cardio before or after strength training

Dch102801

I do some of cardio to warm start off my routine. I heard that if I do cardio at the end of my routine i would burn more muscle then I would burn calories. What are thoughts on this?

cheshirecatastrophe

Warming up your muscles (including your heart) is a good thing in any case! Don't cut that out.

As for a strength workout versus a cardio workout, physiologically it makes zero difference to your body which one you do first. However, in terms of effort, you will be much more tired for whichever one you do second and not push as hard. Therefore, whichever piece is your priority, do first.

Article with links to the original scientific studies

Dch102801

Thanks for the information

angies6pack

My trainer told me to do a 5 min cardio warm up and then do my strength training. After that I go back and add more cardio in.

martinmcneely1

I always do 15 min on the bike before strength training and sometimes finish strength training off with 30-60 minute workout on the spin bike doing hill reps.

auddii

cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »

Warming up your muscles (including your heart) is a good thing in any case! Don't cut that out.

As for a strength workout versus a cardio workout, physiologically it makes zero difference to your body which one you do first. However, in terms of effort, you will be much more tired for whichever one you do second and not push as hard. Therefore, whichever piece is your priority, do first.

Article with links to the original scientific studies

It's so nice to see the perfect answer posted first...

ninerbuff

cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »

Warming up your muscles (including your heart) is a good thing in any case! Don't cut that out.

As for a strength workout versus a cardio workout, physiologically it makes zero difference to your body which one you do first. However, in terms of effort, you will be much more tired for whichever one you do second and not push as hard. Therefore, whichever piece is your priority, do first.

Article with links to the original scientific studies

When I was a "new" trainer, the "lift before cardio" was always the advice. I didn't research it (wasn't much internet back then), just echoed what I was told and read in bodybuilding magazines.
Like the link above, it's going to come down to preference. Personally I'm not big on cardio, so I actually split my workouts out where I'll run outside before a morning session with a client, then lift after I'm done with that client. If I try to do cardio after a lifting session, chances are I won't do it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

AllanMisner

I prefer to have them on different days. I find I can apply more intensity to the workout if it is single focus.

jemhh

This is an interesting thread because it shows that people are all over with this stuff. I usually have them on separate days. However, one day a week I do them at the same time. This past week I did my longer walk (50 minutes) on the treadmill before lifting (deadlifts and hip thrusts) and found that I liked doing it in that order much better. I felt way more warmed up and ready to go that way.

Dch102801

Thanks for information and replies been a great help

Unknown

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EvgeniZyntx

Robbo_79 wrote: »

When you weight train (lift) your muscle fibres are breaking down, in order to grow back stronger, and require glycogen to aid this process, when you do cardio your body enters an aerobic/anearobic state and burns glycogen, so if you lift AFTER cardio there isn't as much glycogen available to rebuild muscle, therefore i would always Lift BEFORE cardio.

Plus cardio even for 5 mins at light pace after lifting will help reduce lactic acid which is what causes soreness and cramps

When do you think muscle gets "rebuilt" - how long do you think it takes? In other words, the gycogen stores are (partially) depleted whether it is before or after. It's really mostly about performance during a lift, not protein synthesis which occurs during the hours/days following a training session.

Btw, it isn't that muscle fibers are breaking down, that is also incorrect. It's a process of signaling from the phosphorylation of certain proteins that then leads to muscle protein synthesis. (For details look up Akt signaling and mTOR).

Otherwise I could beat you with a pipe and you'd have these huge muscles.

emc2fit

I'm a big advocate of strength training over long cardio sessions as you may burn more calories but you're also wasting muscle which will up your metabolic rate overall. SO with this in mind I've been tailoring my training over the last few months. I recently came across a relevant article on t-nation that recommends using cardio finishers.

Personally I've loved this as it's quick, the 'bro science' of it makes sense, and after a hard weights session you're no doubt not in the mood to do long steady state cardio Give it a read if you like, I've found it helpful - http://www.t-nation.com/training/cardio-for-strong-people -

emc2fit

*however having said that, there is an argument to be made for long sessions of super low intensity cardio, like walking for an hour, after something like the cardio finishers mentioned in the article above. Something along the lines of 'high intensity cardio helps to mobilise fat cells, but you need to then employ long low intensity cardio to ensure they're used up'. Don't quote me on the science though, but I do know a few MMA fighters who use this during their cutting phase pre-fights.

MeanderingMammal

emc2fit wrote: »

...... I recently came across a relevant article on t-nation that recommends using cardio finishers.

Personally I've loved this as it's quick, the 'bro science' of it makes sense, ...

Can't tell if this is sarcasm or not...

MeanderingMammal

cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »

Warming up your muscles (including your heart) is a good thing in any case! Don't cut that out.

also worth highlighting that there is a big difference between warming up for 10-15 minutes and a CV workout. A decent CV workout needs a warmup as well.

Dch102801

ok well I'm a truck driver so I don't get a lot of walking around I do a lot of sitting all day for 10 hours a day so I don't do a lot of moving around