 0EmmeNicole0
    0EmmeNicole0 Posts: 180 Member
    I'm a kickboxing addict and look like I lift heavy -- but I don't at all. I haven't picked up a weight in years and have no intention to.

    My workout is heavy on the cardio but has also sculpted my muscles like crazy. For me, it's the best of both worlds.

    Yes! Kickboxing is amazing. Every woman i know that is a kick boxer is very toned, slim, and sculpted. I need to find a kickboxing gym asap !!
  • BlackRangerX
    BlackRangerX Posts: 133 Member
    Cardio equals a healthier cardiovascular system plus weight loss... You may be losing weight building all kinds of muscle but the benefits of cardio outweighs muscle building any day..

    By the way, I do both :)
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    What about Zumba while holding hand weights and wearing a belly dancer skirt that makes a lovely sound when you wiggle you butt just the right way?

    The zombies will hear you, then come to eat your BRAIINNNNSSSSSSSS.
  • HorrorChix89
    HorrorChix89 Posts: 1,229 Member
    What about Zumba while holding hand weights and wearing a belly dancer skirt that makes a lovely sound when you wiggle you butt just the right way?

    The zombies will hear you, then come to eat your BRAIINNNNSSSSSSSS.
    It's okay, I can out run most of the muscle jocks I'll have with me :happy:

    You don't need to out run the zombies, you just need to out run your friends
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    What about Zumba while holding hand weights and wearing a belly dancer skirt that makes a lovely sound when you wiggle you butt just the right way?

    The zombies will hear you, then come to eat your BRAIINNNNSSSSSSSS.
    It's okay, I can out run most of the muscle jocks I'll have with me :happy:

    You don't need to out run the zombies, you just need to out run your friends

    Except that one of them is liable to pick you up and toss you to the hoarde as bait so they can run away.
  • HorrorChix89
    HorrorChix89 Posts: 1,229 Member
    What about Zumba while holding hand weights and wearing a belly dancer skirt that makes a lovely sound when you wiggle you butt just the right way?

    The zombies will hear you, then come to eat your BRAIINNNNSSSSSSSS.
    It's okay, I can out run most of the muscle jocks I'll have with me :happy:

    You don't need to out run the zombies, you just need to out run your friends

    Except that one of them is liable to pick you up and toss you to the hoarde as bait so they can run away.
    This is very true, most women can actually pick me up and throw me :laugh: But that's okay cause I'll win them over to the point where they'd want to risk their lives to save me and not even think of using me as bait
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    What about Zumba while holding hand weights and wearing a belly dancer skirt that makes a lovely sound when you wiggle you butt just the right way?

    The zombies will hear you, then come to eat your BRAIINNNNSSSSSSSS.
    It's okay, I can out run most of the muscle jocks I'll have with me :happy:

    You don't need to out run the zombies, you just need to out run your friends

    Except that one of them is liable to pick you up and toss you to the hoarde as bait so they can run away.
    This is very true, most women can actually pick me up and throw me :laugh: But that's okay cause I'll win them over to the point where they'd want to risk their lives to save me and not even think of using me as bait

    You sly fox you :smile:
  • hollyberry2012
    hollyberry2012 Posts: 239 Member
    I'm very overweight and I 'do' what I can 'do' each day...who knows what will be exciting in a hundred pounds.. I love swimming the most so that will probably be where I get most of my exercising...but when you start out...you get on a treadmill or dance around the room because that's all you CAN do ...

    I'm glad that you (OP) found what works for you...but for the seriously overweight...we don't really need to cut out exercise...or be tempted to by a bunch of hot bodied folks on here like you!!! ha!

    Now when we get some weight off..then who knows...
  • albinogorilla
    albinogorilla Posts: 1,056 Member
    I lost all of my weight doing just cardio. I didn't add in any weight training until I got to my goal weight.

    After having an EKG done and being told to keep it up after having textbook perfect results. I do it for reasons outside of weight loss. I do it for the other benefits it offers. I don't do ANY heavy lifting because I have injuries that prevent me from doing so. I do use the machines because I know the importance of weight training.

    If you don't want to do cardio, don't. But, I'm tired of reading posts bashing cardio. I do it for more important reasons than weight loss.

    If you read more carefully, I stated that I weight train in a fashion, that replicates cardio. By circuit training, I keep my heart rate up for extended periods of time, I wasn't bashing cardio altogether, I was merely trying to point out, that sitting on a treadmill for hours a day is not necessary. There are other options. People should enjoy their workouts, if you dont, it will be hard to maintain.

    P.S. you lost your weight eating at a calorie deficit....................not doing cardio..............
  • HorrorChix89
    HorrorChix89 Posts: 1,229 Member
    So if I eat at maintenance, but I burn about 3500 more than I take in, you're saying I will lose no weight what so ever? Wow I guess cardio is a myth and we should all give it up right now. C'mon, give up. Do it.
  • HorrorChix89
    HorrorChix89 Posts: 1,229 Member
    So if I eat at maintenance, but I burn about 3500 more than I take in, you're saying I will lose no weight what so ever? Wow I guess cardio is a myth and we should all give it up right now. C'mon, give up. Do it.

    Maintenance is "how many calories you burn per day" if you burn 3,500 calories a day, and eat 3,500 calories a day, you won't lose weight.

    I think you're missing my point...
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    So if I eat at maintenance, but I burn about 3500 more than I take in, you're saying I will lose no weight what so ever? Wow I guess cardio is a myth and we should all give it up right now. C'mon, give up. Do it.

    If you burn more than you take in, you aren't eating at maintenance.

    The OP was simply stating that cardio, in and of itself, is neither necessary or sufficient for fat loss. It can be a tool, but it won't do you any good if the other pieces aren't in place.
  • HorrorChix89
    HorrorChix89 Posts: 1,229 Member
    Seemed more like he was pushing weight training...which again won't save you during the zombie attacks. Neither will guns, they attract more zombies and you only have so many bullets, shells, rounds, whatever. And swinging an axe will only kill about 10 if before you get over ran
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    I remember reading something a long time ago that stated swimming wasn't a good approach to weight loss. For some reason the people don't lose the weight as expect. This was from a biochemist. This book is pretty old, so the info might be out dated. Ever since then I just never was interested in swimming as a form of weight loss. I do greatly enjoy swimming just for fun.

    If I remember correctly, this has something to do with cold water immersion stimulating appetite. So the subjects ended up eating more than they burned.
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
    "P.S. you lost your weight eating at a calorie deficit....................not doing cardio.............."

    Um...they created/accentuated the deficit using cardio.

    If you get your heart rate up during weight training, great. That will provide some benefit. However, it's not going to provide the same aerobic and cardiovascular benefits that cardio training provides. It also won't, in of itself, burn the number of calories that sustained or interval cardio training will.

    It's not your heart rate that provides the calorie burning effect. Heart rate is only an indicator of the effort your body is exerting. If you do a weight circuit, your heart weight will spike while you are exerting, but the period is short and unsustained. The main weight shedding benefit of weight training comes from the higher metabolic rate associated with a larger amount of muscle mass, not how fast your heart spikes during sets.
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    Seemed more like he was pushing weight training...which again won't save you during the zombie attacks. Neither will guns, they attract more zombies and you only have so many bullets, shells, rounds, whatever. And swinging an axe will only kill about 10 if before you get over ran

    Hmmm.

    Your name wouldn't happen to be Michonne, would it?
  • albinogorilla
    albinogorilla Posts: 1,056 Member
    "P.S. you lost your weight eating at a calorie deficit....................not doing cardio.............."

    Um...they created/accentuated the deficit using cardio.

    you can also create the deficit by not eating so much.............the point isn't to bash cardio, the point is, if you want to lose weight, and you don't like cardio, don't do it. It is not NECESSARY to lose weight.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    The cardio machines are less scary... I have to work my way up to the other parts of the gym.... Once I feel confident I can at least outrun my friends in the Zombie attack I'll have to move over to the weights to practice the Zombie head bashing...
  • Amy_Lee_2012
    Amy_Lee_2012 Posts: 156 Member
    I wouldn't be without my daily Tae Bo workout. I've been doing it since November of last year and I feel so much stronger and confident. I don't find the routine boring, in the slightest. It's an hour and a half long and I've seen great results since starting it up.
    I am sure I could lose weight by my diet alone, but I have no desire to do so. I enjoy exercising and I know it's doing my body a whole lotta good!
  • HorrorChix89
    HorrorChix89 Posts: 1,229 Member
    Seemed more like he was pushing weight training...which again won't save you during the zombie attacks. Neither will guns, they attract more zombies and you only have so many bullets, shells, rounds, whatever. And swinging an axe will only kill about 10 if before you get over ran

    Hmmm.

    Your name wouldn't happen to be Michonne, would it?
    :laugh: I wish, that sword she has is bad *kitten* (I don't read the comics, I only read a small bio of her on Wiki). No no, I'm just a boring 22 year old who spends every day wondering if this is the day we'll all be eaten alive...
  • revadiana
    revadiana Posts: 97 Member
    I do it for the zombies...When they come, weights won't help you outrun them...

    It will come in handy when if you decide to run the 5k obstacle course infested with zombies: http://runforyourlives.com/
  • Zarienz
    Zarienz Posts: 60
    Well said sir.:smile:
  • Princess_Sameen
    Princess_Sameen Posts: 284 Member
    I do interval training! so much more results than okain cardio, still do my zumba as I love that! but nothing beats short active burst than a steady session. :smile:
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    I think all types of exercise have their place and are good for you. I would get bored real quick if I just stuck to one routine. I lift heavy every 5 days, that's my only hard-fast rule.

    In between, I mainly do HIIT either indoor or outdoor cycling (by going up/down a steep hill) or on the elliptical or running sprints or running grinders (up/down stairs). Sometimes I'll do steady-state cardio by cycling outdoors, running, hiking (hills), elliptical, rowing machine, exercise bike, stairmaster or swimming, whatever suits my fancy that day. Or I'll mix my cardio up and do a bit on a few different machines. Other days you'll find me in any of these classes for some variety: spinning, cardio-kickboxing, hydro-fit, zumba, yoga, pilates, step,or calisthenics. My husband and I take ballroom dancing classes. When I can find a partner, I'll play tennis or racquetball.

    I like variety and I think this is good for my body as each type of exercise stresses different muscles in different ways so that has to do a body good, right? Plus, I think it might make me less susceptible to repetitive injuries. And, it's just plain more fun this way.

    And this would all make me very effective in ZombieLand as I'd be strong enough to bash-em in the head with my club and run away. Best of both.
  • rkr22401
    rkr22401 Posts: 216 Member
    "P.S. you lost your weight eating at a calorie deficit....................not doing cardio.............."

    Um...they created/accentuated the deficit using cardio.

    If you get your heart rate up during weight training, great. That will provide some benefit. However, it's not going to provide the same aerobic and cardiovascular benefits that cardio training provides. It also won't, in of itself, burn the number of calories that sustained or interval cardio training will.

    It's not your heart rate that provides the calorie burning effect. Heart rate is only an indicator of the effort your body is exerting. If you do a weight circuit, your heart weight will spike while you are exerting, but the period is short and unsustained. The main weight shedding benefit of weight training comes from the higher metabolic rate associated with a larger amount of muscle mass, not how fast your heart spikes during sets.

    Depends upon how you lift. If your weight training comes in the form of P90X or Crossfit (i.e. circuit training, max effort, little rest, alternating body parts) your HR will not spike, it will be sustained at a high number for the length of your workout. I do P90X. I wear a good HRM. My avg HR and calories burned are very similar to running on the treadmill for the same length of time. Difference is I circuit train intensely for up to 90 minutes. Lots of variety (and little rest) in that 90 minutes. In fact, the short rest breaks I take are to bring my HR DOWN for the next exercise. That same 90 minutes on the treadmill would be tedious for me and would not provide the same body composition benefits.

    I think many of you are in "violent agreement". If the debate is running vs weight lifting, that is one thing. But if it is cardio vs weight lifting, that is a "straw man" argument. Cardio and weight lifting can be very much the same thing if done a certain way.
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
    "P.S. you lost your weight eating at a calorie deficit....................not doing cardio.............."

    Um...they created/accentuated the deficit using cardio.

    If you get your heart rate up during weight training, great. That will provide some benefit. However, it's not going to provide the same aerobic and cardiovascular benefits that cardio training provides. It also won't, in of itself, burn the number of calories that sustained or interval cardio training will.

    It's not your heart rate that provides the calorie burning effect. Heart rate is only an indicator of the effort your body is exerting. If you do a weight circuit, your heart weight will spike while you are exerting, but the period is short and unsustained. The main weight shedding benefit of weight training comes from the higher metabolic rate associated with a larger amount of muscle mass, not how fast your heart spikes during sets.

    Depends upon how you lift. If your weight training comes in the form of P90X or Crossfit (i.e. circuit training, max effort, little rest, alternating body parts) your HR will not spike, it will be sustained at a high number for the length of your workout. I do P90X. I wear a good HRM. My avg HR and calories burned are very similar to running on the treadmill for the same length of time. Difference is I circuit train intensely for up to 90 minutes. Lots of variety (and little rest) in that 90 minutes. In fact, the short rest breaks I take are to bring my HR DOWN for the next exercise. That same 90 minutes on the treadmill would be tedious for me and would not provide the same body composition benefits.

    I think many of you are in "violent agreement". If the debate is running vs weight lifting, that is one thing. But if it is cardio vs weight lifting, that is a "straw man" argument. Cardio and weight lifting can be very much the same thing if done a certain way.

    That's not the type of "weight lifting" the OP was talking about. Those routines amount to cardio with weights and thus are really a hybrid of both. However, they are also extremely hard for most people and if the choice is between doing routine cardio machines or sitting on the couch, people are better off doing the cardio. If the choice was the couch or a super-intense weights/cardio hybrid, then less people would take the plunge and exercise.
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