queston about the gym

alymarest

am i supposed to do weights or cardio first?

alymarest

am i supposed to do weights or cardio first?

Loretta_Jo

Talk to the people at the gym. They will know what you need to do. :flowerforyou:

neverbeenskinny

It depends on you. Some people like to do cardio first, then go to the weights as the cardio warms up the muscles and you will be less prone to injury. Some people like to lift first then go all out on the cardio machine, in which case remember to warm up before you lift. It's different for everybody. If you're working with a trainer, ask your trainer as they will have a program for you. If you're not working with a trainer, then try it both ways and see which works the best for you.

brunion

i goto the gym every day i run for 1hour i run for a half hour then i work out then i run the next half hour. it works for me some times its hard to run for an hour stright, good luck

Perry01

The best thing to do is just that if you are going to lift weights and run for 30 to 40 minutes and then do weightlifting, after that run the rest of the hour. If you do it that way neither workout is harmed by the other

deanea

Your muscles fatigue after a cardio workout, weights first to get full muscle potential then cardio if you are going to do both during the same workout. This info learned from when I had a personal trainer.
Anne

Razboo

Personally, I like to put the cardio at the end. Basically for the same reasons deanea mentions.

sundaygirl85

My personal preference is cardio first because
a) I HATE it and I like to get it over with; and
b) this means I'm good and warmed up for my weights work

Whatever works for you, as long as you warm up first so you don't hurt yourself.

Jen

icandoit

I do a 15-20 minute warm up and then hit the weights. I feel loosened up.
It is up to you. Just remember to stretch out real good first.

alymarest

thank you!!:happy:

songbyrdsweet

Weights first! Cardio depletes glycogen faster than lifting. You DO want glycogen in your muscles while you lift. You DON'T want it while you do cardio, because the less glycogen you have, the more fat you'll have to liberate for energy and conversion to glucose. Plus, if you fatigue your muscles during cardio, you won't be able to lift as heavily, and light lifting...well, that's just as useless for building muscles as invisible clothing is for covering you up. :happy:

Kimiko

I do weights, first.

By the time you finish lifting, your body is warmed up & heart rate is elevated- it's much easier on you to get your heart to the metabolic rate it needs to be at, to start/continue burning fat. I don't know about you, but after 5 minutes of running, I'm already struggling. When I lift weights first & do cardio later, I can go A LOT LONGER without struggling or muscle (calf/shin splints) fatigue!

To me, that means same amount of cardio as you would've done in the beginning of your workout, w/more fat burning potential.

megalitz

i would do your cardio first. strength training is important, but aeorbic activity is what you're going to need more of. for me, it is much more important to make sure i get in the good cardio workout that i need. if i do weights first, you tire your muscles and can't get to the level you need to be at when doing your cardio.

unless you do your weights and cardio in separate workouts. i played division one soccer in college and we lifted at 6 am, then did all of our cardio/running/practice later in the afternoon. then it doesn't matter.

but i suppose all in all, its what works for YOU, because everyone is different. best of luck to you!

azlips2003

I was told to do cardio first at my gym.

azlips2003

Fresh legs for better cardio. If you do your cardio before you lift, there’s little doubt you will do this part of your program more efficiently, which probably means at higher intensity and with a higher aerobic fitness outcome. Heavy legs and arms after weights are not conducive to a good cardio session. I’ve tried both sequences many times, and running first is my preference even without the technical considerations.
As explained in So You Want to Burn More Fat, cardio of moderate output expends considerably more energy than an equal session of weights, so if you want to maximize energy output for weight loss and aerobic fitness, doing a solid cardio session is essential.
Doing cardio first will maximize your output.
On the other hand, with attention to fueling, refueling and fluid intake, you will still be capable of a strong weights session after your aerobic session.

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

SGFlyinHi

It's up to you which you do first. Try it both ways and see which way you feel better.
When I was younger & working out 2-3 hours a day, I used to like to do my cardio first & then weights. I felt better that way. I didn't feel as depleted after cardio than after I did after weights, though I was doing heavy weights.

Now I have a hard time doing both cardio & weights right before or after each other. So now I get up early & do my cardio in the morning, then I do weights late afternoon, early evening. This has been working for me, even though I've never been an early person.

SG :glasses:

Nich0le

I do cardio first just because I can warm my body up quick. If I am doing weights I may only do 10-15 minutes cardio then on to weights and then I finish with 15-20 mins cardio.

alymarest

So I did Cardio for 10 min and then i lifted weights and finished the rest of my cardio after. Thank you guys for the tips they realy helped!!
:flowerforyou:

brazeaut

For workout ideas, especially if you are going to do weights and cardio check out www.bodyforlife.com. This will give you sample workouts and the reasons behind them and may answer some of your questions. The rest of the site I don't do much with.

I prefer to do weights first. It warms up my muscles and I feel that the cardio goes smoother. I have tried both ways. I like to use the elipitical machine so an example is that when I do that first I only seem to be able to go at 4.0 mph whereas when I lift weights first I can go steady around 5mph and it feels better.