The Just Thought I'd Share Thread

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by daniellaaarisen

Agreed with everything but no cardio. That's a weight loss staple....




My mom was a major high-end fashion model for the majority of her young life and eventually did Playboy shoots (all while dating Clint Eastwood). Girl, no one hears you like I hear you on family pressure to be hot. It has dramatically affected my entire viewpoint on life, and it's given me some serious insecurity issues from a very young age. Yaaaay.

There is no question that cardio is good for the heart and it helps to develop fitness and stamina. But I am a bit skeptical about it as a means of transforming your body. The problem with cardio is that it tends to burn off carbs, then muscle, then fat. Hence, you don't see lots of big-muscled endurance athletes. And when the body is depleted of carbs, the tendency is for it to crave more and more carbs, which can be a vicious cycle. Muscle burns more calories at rest and actually transforms the shape of your body. Strength training not only helps to build/preserve muscle, it also helps to strengthen bones, improve posture and the increase in strength leads to an overall feeling of wellbeing. I hate to say it, but I think people who do only cardio are, well... lazy. Not physically lazy, but mentally lazy. Cardio is mindless and repetitive and requires no concentration at all. Weight training, especially when you are working your muscles to the point of absolute fatigue (which is needed to stimulate growth and strength gains), requires absolute concentration and mental focus. If you are really serious about attaining/maintaining an ideal physique, I think weights (supplemented with a sane, non-gimmicky diet) are the way to go; walking and taking the stairs should be all the cardio you really need. Just IMHO.

Also, contrary to popular myth, women are not going to become instantly "bulky" from weight training. Unless you are in the gym 6 hours a day and bench pressing 300 pounds, you aren't going to get bulky. It's hard enough for a man to build muscle mass; it is a gazillion times harder for a woman.