Cardio before or after?

kksmom1789
kksmom1789 Posts: 281 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Should you do cardio before or after you lift weights?

Replies

  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,008 Member
    Goals?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    kksmom1789 wrote: »
    Should you do cardio before or after you lift weights?

    Depends on what you're doing...cardio is a broad term and could be anything from going for a walk to aggressive interval sessions. Same with weights...depends on how you're training. It would also depend on what is more important to you...moderate to higher intensity cardio before lifting is more likely than not to negatively impact your lifting session...conversely, a hard lifting session is going to negatively impact a post lift cardio session, particularly if your cardio is training for something and you're trying to hit certain milestones and whatnot.

    I do a full body 3x per week lifting program and I typically do cardio on my non lifting days. On lifting days I might get on the stationary bike for 5 or 10 minutes for an easy spin before lifting just to get the blood flowing...it isn't taxing cardio though. I usually do the same afterwards to cool down...but again, it's not really taxing like training would be.



  • Alinazumba
    Alinazumba Posts: 1 Member
    What works for you? Sometimes, I don't have the luxury of doing cardio on subsequent days. So I cram weights and cardio in on one night. It does not affect me, though I tend to be more tired if I do weights followed by cardio. Recommend cardio first...then weights....only because weight training (for me) drains so much muscle energy in the moment. Also, eat -- or power up beforehand.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Your priority on which you need/care to perform better on and when you most feel the fatigue from your chosen activities will decide the timing. (These will vary from person to person).

    For instance, I'm most fatigued the day after lifting, so I won't do a lifting session the morning of the day before my harder/faster rides (fatigued = dropped). Ditto to being weaker in the gym (and not successfully meeting the weight/reps I had planned) the morning after a hard ride. So I tend to schedule for the same day (gym in morning bc not the overcrowded 7th layer of Hell it is after work; group rides after work at their scheduled times.
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    ritzvin wrote: »
    (although, alas, I'm doing neither at the moment - broke my collarbone in a crash last week).

    ouch :( sorry to hear that! heal up fast!
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    thanks
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Yes.
    No.
    Maybe.
    Depends.

    Question is far too vague and no-one knows your goals or even what you mean by "cardio" (Type? Duration? Intensity?)

    e.g.
    I cycled to and from the gym and did weights for an hour today - no training or recovery conflict.
    I cycled a brisk 100km on Sunday - that would be a huge training and recovery conflict if I tried to do strength training either before or afterwards.
  • kksmom1789
    kksmom1789 Posts: 281 Member
    Sorry my goals are to lose weight I usually do 30-45 minutes of cardio 5x a week at the gym either treadmill or eliptical nothing crazy I want to start doing the weight machines but I’m unsure if I should do it before or after cardio I’ve heard reasons why for both just wondering what is the best and what everyone else does
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,008 Member
    kksmom1789 wrote: »
    Sorry my goals are to lose weight I usually do 30-45 minutes of cardio 5x a week at the gym either treadmill or eliptical nothing crazy I want to start doing the weight machines but I’m unsure if I should do it before or after cardio I’ve heard reasons why for both just wondering what is the best and what everyone else does

    Personally I would not do them in the same session.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    kksmom1789 wrote: »
    Sorry my goals are to lose weight I usually do 30-45 minutes of cardio 5x a week at the gym either treadmill or eliptical nothing crazy I want to start doing the weight machines but I’m unsure if I should do it before or after cardio I’ve heard reasons why for both just wondering what is the best and what everyone else does

    As your goal is apaprently solely to "lose weight" and Myfitnesspal has you eating back exercise calories it makes no significant difference at all.

    Reasons to do cardio first would be because CV fitness is your priority, reason to do strength training first would be because that's your priority.

    To do both to the best of your ability would be a good reason to do them on different days/different sessions.
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,024 Member
    I work out 6 days a week and alternate days between my cardio and weight training.
  • pdmatthews
    pdmatthews Posts: 37 Member
    I’d also advocate splitting weights and cardio sessions

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