Why do people go to the gym but then only do cardio?

[Dis]

I go mainly to gain muscle. I did gain about 5 pounds of muscle. But I also do cardio (though my knees don't like it much).

[Ãskallin]

I cant put on muscle, no matter how often or how hard I train. The ones I already have (not much) get lean but stay the same. I should have selected my parents better as LS suggested

But it does help with keeping fit in rugby and soccer.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by LordShiva


Muscle tissue utilises fat as energy. The effects of muscle atrophy are compounded by going on a diet or doing lots of cardiovascular activity. Doing too much cardiovascular activity without eating enough can speed up the breakdown of muscle. Therefore, the more muscle you lose, the easier it is for the body to store fat.

Studies at the University of Florida show that:

What affects your metabolic rate?
Food - 10%
Activity - 25%
RMR – aka metabolism - 65%
Muscle = >RMR

Not that I don't believe you. It's just that I've been taught exhaustion through prolonged exercise also puts resistance against your muscles. When I trained for swimming, I used a lot of small weights that I had to lift like 200 times. The point was to increase endurance. I did gain some muscle size- not a lot, but still noticeable.

[Fake Boris]

Just to be more precise:

My gym prof told me that as long as my muscles were exhausted, they should become stronger. Repeated exercises improve endurance, while resistance improves power.

So the question here is, if cardio actually exhausts your muscles (it does, your legs are tired after running or cycling, after all), that shouldn't make your muscles shrink, right ?

I was wrong and stand corrected on other points, but I still haven't received a convincing answer on that, though.

[Barnabas]

Originally posted by LordShiva
Unfortunately, IIUC, target fat loss is nearly impossible. You just need to keep working at losing overall body fat. Go heavy on compound exercises, esp. deadlifts and squats.

Also, choose your parents more carefully next time.

This is right, you will have to continue losing fat, until it goes away

[MRT144]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
I find that the mistake most beginners make is to use weights far too light for them. Of course, there are also the idiots that use weights too heavy for them.

If you can't lift it once then it's too heavy. If you can lift it 10 times without collapsing it's too light. Pretty simple.

its simple but true

[Sava]

Originally posted by Asher

Absolute BS.

Strength training raises your heart rate and keeps it up long after you finish lifting weights/using machines.

Throughout the course of a day, you end up burning many more calories. Strength training is similar to interval training (which studies have shown is more efficient than aerobic exercise for weight loss) in this regard. The intense burst of activity keeps the heart rate higher for a longer period of time than aerobic activity.

However, there is much more to losing fat than just physical activity. Diet plays an important role... not just caloric intake, but what kind of calories. Not all calories are created equal. But that is a different discussion.

[Nostromo]

You have to do a lot of exercice in order to lose fat. You have to exercice almost like an athlete. Diet is the most important factor.

[KrazyHorse]

I lost 22 pounds in 12 weeks simply by running 5-8 km per day and limiting my diet to 1800 calories per day (mostly pastas, fruit and lean meats). When I was done I was at ~6.5% bfp. Fat people just aren't trying.

[Jon Miller]

I think pasta's aren't good either, but I know that my problem is the sweets . I just treat myself too often.

I am trying to spend the next month or so on a better schedule.

Jon Miller

[KrazyHorse]

You need some carbohydrates...

[Jon Miller]

oh, maybe you didn't eat pasta all the time like I did for a while...

Jon Miller
(or bread)

(my other problems were eating out too much, drinking too much, and eating too much cheese)

[KrazyHorse]

I was getting ~15-20% calories from fat, ~35% from protein and the rest from pastas and fruit.

[Jon Miller]

That's a good amount of protien. I have heard that for best weight loss, it is good to have greater than 30% protein.

Jon Miller
(it is harder for veggies than for meat eaters)

[Sava]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
I lost 22 pounds in 12 weeks simply by running 5-8 km per day and limiting my diet to 1800 calories per day (mostly pastas, fruit and lean meats). When I was done I was at ~6.5% bfp. Fat people just aren't trying.

While that kind of approach can work in the short term, if someone doesn't keep that level of activity and caloric intake up; they will gain all the weight back. Restricting calories and increasing activity does lead to weight loss... but it doesn't necessarily build an efficient metabolism that will lead to keeping the weight off.

I would agree that "people aren't trying" with regards to making lifestyle choices that will lead to fat loss (not just weight loss). But there is no need to run that much per day and restrict oneself to a certain number of calories in order to lose fat and increase the metabolism. In fact, an effective lifestyle and nutrition plan does not count calories at all. Diet is about avoiding bad foods, eating good foods; getting at least 35-50g of fiber per day, and eating some protein (preferably plant based) with every meal. As long as someone is getting light to moderate physical activity, they will lose fat. The more they exercise, the faster they will lose it. One should just increase carbohydrate intake as one increases the amount of activity. But it should preferably good sources of carbs, like whole grains, fruits, beans, nuts, etc... pastas are bad and will lead to a slower metabolism.

BTW, I've lost 70 pounds since August of 2005.

I don't know my body fat %. It's probably around 8% or so. Last November it was just below 10% and since then I've gained an inch on my chest measurement and 2 inches on my bicep. I can now bench over 300 pounds, run below a 6 minute mile, and play 3-4 hours of hockey and still not be tired.



Not everyone has the determination to work hard to lose weight the way I did. For other people it may take longer. And people shouldn't be called "lazy" if they can't go out and run 5-8km every day. That is simply not for everyone. But by making simple lifestyle changes, people can lose fat. It is not hard. It just takes patience and a positive attitude. There is much more to it than exercise.