Could you give up cardio?

S

StepEdith

Cathlete
I have really been a slacker on weights lately, like last six months :-(. So, since I have the Body RX book and used to lift a lot I thought I'd check out some message boards where they lift a lot to inspire me again.

In doing so I read quite a bit of info (once again) about not doing any cardio at all, just lifting. I'm by no means putting this approach down don't get me wrong. It just got me to really thinking about my love of and need for cardio! I don't feel very good when I don't get my cardio in, can't imagine giving it up. I think I could stand to do some weights too, but hey my issue here on this post is the thoughts of doing weights only and zippo cardio.

I have had some people tell me one can get addicted to the endorphins you get from cardio. I have studied up on Beta Endorphin and can't really see where that's all a bad thing in reality.

I do cardio about 5-6 times a week and enjoy doing it and the way it makes me feel and I just love it.

Where are you guys on this one?

Love
Edith
 
I don't know Body RX, but I find that I feel so sluggish if I don't do some type of cardio regularly. I love it! Unless I am injured, on bed rest, etc., I can't see myself giving it up!
 
I absoulutely could not give up cardio. I'm with jillybean, I actually get moody if I don't do my cardio. I love the workout videos that incorporate cardio with weights. I'm not a heavy lifter (10 #) & when I do cardio with weights it makes me feel that much better about myself & my workout. LOL Kisha ')
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jan-08-03 AT 08:40PM (Est)[/font][p]Hi Edith,

I don't know Body RX but I know that I could not give up cardio, I really like that sweaty feeling, and that other feeling, I think Cathe is trying to do me in, but I LOVE it :7

Anna :)

Editing to say, that it really revitalises me and makes my skin look great, and alive, instead of grey and dull :)
 
In all fairness to Body RX it's a good book and a good program by the inventor of Metrex products. Also Body RX is not the only weight training program out there that says it's OK to leave out the aerobics if you want and concentrate on weights only. Matter fact some of the weight training programs around are down right blunt about leaving out cardio.

Edith
 
In all fairness to Body RX it's a good book and a good program by the inventor of Metrex products. Also Body RX is not the only weight training program out there that says it's OK to leave out the aerobics if you want and concentrate on weights only. Matter fact some of the weight training programs around are down right blunt about leaving out cardio.

Edith
 
In all fairness to Body RX it's a good book and a good program by the inventor of Metrex products. Also Body RX is not the only weight training program out there that says it's OK to leave out the aerobics if you want and concentrate on weights only. Matter fact some of the weight training programs around are down right blunt about leaving out cardio.

Edith
 
Hi Edith. I do know the BodyRx and I have basically given up cardio w/very good results. However I do love Taebo and when I feel I can, I add a 30 minute Taebo workout, usually the Impact series which is using a standing bag and gloves.

I think whatever works for you is the way to go, in fitness, one size does NOT fit all. :)

Like I said on the BRX board, Dr. Connelly stresses that the nutrition aspect of his plan is 70% of the program. I think if you adore cardio, then by all means, stick w/it. But you may want to try doing the four eating cycles.
 
I can't say that I LOVE cardio but I could never give it up.There are some days that I don't want to do it and then when I decide that I am not going to do it, my mind doesn't leave me alone.It's just as well that I get up and do it because my mind is making me feel like crap.So, off I go.Mad at myslef for making me do it:-hmmm.
I did the Body for Life program once and I followed the workout program except for the weights.And I did lose weight.But I wasn't eating alot of food either.Sometimes I wonder if there is a point to doing all of this excercise? I haven't seen any changes in my body over the last year and it is probably b/c I need to work on eating better.
I do like to run though.When the spring comes I am so excited but by the time winter gets here I am also ready for a break.
Cardio gives me time to myself.Time to think about things and when I start out in a bad mood ,I always end up in a good mood.I also remember one day where I had a bad day at work.When I got home all I wanted to do was run.I could feel this urge that I had to move and step wasn't going to cut it.I think I must of ran for 12 kms that day.
So, NO.I wouldn't want to give up cardio.The satisfaction that it gives you could never be replaced by anything else.
lori
 
Hi Edith. I agree with everyone else up above about their cardio statements. I wanted to add one more thought. I do cardio 4 days a week (intense cardio) and do weights 2 days a week. I personally feel that if I did not do some cardio, my weight efforts would not show. You need to burn off that top layer of fat to see the results of your weight trainning. I only know a handful of people who are 'blessed' with a natually muscular body. Weights do get your heart pumping, but I am not sure if they get it pumping enough to give you the strong heart benefits of cardio. Like someone stated up above, exercise is definatly not 'one sizes fits all'. You have to do what works best for your body, mind and spirit.

Kim
 
I could NOT give up my cardio! I love to run and use this time as my prayer closet, recreation, hip/thigh control, sleeping pill, and plain good mental health time. Honestly, I feel allot like Annette in that I MUST have a cardio component to my weight training of I just don't feel like I've had a complete workout...plus nothing leans me out and keeps me lean as well as a combination of both. Deb
 
I could pretty easily give up on cardio, if it weren't for the health benefits of it. I much prefer strength workouts to cardio workouts, but since one tends to prefer what one is better at, I probably need the cardio, right? I've recently decided that I was getting too much away from cardio (doing PH,MIS, S & H, with some miscellaneous cardio thrown in here and there, but not as consistently as the weights) so now I'm back to CTX, which has a good mix.
 
I would not give up cardio even if someone told me tommorrown I could never do a lick of it again and have the same health benefits. Thats why I don't give a hoot when I read the articles stating that you don't need cardio. I don't need it really, I WANT it...
Janice
http://www.picturetrail.com/thrashej
 
RE: No; wouldn't if I could

IMHO, anyone who says that you can give up cardio and achieve the same health benefits strictly thru lifting is a charlatan. There is a concept in exercise physiology known as "specificity of training", and simply put it states that "cardio" work will not strengthen your muscles, strength-training will not strengthen the cardio-pulmonary-vascular systems, flexibility will not strength your muscles, etc. The cardiovascular / pulmonary benefits of strength training are simply not that great, and I don't care what trade book, including "Body Rx", says to the contrary.

All disciplines - aerobic work, muscle strengthening and endurance, and flexibility training - must be present in order to achieve desirable / optimum physical fitness. Just as all of the main substrates in food - protein, carbohydrates and fats along with vitamins and minerals - must be present in a nutrition program to maintain function and health.

And . . . I love cardio. Couldn't live without it for the fun factor as much as anything else.

A-jock
 
RE: No; wouldn't if I could

I love cardio, too, but Scott Connelly is NO charlatan, and women would benefit from reading his book, even if they don't choose to follow the program.
 
I don't really like cardio very much but I don't want to lose my cardio capacity so I'd never stop doing cardio. But Body RX brings up an interesting point, IMHO. Personally I don't think cardio is all that beneficial to weight loss. It doesn't burn enough calories to make a real difference. It's a lot easier to cut calories out of your diet than to burn them through exercise. There's so much disagreement about how many calories are burned through exercise too. But even if an hour of cardio burns about 400 calories, that's not that many calories. What I've found is that exercising regularly (including cardio) helps me maintain my weight without watching my calories but that if I want to lose I have to count calories and I think that's because cardio doesn't burn enough calories.

Increasing or decreasing the amount of cardio I did in a week made absolutely no difference in the amount of weight I lost. So I've come to the point where I don't think about cardio in terms of weight loss. For me, I do cardio because it strengthens my heart and increases my cardio capacity. I like being able to run up the stairs if I want to. I don't like to get winded doing everyday activities. Plus I think that I want to run a marathon next fall (we'll see if I really go through with it). That's why I do cardio. Not to lose weight. I count calories to lose weight. I lift weights to boost my metabolism to lose weight.
 
I agree my reason for cardio is not weight loss, not the number one reason, my number one reason is I enjoy the activity of it and the way it makes me feel. Call me an endorphin junkie I guess but it changes so much for me in the positive direction that I just WANT it.

I also agree calories are a big weight loss factor. When I do no cardio I lose less but only slightly less. When I first started it was a significant difference because I was quite a bit heavier than I am now.

I do need to improve on weights, I did it for years and liked it pretty much (not like I do cardio) but now, well, I don't do it.

Edith
 
I love lifting but I also love my cardio so, no, I couldn't give it up! I don't do as much cardio as I used to. I now do about 4 sometimes 5 days a week from 40mn to an hour. I used to do an hour 6 days a week. I like the benefits that both give me. Susan
 
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