Why is the Cardio “Myth” So Widespread?

There are lots of fitness sites out there that push the “cardio is completely useless” idea. From a certain perspective, they’re right — strength training is far more effective and will achieve, faster and more efficiently, the kind of body that I’m betting almost anyone doing endless cardio wants to have.

I’m not talking about big, cut muscles here — I’m talking toned, lean, firm. But instead of just attacking all cardio and hoping you’ll come around, I want to approach things from a more neutral territory. It takes a lot for people to dip their toes in the waters of fitness and healthier lifestyles, and I don’t want to scare you away by suggesting “everything you’ve learned” is wrong.

So let’s look at this step-by-step, and see just why cardio is such a focus, and what we can do to push the focus towards strength training without alienating the newcomer.

First — It’s Not Really a “Myth”

People lose weight and burn fat by doing only cardio. Anyone who tells you otherwise is exaggerating — there’s no question that doing cardiovascular exercise, going for runs, using a stairmaster for hours — whatever — will make a change in your body. You’ll burn calories.

The myth is that this is the only way to burn calories, or that it’s anywhere near the most efficient. It just takes way too long to “get in shape” with cardio alone, and it’ll never really do much for your lean muscles, your tone, or a whole bunch of other things you probably want to deal with.

Cardio isn’t really a myth — it’s just an exaggerated, torturous solution.

Sweat — Not Grunting — Sells

Part of the reason cardio is so well-represented in the fitness world in general, the reason gyms are built around it and feature it almost exclusively sometimes, is because it’s the easiest way to “sell” exercise.

Weightlifting and strength training are fine, but if you ask any marketing director involved in wide-market fitness work, they’ll tell you that there’s still a strong bias towards weights being for men only, specifically for ‘gaining muscle’, and cardio being the only dedicated weight-loss solution. Lots of these pros probably know better and would prefer a different situation, but sometimes you have to move product rather than re-educate the public.

Weights Aren’t Sexy Enough (Yet)

Beautiful women sweating and jumping around and doing a lot of cardio, or yoga, or stretching, or pilates, or whatever — this stuff is just easier to push, easier to market, and easier to use in order to get someone interested in fitness for the first time.

Weights are just too intimidating for a lot of people, which is partially why machines are so prevalent in gyms, too — they’re like a step up from cardio machines, help beginners ease into weight training, and are far less culturally intimidating for a lot of people than barbells, dumbbells, free weights, or kettlebells.

How You Can Change Your Habits

Cut your cardio down. Don’t go to the gym and just do cardio — you’re missing out on a golden opportunity (the fact that you’re in the gym) to burn more calories, more effectively, and lose more fat through strength training.

Talk to a good trainer about the most effective way towards fat loss, and you’ll be opened up to a whole new world, one away from the grind of endless, repetitive cardio and towards the challenging, flexible exercises you can only get with free weights and compound workouts. You won’t regret it.