Cardio before or after lifting?
paniz_s
Posts: 44 Member
Hi everyone!
I have ALWAYS warmed up and done cardio first and then moved onto machines and free weights. Is there a significant difference in starting with cardio rather than ending it with cardio?
I tend to do 10min of cardio and then 30-45min of lifting after. Thank you!☺️
I have ALWAYS warmed up and done cardio first and then moved onto machines and free weights. Is there a significant difference in starting with cardio rather than ending it with cardio?
I tend to do 10min of cardio and then 30-45min of lifting after. Thank you!☺️
3
Replies
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It depends on what is more important to you. It also depends on how your lifting and what your cardio is. A quick warm-up session on the exercise bike is a far cry different than a 20 mile ride out on the road.
I typically do a 5ish minute warm-up just to get things moving...I don't really consider it "cardio"...just a warm-up. I typically do my actual cardio work on different days as I like to optimize both aspects. I will occasionally do a ride after lifting on a Sunday...but it's a pretty easy recovery ride...no big miles and they basically feel like I'm not doing much of anything...
A quick 10 minutes before lifting seems more like an extended warm-up than an actual cardio workout to me...9 -
it depends on you. there are some who do it before and after. if you decide to do it before, do more so of a simple "Warm up" you wouldn't want to exert all of your energy into cardio and then slack on the weight lifting which IMO is much better than cardio. if you do it after your weightlifting do intervals of some sort (That's what i personally do if i'm not jumping rope in between my sets)5
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I agree that it depends on what is more important to you. My race training programs recommend to do lifting after running so that your legs aren't too tired for the run. But if you are lifting heavy, running too far beforehand will tire you out for your squats and deadlifts.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »It depends on what is more important to you. It also depends on how your lifting and what your cardio is. A quick warm-up session on the exercise bike is a far cry different than a 20 mile ride out on the road.
I typically do a 5ish minute warm-up just to get things moving...I don't really consider it "cardio"...just a warm-up. I typically do my actual cardio work on different days as I like to optimize both aspects. I will occasionally do a ride after lifting on a Sunday...but it's a pretty easy recovery ride...no big miles and they basically feel like I'm not doing much of anything...
A quick 10 minutes before lifting seems more like an extended warm-up than an actual cardio workout to me...
Thank you, this was super helpful! So maybe that’s why I’m not getting the results I want, how long should I spend doing cardio?1 -
it depends on you. there are some who do it before and after. if you decide to do it before, do more so of a simple "Warm up" you wouldn't want to exert all of your energy into cardio and then slack on the weight lifting which IMO is much better than cardio. if you do it after your weightlifting do intervals of some sort (That's what i personally do if i'm not jumping rope in between my sets)
I really like the jump rope idea! I’ll have to utilize that today when I go! Thank you!0 -
ValeriePlz wrote: »I agree that it depends on what is more important to you. My race training programs recommend to do lifting after running so that your legs aren't too tired for the run. But if you are lifting heavy, running too far beforehand will tire you out for your squats and deadlifts.
I usually do stairs before squats and deadlifts to activate my muscles but only for 5min. Is that like good?2 -
It doesn't matter to me unless leg day coincide with a planned jogging session that last at least 30 minutes then Id lift first then jog as I don't want my legs to give out on me with a barbell on my shoulder.1
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Hi everyone!
I have ALWAYS warmed up and done cardio first and then moved onto machines and free weights. Is there a significant difference in starting with cardio rather than ending it with cardio?
I tend to do 10min of cardio and then 30-45min of lifting after. Thank you!☺️
a 10 minute warm up isn't really cardio, and you wouldn't burn much more than 80-120 calories in that little time. That said, it is typically best, if doing a hard workout, to do cardio after, that way you are not to drained to push on the weights, and risk losing form and progressing.2 -
ValeriePlz wrote: »I agree that it depends on what is more important to you. My race training programs recommend to do lifting after running so that your legs aren't too tired for the run. But if you are lifting heavy, running too far beforehand will tire you out for your squats and deadlifts.
I usually do stairs before squats and deadlifts to activate my muscles but only for 5min. Is that like good?
I am sure it is fine. it is good to be warmed up before pushing weight around.
As for your earlier questions about how long should you do cardio for. It depends on your goals, weight loss and/or fitness. To lose weight you don't need to do any cardio, you could just eat less, if you want to get fit, what is the fitness goal. That said, I dislike cardio and my cardio session usually last 25 to 60 minutes depending on time or what I am doing.1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »It depends on what is more important to you. It also depends on how your lifting and what your cardio is. A quick warm-up session on the exercise bike is a far cry different than a 20 mile ride out on the road.
I typically do a 5ish minute warm-up just to get things moving...I don't really consider it "cardio"...just a warm-up. I typically do my actual cardio work on different days as I like to optimize both aspects. I will occasionally do a ride after lifting on a Sunday...but it's a pretty easy recovery ride...no big miles and they basically feel like I'm not doing much of anything...
A quick 10 minutes before lifting seems more like an extended warm-up than an actual cardio workout to me...
Thank you, this was super helpful! So maybe that’s why I’m not getting the results I want, how long should I spend doing cardio?
There really isn't a "should"...again, very goal dependent. As a matter of general health, the AHA recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly.
Personally, I walk my dog most mornings and have been paying greater attention to may general movement throughout the day. As exercise goes, I ride 3x per week for 10-15 miles a pop (35-45-60 minutes depending) and lift 2x per week with a full body program. I usually do a couple of cycling events every year so I increase my riding time when I train for those.
In regards to "results" I assume you're talking about weight...that is going to be far and away more diet related than exercise. Regular exercise has the added benefit of increasing energy expenditure, but it is generally quite paltry relative to the calories you expend just being alive and going about your day to day.4 -
Hi everyone!
I have ALWAYS warmed up and done cardio first and then moved onto machines and free weights. Is there a significant difference in starting with cardio rather than ending it with cardio?
I tend to do 10min of cardio and then 30-45min of lifting after. Thank you!☺️
a 10 minute warm up isn't really cardio, and you wouldn't burn much more than 80-120 calories in that little time. That said, it is typically best, if doing a hard workout, to do cardio after, that way you are not to drained to push on the weights, and risk losing form and progressing.
Thank you for this! I failed to mention it’s a 10min HIIT workout. I’m ideally doing cardio for weight loss purposes. I know diet is key, so I’ve been starting to really count my macros and work on changing up my workouts1 -
Hi everyone!
I have ALWAYS warmed up and done cardio first and then moved onto machines and free weights. Is there a significant difference in starting with cardio rather than ending it with cardio?
I tend to do 10min of cardio and then 30-45min of lifting after. Thank you!☺️
a 10 minute warm up isn't really cardio, and you wouldn't burn much more than 80-120 calories in that little time. That said, it is typically best, if doing a hard workout, to do cardio after, that way you are not to drained to push on the weights, and risk losing form and progressing.
Thank you for this! I failed to mention it’s a 10min HIIT workout. I’m ideally doing cardio for weight loss purposes. I know diet is key, so I’ve been starting to really count my macros and work on changing up my workouts
Not sure what your intervals consists of or how you're lifting, but there's no way I'd crawl under a barbell after one of my cycling interval sessions, nor would I do them on the same day.
What kind of a lifting program are you following? I only lift 2x per week full body, but they are very intense sessions...no way I could do my intervals sessions on the same day...if I did, one or the other would suffer and I'd be so shot to *kitten* that I wouldn't do anything but lay around on the couch all day which would be kind of counter productive...
I can only do my interval work once or twice per week tops before recovery becomes an issue.3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Hi everyone!
I have ALWAYS warmed up and done cardio first and then moved onto machines and free weights. Is there a significant difference in starting with cardio rather than ending it with cardio?
I tend to do 10min of cardio and then 30-45min of lifting after. Thank you!☺️
a 10 minute warm up isn't really cardio, and you wouldn't burn much more than 80-120 calories in that little time. That said, it is typically best, if doing a hard workout, to do cardio after, that way you are not to drained to push on the weights, and risk losing form and progressing.
Thank you for this! I failed to mention it’s a 10min HIIT workout. I’m ideally doing cardio for weight loss purposes. I know diet is key, so I’ve been starting to really count my macros and work on changing up my workouts
Not sure what your intervals consists of or how you're lifting, but there's no way I'd crawl under a barbell after one of my cycling interval sessions, nor would I do them on the same day.
What kind of a lifting program are you following? I only lift 2x per week full body, but they are very intense sessions...no way I could do my intervals sessions on the same day...if I did, one or the other would suffer and I'd be so shot to *kitten* that I wouldn't do anything but lay around on the couch all day which would be kind of counter productive...
I can only do my interval work once or twice per week tops before recovery becomes an issue.
So cardio wise I sprint 9mph for 30sec then off for 30sec and I do that for 10 min.
Then I move onto my lifting schedule. M: legs T:back &biceps W:shoulders TH: chest & triceps F:Plyo/legs S/S: rest or dance1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Hi everyone!
I have ALWAYS warmed up and done cardio first and then moved onto machines and free weights. Is there a significant difference in starting with cardio rather than ending it with cardio?
I tend to do 10min of cardio and then 30-45min of lifting after. Thank you!☺️
a 10 minute warm up isn't really cardio, and you wouldn't burn much more than 80-120 calories in that little time. That said, it is typically best, if doing a hard workout, to do cardio after, that way you are not to drained to push on the weights, and risk losing form and progressing.
Thank you for this! I failed to mention it’s a 10min HIIT workout. I’m ideally doing cardio for weight loss purposes. I know diet is key, so I’ve been starting to really count my macros and work on changing up my workouts
Not sure what your intervals consists of or how you're lifting, but there's no way I'd crawl under a barbell after one of my cycling interval sessions, nor would I do them on the same day.
What kind of a lifting program are you following? I only lift 2x per week full body, but they are very intense sessions...no way I could do my intervals sessions on the same day...if I did, one or the other would suffer and I'd be so shot to *kitten* that I wouldn't do anything but lay around on the couch all day which would be kind of counter productive...
I can only do my interval work once or twice per week tops before recovery becomes an issue.
So cardio wise I sprint 9mph for 30sec then off for 30sec and I do that for 10 min.
Then I move onto my lifting schedule. M: legs T:back &biceps W:shoulders TH: chest & triceps F:Plyo/legs S/S: rest or dance
I wouldn't do any sprinting on leg day, that is for sure! before or after lifting!
I would also suggest that that is not the best make up of a program, unless you are an advanced lifter. If you are relatively new to lifting take a look at stronglifts, starting strength or strong curves. Your split of hitting things once a week is not ideal for a novice lifter at all.8 -
ValeriePlz wrote: »I agree that it depends on what is more important to you. My race training programs recommend to do lifting after running so that your legs aren't too tired for the run. But if you are lifting heavy, running too far beforehand will tire you out for your squats and deadlifts.
I usually do stairs before squats and deadlifts to activate my muscles but only for 5min. Is that like good?
As long as you aren't too tired for your lifts, sounds like it's working for you!1 -
I always do some light 10 minute cardio type exercise before lifting as a warm-up, like elliptical, rowing, fast pace steep incline walking on a treadmill or just short treadmill run, but I don't consider it "cardio" as most people see it.
I walk quite a lot and that's mostly enough cardio for me, sometimes I run 5-10k (though not really now as it's quite cold and snowy) and in the summer I cycle quite a lot too. But normally I don't do any longer running or cycling on my gym days. That is of course matter of preference.0 -
10 min isn't so bad, the idea is just don't exhaust the muscles, or your available energy, since these impact maximal strength in lifts especially. This means it not only depends on how intense a workout you do before, but also depends on what kind of lifting: if you are going to do say 20 rep sets of a weight you aren't going to notice much of anything, but if you are doing low rep sets for strength, or say a maximal weight lift, you will probably notice a difference. So your example of "sprinting" is going to certainly reduce maximal strength leg lifts (testing whats the most you can lift for a rep or two) and is probably not ideal before doing any body part maximal lifts. But for lighter weights doing many reps its probably not going to impact either very much unless you exhaust your body's readily available energy.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Hi everyone!
I have ALWAYS warmed up and done cardio first and then moved onto machines and free weights. Is there a significant difference in starting with cardio rather than ending it with cardio?
I tend to do 10min of cardio and then 30-45min of lifting after. Thank you!☺️
a 10 minute warm up isn't really cardio, and you wouldn't burn much more than 80-120 calories in that little time. That said, it is typically best, if doing a hard workout, to do cardio after, that way you are not to drained to push on the weights, and risk losing form and progressing.
Thank you for this! I failed to mention it’s a 10min HIIT workout. I’m ideally doing cardio for weight loss purposes. I know diet is key, so I’ve been starting to really count my macros and work on changing up my workouts
Not sure what your intervals consists of or how you're lifting, but there's no way I'd crawl under a barbell after one of my cycling interval sessions, nor would I do them on the same day.
What kind of a lifting program are you following? I only lift 2x per week full body, but they are very intense sessions...no way I could do my intervals sessions on the same day...if I did, one or the other would suffer and I'd be so shot to *kitten* that I wouldn't do anything but lay around on the couch all day which would be kind of counter productive...
I can only do my interval work once or twice per week tops before recovery becomes an issue.
So cardio wise I sprint 9mph for 30sec then off for 30sec and I do that for 10 min.
Then I move onto my lifting schedule. M: legs T:back &biceps W:shoulders TH: chest & triceps F:Plyo/legs S/S: rest or dance
I wouldn't do any sprinting on leg day, that is for sure! before or after lifting!
I would also suggest that that is not the best make up of a program, unless you are an advanced lifter. If you are relatively new to lifting take a look at stronglifts, starting strength or strong curves. Your split of hitting things once a week is not ideal for a novice lifter at all.
I’ve been lifting since May, I’ve noticed incredible improvements on my body. But now I need to really focus on my diet and really counting for the summer.
Thank you for your advice, I’ll look into your style of lifting0 -
Always warm up for joint lubrication before lifting. In my opinion 10mins warm up is just right. Because I lift heavy, I tend to warm up with light to heavy challenging weight for each weight lifting exercise before i go heavy. For example, I will warm up with 135lbs on barbell bench press at 20-40 reps in one set and then begin my regular lift at 185lbs and increase the weights in each set for 4-5 more sets. I hope this makes sense.1
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Very individual depending on your goals and your needs.
I do my cardio before lifting - my bad leg needs a good 10-15 minutes no matter what to warm up enough to handle much of anything, so it's easier just to do my 30 minutes of cardio first. PLUS, I hate doing cardio, so if I knock it out first, then it gets done. I don't mind lifting anywhere near as much, so that I'm not really even going to think about skipping out on.
Some find doing cardio before hand makes them too tired to get the max out of their lifting, so evaluate your own goals and needs and go from there.
For me, strength is important, but endurance is more important, so doing cardio before ends up killing several birds with one stone.3 -
I stretch, then lift, then do minimal cardio afterwards. But I lift heavy and do squats/bench/deadlifts all in 1 session 2x/week in addition to light upper/lower workouts. Light cardio after lifting has completely eliminated any muscle soreness for me1
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PowerliftingMom wrote: »I stretch, then lift, then do minimal cardio afterwards. But I lift heavy and do squats/bench/deadlifts all in 1 session 2x/week in addition to light upper/lower workouts. Light cardio after lifting has completely eliminated any muscle soreness for me
How would you define minimal cardio? I know everyone has different interpretations0 -
I prefer to do my cardio before my weight training. Gets me pumped up and ready to go, it’s my warm up exercise.3
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"Thank you for this! I failed to mention it’s a 10min HIIT workout."
That's a bit different to a warm up (which is very much personal preference)!
No I don't think that's a good idea before lifting.
"I’m ideally doing cardio for weight loss purposes."
Then ten minutes of cardio is a waste of time and in the case of high intensity work more likely to impact your lifting performance without burning any significant calories.
You can't beat long duration for big cardio burns.8 -
Personally, I think it's best to focus on one or the other. If the "cardio" is just a warm-up, fine. But HIIT is not that. Just lift one day, cardio the next, or split your day into one a.m. one p.m. I do cardio am, lift pm twice a week. The other days may be cardio only or some circuit training.4
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I used to do a 10 min warm up before other stuff (crunches, squats, weight machines) then 20-30 min cardio at the end. Last week, I did 30 min cardio first, then other stuff & found that I had way more energy & stamina! I got through my sets of squats & crunches, etc., with much less fatigue than I normally had. It's great for me because it saves me time & I don't have to go to the gym every single day. Plus as someone else said, I hate cardio so getting it out of the way first really helps! Whatever works for you
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karla24687 wrote: »I used to do a 10 min warm up before other stuff (crunches, squats, weight machines) then 20-30 min cardio at the end. Last week, I did 30 min cardio first, then other stuff & found that I had way more energy & stamina! I got through my sets of squats & crunches, etc., with much less fatigue than I normally had. It's great for me because it saves me time & I don't have to go to the gym every single day. Plus as someone else said, I hate cardio so getting it out of the way first really helps! Whatever works for you
Thank you for this! I always hated cardio so it was hard for me to do more than just 10min. But I guess I just have find a machine I like and stick with it0 -
It really is individual I think. I do a brief warm-up like squats or jumping jacks just get the blood pumping before doing my weightlifting workout. After that, I’ll do a circuit cardio bodyweight workout. My favorite is Daily Burn 365. I find that if I do cardio first, my weightlifting form suffers. But if I do cardio after weightlifting I come into the cardio with a nice endorphin high and if I start to experience muscle fatigue I can just dial down the cardio portion of the work out. It’s easier to dial down cardio intensity then weightlifting intensity and still have good form in my opinion.1
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I work with a personal trainer, 10 minutes of cardio is a warmup before weights. I’ve been advised to save intensive cardio for after lifting. It’s much easier to hurt yourself weight lifting (especially with free weights) if you are fatigued from running.7
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Asjohnson6889 wrote: »I work with a personal trainer, 10 minutes of cardio is a warmup before weights. I’ve been advised to save intensive cardio for after lifting. It’s much easier to hurt yourself weight lifting (especially with free weights) if you are fatigued from running.
Oh I see! Thank you for this0
This discussion has been closed.
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