"No one who does only cardio looks good"

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  • chicpeach
    chicpeach Posts: 302 Member
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    It's a blanket statement, and blanket statements tend have many exceptions. Everyone is different, body types are different, personal preferences are different and even your age can dictate your regimen and what's preferable.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I don't agree. "Functional fitness"

    Part of this is lifestyle. I have a desk job - so I don't EVER get any type of resistance training while working. I don't garden, or do heavy labor. Some people DO have physical jobs, they may not need much in the way of strength training.
  • Phrak
    Phrak Posts: 353 Member
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    I wrote it.
    And I stand by my opinion.


    I've never seen a person look good who only runs. Women can probably get by with it and look decent, but men need to lift weights.

    You are referring only to running? Or all cardio? Not sure that I've ever seen a male swimmer and thought "gee- he needs to lift weights"...

    Thats because they probably lift weights.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    You are referring only to running? Or all cardio? Not sure that I've ever seen a male swimmer and thought "gee- he needs to lift weights"...

    swimming is a bit different. and you can't post the rare exception to the rule (like a world class athlete) to disprove it.

    as stated above, it was a blanket statement. yes some people have great genetics and can look fairly muscular without lifting.
    but in general this is what I'm thinking when I hear cardio only or marathon runner:
    moredathantrials200x200.jpg
  • shedoos
    shedoos Posts: 446 Member
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    I wrote it.
    And I stand by my opinion.


    I've never seen a person look good who only runs. Women can probably get by with it and look decent, but men need to lift weights.



    You are referring only to running? Or all cardio? Not sure that I've ever seen a male swimmer and thought "gee- he needs to lift weights"...

    Thats because they probably lift weights.

    At Olympic levels - yes -- but I also know local swimmers who do not lift and still look good. It's just a pretty blanket statement to make. Also "looking good" is pretty subjective.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,087 Member
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    I wrote it.
    And I stand by my opinion.


    I've never seen a person look good who only runs. Women can probably get by with it and look decent, but men need to lift weights.

    You are referring only to running? Or all cardio? Not sure that I've ever seen a male swimmer and thought "gee- he needs to lift weights"...


    If you looked at Phelps' training regimen, he is doing serious weight training: probably a couple hours a day minimum. That physique is not built without huge sacrifices of workouts, and dialed-in nutrition.

    *edit to remove picture quote.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    I wouldn't go that far, but I would say that strength training is superior to aerobic training if looking good naked is your goal.
  • shedoos
    shedoos Posts: 446 Member
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    You are referring only to running? Or all cardio? Not sure that I've ever seen a male swimmer and thought "gee- he needs to lift weights"...

    swimming is a bit different. and you can't post the rare exception to the rule (like a world class athlete) to disprove it.

    as stated above, it was a blanket statement. yes some people have great genetics and can look fairly muscular without lifting.
    but in general this is what I'm thinking when I hear cardio only or marathon runner:
    moredathantrials200x200.jpg

    I will buy that - but because I don't consider that to be attractive in a man. I think, as you said, blanket statement + something as subjective as what looks "good" to someone is always a tough sell.
  • babareeba
    babareeba Posts: 74 Member
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    well, I did only cardio for 6 months (my profile picture from last summer is a result). two months ago i started to work out, and finally noticing muscles under my skin. hope to have a chance to post my before and after photos before june. currently, i'm just recording my progress monthly and i can see how my body is changing. that was not the case when i was only running (running made me thinner, nothing else). i still weight more than last summer, but look much fitter.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I think it's pretty accurate. For example, I can walk miles a day and my calves will still be soft. A month of calf raises with a dumbbell and they're firm again.

    If you're an older woman, triceps exercises keep that area of your arm from flapping. Mere weight loss won't have that effect.
  • SqautsAndOats
    SqautsAndOats Posts: 65
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    Yeah for females I don't agree with this statement...I don't lift although it looks like I do from genetics and different types of cardio can give you muscle tone.

    You're wrong, you look like a "do you even lift mode"
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,400 Member
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    I wrote it.
    And I stand by my opinion.


    I've never seen a person look good who only runs. Women can probably get by with it and look decent, but men need to lift weights.

    You are referring only to running? Or all cardio? Not sure that I've ever seen a male swimmer and thought "gee- he needs to lift weights"...

    Thats because they probably lift weights.

    I can speak to this comment. My high school age son swims for a competitive club swim team and his coach specifically forbids them lifting weights and doing pure strength training. His reasoning is so when they move on to a college program they will have new training to add to their bodies to help push them to the next level and he doesn't think their bodies (ligaments/tendons) are mature enough to handle the serious weights yet. There are swimmers on his team with incredible physiques (like you feel like a perve admiring these 15-18 year old boys!) and they don't "lift". These are elite athletes with Olympic qualifying times too. Now for dryland they do squats (no weights), lunges, pushups, pull-ups etc. so it is more than just straight swimming laps.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    The responses all of you people left makes me want to lift weights now...
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    Both are important.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
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    It's was a generalized statement.
    There are a few exceptions.


    The nice way of what I was saying:
    Overall lifting weight is going to change your body composition faster, for longer, and in a much better way.

    Cardio has it's place, but if I recall the person in that thread was asking if they only had time for one, what would be more beneficial. So that was the answer to her question.

    I know and have seen a lot of fantastic physiques on people that don't do cardio.
    but I've never seen a person who only ran (thread was about elliptical or treadmill i believe, not rowing) and thought "man thats a great body"
  • shedoos
    shedoos Posts: 446 Member
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    (like you feel like a perve admiring these 15-18 year old boys!)

    glad I'm not the only one :bigsmile:
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    It depends on what your definition of "good" is. Although I think saying NO ONE looks good, is a bit harsh.

    For me, I think having a bit of muscle definition is very attractive in both sexes. It doesn't have to be loads, just enough to stop a person looking "flabby".
    As we age (especially for women) we lose muscle mass. Strength training helps to preserve this muscle, creating a more firmer look. (which to me, looks good) So, while I believe strength training has its benefits across all age groups, it becomes more and more important as we age and lose muscle.
    While you are young (provided you haven't crash dieted and lost loads of muscle in the process) you should be lucky enough to look good still with just cardio - Not that I recommend it.
  • aj_31
    aj_31 Posts: 999 Member
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    How does that saying go....

    Do cardio to look good in your clothes but do weight lifting to look good naked. Something like that anyways. And yeah I believe it. You'll look better naked if you are toned and have more muscle then you would if you didn't.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    <---- Does cardio. Lost all my weight doing "just cardio". I think I look pretty darn good. Not everyone wants to have visible abs or being overly muscled. It's a personal choice and what YOU think looks "good" may be a lot different than what *I* think looks "good'. I don't find heavily muscled (men or women) the least bit attractive. To each their own! (Oh, and I'll keep doing my cardio, thanks!)
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    Another example would be women professional ballet dancers. They have strong, lovely legs without the benefit of weight work because of their genetics (which is why they have advanced as dancers) and the tremendous amounts of exercise they do. I've read that they don't use weights on their legs because they don't want to destroy their "line." They might do a little work on their arms.

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