Is Cardio-Only a Setup for Failure?

luhluhlaura · May 2012

And to the OP, I think it really depends on your motivation and interests.
You have to really WANT to exercise, which is difficult for many people. But certain things might be getting in the way of your motivation...
You also might be just starting out with TOO MUCH! if you go for a long time without exercising then jump right into 90-minute sessions, you may be overworking yourself. Personally, when I overwork it takes me longer to recover and my want for exercise takes longer to come back. So my advice to you is to start out slow.
Also, you may not have found what type of exercise you really enjoy.
Personally, I LOVE running, so I do it. I have motivation to run because I enjoy it and want to get better.
Some love cycling, playing tennis, taking zumba, aerobics, swimming, doing exercise videos, weightlifting, crossfit, calisthenics, or even just walking.
Explore. Find what you enjoy, so it will never be a chore for you to work out.

Also, though I love cardio and have lost weight because of it, only strength training has shown me REAL changes in my body shape.

luhluhlaura · May 2012

Also, weight-bearing exercise = increased muscle mass.
Muscle burns more calories even when not exercising, so more muscle = higher caloric needs = higher metabolism.

You forgot to mention the hormonal benifits to strength training and their impact on fat oxidation.

Didn't even know that. Learning something new every day on this website!

Chipmaniac · May 2012

No. Next question.

rcamermaid · May 2012

To answer the original question, I believe there needs to be a combination of both cardio and strength (not heavy lifting) and it should be changed up because our bodies get used to the same routine. Don't exercise to loss weight - do it for a healthy body. I have family who are in their nineties and they still are active, shovel show, sweep, rake/cut grass, etc. They do it slower and get upset if you try to do it for them. Still, they are moving and keeping their muscles and heart going. May we all be healthy in our nineties.

Why not heavy lifting? I love heavy lifting.

curious about that too?

Heavy lifting is great and I didn't mean to knock it. I'm impressed and in awe by people who do that.

I'm just trying to convey that lifting doesn't have to be 'heavy' lifting to get toned. Many people I know think lifting weights will bulk you up. That's not entirely true. Just being able to use your own weight in various moves is good enough for toning.

Ah, ok. My goal is to not only get "toned" but to look scary too! I live on a campus with a high crime rate and I want to make sure people know not to mess with me! :laugh:

I see. Consider Martial Arts - it has both cardio and strength (and major confidence booster). If someone does try to mess with you, you are better prepared. You will be toned - that's for sure. Whatever you decide - I wish you the best.

lisakyle_11 · May 2012

Exercise has no bearing - at all - on losing body fat.

If you exercise, let's say "300 calories worth," you'll just eat that much more.

It makes no difference to your Calorie Deficit for the day.

If you say "Oh, I'm going to exercise 300 calories, but, still only eat 1600" ... that's silly. Why?

Simply, just DON'T exercise, and only eat 1300.

It's easier to do the latter. Exercise just increases your appetite, beyond the calories-burned.

The ONLY THING THAT MATTERS if you want to eliminate body fat is:

(1) slash your carbohydrate intake to 72 grams per day, and keep it there precisely

(2) your caloric deficit each day.

Exercise is totally pointless, because it will just make you eat more. If you say "oh, but I'll only eat the same anyway" -- then very simply, DON'T exercise and just eat less.

It's incredibly easy to lose body fat, IF, repeat IF, you keep to 72 grams of carbs per day. Exercise makes no difference either way.

the only thing that matters is your Calorie Deficit on a given day !

Instead of doing 200 cals of exercise, just don't eat a couple spoons of yoghourt .. 200 calories.

wow. exercise is my sanity saver! it is essentially my meditation *and* my medication! i adore it. i likely am addicted, but that's another topic...

i get what you are saying about the real importance of one's diet for fat loss --> more so than exercise. but please do not discount the various benefits of exercise. i disagree wholeheartedly with your comments about it being pointless.

...the couple of spoonfuls of my yogurt is far less than 200 cals!

amoffatt · May 2012

bump

nz_deevaa · May 2012

plus, if you're eating right you just get skinny. If you work out you get toned and fit. Skinny looks good in clothes, fit looks good naked.

i love that!

Three years ago I lost 15kgs working out on an elliptical only.

I weighed 103kgs.

Over the next two years I piled weight back on, and I ended up weighing 125.2kg.

Last year I started with MFP, doing both cardio and weights. I've lost 22kg. Meaning I weigh 103kg.

I'll try and remember to take photos tonight, but I have photos of me on my wedding day at 103kg and I'm MUCH bigger at that 103kg than I am at THIS 103kg.

The difference? Lifting heavy.

I've still got 35kg left to lose, but I look MUCH better than I did 3yrs ago, even at the same weight.

autumnk921 · May 2012

Just stopping by to bump....

nwhikergrl · May 2012

Exercising simply to force weight loss is a set up for failure. It can be as disappointing as following a crazy diet and giving up - you will regain the weight once you stop.

I have never successfully lost weight by just adding lots of exercise. It absolutely does stimulate the appetite. HOwever I am a huge fan of exercise. It is the fountain of youth. It is also great for my self esteem. It helps me sleep better. I have a spring in my step. But I have to enjoy it or get some personal zing from it in order to do it consistently. Just like my food, if I eat only boring diety food, I will eventually binge on foods I've been depriving myself. If I'm only doing boring exercise that I dont enjoy, I will not be consistent with it. My body craves movement - but it wants to enjoy that movement. Mix things up - challenge yourself to find movement for your body that interests you.

Right now I have a goal - I have a specific tough hike I would like to complete before my 50th birthday in september. Because I have that goal in mind, I'm willing to do an interval cardio workout that I'm not in love with 2x's a week - because I notice substantial endurance gains. I miss my zumba class - but the good instructor left and I don't like the new instructor. I also weight train twice a week because it allows me to do the other activities I love like serious gardening on weekends and hiking. The hikes are my joy of the week - and if I didn't do the other exercise during the week, I couldn't go on some of the challenging and beautiful hikes I want to explore. Just like our food plans, there is no point in practicing something you don't enjoy or have no intention of continuing. Why get good at something you hate?

I love how exercise makes me feel. I don't want to be a skinny out of shape person. I want to be vibrant - no matter what weight I am at. Even when I'm heavy, I have always done yoga and stretching - there is no reason I can't be flexible. Also, I really don't worry about how many calories it adds back into my limit for the day. I still try not to stray too far from my pre-set caloric goal, but it does help me relax if I truly am hungry for more calories that day. The caloric tally is just a frame of reference - my body hunger needs to be the main signal if I need to add calories. After workouts - it's also really important for me to drink water. Sometimes I think I'm still hungry, when I really need to rehydrate.

I like the idea of using this site to help me practice eating and moving my body the way the "real me" wants to become. My goal is not to fit into smaller jeans but have a flat butt because I only use it for sitting. Thin is not my goal - no longer hiding behind excess food and letting the real me shine - is. And keeping regular exercise in my life is a natural fit to help me meet that goal and continue to do activities I enjoy.

Priincess_Natalie · May 2012

I haven't read all of the comments on this thread but here are my two cents on the subject.

You should exercise for health, not to lose weight. When you make it about your health and how you feel about yourself (inside and out) you will enjoy it more and stick with it better. Diet is about numbers on the scale and exercise is about making you feel better.

90 minutes is just too much. Try doing 30 and if you want, work your way up to 45. If at 45 you feel like quitting go back to 30. Add strength training in there and see how that makes you feel. Don't burden yourself with exercise...make it an event you look forward to. It's your time, no kids, no spouse, no phone, no BS....it's just you and your health. Start with 2 or 3 days a week and work your way up to 5 or 6...if you start to feel like quitting then drop back down to 2 or 3.

Also, I REALLY enjoy the classes my gym offers over doing cardio on my own (elliptical, etc). If you have a place near by that does kickboxing, aerobics, step, zumba...things like that, you should check them out. The other participants in those classes will expect to see you at the next class and for me, that keep me going.

Good luck

htimpaired · May 2012

Exercise has no bearing - at all - on losing body fat.

If you exercise, let's say "300 calories worth," you'll just eat that much more.

It makes no difference to your Calorie Deficit for the day.

If you say "Oh, I'm going to exercise 300 calories, but, still only eat 1600" ... that's silly. Why?

Simply, just DON'T exercise, and only eat 1300.

It's easier to do the latter. Exercise just increases your appetite, beyond the calories-burned.

The ONLY THING THAT MATTERS if you want to eliminate body fat is:

(1) slash your carbohydrate intake to 72 grams per day, and keep it there precisely

(2) your caloric deficit each day.

Exercise is totally pointless, because it will just make you eat more. If you say "oh, but I'll only eat the same anyway" -- then very simply, DON'T exercise and just eat less.

It's incredibly easy to lose body fat, IF, repeat IF, you keep to 72 grams of carbs per day. Exercise makes no difference either way.

the only thing that matters is your Calorie Deficit on a given day !

Instead of doing 200 cals of exercise, just don't eat a couple spoons of yoghourt .. 200 calories.

Is this a joke?

bcattoes · May 2012

Honestly if I were doing that much cardio and that was my only mode of exercise I would get bored as well. 90 minutes is a long time to be on a machine.

90 minutes is a long time to be on a machine. But not all cardio is done on a machine. 90 minutes is a really short hike. Many sports take 90 minutes or longer. There is a great big beautiful world outside the gym, ya know!

scorpio516 · May 2012

Is cardio-only a setup for failure? Nope.

Cardio is all I do. I run 20-30 miles per week. I bike about 40 miles per week. Between that and counting calories, I went from 220 to 150 (6'0"). I went from 8:00 miles to 6:00 miles. But I only went from 16mph average to 18 mph average (I need to get a power meter and work specifically on that). I never go to a gym. I never lift. Bores the hell out of me, i can't keep it up for more than a week.

Is Cardio-Only a Setup for Failure?

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