Cardio before or after weight lifting?

msmarieann

my trainer used to have me do 10-15 minute warm up on elliptical or treadmill then weights, then finish with a cool down of 10-15 on the elliptical or treadmill.

It helped to keep my soreness to a minimum.

bostonwolf

I generally do my cardio before lifting. I do a full body workout and elevating my body temperature like that helps loosen everything up.

I do about 30 minutes of elliptical befoe lifting, this is not enough to tire out my muscles. I generally do an hour of cardio on non-lifting days and I will try to get the point where I'm just a bit sore at the end of the workout then.

billsica

I'd say cardio after weights.

If you fall off the tredmill, big deal. If you drop the bar on your neck, its going to hurt/kill you.

jacksonpt

my trainer used to have me do 10-15 minute warm up on elliptical or treadmill then weights, then finish with a cool down of 10-15 on the elliptical or treadmill.

It helped to keep my soreness to a minimum.

I don't think warm up/cool down counts as cardio work.

byrnet18

I do weights first, cardio second. Don't know if it really matters when it comes to fat burning though.

CyberEd312

After

firstsip

I do my strengh training on days I'm doing cardio, but for awhile I was doing "mild" cardio (just jogging) after strengh training because Jamie Eason recommends doing cardio AFTER lifting, because there's a "better chance to burn fat that way."

I don't know how much I ascribe to that, but I do know I stopped doing both on the same day because I felt exhausted within a few hours, versus energized like I do when I do ONLY cardio or ONLY strength training on a day.

bsix3

for me doing cardio first gets my heart rate up to the anerobic zone so when it's time to hit the weights my heart rate is in the fat burning zone during my weight training.

trud72

:noway: JUST DO BOTH!

it cant hurt! :drinker:

Asavitzk

Ideally I try to do both. Light cardio (ie - walk/jog/hike on the treadmill) first, then weights, then heavy cardio (ie - run on treadmill or high intensity elliptical).

The thinking behind starting with some light cardio is to at least get the heart rate elevated which will let me burn a few more calories during the lifting. Maybe not a huge difference but enough of one that I care. I try not to burn too much energy on the pre-weight cardio though otherwise I won't have enough left to put in a good lifting session.

I find the sandwiching of it with cardio at the beginning and end works best for me.

karlichelle18

I typically do it after.

but I like to mix things up as well, sometimes I'll do it before. Or both before and after.

Do your workouts ever work the same muscles? i.e. do you go run after leg day? or do you only run after upper body work?

If one can run after leg day, then they might want to reconsider their workout routine.

Not necessarily.....you can vary intensity according to any number of variables. It's a lot to assume someone's workouts weak just because they can do a leg workout after a run one day....

bugaha1

I don't do heavy cardio on the same day as weight lifting, but if I were doing both on the same day, I'd do weight lifting first.

If I do weight lifting first, and I'm pooped, I'll just go a little slower on the cardio. Speed doesn't matter much... if you run 3 miles at 5mph or at 7mph, the calorie burn will be close to the same.

But if I do cardio first and get all tuckered out, my form is going to be sloppy when lifting, which could result in injury.

Good answer!

---

^ it's so much easier to get hurt during weight lifting.

embercakez

I typically do it after.

but I like to mix things up as well, sometimes I'll do it before. Or both before and after.

Do your workouts ever work the same muscles? i.e. do you go run after leg day? or do you only run after upper body work?

If one can run after leg day, then they might want to reconsider their workout routine.

Not necessarily.....you can vary intensity according to any number of variables. It's a lot to assume someone's workouts weak just because they can do a leg workout after a run one day....

Oh I can do leg day after running just fine, its when I try to run after working legs that i cannot do. :happy:

graceylou222

i don't think burn wise it matters but i can't do cardio first. it leaves me like a noodle and wanting a nap. not good if im trying to lift something heavy afterwards.

this is how I feel too. I usually do weights first. I have heard that it is better to do cardio first though.

Goal_Line

I typically do it after.

but I like to mix things up as well, sometimes I'll do it before. Or both before and after.

Do your workouts ever work the same muscles? i.e. do you go run after leg day? or do you only run after upper body work?

I can't run due to knee issues. My cardio is walking, machines and bike riding.

Upper body days I typically do cardio unless I feel my legs need a little more rest.

Lower body days it depends: My weight program currently rotates between 6x3 (90 sec rest), 5x6 (90 sec rest), 3x12 (60 sec rest) and 2x25 (30 sec rest). I find on the 6x3 and 3x12 days I have enough left in my legs for cardio. The 5x6 and 2x25 not so much.

mikeg5

Try doing interval training with light weights in between. So run/jog/walk uphil for 2 minutes then during your 1 minute rest period, do light weights. It's a good way to keep your heart rate from "steady state" and cuts down workout times.

This is just a thought but it worked for my clients.

fishgutzy

I swim 2 miles before lifting. My muscles and joints are well warmed up then. I suspect those of us over 50 find more benefit from the warmup before lifting.

Azdak

This is one of the most common--and most pointless --arguments in fitness. The question is relevant for maybe 5% of the population, yet the other 95% argue about it incessantly.

This is one of those areas where almost all of the "common wisdom" is wrong. Do whatever you want and whatever is aligned with your goals.

Robrowald

I do Cardio after Weights. I usually do 30-60 minutes of weight training then 1-1.5 hours of cardio. Great way to start the day off

WendyTerry420

I do both and mix it up. My typical workout will be a little cardio for a warm-up, then stretching, then some push-ups and sit-ups, then a few minutes of cardio, then some leg exercises, then more cardio, then stretch some more and a cool-down.

alienrite

I do them together with cardio first for a warm-up (low intensity) then I lift once I am warmed up and then another low intensity cardio session to keep the blood pumping. I have found this is a great way to avoid the pain of lactic acid build up. I use a HRM and keep my heart-rate for the low intensity in the 60% to 65% range for about 15-20 minutes before and after. The best research I have found indicates that heavy cardio and heavy lifting should be separated by many hours since they trigger different metabolic processes and tend to interfere with progressing in either one. I am not "training" to run or for significant muscle development and find my combining them is a good base-fitness developer and helps with the fat loss. I plan on modifying my workouts as I progress beyond a simply fat loss mode

TubbsMcGee

You're gonna get opinions in either direction.

But from my experience, it makes no real difference. I've tried it both ways with the same results.

My advice would be to do the one that is harder for you first, so you are not drained by the time you get to the second half and can't push hard.

Great answer. This is what I do as well.

Agreed.

I used to always do it before to get it out of the way, then one day I decided to switch it up.
I think my body liked getting out of routine.
Now I do a little bit before weights, some after weights, back to weights, and I finish with some more cardio.

I like to sweat.

krithsai

I do whatever I feel like on that day. But then, I have noticed that I have no energy for cardio after I do strength. So recently, I am leaning more towards cardio before strength or I just split them and put it a separate 20-30 min cardio session.

KS_4691

I typically do it after.

but I like to mix things up as well, sometimes I'll do it before. Or both before and after.

Do your workouts ever work the same muscles? i.e. do you go run after leg day? or do you only run after upper body work?

I wish there was a "like" button
If one can run after leg day, then they might want to reconsider their workout routine.

KS_4691

I typically do it after.

but I like to mix things up as well, sometimes I'll do it before. Or both before and after.

Do your workouts ever work the same muscles? i.e. do you go run after leg day? or do you only run after upper body work?

If one can run after leg day, then they might want to reconsider their workout routine.

I wish there was a "like" button

(put my comment in the wrong place last time...whoops)

migdalp

You're gonna get opinions in either direction.

But from my experience, it makes no real difference. I've tried it both ways with the same results.

My advice would be to do the one that is harder for you first, so you are not drained by the time you get to the second half and can't push hard.

Great answer. This is what I do as well.

I second that!!

hughtwalker

basically, whatever floats your boat that day - it is the variety that staves off the killer of any solo session - the mind crushing BOREDOM of knowing you have another 25 minutes to go before you can have another 30 minutes of "fun, fun fun" - then the pituitary kick in and it seems more okay - SOMETIMES.

ptjolsen

IMO after.

Goal_Driven

after, you'll burn more calories during your cardio since you continue to burn cal's after weights.. and your heart rate will be up already for your cardio win!

yoovie

10-15 minute high to moderate intensity cardio warm-up FOR A BETTER LIFTING SESSION! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO