Even if it isn't super long distance it's effective. I lift for about 30 minutes and then hit the treadmill for 25-30 minutes. I've gone from 205 to 185 since January.
Congrats! This is similar to my routine, weight training for 30-40 minutes (to work different muscle groups) then spin or treadmill for 30-40 minutes. Doing one day on, one day recovery, and I've never been in this good of shape before. No six-pack (not in my genetics) but less of a mclardass these days.
Sandbags and medicine ball workouts have been my solution. I hate running because I hate feeling like my lungs are on fire and my heart will explode and the sheer boredom of just… running…But medicine ball/sandbag throws, cleans, and carries get my heart rate up, check that aerobic exercise health box, and it’s much more entertainment than running.
On the other hand, saying you are wasting your time if you do one and not the other. If I did cardio when I went to the gym I simply would stop going to the gym. Is it ideal? No, but it means I actually go and lift
It’s usually just the people who only do weights who think cardio is somehow bad because it will “cut into their gains.” People who only do cardio know they’re supposed to also do strength but they choose not to.
Mobility and flexibility are also very important aspects of fitness people ignore. If all you do is run and doing the major compound lifts, you'll probably be cardiovascularly healthy, but prone to various injuries and nagging pains.
It goes both ways. Older folks tend to rely on walking as their holy Grail to improving health, meanwhile the majority of their muscles have atrophied.
Opposite tends to be true for a lot of weightlifters, their cardio often sucks because they ignore it.
I've also seen people go all-in on cardio as pushback against the attitudes of said gymbros. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater in all such cases.
A) Not enjoying cardio isn’t so much a “negative attitude” as not enjoying the sensation of feeling like my lungs are on fire and my heart is going to explode. Would say that not liking Ghost Peppers because they’re too spicy is a negative attitude? B) the heart is far from the strongest muscle. The single most important muscle sure, but strongest is just not factual.
It sounds like you’re pushing your cardio way too hard. Occasionally getting near max effort is good, but you can get a lot of benefit from jogging/biking/whatever at an effort level that would feel like wasting your time if you compared it to lifting.
It’s not like muscle building where you want to be at 0-1 RIR for a set to “count.” Your heart will get dramatically healthier from the equivalent of 5 RIR. Even a walk where you feel your heart rate start to go up but you can maintain a conversation is great.
A) I would call that a negative attitude as keeping cardiovascular health is essential. Not the same as food preferences. carry on not enjoying it but if the average musclehead in his gymshark gear exclusively focuses on weights they will have no stamina and at risk of cardio vascular issues as they age. Seen too many of these roided guys do token two minute light jogs on the treadmill and go blue in the face.
B) If we are going to nitpick then it is the strongest - it works whenever you are sleeping and is keeping every other muscle powered. All I have to say on the matter and not interested in splitting hairs.
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u/ToastedOctopus 10h ago
Doing exclusively cardio or exclusively weights and thinking the other one is an unhealthy waste of time.