is cardio really necessary

[danielson]

weights- not good for heart (not particularly anyhow)

cardio- good

so i do cardio

 

[Providian]

Cardio is necessary on many fronts-especially weight loss- and if you want to lose weight but not do cardio then you are not really serious about losing weight. If you're a hippo, then just passing on the pudding pops and potato/gravy will help lose weight, but if your figure is more normal and you're trying to lose 10-20 lbs. you really must do cardio. In addition to everything else, it helps oxygenate your blood which in turn enhances the helath of your internal structures and immune system.

 

[guy]

Doing cardio increases your metabolism which will make losing fat that much easier, also doing cardio also helps to increase the blood flow through the body, dieting byit self works well & when you combine this with cardio you get even beeter results.
Hope this helps

Guy

 

[blood_drinker]

danielson, weights are not good for the heart?
wtf ? explain

 

[QuickGrow]

Think about it like this, Blood Drinker:

Say at 180 lbs you decided to drop all the cardio you're doing and ONLY focus on the weights to get your bodyweight up to, say, 240. Even though you've got this big 240 lb body, you're STILL going to have the heart of a 180 lb man. The extra size can put a lot of stress on your heart, raise your blood pressure, and make you a greater candidate for heart disease. I know the numbers I used are a little extreme, but I think you get the point.

At the same time, I'm not saying go all-out on the cardio when you're trying to bulk, but at least do enough to keep your heart healthy.

 

[big calvin]

yes!

well i think its very important for your heart and for fat loss....a while ago lost some weight and was doing great with the diet and training w/ no cardio. lost like 40 pounds in 2 months...but my heart rate was still at 100 resting heart rate. i started do some light swimimg in the morning and bam!!! my RHR was 60-70...so yes cardio at least i think is very important.

ohh, and i guess u can say it helps in fat loss cause a. it burns calories, and sence my RHR was lower , in the gym i was getting lifts in things like squats that my heart was stopping me from doing before....

 

[danielson]

Think about it like this, Blood Drinker:

Say at 180 lbs you decided to drop all the cardio you're doing and ONLY focus on the weights to get your bodyweight up to, say, 240. Even though you've got this big 240 lb body, you're STILL going to have the heart of a 180 lb man. The extra size can put a lot of stress on your heart, raise your blood pressure, and make you a greater candidate for heart disease. I know the numbers I used are a little extreme, but I think you get the point.

At the same time, I'm not saying go all-out on the cardio when you're trying to bulk, but at least do enough to keep your heart healthy.

yup....just a small extra (and maybe pointless) point...

weights are a static exercise. it raises blood pressure (duh). it can mess around with your heart a little on the very heavy lifts as your blood pressure can be high.this aint beneficial to your heart. cardio is dynamic and lowers b.p.- this is good for your heart.

 

[Rudee34]

Say at 180 lbs you decided to drop all the cardio you're doing and ONLY focus on the weights to get your bodyweight up to, say, 240. Even though you've got this big 240 lb body, you're STILL going to have the heart of a 180 lb man

Not necessarily. Your making an assumption all strength training is an-aerobic - it's not. By limiting the duration of the rest period between sets, the exercise itself can become aerobic in nature by taxing the cardiovascular system - never allowing the muscles to fully recover before the next set. Intensity is the key.

Personally speaking, I seldom do specific aerobics for fatloss. Certainly no more than twice a week, and only once I've obtained single-digit bodyfat or less. When I do step on a LifeCycle, or Treadmill, I opt for short bouts of Interval Training - 30 minutes max. By keeping my rest periods to 45 seconds between sets of strength training, my heart is ticking like a jack rabbit and further aerobics is counterproductive. Larger muscle groups like quadraceps (legs) require additional time for the removal of lactic acid, thus rest periods for a set of squats is increased to no more than 90 seconds.

After 40 minutes while others are just beginning to break a sweat, I've blasted two bodyparts to near maximum intensity, derived a awesome cardiovascular benefit in the process, and I'm headed for the showers. On a weekly basis, I'm getting stronger, more muscular and leaner, whereas people grinding away at their two hour workouts and 1 hour cardio sessions are getting smaller, flabbier and untimately discouraged. It's a shame.

In my opinion, and observations over the 18 years I have been training, there is no better way to emulsify fat than keeping rest periods short, thus making the workout aerobic in the process. For fatloss, short rest periods are the key.

I train an average of 3 clients a month at my gym. Aerobics is not introduced until after the first 8 weeks, and each of the clients I personally train is steadily losing fat at a average of 2 pounds a week.

 

[Jacked4Real]

CARDIO REALLY NECESSARY???

Well... no. But It REALLY speeds up the fat loss process. ANd allows you a bit more leeway in your diet.
I mean who wants eat a near flawless diet for 12 weeks?

 

[jennifer BFL chick]

True, it all depends on your goals. Slow cardio burns fat at the time your doing it, and the quick intense cardio, increases your metabolism, and burns fat after your done. I personally think a combination of both types will help. I always do 3 sessions of intense cardio a week, and when I'm after major fat loss in a short period of time, I add some long cardio sessions as well. But, I feel doing MORE cardio, will only help for short periods of time. Of course I always weight train, which is the best way to shape your body, but for me, adding more cardio, and different types of cardio, has helped.