Cardio before Strength/Weight Training?

Zeusmachine

People are often left dumbfounded when I tell them I never do any “cardio.” Of course, this isn’t to say that I never get my heart rate elevated, which, speaking technicaly, is what “cardio” really is (i.e., anything that elevates your heart rate). I elevate my heart rate all the time.

I challenge anyone to tell me that that isn’t cardio. It’s not aerobic (a sustained elevated heart rate), but it is cardio.

Even still, and this is just the strength coach in me talking, I feel that “cardio” is drastically over-emphasized in today’s society. Now, before everyone starts reaching for their pitchfork, hear me out. I am not in any way saying that including some direct cardiovascular training is wrong, or a waste of time – it’s obviously a component of a well-rounded program.



All I’m saying is that I feel it’s waaaaaaay over-emphasized, and that people have no idea what the term “cardio” really means - as if all that “BRISK” incline wallking you see many people do on the treadmill six times per week while they watch The Price is Right (or Grey’s Anatomy, depending on the time of day) is somehow superior to placing a barbell on their back and squatting it.

Please.

Again, I AM NOT saying that traditional cardio is bad, or dumb, or shouldn’t be included in a program. If anything, I just want people to understand that lifting weights can be “cardio” in nature, too! You don’t have to be on a treadmill, or stair-master, or ellptical trainer for 45 minutes a day, 4-5-6 days per week, hating life, contemplating Sepuku, in order to get a cardiovascular benefit. I know I just rocked someone’s world out there, but it’s true.

So, to summarize:

1. Older guys who admit to “watching you,” is downright creepy. Nuff said.

2. Anything that elevates your heart rate is technically “cardio.” Taking it a step further, I think it’s the semantics that people often get confused on. There’s a difference between “cardio” (elevated heart rate) and aerobic (a SUSTAINED elevated heart rate). As Alwyn Cosgrove has noted on several occasions:

“Everything that’s aerobic is cardiovascular, but not everything that’s cardiovascular is aerobic.”

3. This post is amazing .

4. Traditional cardio is important – no doubt about it – but if we’re honest with outselves, I think most would agree with me that it’s over-emphasized.

5. Donna Feldman is hot.

bregalad5

Maybe I should take the bus to the gym? Haha. I walk 1.7 miles to the gym, then lift, then swim (if I'm not too tired or short on time), then walk home.

dfonte

My goal is to be efficient...not big.

Anyways, here's what I did this week.

Monday - 30 minutes cardio
Tuesday - Weights
Wednesday - 30 minutes cardio
Thursday - Weights
Friday - Off
Saturday - AM: 15 minutes cardio, a little resistance, 15 more minutes of cardio. PM: 30 minutes cardio

It works for me

dixiewhiskey

never before; always after

jestersand

There's debates and studies on that all over the web. Personally, I do not mix the two. I do hard cardio several times a week, and in the days in between I focus on weight training. When I do cardio, I do a total of 5 miles for the day. When i weight train I only do a quick 8 minute jog in between one of my sets. It loosens my body, keeps my heart rate strong, and gets me ready for the next set. When i combined both, I did cardio first, then weight training, but my work was not all that great because I was tired after the long cardio session.