Cardio or strength first? Does order matter?

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MelanieCN77
MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I would always do cardio first and then go into weights if I was doing both, but do you think it matters?

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  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    It only matters on which activity is more important to your goals.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    Meaning?
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    What are your goals with cardio and weights? You never mentioned it.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    I'm just trying to be active and burn some calories. I'm extending the periods I run for and am getting some arm definition, and am just interested in overall conditioning as well as variety in my workouts.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,116 Member
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    I always found it difficult to have the energy to focus on weights if I did cardio first.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    If your goal is to both improve strength and endurance, split your cardio and strength into separate workouts. Do one am, one pm, or on separate days.
  • mgalovic01
    mgalovic01 Posts: 388 Member
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    I just do whatever I'd rather do. It keeps me happy and coming back for more.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    Matters for me...but my goals are strength based. And if I'm not training for strength, it's hypertrophy. So I will always lift first. Who am I kidding? I always lift and just never do cardio.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    IMO it would depend on what your goals are, how hard you're going at cardio and how hard you're going at strength training. Somebody who walks on the treadmill for 20 minutes and does a light circuit weight training session could probably get away with it in whichever order they wanted. Somebody who runs hard for 45 minutes as cardio and does an intense weight session would probably find that whichever they do second suffers from the first.

    Personally I do weights first (because they're my priority) and a fairly easy half hour of cardio afterward. If I'm going to do longer/more intense cardio stuff, I do it on a non-lifting day.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    I'm just trying to be active and burn some calories. I'm extending the periods I run for and am getting some arm definition, and am just interested in overall conditioning as well as variety in my workouts.

    Well depending how long or strenuous your runs are. If you are just trotting a couple miles it can be a good warm up before lifting. If you are running longer distances, lifting probably would be best first.

    Its comes down to your preference and how you feel since you don't seem to have a goal such as running a race or building as much strength as possible.
  • uwannasaysomething
    uwannasaysomething Posts: 10 Member
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    I do resistance first. I have more strength and endurance at the beginning of my workout. I like to cap it off with cardio, which can be sprints, jump-rope, treadmill, swimming.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    rileysowner wrote: »
    I always found it difficult to have the energy to focus on weights if I did cardio first.

    same here. conversely, i bike to my gym and i've always noticed that my legs feel bulletproof on the way home. dk how long that would last in a real bike ride, and it probably also depends on how hard i push with the weights.

    lifting makes my legs a bit slow the next day on the bike. noticed that. strong, so my endurance is fine. but i just don't seem to have the acceleration.

  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    IMO it would depend on what your goals are, how hard you're going at cardio and how hard you're going at strength training. Somebody who walks on the treadmill for 20 minutes and does a light circuit weight training session could probably get away with it in whichever order they wanted.

    I've not really any idea what's hard and not. I am pushing myself but I have runner friends who would laugh at my paces. I actually run-walk for 30 or 40 minutes depending on how I feel, 3 mins run, 2 mins walk. For weights I am using anything from 5s to 15s depending. I'm 39, 5'5 160 in fair shape, I play roller derby.

  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    Chieflrg wrote: »
    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    I'm just trying to be active and burn some calories. I'm extending the periods I run for and am getting some arm definition, and am just interested in overall conditioning as well as variety in my workouts.

    Well depending how long or strenuous your runs are. If you are just trotting a couple miles it can be a good warm up before lifting. If you are running longer distances, lifting probably would be best first.

    Its comes down to your preference and how you feel since you don't seem to have a goal such as running a race or building as much strength as possible.

    That's good to know, thanks! My aim is to be in generally overall better shape for my own good but also for skating, I am on a roller derby team.
  • Misssynth
    Misssynth Posts: 179 Member
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    My goals are similar to yours, just general overall fitness, definition etc (at the moment anyway). I do my big cardio (I run for these) on seperate days to my gym based weight training and mat work. I warm up with 10 minutes cardio and cool down with the same but I'll use the bike or cross trainer so I'm working slightly different muscles. I like to put the resistance up pretty high on these to focus on the strength in my legs more than I would when running.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    Meaning?

    You will have more energy for the thing you do first.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    I would always do cardio first and then go into weights if I was doing both, but do you think it matters?

    For your workout - no it doesn't matter at all.
    Do what you enjoy.

    It matters for me though, that's why it's personal preference and goal dependant.

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