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People can get some of their cardio from weight/resistance training if they "superset." That is how I do my weight training - do reps of one exercise and move directly into another with only a few seconds of rest, I do this for up to three different exercises, they recoup for a couple minutes then continue. My heart rate is CONTINUOUSLY up.
I used to be a runner, but have spine issues and cannot do so now. I do ride my bike daily, but that is leisurely, I don't really consider it "cardio" as such. I really get a pretty good workout from my weight training which I am doing 35-40 minutes per day, 4 days per week. I am a 64 year old female.
I agree, and that's along the lines of what I mentioned, that you can also get great cardio benefits from doing strength and weight training.
You could decrease the rest period between sets during weight lifting. You could do things like farmers walk, power sled, or a bunch of other conditioning exercises that really get the heart rate going. The point being, you don't have to run for miles to get cardio benefits.
I still like to run from time to time simply because I enjoy doing so. But it's harder on my joints and tendons than lifting weights it seems. Walking is a great option in addition to lifting weights, it's easier on your body and can give you a great cardio workout also.
There's no way that the average man is able to squat double his body weight. That would be someone who's been weight training for awhile. It's not comparable to benching your body weight once.
I agree. I squatted for years and I have barely hit my bodyweight.
At the gyms where I workout, few guys do squats. So when we're talking about the average guy, think about what percent of the population has ever done squats.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iknowftbll
Perhaps, but keep in mind, right now it is not even realistic to expect the average joe to bench press their own body weight. Right now it's also not realistic to expect the average joe to run a 5k without going into cardiac arrest. By villageidiot's post, even the 1 mile has been deemed too high a standard. The point of my post was to say we can be better at all of these things than we currently are. That means working toward that goal and raising "average" to a higher threshold.
Is it going to happen? Probably not.
Here is another story from my experience subbing for HS physical education classes. I had a HS gym class in the fitness center. A group of boys had loaded up a barbell with 135 lbs. and they were going to have a contest to see who could bench it the most times. After the first boy almost dropped it on his neck, I made them use a spotter. After 6-7 boys failed to bench it one time, one of the boys said, Mr. Villageidiot, it's your turn. I've lifted weights for years, so pumping out 20 reps was no big deal.
The purpose of this story is to show that when we think of average we compare it to people with whom we are familiar. Wutitz compares average to his running buddies and the weighlifters compare average to the guys they see at the gym. The boys in this gym class had been going to the fitness center for most of the school year and had access to it after school.
By the way, I have done the same experiment with pull-ups at several schools. I'll usually find 1-2 boys who do 14-15 pullups. The majority of the boys can't do one pullup with decent form.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gypsychic
People can get some of their cardio from weight/resistance training if they "superset." That is how I do my weight training - do reps of one exercise and move directly into another with only a few seconds of rest, I do this for up to three different exercises, they recoup for a couple minutes then continue. My heart rate is CONTINUOUSLY up.
I used to be a runner, but have spine issues and cannot do so now. I do ride my bike daily, but that is leisurely, I don't really consider it "cardio" as such. I really get a pretty good workout from my weight training which I am doing 35-40 minutes per day, 4 days per week. I am a 64 year old female.
I think you can get cardiovascular training from lifting weights with what you describe, but there are some issues. I often leave the gym out of breath after lifting weights because the gym is closing and I'm trying to squeeze in as many sets as possible. The problem is that most exercises do not involve enough muscle mass to keep your pulse high enough. Squats, deadlifts and hanging leg raises are three exercises that involve enough muscle mass to raise your pulse rate sufficiently. I can do a set of these exercises and alternate with something like bench presses and keep my pulse rate up. Keep in mind I'm usually doing this in an empty gym with nobody competing for any of the equipment. I'm typically only doing this for 10 minutes or so, so the cardiovascular effect is not that high. I really wouldn't compare it to running a 5K. But so what, do what you can do. The important thing is to be doing something.
Its not imperative people need to lift a barbell or run anywhere. Just eat healthily, and you'll be just fine, imo.
Uh huh. You keep thinking that and check back in with us when you're elderly.
Only eating healthily does not help build stamina or strength, make women's bones stronger, make your abs stronger so that you don't get backaches, build a strong core, work your heart and lungs, etc etc etc.
Uh huh. You keep thinking that and check back in with us when you're elderly.
Only eating healthily does not help build stamina or strength, make women's bones stronger, make your abs stronger so that you don't get backaches, build a strong core, work your heart and lungs, etc etc etc.
Knock yourself out and lift/run well into your retirement years.
For maximum benefits you need to combine both cardio and weights into a steady regime. Both don't have to be done every day together, but both need to be done. There are times when for what ever reason time, energy etc I have slacked off one and not the other for a couple of weeks and the results are pretty evident.
When i used to train very heavy I would have a routine of 3 weeks weights and cardio, the third week would be very heavy and the fourth week would just be cardio. That routine worked very well for me for a long time.
Of course diet is essential, for me it is anyway. All the weights and cardio in the world don't mean anything to me if I'm not dieting the right way.
Uh huh. You keep thinking that and check back in with us when you're elderly.
Only eating healthily does not help build stamina or strength, make women's bones stronger, make your abs stronger so that you don't get backaches, build a strong core, work your heart and lungs, etc etc etc.
Most people are ok with being weak. Strength training isn't for everyone.
Here is another story from my experience subbing for HS physical education classes. I had a HS gym class in the fitness center. A group of boys had loaded up a barbell with 135 lbs. and they were going to have a contest to see who could bench it the most times. After the first boy almost dropped it on his neck, I made them use a spotter. After 6-7 boys failed to bench it one time, one of the boys said, Mr. Villageidiot, it's your turn. I've lifted weights for years, so pumping out 20 reps was no big deal.
The purpose of this story is to show that when we think of average we compare it to people with whom we are familiar. Wutitz compares average to his running buddies and the weighlifters compare average to the guys they see at the gym. The boys in this gym class had been going to the fitness center for most of the school year and had access to it after school.
By the way, I have done the same experiment with pull-ups at several schools. I'll usually find 1-2 boys who do 14-15 pullups. The majority of the boys can't do one pullup with decent form.
This is true. People tend to normalize to themselves or their own "normal." Your pullup story is a good example. I've mentioned I'm in the Marines, where pullups are a major part of our fitness test. As a result, what I consider "average" may be a little higher if I fail to distinguish the "average joe" from the "average Marine." It's 20 for a perfect score, and it's not uncommon to see 12+ in a group of 20 taking the test max out. Someone getting 14 or 15 may be considered average, and someone getting 10 is probably going to get made fun of by his peers. (In good humor, of course! )
The most tricky thing about talking averages is defining "average."
Unless a person is very heavy I am not sure why it would be a challenge for an average man to squat 2x his bodyweight. Let's say you weigh 170 pounds. Starting with a 45lb bar and moving up 15lbs a week it takes less than six months to get to a 340lb squat. In a similar vein, I am not sure why weightlifters think it is such a chore to do cardio workouts. They always set up a false dichotomy of running 20 miles OR lifting weights. When in reality it's quite easy to run a 10k and also lift heavy. Running is good for your heart and agility, and most sports and the military require a certain level of running endurance and speed.
As much as i despise weight lifting (by that i mean basic bench press) i can say that there were times in the army i wouldve preferred doing that instead of the routine 4-10 mile run every single duty day.
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