Why has cardio become a swear word on MFP all of a sudden?

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Replies

  • mickyjd
    mickyjd Posts: 97
    Anyone?

    Sorry, I was busy doing some curls. :bigsmile:

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • candykay0605
    candykay0605 Posts: 1,019 Member
    First time ive heard of it being bad...... but ... cardio cardio cardio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Cardio!!!!!!!!!!!
  • beckylawrence70
    beckylawrence70 Posts: 752 Member
    I love my cardio as well as weights, doing both is best!
  • Sh0ewh0re7_BlingItOn
    Sh0ewh0re7_BlingItOn Posts: 501 Member
    Love a good mix here...cardio and strength make a nice fit/lean body! :)
  • chubbytiff
    chubbytiff Posts: 61 Member
    I've noticed that people here, as much as they pretend not to sometimes, fall victim to the diet/fitness fads. Less cardio must be a new one. I do cardio almost every day and lift every other or so (or do circuits that combine them). The heart is a muscle too, right? I'd almost rather have a wussy body figure and a healthy heart from cardio that vice versa.

    But I don't know why all the cardio hate.
  • BrienJD
    BrienJD Posts: 541 Member
    Cardio is my only right now. Weights will come later. For me, Cardio is the best way for me to lose weight. I was fittest when I was jogging 6 miles every day or so. Weight might be good at keeping it off when I get to my goal, but Cardio will be King until then
  • brandillyn
    brandillyn Posts: 105 Member
    I love my cardio and will never give it up. I will do strength 1 - 2x per week but I'm all about cardio!

    Amen.
  • Silver_Star
    Silver_Star Posts: 1,351 Member
    hey i do cardio every day and i love it!!!

    also , if the person finds something working for that person, then its great!......FOR THAT PERSON!
  • J3SSP3NNY
    J3SSP3NNY Posts: 235
    I will never give cardio up. The feeling I get from running is just WAY too good!
    Idc what people say about lifting-carido rocks :)
  • tuffytuffy1
    tuffytuffy1 Posts: 920 Member
    I don't think cardio is bad. But I do think that if you had to choose between a strength training session and a cardio session (30 minutes) I would choose the strength training because it is reshaping my body, while cardio is not. In addition to my 3 times a week strength sessions, I walk on the treadmill or outside for about 2 miles another 3 days a week. I do that so I can increase my daily calorie allowance, not because I think it is going to shed the pounds.
  • brandillyn
    brandillyn Posts: 105 Member
    Awesome, just awesome.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    Because many people believe that what they're doing, especially if it's working for them, is the best/only way to do it.
  • amycool
    amycool Posts: 57 Member

    I'd like to have a "skinny fat" body.. But if people hear me say that I get stick for it

    This is definitely something I've seen on the posts about cardio "skinny fat" I don't even know what that is, is it just a body that doesn't have muscles all over it?

    From my understanding, "Skinny fat" is someone who is a healthy weight with a high body fat percentage. For example: I weigh 135, with a BMI or 24.2 so I am a healthy weight. However, because my body fat percentage is 37.8, I am "obese" and therefore the "dreaded" skinny fat. It makes me laugh every time I say it.

    Thanks, this makes sense. I think I'm skinny fat too :-) my BMI is 24.4 but I've no idea what my body fat % is.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    The big reason is that for weight loss you can create a caloric deficit from diet alone (no need for cardio) but to retain lean muscle mass while in a deficit you must partake in strength training.

    Cardio is great for heart health, endurance, etc. But for weight loss all it does is allow you to eat more while having the same caloric deficit. And if you do a lot of cardio and don't eat enough, you will end up losing a lot of lean muscle along with fat.
  • myquite
    myquite Posts: 3 Member
    I do cardio every day. Some days are not as strenuous as others, but still every day.
  • DeanDMac
    DeanDMac Posts: 8 Member
    Oops - won't let me delete.
  • jessicae1aine
    jessicae1aine Posts: 885
    Just a thought, but... are you really telling me I'm not gaining muscle from doing cardio? My sore muscles must have been misinformed.
  • PrincessNariko
    PrincessNariko Posts: 22
    I've been running for almost 2 years, and i am NOT skinny/fat! Lol. That's the weirdest thing iv'e heard. if you eat right and do cardio you will lose fat and keep your muscles.
  • lakersfan4life
    lakersfan4life Posts: 322 Member
    Not with me.

    I was in the best shape of my life when I could run 6 minute miles and could squat 300 lbs. I run 5 times a week minimum and I do stronglifts 5X5 for my strength training.

    running 5 times a week and doing squats 3 times a week? How do your legs handle it?

    I always felt like my legs needed at least a day of rest before doing squats again so had a hard time incorporating cardio. Especially when in the latter stages of the program where youre squatting pretty heavy.
  • prism6
    prism6 Posts: 484 Member
    exercise is basically movement.. I can think of no healthier or inexpensive way than walking...fast , slow,hills...it's all there for a lean figure and a healthy heart
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    I lost the vast majority of my weight doing a crap ton of cardio and circuit training....I completely understand the burning desire to get the fat off as soon as possible.

    I WISH I knew then what I know now. Control your deficit with your diet. Use cardio sparingly, get on a professionally designed lifting program and lose weight, improve health, all while maintaining or increasing lean body mass so that you look good not only with your clothes on, but with them off as well.
  • MMarvelous
    MMarvelous Posts: 1,067 Member
    Well my cardio is staying high as I am training for my first 10k race and I love doing Zumba and Latin dance classes. In addition, I have began working out on the arc trainer 2X a week to do HIIT on it. Some days I do cardio for 90 minutes. I lift 3X a week. This means I work out 7 days a week for 3 weeks out of the month. My cardio is NOT slowing down!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member


    You just can't get enough carbs to replenish what you burn after multiple days, and at that point muscle must be broken down to supply glucose for blood sugar to be stable.


    My understanding is that muscle gets broken down in protein deficient diets (as protein is not stored by the body) and in extremely low (starvation) calorie diets. Could you provide some back up for this assertion.
  • Ruger2506
    Ruger2506 Posts: 309 Member
    deleted
  • jenniferg83
    jenniferg83 Posts: 278 Member
    Cardio, weight training and eating healthy all combined is amazing. Anyone telling you cardio is bad or even those who are afraid of weight training are all are misinformed. I enjoy a balance of all and love it. As a woman in the gym i see most of the ladies only doing cardio and no weights...makes me sad because the benefits of weight training and how it tones you and makes you stronger is apparently unknown to them. But anyways, like i mentioned...a balance of all 3 things is the way to go =) Those who prefer one to the other, is fine too. To each their own. :flowerforyou: :love: :flowerforyou: :tongue: :flowerforyou:
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Just a thought, but... are you really telling me I'm not gaining muscle from doing cardio? My sore muscles must have been misinformed.

    Yes I am telling you that. Sore muscles does not = gaining muscle. If I ran a marathon a week for a few months my muscles would be sore but I would be losing a large % of lean muscle. You need to overload your muscles to make them grow, this is best achieved on exercises where you can only manage 8-12 reps/set, once you go higher you are working your muscles from an endurance aspect which will not make them grow, and usually leads to them saying bye bye, if you are not getting enough calories and protein.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I've been an MFP member for a year and it's always been poo-pooed by a rather large segment of the members. My thoughts are there are 2 reasons:

    I have come to realize that a good number of members come here from bodybuilding.com and/or other body building sites to "teach" us poor heart healthy people how to have awesomely muscley bodies, without which we cannot look good naked.

    Some people care more about their abs than their hearts.

    You don't get killer abs without lots of cardio and strength training!

    I suppose that depends on what you mean by killer abs. Not everyone wants a six pack.
  • Zangpakto
    Zangpakto Posts: 336 Member
    Well, skinny fat on cardio? I'm sorry, seen any ultra distance runners? Do they have any fat on them? No.. in general they t 3-7% body fat range, whilst most of those on here are sometimes 8-10 TIMES that amount... And those that have reached goals on here? I'd reckon most still fall between 11-15% body fat at LEAST!

    So no... running is very good for you.

    Besides, those that swear off it? How far have you seriously run? I mean, to be honest here is my schedule for next year, and what I've done this week vs what more I plan this week.

    April 11th(?) half marathon, September 25th marathon, April 11th next year 56km run - That is my plans for running this year, NOT including my cycle plans! I mean, I've got around 12 half marathon medals, century and double century cycling medals, 10km run, 5/6km run medals even a time trial I did once!

    It's dedication, pure and simple. Muscle burns fat, so people prefer weights because they build more lean mass vs running, so their BMR is increased... Running also increases BMR, but not as quick, but in consider to finish under 5 hours in a marathon, you need to be running roughly 8km/h burning roughly 800c an hour for 5 hours. so in that marathon, you burn roughly 4k calories.

    Can you do that in a weight competition? NO. In training this week I've done 31km so far, plan to add a time trial tomorrow, maybe even another 10km over weekend as well..

    Yes THAT takes dedication, as it is hard, and the body hurts. You see good results though! As the saying says. Good things come to those who wait! Rushing off for weights purely to increase BMR is stupid... running a quick 30m 5km race I burn 400c, and elevate my BMR for almost half a day as well.

    I love running/cycling and triathlons, and swear my life on them. You don't have to, but my god... Don't lie to these people as say long distance cardio training will make you skinny fat! You obviously eat like a stupid PIG after! Piggies...
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I've been running for almost 2 years, and i am NOT skinny/fat! Lol. That's the weirdest thing iv'e heard. if you eat right and do cardio you will lose fat and keep your muscles.

    you will keep some most of your muscle yes, but you would have kept more had you done strength training all along.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I've been an MFP member for a year and it's always been poo-pooed by a rather large segment of the members. My thoughts are there are 2 reasons:

    I have come to realize that a good number of members come here from bodybuilding.com and/or other body building sites to "teach" us poor heart healthy people how to have awesomely muscley bodies, without which we cannot look good naked.

    Some people care more about their abs than their hearts.

    You don't get killer abs without lots of cardio and strength training!

    I suppose that depends on what you mean by killer abs. Not everyone wants a six pack.

    I know people with 6 packs that do very little cardio. All it takes is a caloric deficit (which can be done by diet alone, or combining diet and exercise. There is the saying "abs are made in the kitchen" for a reason.
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