Cardio / Strength training

sawyermark

Is it true you should do strength training before you do cardio? Way I been doing it I go to the Y and do 30 mins on treadmill running / walking then every other day I do either stair stepper, elliptical, or arc trainer. Afterwards I spend 45 to 60 mins doing Jefit Sample Beginner routine with the free weights for strength training.

mmapags

You'll get differing opinions on this but I think, other than a 10 minute cardio warm up on lifting days, they should be done on seperate days. Both, if done with intensity affect the Central Nervous System. If you are doing each with the right intensity, you shouldn't be able to do both in the same session and will get overtraining symtoms if you do for a period of time. I alternate and also throw is a couple of rest days in a week.

jacksonpt

It's less important if you are working different muscles, or if you're using light weights. No way would I do heavy squats after any significant amount of leg-based cardio.

SassyCalyGirl

a short warm up before strength training-then cardio is what I have always been told

rmhand

it depends on your goals. I do a 10 minute cardio warm up. Then lift for 30-40 minutes. Then do 20-40 minutes of moderate cardio. I have heard this helps your body burn more fat during cardio because your body will burn through the carbs first during strength training.

misswhitneyyy

I find that it depends on the individual, but the common arena of thought is that to do cardio before you lift tires you out and thus your strength gains won't be as substantial. My routine is to do warm-up lift sets, working lifting sets, and then at least 20 minutes of cardio afterward. It is not HIIT or anything intense, just steady cardio and keeping my heart rate at a certain level.

tlhorsley

You'll get differing opinions on this but I think, other than a 10 minute cardio warm up on lifting days, they should be done on seperate days. Both, if done with intensity affect the Central Nervous System. If you are doing each with the right intensity, you shouldn't be able to do both in the same session and will get overtraining symtoms if you do for a period of time. I alternate and also throw is a couple of rest days in a week.

^^^ This. I agree you are going to be a lot of different answers. I use to do the whole lift and then do a 30 minute cardio and then learned through this site and my own research, just as stated above, that if you are lifting heavy enough you just aren't going to be able to do the long cardio afterwards.

melaniecheeks

Its not that important - do what works best fro you!

sawyermark

Thanks

Jersey_Devil

i do only 5 minutes warmup on treadmill...then lift weights...then when I'm done ill do 15-20 minutes tops of high intensity interval training (30 seconds intense, 1 minutes "resting" )on treadmill elliptical or bike.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

My trainer told me that it all depends on which gains I wanted more. If I wanted to gain more with running than I should run first, I want to lift more weight faster i should lift first.

Buckeyt

it depends on your goals. I do a 10 minute cardio warm up. Then lift for 30-40 minutes. Then do 20-40 minutes of moderate cardio. I have heard this helps your body burn more fat during cardio because your body will burn through the carbs first during strength training.

Exactly, what are your goals!

If you want to lean out, Weights then cardio. That's they way body builders get their BF% down when heading into a competition. That and spot on diet. Think about it, You need to be fresh to give any serious lifting routine it's all, then go and do 30 minutes on the treadmill or whatever.

If you want to add mass, cardio is pretty counter productive to adding muscle.

heybales

Depends on focus of your goals.

Do you want to get the most out of your time and energy put into lifting weights?

Then for lifting to be at max, slow brief cardio for warmup only.
Following cardio can be tad longer, but still Recovery zone, preferably of different muscles just used.
Next day should also we different muscles if you do cardio or lifting again. If same muscles, again recovery zone.

They'll only get stronger if they can recover. If you put a hard load on them before healed, you aren't getting the max benefit from them.

Or,

Do you want to get the most focus from your cardio, and lifting weights is just to keep some strength and perhaps balance between muscle sets use and not used in cardio?

Cardio first, anything but HITT, and then weight lifting. You won't lift as strong on muscle just used, but doesn't matter, because you also won't need as much recovery the next day, because you aren't making those kind of improvements to muscle.

HIIT is more like strength training, and only needs cardio warmup briefly, followed by cardio cooldown - and rest or recovery level the next day.

sawyermark

Depends on focus of your goals.

Do you want to get the most out of your time and energy put into lifting weights?

Then for lifting to be at max, slow brief cardio for warmup only.
Following cardio can be tad longer, but still Recovery zone, preferably of different muscles just used.
Next day should also we different muscles if you do cardio or lifting again. If same muscles, again recovery zone.

They'll only get stronger if they can recover. If you put a hard load on them before healed, you aren't getting the max benefit from them.

Or,

Do you want to get the most focus from your cardio, and lifting weights is just to keep some strength and perhaps balance between muscle sets use and not used in cardio?

Cardio first, anything but HITT, and then weight lifting. You won't lift as strong on muscle just used, but doesn't matter, because you also won't need as much recovery the next day, because you aren't making those kind of improvements to muscle.

HIIT is more like strength training, and only needs cardio warmup briefly, followed by cardio cooldown - and rest or recovery level the next day.

Thanks I'm pretty much wanting wanting to get to where I can run a 5 k / lose about 25 more pounds. I been doing the strength training to help maintain what I do have. Plus I've read it's great for also 8-)

heybales

Thanks I'm pretty much wanting to get to where I can run a 5 k / lose about 25 more pounds. I been doing the strength training to help maintain what I do have. Plus I've read it's great for also 8-)

In that case, depending on number of days working out, you could have a nice arrangement. Very true lifting burns fat too, not during the session, but in recovery.

If you have an interval type day, or a day where you really are pushing the run hard, then the follow up day could start with that cardio in the aerobic zone, or recovery zone if intervals, followed by weight lifting of different muscles if interval, or all over lifting if just a hard run previous day.

That way even the hard cardio day gets recovery. It doesn't need as much as lifting, but it does need some.

Then the day after that recovery day, you can hit it hard again on running.

rwarner430

When you do cardio after strength training you can actually help break up the lactic acid you built up during your workout. This way your muscles are less fatigued and you can do more the next time.

mmapags

It's less important if you are working different muscles, or if you're using light weights. No way would I do heavy squats after any significant amount of leg-based cardio.

That's my assumtion Jackson. I'm thinking lifting is "go big or go home"! LOL

heybales

When you do cardio after strength training you can actually help break up the lactic acid you built up during your workout. This way your muscles are less fatigued and you can do more the next time.

Contrary to popular belief, the lactic acid built up by the brief anaerobic periods while lifting is easily converted to glucose to use as fuel.
Only at high intensity cardio do you hit that lactate threshold where your liver can't convert fast enough, then you get that burning sensation.

Burning from lifting may be some quick localized lactic acid the blood quickly shuttles out. Anything remaining is the micro-tears the load is causing, which you want to repair stronger.

The benefit you mention which is great is because blood flow into the muscle aids repair.
But, it must be calm enough to not add it's own load and cause re-tearing or more, so usually called the Recovery HR zone, also the fat-burning zone.

And very true, given the rest, does allow doing more next time.

TrainingWithTonya

Most of the certifications I've taken have said to work according to your goals, with a brief warm up and then the type of training that needs the most focus first. However, National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist materials recommend to train based on the metabolic system being used. After a dynamic warm-up, short duration, high intensity exercises (Think Plyos and Power Exercises) should be first because they will need the Creatine Phosphate System, which is used up quickly at the onset of any exercise. After that, then exercises for the Anaerobic System (Weight Training and High Intensity Sprints) should be next because that is the system that the body is most wanting to use. The workout should be finished with Aerobic System exercises (Cardio and Flexibility) because the body will be using the aerobic system more toward the end of your workout. This is what made the most sense to me, personally, so that is how I've been training my clients. It really does work best for fat burning because you won't be wasting part of your cardio time burning glycogen/glucose in the anaerobic system and you will rely more on fat burning to fuel the cardio portion of your workouts. Plus it means that glycogen/glucose is available to fuel your lifts so you don't feel like you've hit the wall trying to lift after cardio.