Run then Shred or Shred then run?

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kdkyzer
kdkyzer Posts: 137 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all. I've been a runner for years, and have been doing a 50 minute run each weekday morning on the treadmill. I recently started doing the 30 day Shred...I'm on day 7 of level 1. I love to run, so I do a 30 minute run and also the 20 minute Shred workout. (I only have a 50 minute window to exercise in the morning)

So, my question is this...which is the best bang for the buck. Running then doing the Shred workout, or doing the Shred workout followed by my 30 minute run? Does it matter? If so, why?

Many thanks in advance for your response!

Replies

  • spickard34
    spickard34 Posts: 303 Member
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    When I ran and did the shred I would like to run first so my muscles were warmed up. I think it is a preference thing really, I just feel like after a run I have a ton of energy all the endorphines :)
  • kdkyzer
    kdkyzer Posts: 137 Member
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    When I ran and did the shred I would like to run first so my muscles were warmed up. I think it is a preference thing really, I just feel like after a run I have a ton of energy all the endorphines :)

    Thanks for your reply!
    Yeah...that's what I've been doing. But I wasn't sure if there was a good reason to do it the other way around??
  • laura0389
    laura0389 Posts: 123
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    Ive been running for 30 minutes after shred and I notice that I have more energy. I will run first todat and then do shred to see if theres a difference.
  • Scuttleinc
    Scuttleinc Posts: 1 Member
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    I am not a runner at all.. but I would think it would be good to run before and after.. sort of like a warm up and a cool down...
    Just a thought?
    :wink:
  • liftreadphilosophize
    liftreadphilosophize Posts: 180 Member
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    To give the other perspective, if I'm going to do one immediately after the other, I prefer to lift and then do cardio so that my body can give most of its energy to lifting. I find I'm a little too tired to lift to my full potential if I do it immediately after a cardio session.

    That being said, I think the order depends on which aspect of your fitness you are most concerned with improving. If you want to improve your speed more than your strength, I would run first then lift. If you would like to improve your strength more than your speed, I would lift first. It depends on what your goals are and how they are prioritized. I am more interested in getting stronger at this point, so I want to have as much energy as possible when I lift. If you are more interested in improving your running speed and/or endurance, you will probably want to run first, especially because you're running more than 30 minutes.

    My two cents!
  • kdkyzer
    kdkyzer Posts: 137 Member
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    Thanks for your responses!

    At this time, I'm not training for any races, so working on speed or endurance isn't a priority right now. (I've run several marathons, many half marathons, and dozens of 5ks and 10ks.) However, I do want to continue to log mileage running so I don't have to start from scratch if/when I do train for something again. My fitness goal is to get rid of the flab/fat.

    Thanks!
  • liftreadphilosophize
    liftreadphilosophize Posts: 180 Member
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    If you want to get rid of fat/flab then I would making lifting heavy your priority! :-)
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Shred first. You need power to get through that workout. Then worry about running.
  • amy_wills
    amy_wills Posts: 37 Member
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    The Shred, or any type of exercise with weights, is a better bang for your 30 minutes, than aerobics for greater fat burn. (And Im a marathon runner)
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    both, mix it up.
  • perfectionisntme
    perfectionisntme Posts: 205 Member
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    I tired it both ways and I like running before I did the Shred. Doing the Shred before I ran fatigued my muscles a little too much, so it took more energy for me to push through my run.
  • amy_wills
    amy_wills Posts: 37 Member
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    Might I also add, that if your goal is to burn fat/flab, than you'll want to do HIIT on our treadmill, rathe than just straight up running. It's shown to burn more fat in 30 minutes than 1 hour of running -- now that's EFFICIENT!! There are lots of internet articles on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). For example, what I do is 5 minutes of walking for a warm up. Then I crank the treadmill up to 8-8.5 for 1 minute. Then, I bring it back to 4.0 for 1 minute. Then I crank it back up to 8.5-9.0 for 1 minute, then I bring it back down to 4.0. Alternate like this for up to 30 minutes and you'll have entered a fat burning zone faster than 50 minutes of running (Plus, you'll work on your speed).

    Do HIIT 2-3 times a week.
  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
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    Shred first. You need power to get through that workout. Then worry about running.

    agree

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