Weight lifting 3x a week and no cardio?

[julia4308]

Hi,
I recently began to lift weights 3 times a week with planned schedules to reduce a bodyfat ratio and have an awesome hard rock body! But a week ago I injured my big toe from soccer and haven't been able to walk/run at all since then.

Is it possible to lose fat just with clean diets and lifting?

Thanks,
Julia

[miss_carrie]

Hi,
I recently began to lift weights 3 times a week with planned schedules to reduce a bodyfat ratio and have an awesome hard rock body! But a week ago I injured my big toe from soccer and haven't been able to walk/run at all since then.

Is it possible to lose fat just with clean diets and lifting?

Thanks,
Julia

definitely. cardio is more like a supplement than a necessity. diet + lifting are a lot more important.

[julia4308]

Thank you.

Just ... going insane not being able to play sports and no running.

[lexdiamond20]

I beg to differ. I tried the diet and weights things and fat loss and it just wouldnt work for me. With no cardio, you have to drop your calories lower than what your normally used to which makes you feel like total ****. I did this for about a month and a half and lost a few pounds but I knew it wasnt fat. Fast forward to a month later and im consistenly dropping fat, 2 pounds a week by eating sensibly (cals. not too low) with 5-6 meals a day and lifting and cardio 4 days a week.

Yes it is possible to lose fat by dropping calories, for regular people. But gym rats like us are a different breed. We cant diet like normal people. This is just my experience. Others may disagree.

[julia4308]

Yeah, I think I know what you mean. I decreased my intake calories in last few days - well, not planned... just not as hungry as I used to back when I was able to run.

I'll continue to lift, but guess I'll feel much better when my toe is healed and when I can sprint!!

But gym rats like us are a different breed. We cant diet like normal people.

Hahhaha.

[ladada]

definitely. cardio is more like a supplement than a necessity. diet + lifting are a lot more important.

no. It's different for everybody. There is no valid, definitive answer that anyone can give to this question. Some can, some can't. My buddy cuts on fried ice cream and cases of cheap beer with a little weight lifting twice a week and is 220 and around 10bf. Everyone has different genetics. Fitness is all about trial and error.

The only honest answer to this question is "maybe, try it out."

[monkeydan]

no. It's different for everybody. There is no valid, definitive answer that anyone can give to this question. Some can, some can't. My buddy cuts on fried ice cream and cases of cheap beer with a little weight lifting twice a week and is 220 and around 10bf. Everyone has different genetics. Fitness is all about trial and error.

The only honest answer to this question is "maybe, try it out."

We are all humans and therefore we have the same basic physiology. So to say that everyone is different is misleading.

A calorific deficit is a calorific deficit - whether you achieve this through diet or through activity levels doesn't seem to make any difference.

The two top things you need to worry about are diet (you have to track things so that you know you're in a deficit) and weight training (to preserve muscle mass). Of course cardio helps with increasing activity levels, burning calories, increasing fitness, etc. but it is not strictly necessary to burn fat. That happens whenever you are in a calorific deficit.

I do agree that personal preference will come into it, and in this respect there are certainly differences between individuals. Some people prefer to cut calories lower and minimise cardio, others prefer to keep calories somewhat higher and achieve the deficit (or supplement the deficit) through CV work.

[boyscouT]

Hi,
I recently began to lift weights 3 times a week with planned schedules to reduce a bodyfat ratio and have an awesome hard rock body! But a week ago I injured my big toe from soccer and haven't been able to walk/run at all since then.

Is it possible to lose fat just with clean diets and lifting?

Thanks,
Julia

Swimming...

[nitrored]

Swimming...

anything you enjoy doing, that is active, is probably the best cardio... you wont even realize you are exercising

[boyscouT]

anything you enjoy doing, that is active, is probably the best cardio... you wont even realize you are exercising

Ah, the beauty of having fun .

[julia4308]

Thanks for all your advice.

Yeah, I tend to be lazy when it comes to swimming. Wish I had a pool backyard, lol.

[mpawlicki]

I think you can definitely lose bf without cardio, because that's what I do. I only do cardio to help me burn extra calories, but that happens rarely.

But that all depends on your diet as well. The cleaner you eat at the right amount of calories will tell if lifting is enough. If it's not enough, try maybe raising the intencity of the workout, maybe try supersetting.

I think it is possible because it seems to work for me.

[ladada]

We are all humans and therefore we have the same basic physiology. So to say that everyone is different is misleading.

A calorific deficit is a calorific deficit - whether you achieve this through diet or through activity levels doesn't seem to make any difference.

The two top things you need to worry about are diet (you have to track things so that you know you're in a deficit) and weight training (to preserve muscle mass). Of course cardio helps with increasing activity levels, burning calories, increasing fitness, etc. but it is not strictly necessary to burn fat. That happens whenever you are in a calorific deficit.

I do agree that personal preference will come into it, and in this respect there are certainly differences between individuals. Some people prefer to cut calories lower and minimise cardio, others prefer to keep calories somewhat higher and achieve the deficit (or supplement the deficit) through CV work.

I recognize we all have the same general makeup. It is misleading to say we are all different? Couldn't disagree more. It's misleading for all "mods" and "experts" to post caloric based "diets" that are a one size fits all guide for people within a specific bodyweight. Macros are more important first of all, etc, etc.


Your wrong in suggesting that all caloric deficates are created equal. Have you ever met/heard of someone dropping fifty pounds, but only losing 8% bf and still having a little pot belly/bad skin? These are people that would usually follow your advice and concentrate merely on a caloric deficet, ie eating 1500 cals, instead of eating more and burning. A calorie is not a calorie. A caloric deficate is not a caloric deficate, and there are endless examples of this. It's hardly debatable at this point.

[PennState]

Totally possible to lift and diet and lose weight w/o cardio. Want proof...i've been doing it for the past 4 weeks. 2#'s per week. I biked once for about an hour last week and taht was the only cardio i've fit in. I do a 3 times a week fullbody. Lifts are holding steady and the fat is coming off. Cardio helps a lot, but is less important than the former two. Diet is EASILY the number one thing about losing weight. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.