Should You Do Cardio Every Day When Lifting Weights?

Nikkiey: What's up, WarriorBabes? Hey, everybody. Nikkiey here, and welcome to our WarriorBabe Wednesday live Q&A time together. I am so excited to be here with you guys and spend this next 30, 45 minutes, maybe an hour. We'll see how long we rock and roll here together, going through a Q&A, spending some time, making sure you guys have some clarification on whatever it is you need moving forward. So as you guys are commenting, as you guys are joining in, comment and say, hey, what's up.

Leave me the wave emoji or whatever you want to do. Just comment so that I can see who is here and who's tuning in. Plus, you guys know the drill. The more you guys comment, the visibility will rise, because the rest of the group and the community will see that we're live and they'll see the comments. It brings the video to the top of the group so that anybody who's new and has never joined one of our live Q&As before can just tap on it, join in and see that, hey, we're here hanging out right now doing a live Q&A. So as you guys are joining in, comment, say, hey, what's up.

If you guys are tuning in at a later date or time after this live Q&A is done, then just do the hashtag replay and keep all of your questions that pertain to this live Q&A here in this thread, so that Kate can come back after this is done and answer any questions that were left behind. So there's no stone unturned here. We make sure that everybody's questions get answered and you have all the answers that you need for clarification. So what's up, everybody? What's up, Heather? What's up, Carla? What's up, Beth? What's up, Courtney?

Hey, guys. Good evening. I'm excited to hang out with you guys here. We'll get started in just a few seconds. If you have any questions right off the bat that are on top of your mind, you can start commenting your questions below this video, and that way we can just dive right into the Q&A in a couple of minutes. But before we do, I want to give a huge welcome to all of our new babes who joined us this past week.

I am so stoked for all of you new guys who are part of our community. Our community, hands down, is so supportive, so motivating, so inspiring. It's really cool to see the new blood coming in and posting what you want to accomplish, why you're here, your goals, and then seeing the veterans be like, oh my God, so excited you guys are here, and just uplifting each other. It's really cool. And plus, the new babes that come in get the veterans motivated. You keep them motivated.

So it's really cool to see how our community comes together. I want to give a huge welcome to all of the new babes. Strong is the new sexy, and you're part of a community of thousands of women who are getting toned and becoming stronger, more confident versions of themselves. So welcome, everybody. What's up, Judy? Welcome to all the new babes. If you guys are new, remember, watch the Blast Off email sequence. You're going to hear me say this over and over and over again, but it's truly an amazing aspect of what you're a part of.

For the first 14 days, I'm sending you an email each day, which is one video, one task to complete. That's going to set you up for long-term success here. Don't ignore them, because that's going to help you lay down the foundations inside the programs, get your goals set, your why set, light your motivation up, light the fire in your ass up, and make the committed decision to follow through for yourself, because it's on you. You have the tools, you have the resources. This is a program that has helped thousands of women, and now you're in the driver's seat. You have to implement. You can't just think that your goals are going to happen and not take any action, or the right action, towards them. You've got to put in the work. You've got to take the action. You've got to take that step. For the first 14 days, I'm helping you get in alignment on what you want to accomplish and then go into taking the action. So those first 14 days of the Blast Off email sequence are so, so important, you guys.

Now, if you guys have questions, let's dive into the questions. Leave me some questions. I want to be able to show up here for you guys and help with any clarification you need moving forward. Never assume that you know the answer on what you should be doing. There's no silly or stupid question. There's no right or wrong question. Never assume. Ask questions, aka right now while we're on this Q&A, so that you have the right clarification on what you need to be doing, or to make sure that you are doing the right thing.

Utilizing these Q&As is so freaking valuable. If you're new, take the time to go through the course content, take the time to look at everything and set your foundations. Inside the application, go through all of the videos. I'm sharing with you the step-by-step process on getting this whole foundation set up for yourself. And if your questions can be answered inside the app, there's an entire FAQ section that my team has rebuilt, so that you can just type into the search something about rest day macros or structure during your day, and that will give you a whole article with the answer to the question that you have. So you have the app, you have the FAQs, and then you have this Q&A on a weekly basis. I'm here every single Wednesday at 6 PM Eastern Standard Time. You get to ask me directly any questions that you need clarification on. That's a huge win. And if you can't show up to the live, you can still post your question, and Kate can answer anything that was left behind.

And if you don't use any of those resources, then use the Facebook group. But never go assuming that you have the answer to your question, because then you can create this whole story in your head. You can create what you think is the right move and then find out three months later it wasn't the right thing, and then you're spinning your wheels trying to get the right thing moving forward. So make sure you ask questions. Never be afraid to ask questions. Never, ever, ever assume that you know the answer. Ask questions for clarification.

Let's dive into this Q&A. If you guys have any questions, please start leaving them so that I can answer them and kick off this live Q&A right now.

Sean says: "Would really appreciate your thoughts and advice. I read this week that women who use birth control pills have a more difficult time building muscle mass than those who do not. Is this true? About one and a half years ago, my OB-GYN put me on a low-dose birth control to regulate my periods and help me through menopause. I've been doing the program for over two years. I definitely see muscle definition, but I often wonder why it's been progressing so slowly. Now I'm wondering if it could be the birth control. What are your thoughts on this?"

So I actually talk about this in my Blueprint program, in the hormonal week. I think that's week six. Birth control is used differently across all women to manage different things, and depending on which one you go on, you can have a difficult time losing weight. Again, I'm not a doctor. I'm not your OB-GYN, so remember that, but I'm giving my personal opinion on this matter. I don't take it. I don't recommend it, because it's artificial, unless you have a reason to be taking it. This is my personal opinion again, but unless you have a reason to be taking it, like you have to manage something or regulate something, I don't recommend it.

I don't want people to take it because it can mess up a lot of hormones. If you're just taking it and you really don't have to regulate anything, well, you're adding artificial hormones into your whole system. That can make certain levels rise and certain levels fall. That's why I don't recommend it, because it can play a factor in results. Yes. Now, in terms of what you're specifically asking, building muscle, I don't know how much I believe that.

To be honest, I really don't have much research understanding on it affecting muscle mass, because if you're eating enough of the right types of food, you're in a surplus and you're doing the right types of workouts... As you age, it's going to get harder for you to put on muscle. That's just point blank, the honest truth. It doesn't mean that you cannot, but it will take time, and it depends on the body type. It depends on so many factors.

So I don't know if it has much of an effect on building muscle. But my truth, what's rooted in me, is that if you eat enough, you train the right way, you're in a surplus and you're doing the best you possibly can in your workouts, there should be no reason why you cannot build muscle, unless you've got other things medical-wise that need to be brought to the table. But it doesn't sound like you do.

So that's my personal opinion on it. I'm not an OB-GYN. Yes, I have my nursing background, but I have no deep understanding of this. The moral of the story is, if you're eating enough food, enough of the right types of food, you're in a surplus and you're doing the right types of workouts, you should be able to build muscle.

What's up, Laura? What's up, Michelle? Ah, Michelle, I can't wait for that with you on the Blueprint Q&A.

Carla says: "I'm new to the group. I have started strength training. Do I need to do cardio every day? I have asthma. Is it okay for me to walk every day instead of HIIT? Also, what are Kate's workouts that are posted meant to be? I have watched all the videos and combed through all the information. It is invaluable."

Got it, babe. So the answer to your cardio question, maybe you missed it while you were reviewing all of the information, is inside the weekly schedule. If you tap on the weekly schedule, you can see how many days you're supposed to be doing cardio. You do not do it every day. You don't do it five days a week. You don't do it six days a week. You don't do it seven days a week. I recommend just starting out at three days. And no, you do not have to do HIIT. You can choose to do steady-state cardio, which is lower-intensity cardio. You're just doing a brisk walk, or a walk on an incline on the treadmill. So it's less stress on your body compared to HIIT, which has a lot more stress.

To better your mind around cardio, I would recommend listening to the past rally calls where I talked about the difference between low-intensity steady-state cardio and high-intensity cardio. That goes for anyone in general who does cardio every single day, not specifically you, Carla. There's a massive difference, and why I recommend one over the other is really important for you guys to understand, especially if you're older, or even just in general. So that's a past rally call you guys can listen to.

But no, nobody, you guys, nobody should be doing cardio every single fucking day, unless you're a competitor getting ready for stage and you have to do that kind of work. Mark my words. You are doing yourself a disservice if you are doing cardio every single day and your ultimate goal is to build muscle and get toned, which is building more muscle. If you're doing cardio every day, you are doing yourself a disservice.

If that makes sense to you, if you understand what I'm saying right now, please smash the like button so I know it is getting across to you guys. We are not cardio bunnies. Nobody who is a WarriorBabe is a cardio bunny, unless you are a triathlete or running marathons. That calls for different measures and different training, and that's why I would recommend moving up to my higher program, so it can be more hands-on with the type of training that you're doing.

Good, the like button is being smashed right now. Beautiful. Continue to smash it, you guys, because I need you to hear that loud and clear. Do not do cardio every single day. It is a major disservice. So Carla, welcome, babe. I'm super stoked that you're here, and I hope that information helps. Oh, Kate's workouts. The weekly workouts that she makes and posts at the top of the group are just to keep our community engaged. We started those a couple of months ago when COVID first hit, to give you guys more at-home workouts so you can still have a challenging workout while at home. That's why we started doing the workouts of the week. You don't have to do them, but they're there to add in a little bit more if you're still at home and your gyms are not open. Look what the like button did. We popped up to 21 viewers. Let's go, you guys.

Laura says: "I could not lose an inch on birth control, plus the brain fog and emotions." Yeah. Again, it's my personal opinion on what I'm saying around that. It's just things that I've learned and things that I understand. I don't understand it fully, but what I do understand is that it can cause a lot of different levels of hormones to change. And you guys have got to understand, we're women.

Men are another story. When we have hormones in play, there are so many different factors you have to take into account when it comes to understanding your macros and the workouts you should be doing and all that kind of stuff. I go deeper into that in my Blueprint program, and VIP is just way more hands-on. But you've got to keep that in mind. So with birth control, unless it's something you have to be on, I don't recommend it. I don't want everybody running and getting off of birth control, though. Again, just ask your doctors and clarify it with them. That's the most important thing I can say.

What's up, Eliza? What's up, Valerie? Sean says: "Okay, that makes me feel so much better, Nikkiey. Thank you so much. By the way, I love the color of your racerback top." Thank you, you guys. It's actually Lulu. You're welcome, Sean. Again, it's my personal opinion.

I'm always honest with you guys, but just talk it over with your doctors. That's why I have to say that, to save my own ass. But I don't think birth control is important unless they're dealing with something.

That's such a hard lesson to learn. Oh, I'm sure that has to do with the cardio aspect, maybe. Eliza says: "Yeah, I had to get off birth control because of the mood swings and wanting to eat all the time." Yeah, it's crazy. It's artificial hormones. Maybe you need it because other hormones aren't doing what they should be doing, and that's why it's recommended. But here we go, going down the birth control ramp again.

If you're healthy, you don't need to be taking it. Yes, I can understand if you don't want to be popping out babies, but hey, download an app. Be aware of when your monthly cycle is and when you're ovulating. Be smart. There are other ways. I'm sure the veterans know this, but for anyone new, I am so holistically sound. I'll do anything holistic before pumping in meds and running to the ER. And this is coming from a nurse. I was a nurse before I stopped and did WarriorBabe full time. So please understand that, you guys. I will do anything holistically before you give me medications. I'm even going to try to do natural childbirth. But anyway.

Martha says: "Love your program, Nikkiey. You are a queen." Thank you, babe. It's all because of you guys. I wake up and work on this every day, making it better, making it more bulletproof, making it more valuable to you guys. You are the reason why I do this, so I appreciate you. You all rock. Thank you for putting in the work. Thank you for listening. You're the ones who listen and just apply, and you get so much further than the ones who second-guess. Like I say, this is going to be on our shirts, our logos, whatever: trust me now, believe me later. That's the biggest and most important thing for anybody who's new and listening to me for the first time. Maybe you're listening to me on my YouTube channel. If you're new and you're just coming into one of my programs, trust me now, believe me in a year.

And I say a year because that is realistic. It's not sexy for me to say that. It's not sexy for the fitness industry to say that. But it's realistic for the goals you have in mind for yourself, for decreasing fat. The fat didn't get on there overnight. It didn't get there in three months. It builds as a compound effect over time. So if you can compound over time in the right direction, eating enough of the right types of foods, working out consistently and doing the cardio you're supposed to do, that will compound, and you can believe me in a year.

Eliza says: "I took progress pics again today and got so excited and pumped. I'm loving this program. Next week will be three months." Yes. Let's go, you guys. I love, love, love it. My energy level, just from reading your success stories, goes like this. Especially from the Revolution group.

So many people think they have to join the Blueprint or the VIP, but you guys in the Revolution group just have the app, the workouts and the macros. I'm not hands-on with you, so that's even more hats off to you babes doing the work and getting the results. Fire, fire, fire. And everybody who thinks they have to join the other programs, you don't. You can be in Revolution and generate amazing results. Look at Emily Nelson. She did the interview and shared her pictures. I know she has, and it's down our thread somewhere. That's just Revolution.

It's not the programs. It's not the workouts. It's not the macros. Those are important tools. But it comes down to you implementing the work, you doing the work, you getting out of your own way, getting out of the way of your own excuses, being real with yourself, prioritizing your time and what you think is important, planning and doing the work. That's what it comes down to. And believing in yourself.

Michelle says: "Almost eight months in and can't wait for one year. Literally, your lifestyle works." You guys are going to make me want to run around right now. I've literally been sitting at the computer all freaking day, and just by coming on this Q&A with you guys, I feel like I want to go run a marathon. I love you guys. You're amazing.

That just gets me so stoked. I'm so proud of you guys. You're putting in the work, and everybody has success stories. We make a good team as well. "Almost eight months in and can't wait for one year. Literally, your lifestyle works." Yes, guys. And let me just tell you, this is me reaching back and saying, come on, guys, follow me. I'm here. I've got the answers. I've got the results. I've done the work.

I'm giving you guys exactly what I do and exactly what I've done. And y'all are putting in the work. But I can tell you, once you get here, once you establish the habits and learn the skills, and you just do it and do it and do it until the job gets done, my team will know that, and you do it over and over and over again, it just becomes a fucking subconscious habit.

It becomes just like driving a car, just like riding a bike, just like going swimming. It becomes so natural and so easy. I don't even think about it. But everybody who's just joining and just learning this, you have to learn it. You have to develop this skill. It's not going to do itself. The car's not going to drive itself, not yet at least. You have to learn how to do it. Guaranteed, it works. It's worked for thousands of women.

Come on. Let's go. I love you guys. I'm going to end on that note since I'm not getting any more questions. You all rock. Keep up the good work and just keep doing it, over and over and over again, until it becomes a subconscious habit, like riding a bike, like driving a car, like going swimming, so you don't even have to think about it.

Actually, I'm not going to end now. I'm on a rant. Because I've been doing it for so long, I was able to go to my parents' house last night, and they were like, "Oh, Nikkiey, stay for dinner." And I was like, oh shit, my macros are already worked out for today. Ah, fuck it. I'll just swipe out my egg whites and swipe out what I was going to eat and fit in a meal with them. And I did it, and I actually still had to eat more when I came home. So you guys will learn how to do that, but you have to do these small things first, over and over again, until you become a macro genius and it becomes second nature. You're doing your logs in three minutes. You're out to dinner with your friends, and oh shit, they don't have what you thought they were going to have. Swipe out, put in something new. You guys got it. I believe in all of you.

Carla, yes, it is okay to decrease the number of meals. At least get in five meals, and that's including your pre- and post-workout. As long as you hit your macros, just watch your distribution. I don't mean to overwhelm you guys, but distribution is important because you don't want to have cravings throughout the day. So just make sure you've got enough protein in each one of your meals.

Lara, I'm glad they do. I'm glad my rants teach you guys something. You all rock. I'm going to tune out. Keep up the good work, keep putting in the work, and just keep doing it and doing it. I'll catch you guys on Sunday for a rally call. Be there, because these rally calls have been lit recently. They have been on fire. If you missed the past one, listen to it. It's about social opinion. All right, everybody. I love you all. Keep up the good work, and I'll see you guys on Sunday. Bye, everyone.