I lost inches by focusing on weights, not cardio!

H

Humanhair

Cathlete
Caroline Knorr
It's true. I've been wanting to try this experiment for a long time now. Last week, I had a head cold and didn't feel like doing cardio, but somehow I managed to lift every day with a split routine alternating lower body and upper body workouts. This week, I just did Power Hour on Monday, rested on Tuesday, and MIS on Wednesday. (They both felt really hard, by the way.)

Today, I'm resting again. I have to tell you guys, ALL of my pants are LOOSE! I really don't think I'm eating any less. Yesterday, I felt the burn all day after MIS.

These are wacky, almost unintuitive results, but for anyone thinking they want to reduce cardio and up the weights, I really encourage you to give it a try. I never thought I'd part with my beloved cardio workouts but I got to the point where I wasn't getting results anymore. The weight work has really shocked my system. I am seriously considering going to two cardios/three weight days (full body) per week.

Another completely unscientific finding, for my body at least: I feel reducing the cardio workouts has sort of de-conditioned me and so I work HARDER when I am doing a cardiovascular workout. For example, I used to run 5 miles almost every day with no trouble and I used to think I-Max was just a regular cardio workout. Now, both of those would be very challenging, but because I would need to work harder to accomplish them, they are more effective. Hope that makes sense!

Hope everyone's having a great day!
-Caroline
 
I have done the same thing, starting this week. I have been following Body RX, and this guy says no cardio. Well, I am down to 2 hours, but I am anxious to see how my body responds. I have read many articles lately saying weight training is the key. You make me more optimistic!!!!
Lori S.
 
I'm so glad you mentioned the "de-conditioning" concept. I too have done the same thing and feel the workouts much more. I usually do cardio no more than 3 days a week. My definition has improved and my joints are much happier for it.

Stacy
 
Hey, thanks for telling us about this. Someone else (or maybe it was you) posted a similar thing a while back ago and I seriously contemplated cutting back the cardio. But it is just so hard mentally for me to get past the idea that cardio will burn more calories for me. (Plus, I recently bought a few new Cathe cardios and wanted to keep doing them!). I AM going to cut back the cardio and do more weights. But rather than full body workouts, I thoughts I would hit each muscle only 1 time per week really hard. Or maybe each muscle group twice per week. Once hard and once light. --Jeanne
 
... although now that I think about it, this is inconsistent with the tank top rotation I'd considered. Hmm. I'll give it more thought over the weekend! Jeanne
 
BodyRx here too and while I throw in a little Taebo a couple times a week, my muscle gains and body shape change has been intense. I'm in week 4 of Cycle one and really looking foward to bigger changes down the road! I use S&H, PS and MIS for my training.
 
Hi,

I have had the same results, only I did it on purpose. After reading many posts about more weights/less cardio for certain body types I started S&H and less cardio and within about 2 or 3 weeks I noticed a MAJOR difference. Its changed the way I exercise now. Now I do shorter cardio 3 times a week and focus more on weights 3 times a week. It was hard to break the mindset of lots of cardio, but it has really worked!

Jill
 
I had to come back and read these before my workout: I picked up the latest issue of Oxygen and there is an article about losing weight and don't you just know it--it says to do cardio 4-5 times a week for a minimum of 45 minutes.

Do you all think you have worked your muscles harder now that you are doing less cardio?

Jeanne
 
RE: Just curious...

Are most of you gals ectomorphs? I am an endomorph so I would think that I would need the extra cardio in order to even reveal any definition. Just curious. Thanks! (P.S. Jillian, I like your name!)
-Jill
 
Below is a link that talks about how traditional cardio may encourage fat storage. The article promotes interval training cardio instead. Maybe people's decrease in cardio and increase in weights, and subsequent fat loss, has something to do with this. (Sorry, I don't know how to make this a link you can just click on.) Jeanne

http://www.planetmuscle.com/articles/4_6/f=st.html
 
RE: Just curious...

I am not real sure, but since noone else has replied, I will tell you my very general understanding. I believe ectomorphs tend to be long (?) and lean and that endomorphs are, well, not. I think ectos are supposed to have more trouble putting on muscle and endos are supposed to put on muscle--and fat--more easily. Not sure how I came across this understanding.

I am not sure which I would be. I am only 5'2" and a size 8 (now), usually a 6, and want to get back to it. I have brothers who clearly fit both ectos and endos.

Jeanne
 
Great link!!! Thanks for it Jeanne!

I carry my fat in the middle, tend to be an 'apple' shape which of course we know is a problem. So I was curious what I was re: the definitions of the different types.
 
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