Cardio after lifting.....

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MamaRandall
MamaRandall Posts: 243 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing a lot of research lately on weight lifting, HIIT and cardio because I want to try something different with my body. All my life, I have known running as a main workout. I'm not too shabby at it and enjoy it so why not....Except, as you can guess, I eventually plateau and don't ever reach my goal body-look.

So, my new workout routine is to lift heavy and not so many reps. In doing this, I know I have to back off the cardio, and then have just read that if I want to do 30 minutes of cardio still with my workout, to do it after my lifting. I'm having a difficult time coming to terms with this I guess, so I'm wondering, who out there lifts heavy and then does a little cardio afterwards. Are you liking your results? Do you have the energy to even run after lifting?? When I am done lifting, I'm pretty much worthless for a while so I don't see how I'm going to be able to put in a short run.....

Replies

  • lucasriggs
    lucasriggs Posts: 131
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    Personally I get really jittery and have a massive surge of energy after lifting heavy and therefore cardiovascular exercise is so much easier for me!

    Though if you don't feel the same way then I guess you should wait a while before doing cardio or alternate the days you do cardio and lifting?
  • JessyJ03
    JessyJ03 Posts: 627 Member
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    If you're lifting heavy doing cardio right after weights is going to be tough. Usually after a lifting session I'm done... no energy left for cardio.
  • lesliev523
    lesliev523 Posts: 368 Member
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    I do.... but I do super easy cardio on leg days.... I am wiped out with weights usually, but I take maybe a 10 minute break... get some water... then hop on the elliptical or treadmill. I try to do moderate to fast speeds with lower intensity breaks. It works for me.
  • mbrickle
    mbrickle Posts: 23
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    I read a nutrition book once for a class...it pretty much talked about the energy requirements that go into lifting...and the point was that there really isn't enough energy in our body to support cardio after a heavy lift. That being said, if you did something relatively easy, like a walk on the treadmill at a nice pace, with a granola bar or some other form of carb in between, it should be fine. Come home and have a high-protein snack like boiled eggs, cheese, greek yogurt, etc.
  • Rynatat
    Rynatat Posts: 807 Member
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    I start out with about 10-15 mins of cardio (arc-trainer on hill interval, level 8 or 9 to really get my heart rate up to fat burning mode). Then I do strength/weight training for 60-90 mins. If I have enough time, I'll do another 10-15 mins cardio (usually upright stationary bike on a random level 6 or higher), usually after 90 mins, I realize it's going to be 1900 before I'm home, I'm hungry & I still need to get dinner together!
    But, long story short, cardio first has been working for me: seems to warm up the muscle for the abuse I'm about to torture them with. I haven't lost scale-weight lately but I'm seeing more muscle & less fat and that is what means more to me than anything else.
  • hurleycutie142
    hurleycutie142 Posts: 480 Member
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    what i do is cardio heavy weights then cardio...
    also to add i take a pre workout so thats where i get the energy to do all this

    first thing i do when i step into the gym is jog a mile at 5.0 this is a way to get my heart rate up and to get a little cardio in.. that usually takes 12 minutes...

    then i do weight training... i split it up with upper body, and the next day lower body this usually takes me about an hour or an hour and a half depending on how im feeling...

    then i do cardio again... i work on c25k which is an interval trainer im on week 4... thats about 30 minutes...

    then i do stairs which is basically my "leave my heart on the gym" type of thing... this is were i let out the last of my energy... this can go from 10 to 20 minutes depending on how tired i am...

    if u have any questions or need a little motivation add me :]
  • FitnessWithaTwist
    FitnessWithaTwist Posts: 31
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    Dont do cardio before lifting. it doesnt do anything. as much as you think it hypes you up to work out. it has no positive effect for strength training just takes more energy out of you. i stopped doing cardio before working out and nothings changed, still making all kinds of gains. Do cardio after work outs. If you're determined enough..those 30 minutes on the tread mill will eventually feel like 15. and just walk..number 3 on an incline of 3.0. Peace ADD ME!
  • bombedpop
    bombedpop Posts: 2,184 Member
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    It`s all preference. I was doing cardio before lifting and decided to switch it up in the last month, partially due to an ankle injury, and then finding that I like splitting. I`m doing 10 min cardio before weights, remainder after with calisthenics bursts between weight sets just because I like to keep moving. But that is just my preference at the moment. It really makes no difference the order. Do what you like and what works for you!
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
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    It`s all preference. I was doing cardio before lifting and decided to switch it up in the last month, partially due to an ankle injury, and then finding that I like splitting. I`m doing 10 min cardio before weights, remainder after with calisthenics bursts between weight sets just because I like to keep moving. But that is just my preference at the moment. It really makes no difference the order. Do what you like and what works for you!

    You just gave me a big jolt to get back into my gym routine when you said you like splitting your cardio. OMGosh! That is so awesome. Getting on one of those machines (bike, treadmill, elliptical) for 30 bloody mins is just so daunting and horrid, especially since I do try to push myself pretty good. 15 mins before and 15 mins after my weights I think would be SO much better for me as it will feel SO much less daunting! Thanks!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    I've been doing a lot of research lately on weight lifting, HIIT and cardio because I want to try something different with my body. All my life, I have known running as a main workout. I'm not too shabby at it and enjoy it so why not....Except, as you can guess, I eventually plateau and don't ever reach my goal body-look.

    So, my new workout routine is to lift heavy and not so many reps. In doing this, I know I have to back off the cardio, and then have just read that if I want to do 30 minutes of cardio still with my workout, to do it after my lifting. I'm having a difficult time coming to terms with this I guess, so I'm wondering, who out there lifts heavy and then does a little cardio afterwards. Are you liking your results? Do you have the energy to even run after lifting?? When I am done lifting, I'm pretty much worthless for a while so I don't see how I'm going to be able to put in a short run.....
    I do. How do I look?:wink:

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • steveairdrie
    steveairdrie Posts: 8
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    I also start my training session doing my weights ( 30 - 40mins ) and then move onto cardio ( 20 - 30mins ). You'll burn more calories doing it this way to as your body starts burning calories straight away when you do the weights then the cardio will carry on burning for a bit after you finish your work out, doing it the other way means they 2 burns happen at the same time if that makes sense, lol.

    HIIT = Great way to train

    Steve
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    Before lifting, I do 10 minutes of cardio, light to just to warm up (generally moderate biking), then 20 or so minutes after of elliptical or biking, again moderate and rarely strenuous. I run on days I don't lift. I've found that biking or elliptical keeps my muscles warm after a strenuous lifting session, and I have less pain the next day. This is working for me. I am seeing good strength increases right now.

    My husband only does cardio on days he doesn't lift, and he's seeing results as well, but I like the lack of pain the next day. The cardio with hot, tired muscles just gets them all loose and happy for me. Yes, I'm exhausted when I start, but I still do it.
  • Makeda1211
    Makeda1211 Posts: 134 Member
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    I believe that you should lift first and then do the cardio. Your body will be able to handle the lifting if you do it first instead of doing a longer cardio session first. You will also burn more calories that way. Just a thought.

    For example. I do weight training first and then do an hour of Zumba afterwrard. I can tell you that I lost 17 pounds from the thanksgiving holiday to now. ( Keep in mind that I have not weighed recently, and I started at 277)
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
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    Dont do cardio before lifting. it doesnt do anything. as much as you think it hypes you up to work out. it has no positive effect for strength training just takes more energy out of you. i stopped doing cardio before working out and nothings changed, still making all kinds of gains. Do cardio after work outs. If you're determined enough..those 30 minutes on the tread mill will eventually feel like 15. and just walk..number 3 on an incline of 3.0. Peace ADD ME!

    I do 15 minutes on the treadmill then a few stretches BEFORE Lifting as a WARMUP... one would be foolish to go to heavy lifting without preparing the muscles for the tearing...
  • HIITMe
    HIITMe Posts: 921 Member
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    Before lifting, I do 10 minutes of cardio, light to just to warm up (generally moderate biking), then 20 or so minutes after of elliptical or biking, again moderate and rarely strenuous. I run on days I don't lift. I've found that biking or elliptical keeps my muscles warm after a strenuous lifting session, and I have less pain the next day. This is working for me. I am seeing good strength increases right now.


    this works for me too.... except instead of eliptical, I do cycling post-lifting
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
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    Cardio after lifting is hit or miss for me. Some days I'm spent but if I feel like I've still got something than I will do something low intensity for 20 minutes. The only cardio I do before is a 5 minute warm up.
  • fittyfittybumbum
    fittyfittybumbum Posts: 90
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    I split it up. I lift in the morning. Cardio (which is Insanity at the moment) in the evening. It's been working well for me. The scale doesn't move for me anymore (I'm 142lbs size 6)...but I have recently dropped two pants sizes (from 8 to 6)...so I guess somebody knows what they're talking about lol.
  • cboutin89
    cboutin89 Posts: 79 Member
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    I try to lift(6 lbs) 2-3 times a week followed by 20-45 minutes of cardio. I sometimes alternate with 20 minutes of interval training where there is a little bit of everything.

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