Handling "Shouldn't I be Doing Cardio" Question from Girlfriend

[stlrick]

After seeing the progress I've made on the program, (I'm 54) my 58 year old girlfriend is interested.

In an ideal world, she would want to lose about 10 lbs around her middle.

I've told her you cannot spot reduce along with her weight situation being an ideal one to start a lifting program.

I'm don't think she really believes me about this being a better path than cardio.

Thoughts on what I could tell her related to not needing cardio (or anything else exercise related)?

Rick in St Louis

PS: We are going to pickup a bench that has a squat rack along with a set of olympic weights from Dick's tonight. (I have a light bar in case 45 lbs is too much for some lifts.) I could not believe some of the crazy - overly complex machines that are available for home use. There was this $7000 "cross-fit approved" monstrosity with the squat device connected to poles so you "don't blow out your knees". I'm thinking who buys this stuff....

[carson]

The people who buy this stuff have not researched much of anything of value.

To your main point: I began at age 66. I'm 5'10" and weighed 215. My waist then 44,and chest 46. After nearly 6 years of lifting I weigh 226, waist 39, chest 49. I do very little cardio outside what the lifts themselves do for me, once a week 1/4 mile on the treadmill, and once every week and a half I push the prowler around 480 feet. I'll take it.

[Mark E. Hurling]

In a similar vein to what carson said, lifting, IMO, has a cardio training effect. A check of one's pulse with a heart rate monitor produces some sustained and surprising heart rates. This burns calories and so does the additional muscle lifting produces. Although telling her that might spook her on getting too bulky.

[Adam Levine]

Let's start with postulate #1. She's your girlfriend, therefore, you will be unable to convince her of anything.

Hand her the Barbell Prescription. For her, that's probably a better first book than SS.

Ask her about her priorities.
- If she really wants to get strong, show her the LP parts in BBP and explain that she probably won't lose weight on it. I'm assuming you didn't!
- If her priority is a mix of stronger and weight loss, barbell train without a strict LP. The barbell works without LP, just not as fast. She can have some cardio and even a moderate weight-loss diet. She'll still get stronger. The closer she gets to LP, the faster she gets stronger.
- If her priority is health, well, Sully covers that in BBP and pretty much decimates other options.

-->Adam

[LarryLohkamp]

It is popular in the SS community to denigrate and eschew conditioning. That is not supported in the literature for masters. BBRx devotes an entire chapter to it. Quote from the chapter, “Conditioning, also known as endurance or “cardio,” is an essential component of the complete exercise prescription, magnifying the metabolic, cardiovascular, and performance benefits of strength training.”

In another place (can’t remember where in BBRx) it says that we train to live, not live to train.

The best way to lose the belly fat is to push away from the table. You can’t out exercise bad diet. Initially strength should be the priority, with more and more conditioning added as she progresses to intermediate… but better yet, get a copy of BBRx and read it, all of it.

Larry

[carson]

I've been active in SS for six years. I never knew or was told that the "SS community"...denigrated and eschewed conditioning. Fascinating. I learn something new everyday. I must ask Sully about this. Have you ever pushed a weighted prowler?

[Mark Rippetoe]

It is popular in the SS community to denigrate and eschew conditioning.

Fascinating.

[Fulcrum]

I've been active in SS for six years. I never knew or was told that the "SS community"...denigrated and eschewed conditioning.

.

I do very little cardio outside what the lifts themselves do for me

[stlrick]

It is my limited understanding that cardio can slow down the strength process. The thought being get strong then get thin if that is your goal.

(Besides, an occasional bike ride or walk isn't going to make that much difference when the weather gets nicer.)

In terms of the girlfriend, I'm thinking she will be a good candidate for several reasons.
1. She doesn't weigh herself - so any weight gain via muscle will not be noticed.
2. She is a worker bee in the yard so she already has a basic strength level.
3. We've invested money in the weights/bench - she is too frugal to have it sit.

I've brought over the Barbell Prescription book, but I get the sense she would rather just be told what to do (for this particular topic anyway!)

We are going to watch the Starting Strength video and start her program. I have a light bar and some misc weights to build toward using the olympic bar. I wish the olympic set included more smaller weights (the 35 lb would be much more useful as a 1-10, 2-5s and 2-2.5s) but small weights are pretty cheap.

Thanks for the advice - this is a great board.

[carson]

Fascinating.

Yeah, as I wrote. It's news to me.