Women - Cardio vs Lifting

Judas_Queen
Judas_Queen Posts: 251 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm pretty new to this whole new idea that women can and most certainly (in my opinion) should lift.. I am a convert!

But.. i was reading a REALLY REALLY interesting thread yesterday about women and lifting.. cant now for the life of me find it!... but it was really enlightening and has had me thinking about it..

Anywho! Back to what i was going to say.. which is sort of related..

The thread basically was along the vein that women.. if you lift, you aren't going to end up looking like Arnie in Terminator, you will burn fat/become more lean, even if you do decide to lift heavy.. you won't "put on muscle super quick" as a lot of women belive and hence only do cardio and very light resistence work (if any at all.. i've been there..)

So.. i was in a well known UK supermarket yesterday evening buying my turkey breast steaks and veggies for lunch today and thought "ooh! i might buy a magazine (as Women's Health was not very good this issue!) so i picked up Women's Fitness. This was very good, there was a lot of exercises to try out, etc etc etc.

So i got to the very back page where they interview a "celebrity" who this month was Mischa Paris (I only know her from 'What Not To Wear' apparently she is a singer also.." Her 1st question was what she does to stay trim/healthy/fit (something along those lines) and she said she ONLY does cardio, she doesnt do any weight work AT ALL as, and i quote, "I put on muscle very quickly"

Now.. I'm not really sure what she classes as quickly? But surely it can't be that quickly. So she was trim, but looked soft in all places..

but to make things worse! The picture was clearly photoshopped/edited as the lines were super-duper smooth at every part of her body etc (we all know the signs).. this BUGGED ME and I wanted to shout.. "well if you'd have done some weight work.. you wouldn't need to lie!"

um.. so that's my rant over..

But my question to you is, do any of you have progress pictures/figures from pre lifting to now that you would wish to share with the world so that this silly myth can be dispelled and women can feel at peace with the dumbell/barbell and all associated exercises.

Unfortunately, I don't as I am a squidgy soft mess, and am only now realising (thanks to the help and advice of my fiance) that lifting and doing compound exercises will help me with my overall goals.

but please share if you do :)

Replies

  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    It's all about balance! Do strength training and cardio. Full body strength training (power yoga, body weight training) is very beneficial.

    After age 30 women need strength training as we start to loose bone and muscle mass each decade!!
  • Emcortes1
    Emcortes1 Posts: 9 Member
    My diet coach told me to lose about 15lbs and do only cardio to build indurance and my heart, once I have lost those 15lbs, then start weight training and resisdence. :)
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
    They photoshop everyone's picture, even the women and men on the fitness magazines.
  • adswillis27
    adswillis27 Posts: 76 Member
    I started my fitness journey with TurboFire which is mainly cardio with some resistance training. After I finished that schedule I did ChaLEAN Extreme which is heavy lifting and low reps. I did NOT bulk up. I gained lean muscle and with that I was able to burn more fat and become smaller. Now I'm doing Les Mills PUMP using lighter weights and lots of reps. I like to switch things up every 6 months or so and it is really working for me.

    The fact the muscle is dense and heavier than fat means you will be smaller, but the scale will probably not be your friend. Until people realize that it isn't just about the scale they will have a hard time with this principle.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    Most actresses are genetic anomalies. They can do stupid stuff and look amazing. On the other hand, I do believe that there is some truth in it, in that if you have a small frame and don't want the slightly visible muscle look, you prob don't need to weight train, since you can just lower your body fat more to compensate for the lost muscle. I prob have more lean mass than a lot of girls have weight, so if I decided I wanted to be lower than 130, I'd have to give up a little muscle.

    I'm not ready for after pictures yet, maybe I'll post before and during when I get home from work
  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
    I don't have a picture here (I'm at work), but I can tell you that I've gotten smaller, not larger, since I started lifting at the beginning of March. I've dropped almost 2 full clothing sizes without seeing a loss on the scale. I haven't developed huge, manly muscles, I don't look like a body builder, and I'm certainly not bulky. And I lift heavy and eat just under maintenance. Right now, I'm a little pudgier than I'd like to be, because my body fat is still at around 26%. I am starting to see a little definition in the places where I don't hold a lot of fat, like my legs and back. But I know I'd have to eat vastly more, if not take steroids, to ever see anything approaching appreciable muscle mass.
  • Judas_Queen
    Judas_Queen Posts: 251 Member
    I prob have more lean mass than a lot of girls have weight, so if I decided I wanted to be lower than 130, I'd have to give up a little muscle.

    I'm not ready for after pictures yet, maybe I'll post before and during when I get home from work


    THIS!

    This is the kind of thing people should be shouting from the roof tops!

    I just want lots of people to tell allllllllllllllll women that you can lift, be feminine and look fantastic when you're near your goals! If I had been told I wouldn't have wasted nearly a year JUST doing cardio and been afraid to venture into.. into.. the free weights arena! DUN DUN DUNN

    I went to body pump for a while last year and really really enjoyed it, and saw results within weeks which was amazing! unfortunately, the instructor went away and then the routine changed and i coudln't quite grasp it so i stopped..

    My OH drew me up a workout plan and it's really hard and really good! incorporates moves that i had done at BP which i loved and some new ones. I work with low weight/high reps and i can feel the difference in some areas of my body. LOVE IT. I made a decision last night that I will keep at it and move up weights and work towards lifting heavy, as i think for me thats the only way i am going to get any where near the body i want. Obviously, thats me. But really want women to not be afraid of weights and try new things and not worry that they will wake up int he morning looking like theyve spent the last six months on roids!
  • Judas_Queen
    Judas_Queen Posts: 251 Member
    I know I'd have to eat vastly more, if not take steroids, to ever see anything approaching appreciable muscle mass.


    THIS

    :)
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Is this the thread you were talking about? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/535512-real-mfp-women-weight-training-befores-and-afters

    I only did light resistance training (5# dumbbells and bodyweight stuff like pushups, crunches, planks) and cardio until July of last year. So here's what 9 months of heavy lifting has done. My weight is about the same in both photos, but since I took the pics I got a new scale and I'm closer to 135 pounds now. Typically lifting 2-3 times a week and running 3 to 7 miles 3 times a week.

    front-july-april.jpg

    bum-july-april.jpg
  • karinefitness
    karinefitness Posts: 336 Member
    I do not have pictures BUT...

    Last year, I was doing Zumba, Spinning, etc. 5x a week for an hour. I was thin, yes, but I still wanted my body fat to drop. It didn't happen. I was around 115 pounds at that time, so not overweight by any means. But stil... I dropped (most of) the cardio. Now I lift 4-5x a week and will do about 1 hour of cardio WEEKLY. I gained about 3-4 pounds, but dropped a pant size. My body fat is lower than it ever was...

    I don't believe women who say 'I put on muscle quickly', unfortunately, it is impossible. I wish we could, but it's just not easy. Sure, some will put on muscles quicker than I ever will, but it won't happen overnight, you can always stop if you don't like the results. Personnally? I love that my arms aren't skinny anymore. And my abs are showing like never before. So I will NEVER go back to doing only cardio...

    BTW, I lift as heavy as I can. I think it makes a huge difference.

    And Lynn, you look FABULOUS! :) Great work.
  • badgerbadger1
    badgerbadger1 Posts: 954 Member
    Probably 90% of my exercise thus far has been lifting. I only reintroduced running as cardio in the last couple of weeks.

    31 lbs gone.
    Size 14-16 to size 4. Even when I was 20 lbs lighter than I am now, I only got down to a size 8.
    Body fat% from 37->25
    Started out with running and quit early because I couldn't keep up with the class or go past 3 minutes straight of running. Lifted exclusively for 2-3 months, then hopped on a treadmill 3 weeks ago. Suddenly I can run 5k, my first race is this weekend, and I'm in a marathon relay next month.
    In 3 months I now squat 110 lbs and deadlift more than my body weight.

    I have many more goals still to come, but I'm very happy with my progress since Dec, when I was in the worst shape of my life.
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
    There is a really good article that discusses cardio vs weight training, written by Rachel Cosgrove, who has been a fitness trainer along with her husband, Alwyn Cosgrove (one of the authors of "The New Rules of Lifting for Women"). It's kind of a long article, and a good read, but if you want to cut to the chase, take a gander at the picture or Rachel running in a marathon on the first page (2nd picture down in blue with sunglasses), then skip to the third page and look at her after only 8 weeks of weight training and a good diet. after she finished the marathon. The pictures really do speak for themselves!

    Here is the article:

    http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_final_nail_in_the_cardio_coffin
  • Judas_Queen
    Judas_Queen Posts: 251 Member
    There is a really good article that discusses cardio vs weight training, written by Rachel Cosgrove, who has been a fitness trainer along with her husband, Alwyn Cosgrove (one of the authors of "The New Rules of Lifting for Women"). It's kind of a long article, and a good read, but if you want to cut to the chase, take a gander at the picture or Rachel running in a marathon on the first page (2nd picture down in blue with sunglasses), then skip to the third page and look at her after only 8 weeks of weight training and a good diet. after she finished the marathon. The pictures really do speak for themselves!

    Here is the article:

    http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_final_nail_in_the_cardio_coffin


    wow thank's for that link! I've got it open ready to read but you interested me with the pictures and I am gobsmacked!! Looking at her running (without seeing the other pictures at all) she looked fine, perfectly healthy, trim etc.. but actually, she looks INCREDIBLE on page 3! And her back! AND HER ABS!

    I may have found my fitspiration! :love:
  • Judas_Queen
    Judas_Queen Posts: 251 Member
    Probably 90% of my exercise thus far has been lifting. I only reintroduced running as cardio in the last couple of weeks.

    31 lbs gone.
    Size 14-16 to size 4. Even when I was 20 lbs lighter than I am now, I only got down to a size 8.
    Body fat% from 37->25
    Started out with running and quit early because I couldn't keep up with the class or go past 3 minutes straight of running. Lifted exclusively for 2-3 months, then hopped on a treadmill 3 weeks ago. Suddenly I can run 5k, my first race is this weekend, and I'm in a marathon relay next month.
    In 3 months I now squat 110 lbs and deadlift more than my body weight.

    I have many more goals still to come, but I'm very happy with my progress since Dec, when I was in the worst shape of my life.

    congrats :)
    In 3 months I now squat 110 lbs and deadlift more than my body weight.

    very impressive.. hoping i will be able to get there one day!

    thanks for the posts everyone!
  • Biggipooh
    Biggipooh Posts: 350
    Is this the thread you were talking about? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/535512-real-mfp-women-weight-training-befores-and-afters

    I only did light resistance training (5# dumbbells and bodyweight stuff like pushups, crunches, planks) and cardio until July of last year. So here's what 9 months of heavy lifting has done. My weight is about the same in both photos, but since I took the pics I got a new scale and I'm closer to 135 pounds now. Typically lifting 2-3 times a week and running 3 to 7 miles 3 times a week.

    front-july-april.jpg

    bum-july-april.jpg

    Your new butt looks great.

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