Can "steps" replace cardio?

[Bashmannutter]

I believe they can when talking purely from a means of increasing output. However, If training very hard 5 times a week and hitting on average 12000-15000 steps a day, do you beleive that would produce similar cardiovasicular health benefits when comparing to say 3-5 x week of 20-30mins LISS?

Im considering adding weighted vest in the morning for 20 mins fast walk (20kg vest) which usually does get my heart rate up around the 115BPM.

I use to keep up with morning cardio but fallen off the wheel slightly. I use to do the stepper, 60 mins a week but was finding it was fatiguing my legs, especially quads would feel heavy, target rate of 110kcals burnt per 10 mins. Im not heavy, cira 195lbs.

 

[bbxtreme]

It sounds like you just prefer to do cardio outdoors. Steps don’t = cardio. The heart rate, respiratory stimulation and movement do.

If you want to do it outdoors rucking with a vest I would just aim to walk faster or in an area with more hills to get that HR up a little higher to 130bpm and keep it there. Option B of course is to do HIT outdoors which also allow you to achieve a similar outcome.

 

[aimanabolic]

Absolutely agree with the idea that it’s about effort, not the activity itself. Steps can replace LISS if you’re hitting the same heart rate and time under tension, especially if you're averaging 12 to 15k steps daily and throwing in a weighted vest or incline walking.

If your goal is cardiovascular health and calorie burn, the weighted vest + fasted walking combo is a solid substitute. I use a similar approach during growth phases to minimize fatigue while still staying active.

Just make sure your heart rate stays in that 115 to 130 BPM zone consistently, otherwise, it turns into NEAT, not cardio.

On a cut, though, I still keep at least 3 or 4 steady LISS sessions or use a recumbent bike post-training to preserve structure.

 

[IFBBProDomCardone]

It sounds like you just prefer to do cardio outdoors. Steps don’t = cardio. The heart rate, respiratory stimulation and movement do.

If you want to do it outdoors rucking with a vest I would just aim to walk faster or in an area with more hills to get that HR up a little higher to 130bpm and keep it there. Option B of course is to do HIT outdoors which also allow you to achieve a similar outcome.

^This

 

[traininsane11]

For a bodybuilding purpose I think it depends how you accrued the steps if they were with intent IE in a cardio fashion (fast paced walk, piece of cardio equipment etc) then 30 mins LISS cardio or roughly 3000 steps done in the same fashion are the same if it’s purely a thing of counting steps to reach a daily target

If they’re just accrued from general movement throughout the day then no that’s just NEAT

For literal cardio for health/performance then it’s much more based on keeping your heart rate above a certain level
And ideally being able to progress it

This is how I view it at least and my cardio/steps falls into about 80% the first example

 

[Bashmannutter]

For a bodybuilding purpose I think it depends how you accrued the steps if they were with intent IE in a cardio fashion (fast paced walk, piece of cardio equipment etc) then 30 mins LISS cardio or roughly 3000 steps done in the same fashion are the same if it’s purely a thing of counting steps to reach a daily target

If they’re just accrued from general movement throughout the day then no that’s just NEAT

For literal cardio for health/performance then it’s much more based on keeping your heart rate above a certain level
And ideally being able to progress it

This is how I view it at least and my cardio/steps falls into about 80% the first example

It sounds like you just prefer to do cardio outdoors. Steps don’t = cardio. The heart rate, respiratory stimulation and movement do.

If you want to do it outdoors rucking with a vest I would just aim to walk faster or in an area with more hills to get that HR up a little higher to 130bpm and keep it there. Option B of course is to do HIT outdoors which also allow you to achieve a similar outcome.

Do you think from a "fat loss" prespective, intensive cardio produces better results? E.g. stairs

 

[Bashmannutter]

It sounds like you just prefer to do cardio outdoors. Steps don’t = cardio. The heart rate, respiratory stimulation and movement do.

If you want to do it outdoors rucking with a vest I would just aim to walk faster or in an area with more hills to get that HR up a little higher to 130bpm and keep it there. Option B of course is to do HIT outdoors which also allow you to achieve a similar outcome.

Yeah def become a point where being in the same enviornment for cardio has become very dull.

 

[Durro NoHurtNoBigShirt]

Very fast steps yes! You have to get your heart rate up for an extended period of time. Cardio is cardio (a big variety) and steps are steps. I remember when those wrist bands first came out It was all the rage. But did we really see those step counters lose weight? I would see people just standing around moving their arm back-and-forth faking steps!

 

[traininsane11]

Do you think from a "fat loss" prespective, intensive cardio produces better results? E.g. stairs

I think in the grand scheme of things it’s just calories burned that will results in the most fat lost

Plenty of nuance but as a general rule

 

[bbxtreme]

Do you think from a "fat loss" prespective, intensive cardio produces better results? E.g. stairs

I like to use periods of HIT when fat needs to come off quick. I think in the grand scheme of things that what matters most is picking the form of cardio you will stick with- steps, treadmill, rucking etc.

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

Steps can replace cardio for creating a deficit, i.e. For fat loss / cutting, it cannot for cardiovascular health benefits UNLESS you add enough of a load to make it challenge the heart. 20 lbs of weight vest won't cut it. A 60 lb ruck at a rucking pace can. That said if you go that route, and are not used to rucking, both be aware of your recovery, and wear and tear it can cause to your body.

 

[AlexDavis43]

Do you think from a "fat loss" prespective, intensive cardio produces better results? E.g. stairs

For fat loss, just go for total calorie burn - LISS or steps or however you prefer

I view cardio differently, for heart health, get your heart rate up and keep it there for a little while etc (eg, jogging)

 

[b-boy]

For fat loss, just go for total calorie burn - LISS or steps or however you prefer

I view cardio differently, for heart health, get your heart rate up and keep it there for a little while etc (eg, jogging)

I agree
I personally only concern myself with keeping my NEAT up (non exercise activity thermogenesis). This is your bodies main defence mechanism from keeping you from wasting away to nothing..LOL

I get my heart rate up as much as possible during my training and then cardio for me is simply walking outside or on a treadmill.

If I'm trying to actually do cardiovascular training then I'm getting my heart rate up as high as I can. I tend to this towards the beginning of the diet when there is plenty of fat and water on the body to burn. When bodyfat starts getting low then I use diet and NEAT to get the fat off while keeping fatigue as low as possible.

That's just what I prefer and when your the coach then you can do what the fuck you want and have only YOU to blame if things don't work out..ha ha ha

 

[qbkilla]

I only do treadmill when it's raining or I don't have time to hit the trails. I used to do it religiously on off days.

Since I switched to total steps and hiking vs cardio it's easier to keep lean, I feel better, can eat more. Why? Probably because I was only getting 3k steps ed plus 3x30 min structure cardio ew beforehand. Now 12k steps 0 structure cardio. So more total energy expenditure by tracking steps.

Love nature. I'll hike and mix some running the trails in my hikes...so a total 1.5hr hike with bursts of running...feels great

Agree with what others said about needing to get hr up for health. I think imma mix in some hill sprints soon.

 

[d4ve]

Step counting is awesome. The Garmin watch my wife got me a few years ago has basically become a bodybuilding staple for me.

Off-season - high step count keeps me leaner, blood pressure lower, digestion better, and I feel far better and less sluggish.

Prep - high step count means less time spent on planned cardio, and instead of viewing tasks as arduous, anything that keeps me on feet becomes a way to get closer to my goal.

From a CV health and performance standpoint, I don't think it replaces "real" cardio, whether that's done outside or on a piece of equipment. Outside of cases of extreme fatigue and stress, I can't see how it benefits a bodybuilder not to do some cardio year-round, regardless of how lean they stay.

From the standpoint of creating a caloric deficit and getting into shape, technically it could replace cardio...I might have previously assumed that to be impossible for all but the genetically elite, but I'm revising that opinion. It seems like there are more and more people (granted, huge, seasoned competitors who stay in good shape in the off-season) getting shredded with minimal cardio and a focus on maintaining gym performance and recovery. I.e. they don't put themselves in a position where the only way to create the necessary deficit is to eat < 2000 calories and do an hour or more of cardio per day.

 

[AlexDavis43]

I only do treadmill when it's raining or I don't have time to hit the trails. I used to do it religiously on off days.

Since I switched to total steps and hiking vs cardio it's easier to keep lean, I feel better, can eat more. Why? Probably because I was only getting 3k steps ed plus 3x30 min structure cardio ew beforehand. Now 12k steps 0 structure cardio. So more total energy expenditure by tracking steps.

Love nature. I'll hike and mix some running the trails in my hikes...so a total 1.5hr hike with bursts of running...feels great

Agree with what others said about needing to get hr up for health. I think imma mix in some hill sprints soon.

100% I do trail runs every day

Even with podcasts or audiobooks I feel like treadmill & indoor exercise bike require a lot of mental endurance. I can jog outside for an hour easy non-stop. I don't think I've ever done an hour of cardio indoors.

 

[traininsane11]

100% I do trail runs every day

Even with podcasts or audiobooks I feel like treadmill & indoor exercise bike require a lot of mental endurance. I can jog outside for an hour easy non-stop. I don't think I've ever done an hour of cardio indoors.

Agreed. A cardio kit minute feels like forever

 

[xpoc]

I think the issue is semantics. Most people equate "CARDIO" to "fat burning." The reality is, it is called CARDIO training (as in cardiovascular) for a reason. It is to exercise the heart muscle. A side effect of that is some fat burning. But, LISS (walking) is more directed toward Fat Burning, and as a side effect, it could have some minor cardiovascular benefits. When bodybuilders say they are doing "cardio" more often than not they are talking about fat burning exercises NOT doing actual cardiovascular training.

 

[d4ve]

Agreed. A cardio kit minute feels like forever

Idk what's longer...

• Microwave minute
• Plank minute
• HIIT minute
• Treadmill LISS minute

Probably a plank minute, but being real who TF here does planks?

I'm gonna go with the treadmill minute. HIIT is hard, but when the whole session is 10-12 minutes, each interval really doesn't feel that bad.

...if I was back in my first prep, doing daily doubles on stair HIIT at 30-35 minutes apiece, I'd say the stairs

 

[Treadstone71]

For me personally steps make a HUGE difference in general metabolism and insulin sensitivity. I’ve been looking back at old tracker logs where I was getting 12k+ steps daily and those periods i could effortlessly stay leaner with little to no cardio. On the other hand, months where it was maybe 6k at the most, my bf% would slowly creep up despite little change in calories. Now being aware this helps as I know to do 40-60 minutes liss to make up for the lack of NEAT.