cardio after strength training

sunman00

hi guys,

I've recently started heavy lifting, 3 days per week, 5x5

I walk for cardio the other 4 days, 4-5 miles per day (walk rather than run due to osteoarthritis in right knee), but a decent pace & fit in some good hill work

a trainer in the gym this morning said I should do 15 minutes cardio after my strength training to maximise fat burn; I lift as heavy as I can and aim for 8-10 reps before fail each and every set, plus some floor abs afterwards, so I'm pretty well fit to drop

thoughts on whether I should go for the cardio blast after lifting please?

JeffseekingV

I don't think it will affect fat burn but I do light cardio after a heavy leg day to help reduce soreness the next day.

rsharper97

I usually jump on the Arc Trainer or treadmill for about 10 minutes afterwards to stretch out a little after lifting.

grim_traveller

I do 15 or 20 minutes on the elliptical after lifting, at a pretty slow pace. I also walk 3 to 4 miles on non lifting days, also because of arthritis.

I'm not sure of how much benefit a small amount of cardio is after lifting. Heck, at the pace I go on the elliptical, I don't even consider it cardio, just a little extra NEAT. But if you aren't up to it, or aren't there yet, don't do it. Listen to your body.

Sarauk2sf

To be honest, cardio is not necessary after strength training, so only do it if you have the energy, inclination or time to do it.

There is some argument to be had with regard to substrate partitioning after strength training - the issue with this is that it generally assumes that you are glycogen depleted, which you usually are not after strength training. The possible benefit is small and the way I look at it is that doing something you are not liking is not a good use of your time. When cutting, I do 12 minutes of lazy arsed cardio after weight lifting but that is more of a cool down than cardio as I do not even break a sweat, it's that low intensity.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

I do a finisher or complex after every lifting session....takes about 10-15 minutes and that's good enough for me!

JeffseekingV

The way MFP calculates strength training, I need to do cardio to keep within my calorie counts. But cardio is one aspect that's been lacking before. So it's one variable I'm trying to change up to try to break though