With all due respect, where then do you put lean mass exactly?
Your comments are incongruous and don't make scientific sense.
I have been female all of my life. Had four kids, was a fattie from the time I was a kid until after I had my kids. I was also a certified fitness professional who had clients from all walks of life, who had varied goals as well as varied limitations. As long as they worked with me (and not against themselves) they achieved whatever goal they had in mind - whether it was to gain strength and function, lose bf, become more pliable, etc.
Too much cardio will make a body CATABOLIC (which will tear lean mass DOWN). Not only that, but what is a person supposed to do once their body's metabolism adjusts to that frequency and duration of cardio to continue progress? The human body adjusts extremely quickly.
I will await your reply.