has anyone needed to resort to cardio to get lean??

[kikinz24]

Ok I want to know if and how many people were overweight. Not by 15 -20 lbs I mean like 75-100lbs. Who lost pretty much all their weight but coudlnt get lean without cardio. I personally think I can't. I lost 85 lbs total. And have about 20 lbs more to go. And I've been stuck fluxuating from160-170. 19- 20%. I even tried the v diet. Yep didn't work out for me got to 159. Got to week 6 2 meals a day and blew up to 171. Where I originally started. Now back to a normal calorie restricted diet for a week now and its slowly coming down. Anyhow. I've done weights 6 days a week. 3 full body. And 3 core/ shoulders. Never did any cardio other than an elliptical. I started thinking maybe I need to start running to shed this last 20. So as of yesterday I started the couch potato to 5k program. In with my 3 days at the gym. I'm hoping this does the trick. I've been bouncing 160-170 since beginning of march. So my question is as the beginning states anyone else have to do this??.

[garthmo]

I started getting back into shape Jan 1/09 by a mix of training methods that involved cardio but because it was winter I would be on the stationary bike for a max of 1hr a few times a week along with 5 days of other training and lost 55lbs down from 215lbs to 160lbs. But when summer hit and I included road biking for extended periods of time like 2.5 hours a few times a week along with the regular workouts my weight went down another 7 lbs to 153lbs. Then winter came back and I went back up to 158 - 160, so in my opinion or for at least for my body I find cardio a good peice to my weight loss.

[BackToBasics]

You certainly do not NEED it to reach your goals, but I find it a great tool to use, simply because it allows you a little more wiggle room with you diet/caloric intake. I know, personally, I get a lot better results doing cardio 3-5 times per week on a cut.

Ultimately it is calories in/calories out, and cardio is just another method of approaching that equation.

[grillin77]

Cardio is the only way I can get a really large deficit. When I hit my plateu, I decided to cut more calories but ended being hungry all the time. With cardio, my appetite is lowered and I can eat slightly more. Also, once a week I treat myself to a large breakfast and dinner for like 3500 calories. Well I'll just be sure to burn 1200 calories and then I would only have a few hundred surplus to spike the metabolism.

[robbie_vlad]

I don't necessarily NEED cardio, but I enjoy going for my morning 5-10 mile bike rides. It's just a bonus that it gives me a lot more wiggle room with my diet and keeps me in good cardiovascular health.

[Slimshady01]

A friend of ours who lives with my sister was over 300lbs. He finally got off his butt and now lives at the gym. He has lost 150lbs in only 8 months. He is at the gym almost 4 hours a day, he does close to 2 hours of cardio each day then weight trains. I would call this overtraining but I am not going to say anything since his results have been nothing short of amazing.

[kikinz24]

I have a good deficit goin I range from1300-1500 cals a day. Some off days only 1100. This is my 2nd week back into a normal eating deficit off the v diet. I jus want this last bit gone. Granite 85lbs is a hell of an accomplishment but I want to be lean. Not have love handles and a belly still. It just seems I can't get to what I want with my normal routine. So I'm tryin this running in with my lifting. I hope to hell it does it. Alwayd been a fat kid and for once want to be the lean/ in shape one. I'm very solid on my diet. So that's not a problem for me. Its like clockwork.

[wildbill20056]

Cardio should always be a feature of your week, for your general health

You can definitely make it work with your weight training and avoid in conflicts.

1) Avoid prolonged high intensity cardio
2) Schedule it away from your weight sessions or at least afterwards.
3) Don't train cardio or weights on a totally empty stomach.

HIIT is something you should investigate

Will

[kikinz24]

My cardio is after my lifting. And never on a completly empty stomach. So those areas are good. I'm doing this 9 week 5k training and see how it works for me. I haven't ran in forever so I need to get my body used to running. I think once I get to the end of the. Program. If I'm not where I want to be then I will take hiit up. Beings my legs and body will be used to running and the strain from cardio.

[ChiefRocka]

I laughed at "Resort to cardio", made it sound like its a desperate act lol. Kinda sounds similar to someone saying the had to resort to robbing houses to feed their crack habit.

[bieltan]

I have a good deficit goin I range from1300-1500 cals a day. Some off days only 1100. This is my 2nd week back into a normal eating deficit off the v diet. I jus want this last bit gone. Granite 85lbs is a hell of an accomplishment but I want to be lean. Not have love handles and a belly still. It just seems I can't get to what I want with my normal routine. So I'm tryin this running in with my lifting. I hope to hell it does it. Alwayd been a fat kid and for once want to be the lean/ in shape one. I'm very solid on my diet. So that's not a problem for me. Its like clockwork.

1300-1500 deficit a day seems a bit high. I did that for a while and actually gained weight back because I think my body went into hibernation mode. So it saved every bit of calories for the "long haul".

Try a deficit around 500 a day. Thats still 2lbs a week, which as many will agree is alot safer weight drop per week. Plus your more likely to keep it off

[kikinz24]

Haha yea I guess it does kinda sound odd for last resort lol.


And as for the deficit. Its only a 500-900 cal deficit. I'm taking in between 1300 to 1500 calores a day in food. Approx 180g of that is protein.

[SKRJPR99]

Ok I want to know if and how many people were overweight. Not by 15 -20 lbs I mean like 75-100lbs. Who lost pretty much all their weight but coudlnt get lean without cardio.

I went from 295 to 205 lbs doing 30 minutes of stationary cycling followed by an hour long workout. That was my method of leaning out, and I stayed at 205 for about seven years. If on the occassion I happened to gain 5-10 pounds, I would incorporate a little running (3-4 miles 3x per week) and drop it in a month or two. I can get moderate results from tweaking my diet, but never the type of results I can get from incorporating cardio into my routine.

[oMc_fRi]

Personally i do cardio 3-4 times a week just because it gives me that extra room to eat some more. For example my maintenance is around 2500 calories and I am getting in about 2000 per day. After 35 minutes on the elyptical and burning 450 calories I have some extra discretionary calories that I can incorporate into my diet. So last night I made myself a toasted peanut butter sandwich. So Amazing!

Started cutting at 194 pounds, currently at 185 pounds. I want to hit at least 180, maybe 175.

[eLiTe_J_]

I started getting back into shape Jan 1/09 by a mix of training methods that involved cardio but because it was winter I would be on the stationary bike for a max of 1hr a few times a week along with 5 days of other training and lost 55lbs down from 215lbs to 160lbs. But when summer hit and I included road biking for extended periods of time like 2.5 hours a few times a week along with the regular workouts my weight went down another 7 lbs to 153lbs. Then winter came back and I went back up to 158 - 160, so in my opinion or for at least for my body I find cardio a good peice to my weight loss.

Yep and not only that but the benefits you get from cardio for your lungs/heart/etc is a stupid thing to pass up imo.

[ejthomp]

.....coudlnt get lean without cardio. I personally think I can't......

18 months ago, I would have agreed with you.

I started my weight loss in November of 2008 and lost 60 pounds in six months. At that time I thought cardio was necessary. I watched what I ate and whenever my weight loss stalled, I did more cardio to push myself lower. Last summer I was running 5 miles several times per week.

When I got down to 190 from 250, I then realized that I didn't have the body I wanted. I was still soft and I didn't have the muscle mass or definition that I thought I would have at that weight. I made the decision to try and add some muscle. It was an educating process, but over the next six months I realized that all that running was really making muscle gain difficult. In a sense, cardio was KEEPING ME FAT. I dialed back my cardio to a couple times per week and lowered the intensity....my weight room results skyrocketed and I put on more muscle mass in 3 months than I had in the previous 9.

I'm now in the process of leaning out and I'm feeling a lot better about what I see in the mirror. I'm gradually going back down to 190 pounds from 200 with very little cardio. I'm in much better control of my diet and I know the weight I am losing is body fat and I'm holding onto my muscle mass. I've learned that diet is what makes it happen. If you're having difficulty leaning out, the problem is almost for sure with what you are putting into your mouth every day.

So...my lesson... A lot of cardio will help you lose weight....but not necessarily help you get lean.

If you have a lot of fat to lose, I would suggest plenty of cardio if for nothing other than improving your cardiovascular capacity (which is probably low since you are so fat) and burning some extra calories. But if you only have 10-20 pounds to lose, I suggest you concentrate a whole lot more on diet and weight training and less on cardio as cardio may not get you where you want to be.

[PJR23]

You certainly do not NEED it to reach your goals, but I find it a great tool to use, simply because it allows you a little more wiggle room with you diet/caloric intake. I know, personally, I get a lot better results doing cardio 3-5 times per week on a cut.

Ultimately it is calories in/calories out, and cardio is just another method of approaching that equation.

Good post.

It really does give you a little "wiggle room" in your diet. Thats why I do it. I love to eat. Also done in small amounts 10-15 min can be great gfor bulking as it helps generate more appetite.

[ChiefRocka]

18 months ago, I would have agreed with you.

I started my weight loss in November of 2008 and lost 60 pounds in six months. At that time I thought cardio was necessary. I watched what I ate and whenever my weight loss stalled, I did more cardio to push myself lower. Last summer I was running 5 miles several times per week.

When I got down to 190 from 250, I then realized that I didn't have the body I wanted. I was still soft and I didn't have the muscle mass or definition that I thought I would have at that weight. I made the decision to try and add some muscle. It was an educating process, but over the next six months I realized that all that running was really making muscle gain difficult. In a sense, cardio was KEEPING ME FAT. I dialed back my cardio to a couple times per week and lowered the intensity....my weight room results skyrocketed and I put on more muscle mass in 3 months than I had in the previous 9.

I'm now in the process of leaning out and I'm feeling a lot better about what I see in the mirror. I'm gradually going back down to 190 pounds from 200 with very little cardio. I'm in much better control of my diet and I know the weight I am losing is body fat and I'm holding onto my muscle mass. I've learned that diet is what makes it happen. If you're having difficulty leaning out, the problem is almost for sure with what you are putting into your mouth every day.

So...my lesson... A lot of cardio will help you lose weight....but not necessarily help you get lean.

If you have a lot of fat to lose, I would suggest plenty of cardio if for nothing other than improving your cardiovascular capacity (which is probably low since you are so fat) and burning some extra calories. But if you only have 10-20 pounds to lose, I suggest you concentrate a whole lot more on diet and weight training and less on cardio as cardio may not get you where you want to be.

You're really living proof to what I've been advocating in the other thread.

[jhbrotherton1]

18 months ago, I would have agreed with you.

I started my weight loss in November of 2008 and lost 60 pounds in six months. At that time I thought cardio was necessary. I watched what I ate and whenever my weight loss stalled, I did more cardio to push myself lower. Last summer I was running 5 miles several times per week.

When I got down to 190 from 250, I then realized that I didn't have the body I wanted. I was still soft and I didn't have the muscle mass or definition that I thought I would have at that weight. I made the decision to try and add some muscle. It was an educating process, but over the next six months I realized that all that running was really making muscle gain difficult. In a sense, cardio was KEEPING ME FAT. I dialed back my cardio to a couple times per week and lowered the intensity....my weight room results skyrocketed and I put on more muscle mass in 3 months than I had in the previous 9.

I'm now in the process of leaning out and I'm feeling a lot better about what I see in the mirror. I'm gradually going back down to 190 pounds from 200 with very little cardio. I'm in much better control of my diet and I know the weight I am losing is body fat and I'm holding onto my muscle mass. I've learned that diet is what makes it happen. If you're having difficulty leaning out, the problem is almost for sure with what you are putting into your mouth every day.

So...my lesson... A lot of cardio will help you lose weight....but not necessarily help you get lean.

If you have a lot of fat to lose, I would suggest plenty of cardio if for nothing other than improving your cardiovascular capacity (which is probably low since you are so fat) and burning some extra calories. But if you only have 10-20 pounds to lose, I suggest you concentrate a whole lot more on diet and weight training and less on cardio as cardio may not get you where you want to be.

Huge reps on this one. It is hard for a lot of people to grasp this...including me. Just seems like I need to run to help with fat loss. No matter how much I run now, fat loss is stalled. Gonna try this approach for a while.

[kikinz24]

See that's where mine is odd. I'm like dead perfect on diet. I can tell you exactly to. A T how manu cals I'm consuming each and every single day. I weigh everything. Like I said I souly lost the inital 85 with just diet and some lifting. I think my body got used to my routine over the year. Hence y I added cardio in. I'm into my 3rd week of the couch potatoe to 5k plan. And honestly am now noticing I seem to be tightening up and feel n look like I'm losing fat. I haven't measured myself or weighed myself in 2 weeks I will on monday morning make a full 3 week to see what kind of progress. But honestly I think its helping my cause. But more than likely due to change in routine and different muscles being used.

[Jackal_49]

I lost about 130 lbs in about 6 months through proper diet, cardio, and weight training. IMHO you are not going to get the best results without ALL three of these factors. Cardio is just as important as a proper diet, and a proper weight training program. The WAY you implement each of these three items depends on your goals, but no matter what your goals they all need to be there.

[BigfatRob]

It's IMPOSSIBLE to be in a deficit and not lose mass. So saying "I'm at a deficit of 1300-1500 and not losing without cardio." is so far from correct.

[barook]

fat loss = deficit. anyone who thinks cardio is NEEDED for fat loss is trying to justify their wasted time.

[Jackal_49]

fat loss = deficit. anyone who thinks cardio is NEEDED for fat loss is trying to justify their wasted time.

There may be a few people with specific body types and metabolisms that can get away with not doing any cardio, or the people who are shooting steroids. The rest of the normal people need cardio. Ask most of the pro bodybuilders, fitness trainers, nutritionists, athletes, and they will tell you the same thing. You are correct that "fat loss = deficit", however a calorie deficit via cardio will always out-shine a strictly diteary deficit. You might want to try it sometime, you may be surprised!

[KowboysUp]

If you aren't losing weight, and you don't want to drop your food intake any lower, you need to increase your deficit in some other way.

Cardio is a pretty effective way of doing this, but there's nothing magical about it.

If you eat less, or burn more, you will lose fat.

[GregTR]

I like how you used the word "resort to" as if cardio was something to avoid at all cost. I personally love doing cardio and yes, it was a huge part of me losing 70lbs.

Choice A: Eat 1,300 calories a day and do no cardio and lose 2lbs/week
Choice B: Eat 1,800 calories a day and do no cardio and lose 1lbs/week
Choice C: Eat 1,800 calories a day and do 700 calories worth of cardio and lose 3lbs/week.

I chose choice C for 6 months straight. No regrets. Now I get to eat 2,300 calories a day and still lose a lbs a week for the final 6-8 lbs that's left on me.

[kikinz24]

Yea the resort to I agree I could have worded a bit better I meant it in the manor that everyone here swears by you do not need to do cardio. And I didn't and it got me so far and then my progress just kinda slouched off. Added cardio in with my same amount of cal intake and it took back off. And I found 85lbs lighter than I was I actually like jogging lol it seems to make me feel a bit more active in the mornings. I actually look forward to my 25 min run off. When I go to the gym