Why do people do cardio at a gym?

half of the workout is just showing up (or probably what most people believe). I once saw someone walk in stand around and read a few magazines by the cardio machines for about 10 minutes and then leave. I also think people get motivated when they workout next to someone on a cardio machine. Do you ever wonder why when you're sweating it up on a treadmill or elliptical and all the ones next to you are empty, someone will jump on the one next to you?

I hate running on treadmill but once a week I hit a gym and before doing weights I usually warm up for 10-12 minutes to get the engine running. Thats about maximum I can sustain and not going crazy when running on treadmill. Its just so boring, also the air is so dry and its really uncomfortable to bread there.

Outdoors I run 9-10 miles (70-75 min) every day and never get bored.

Booties wrote:

All the butts are indoors

Exactly

I have a treadmill in my basement that I use for inclement weather. The key is to monitor your heart rate to ensure you are getting an equivalent effort as running outdoors.

Don’t run outside due to injuries. Do cardio at the gym instead. Lots of hot women there too.

GoThere wrote:

Don’t run outside due to injuries. Do cardio at the gym instead. Lots of hot women there too.

In better shape from gym workouts.

The butts are there too.

yadada wrote:

Do you ever wonder why when you're sweating it up on a treadmill or elliptical and all the ones next to you are empty, someone will jump on the one next to you?

Every day I run on the same treadmill. Day after day after day. Every so often, I get to the fitness center and somebody is working out on the machine RIGHT BESIDE my favorite treadmill. Don't those people know that's my favorite treadmill and I will soon be running on it? Unbelievable.

As much fun as it is to judge others and criticize their work outs and lame means of trying to get fit.... coming off an injury I go to the gym to use the elliptical and the treadmill. I'm reduced to walking or a slow slow jog these days I'd freeze out there doing that, where if I was actually running I'd be totally fine in the cold cruddy weather.

I try curtail my judgment because I have no idea what these folks are going through.

behind the wall so the sun isn't in my eyes...... wrote:

yadada wrote:

Do you ever wonder why when you're sweating it up on a treadmill or elliptical and all the ones next to you are empty, someone will jump on the one next to you?

Every day I run on the same treadmill. Day after day after day. Every so often, I get to the fitness center and somebody is working out on the machine RIGHT BESIDE my favorite treadmill. Don't those people know that's my favorite treadmill and I will soon be running on it? Unbelievable.

Some people have the worst etiquette! It’s like being in a 3 stall sh$tter and choosing a stall next to one that’s occupied. Totally uncalled for and weird.

taking the kids to the pool wrote:

Some people have the worst etiquette! It’s like being in a 3 stall sh$tter and choosing a stall next to one that’s occupied. Totally uncalled for and weird.

How would you choose if a guy was already in the middle stall?

It's not weird unless his foot bumps your foot.

Because some of us are cardiovacularly genetic freaks.

Akin to having an IQ of over 190

As an advocate of rational exercise, I wonder why people do aerobics (or what you call “cardio”) at all?

Winter Treadmiller wrote:

100% agree with this last point. I live in Wisconsin and a majority of the time the roads are coated in slippery snow/ice or the trails/bikepaths I normally do quality work on are not plowed. When it's time run fast over the winter, it's done on the treadmill. Easy runs or recovery runs, sure I'll run outside no matter what the conditions - you just need to dress for the cold. But for hard stuff when conditions are crappy, c'mon, your "tough as nails" is lost on me.

Michigan here, exclusive trail runner. When the trails get really nasty with ice and ruts, I go inside for some of my runs. I'm already really good at running in bad conditions and can't improve much. But getting in a fast tempo run or some intervals, then it's off to the treadmill.

Then you get those with too much perfume or cologne on the treadmill next to you. Once they start heating up it becomes unbearable. Best to find time when there's not too many people in the gym. Or get there early and be drenched in sweat when they show up. No one wants to be next to that guy!

I’m a trail runner, as is my dog, and I live just a few hundred yards off a national park boundary. Before I started my own business, though, I was limited by short days in the winter and couldn’t usually get home in daylight. I don’t care how tough you are, you don’t head up a mountain in the snow with your white dog - in the dark, in cougar country. Not if you love your dog, anyway. So you hit the gym for weights those days and get your miles in on the treadmill. Simple.

IGoToTheGym wrote:

I go to the gym a few times a week.

WITHOUT FAIL:

Everyone on the treadmills, 'bikes' and stair climber things is fat. And EVERY woman 'lifting' has something like 30 pounds on a leg machine, when they themselves weigh at least 30 pounds or more than they should. (Don't want to build muscle, you see, would make them look fat.)

I've gone for years, and this is consistent. The only things I do at the gym are things I can't do when not at the gym. I don't run, I don't ride anything, I don't go up fake stairs, I don't do sideways crap because I don't play basketball. It's not rocket science. But, slow cardio keeps you fat.

And lifting puny weights does nothing.

Lol.....and the Women with big fat thighs who are doing squats...which will make their fat thighs bigger...

I feel like taking them aside and telling them, stop coming to the gym, walk everyday for an hour, and stop eating so much...

I seriously question where you two go to the gym. I don’t question that you live with your mommies.

my eyes hurt from rolling wrote:

truthseakr wrote:

Lol.....and the Women with big fat thighs who are doing squats...which will make their fat thighs bigger...

I feel like taking them aside and telling them, stop coming to the gym, walk everyday for an hour, and stop eating so much...

I seriously question where you two go to the gym. I don’t question that you live with your mommies.

Are you the lady who I told to stop doing squats?

Good question! Doing cardio makes you better at cardio!

But what do you want in live? Be able to run a 6 min mile and look SKINNY/SCRAWNY or do you want to look BUFF/SHREDDED and RIPPED

In the end, only heavy weights in the 8-12 rep range is gonna get you their.

OK, for comparison sake, both these "athletes" spend the same amount of time "working out" (if you want to call running "working out"):

Here the runner:

http://www.runblogrun.com/assets_c/2017/04/Rupp_GalenHomeRun1a-OlyTr16-thumb-500x750-23223.jpg

And here the guy who goes to the gym the same amount of time:

https://www.fearlessmotivation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Sergi-Constance-Abs1.jpg

Who would you rather look like?

And ladies: whom would you rather date?

TheProf wrote:

After 1980 everyone became a wuss, stop running 100+ miles weeks, and has fled to hitting the treadmill, gym, and all that BS... Meanwhile there are a bunch of dudes in Kenya running twice a day on dirt, full of insects trying to give you malaria, all while trying not to get eaten by a hyena..... Think of that next time you don't want to step out the door with your North face jacket and starbucks grande vanilla BS. Thanks, you got me stoked up for my second run now.