Cardio before Strength/Weight Training?

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erickita89
erickita89 Posts: 422 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Which type of exercise is best to do first? and why?

Cardio before Strength/Weight Training? Or the other way around?

thanks!:flowerforyou:
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Replies

  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    The type of exercise that gets done is what works best lol it really doesn't matter when.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    it matters when. do strength first. if the strength training leaves me fatigued it doesn't really matter when i'm on the treadmill later. if the treadmill leaves me fatigued it's going to be a crappy strength session
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    it matters when. do strength first. if the strength training leaves me fatigued it doesn't really matter when i'm on the treadmill later. if the treadmill leaves me fatigued it's going to be a crappy strength session

    I think she means is if she burns more calories or something depending on what is done first.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Well, she doesn't say calories, just which order and why.

    But I'll take you up on that.

    So like DavPul said, if the cardio left you tired unable to do full weight lifting like you could have done otherwise, then you won't burn as much fat during the recovery time for up to 24 hrs, because you didn't lift as heavy.

    Lifting to failure because your muscles are just plain tired is very different response from body, compared to lifting to failure because of a heavy load.

    One response is to add glucose stores for what appears to be some endurance muscle use, the other response is to make the muscle stronger to carry heavier load.
  • samcat2000
    samcat2000 Posts: 106 Member
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    I've wondered the same thing...have been reading that you should do weights before cardio. Here is a link to nonscientific article that you can take or leave:
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/cardio-or-weights-first-exercise-order_n_1739089.html.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    Well, she doesn't say calories, just which order and why.

    But I'll take you up on that.

    So like DavPul said, if the cardio left you tired unable to do full weight lifting like you could have done otherwise, then you won't burn as much fat during the recovery time for up to 24 hrs, because you didn't lift as heavy.

    Lifting to failure because your muscles are just plain tired is very different response from body, compared to lifting to failure because of a heavy load.

    One response is to add glucose stores for what appears to be some endurance muscle use, the other response is to make the muscle stronger to carry heavier load.

    I can do either one first. Maybe I am a snowflake :P
  • Justjamie0418
    Justjamie0418 Posts: 1,065 Member
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    it matters when. do strength first. if the strength training leaves me fatigued it doesn't really matter when i'm on the treadmill later. if the treadmill leaves me fatigued it's going to be a crappy strength session

    I agree with this. While I am pretty new to serious weight lifting/strength sessions, I lifted heavy today and there was no way I culd give my full forced effort in a cardio routine on top of it. When I was lifting a lot lighter I could have, and I did.
  • gerard54
    gerard54 Posts: 1,107 Member
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    I do 10 minutes of light cardio to warm up and break a little sweat then lift. After that I finish off with at least 30 mins of cardio...
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I usually stick to 15-20 minutes of cardio as a warm up (light jog on a treadmill or elliptical) then strength training and then if I feel like it a 15-20 minute cardio session at the end. Sometimes I'll blast out 30 minutes at the end if I still have a ton of energy.

    Why? I don't know. Because that's how I've done it for the past 15 years. Doesn't make it ideal or the best way, just my way. I also feel like it helps keep my heart rate up while I do my weights.

    I feel like the 15-20 minutes at the end helps prevent DOMS. I don't even know if that's true but it makes me feel better so I do it.

    I used to run a lot but I had a couple ankle surgeries and with traumatic osteo arthritis it's really painful to do and I hate a stationary bike so I don't use one. My cardio is pretty much limited to warm up/cool down and whatever time I keep my heart rate up while lifting.
  • erickita89
    erickita89 Posts: 422 Member
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    Interesting answers guys.... oh and i wasnt talking about calorie burning wise per say....I dont really think that doing either one first will increase the amount of calories i am burning.

    I guess i should have explained this better... but i was just wondering whats best in terms of my body? Like which is the more effective order to do things way to maximize the creation of muscles / and fat burn. Meaning like does the cardio warm the muscles up leaving them able to lift more = more productivity? or does the weight lifting/training shock the muscles and the cardio recovers them after? Like which is the better way to go about it? (sorry im a totaly newb to weight training so im sorry if this just sounds dum or something LOL haha)

    My way is that i've been doing cardio first... and then lifting afterwards simply because of the time i get to the gym lol. I get there right after work and they have cardio classes at 5.30pm and 6.15 pm. when i am done at 7... i do my strength training for a bit and then i leave. But yesterday i actually thought about which should really go first because i see some people strength training first and then jumping into the classes after.
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
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    everything I have read on this topic suggests (and this makes sense to me) is to do the cardio after because if you are fatigued from cardio, you may sacrifice form during strength training, potentially leading to injury and making the strength training less effective.

    5-10 minutes of walking is the most I'll do before strength training, just to get warmed up.
  • lockmand
    lockmand Posts: 90 Member
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    Which is best to do first cardio or strength/weight training? This is a good question.

    I have been going for cardio from 12:30 to 1:30. Then from 4:30 to 5:30 I do a strength training class. This works fine since they are
    three hours apart.
    If I try to wait and go in for cardio at 3:30 and then do strength at 4:30, I can hardly make it through the strength class, and my form suffers as well.
    So just from that experience, I would say Strength first and then Cardio, UNLESS you have a long break between the two.
    I have not been doing this for long, but I have learned to listen to my body.
    Donna155
  • PeauxPeaux
    PeauxPeaux Posts: 71 Member
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    I know this is not the most efficient advice, but it is the most pleasant, IMO: Do what you enjoy. Seriously. If you don't LIKE it, it will be much harder to keep on doing it in the long run.

    I am sure I could be doing more effective time in time out stuff, but I LOVE hot Bikram and vinyasa yoga for strength training training, I LOVE watching HGTV while paddling the elliptical at the YMCA, I LOVE hiking with my dogs.

    I do not love running, exercise DVDs, Zumba, anything DANCEY, lifting weights, weight machines, bicycles, swimming laps, treadmills, stairmasters, rock climbing -- some of these activities I absolutely HATE. Find what you LOVE, and you will do it.

    If you hate all exercise, just pick the thing that is least odious to you, or, even better----TRY a bunch of things. You might find you really like a thing you never considered...try WEIRD stuff like water aerobics or kayaking or horse back riding (anyone who says this isn't exercise is doing it wrong! Learn to ride well and you get a gorgeous butt and trim, muscular thighs) --- go ahead and dork out on what you enjoy.
  • hilldiggity
    hilldiggity Posts: 166 Member
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    "For instance, if your primary goal is to increase your aerobic endurance or lose body fat, then you should perform cardio first. If your primary goal is to increase muscular strength, then do strength training first. To get the most out of your workout, perform the exercise that is most important to your goals first, when you are not fatigued."

    http://www.military.com/military-fitness/running/cardio-or-weights-which-comes-first

    I guess they want you to take them more seriously because they have "military" in their url. One thing's for sure, there's a lot of info out there.
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
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    never before; always after
  • 2stepscloser
    2stepscloser Posts: 2,900 Member
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    Personally, I burn more calories when I do cardio first, then strength training., but I've heard from trainers t the gym to do strength training first, hen cardio.
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
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    it depends which part of the workout is more important to you. if your goal is to build muscle it's not happening when you're tired from sprinting.

    if you're planning an all out real HiiT session, you won't be able to if you do real weight lifting. weights first that are actually challenging.
    if not to failure, close, and no more than 2-3 sets.

    whatever the second workout is, it needs to be a light version, light cardio, light weights, or do the workout later in the day so you can recover a bit
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
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    "For instance, if your primary goal is to increase your aerobic endurance or lose body fat, then you should perform cardio first. If your primary goal is to increase muscular strength, then do strength training first. To get the most out of your workout, perform the exercise that is most important to your goals first, when you are not fatigued."

    http://www.military.com/military-fitness/running/cardio-or-weights-which-comes-first

    I guess they want you to take them more seriously because they have "military" in their url. One thing's for sure, there's a lot of info out there.

    this is very misleading
    losing bf doesn't require lots of cardio
    or any for that matter
    intense heavy lifting with the right amount of rest between sets. and the correct diet w/slight deficit
  • KLSG23
    KLSG23 Posts: 32 Member
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    years ago, I used to do cardio first and weight training after BUT everything that I have read lately, has said to do weight training first, then cardio. You'll have more strength and better form (which will decrease your chance of injury) b/c you will not be as fatigued as you would be if you did cardio first. This is turn will allow you to max your effort w/the weights. Yes, some cardio requires good form too but really cardio in simply about getting you heart rate in the zone for a period of time so you just have to keep moving.....it doesn't really matter what you are doing to get it there.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
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    I always do strength first and often it's more "only" than first. I do a full-body routine three days a week and if I work hard enough, I want nothing to do with doing anything else afterwards. The weights are important to me though so I don't want anything else to tire me out before I even get to it.

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