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

[Adam Levine]

She want's the shorthand BBP on this topic. Condensed version:

Yes, she should do cardio (rule #2 - start by agreeing with her), just not at the very beginning. Get stronger first, learn form. Then, she will be stronger and can do cardio better, which makes it more effective. Consider the first month or two of strength training an investment in making all the rest easier. (At her age, she'll be advanced novice or early intermediate in no time if she trains consistently)

Also, show her the HIIT vs. LSD argument, which she probably knows already since it's in every fitness article nowadays.

-->Adam

[Cheesepuff]

I like the way Rip explains it as lifting increases the "size of your motor".

So you expand your capacity for everything, including burning calories at rest and during activity.
Basically you become a better "calorie burner", instead of just spending massive time burning fewer calories.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I like the way Rip explains it as lifting increases the "size of your motor".

So you expand your capacity for everything, including burning calories at rest and during activity.
Basically you become a better "calorie burner", instead of just spending massive time burning fewer calories.

While true and correct, this usually has to be broached carefully to many women. Especially women of a certain age who have been getting anti-muscle indoctrination their entire lives.

[hondotbt]

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

When I first started doing this it was one of Rip's early podcasts that spoke to getting stronger as a priority for the novice would help with all other athletic endeavors. And I've shared on this forum about choosing other activities after my first NLP and had a bunch of support.

[granny]

I would just have said I'd welcome a training partner if she wants to try it, and let her make up her own mind....

[Nockian]

Osteoporosis - one of the key issues for older women and there is data showing that resistance training with increasingly heavy weights can slow it down. That was one of the reasons my wife was keen to get started lifting. Cardio isn't anywhere near as effective.