Cardio first or Strength Training first

2»

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    I've always been told that you do cardio then strength. Something about your muscles burning more productively when you're at your target heart rate. I may be misinformed, but it's worked for me. Sometimes, I'll do half my cardio, a set of each of my weight lifting, and then the other half of my cardio and another set of each exercise. That way, I don't burn out too quickly and my heart rate stays up the entire workout.
    It's broscience. Muscle burns glycogen based on intensity of work. Keeping ones heart rate up through out a work out works on conditioning, if that's the goal.

    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
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I may be in the minority here, but I like to split them out on to different days. Means I can give my all to both activities.

    That's exactly what I do. I never lift and do cardio on the same day unless it's a weekend when I can do one early AM and one later in the PM. I couldn't imagine having the energy to do one right after the other.

    Me too...if I do an intense cardio session before a lift, I could never get my weights up and get my progressions...too much weight with jello legs from running; hell, sometimes the cardio I do on my non-lift days interferes with my recovery and my lifts suck *kitten* the next day. Conversely, after a good lifting session, sometimes I can barely walk down the stairs to the locker room and out to the car...let alone get in a good cardio session.

    OP...it really depends on your goals. I'm doing a progressive weight training program right now, and it pretty much kicks my *kitten*...I can't do jack on lift days other than some light walking at lunch. I try to jog 3 miles on my off days...but sometimes I can't get there because my legs are shot to **** from my lifts the day before. If I was training for an endurance event it would be another story and I'd probably put more emphasis on cardio.
  • CatMcCheesey
    CatMcCheesey Posts: 143
    I've tried it both ways and for me, I have to do my weights first. If I do cardio first, it really negatively affects my performance with weights. Plus, I turn into a total whiner during my lifting session, lol.
  • EmilyEmpowered
    EmilyEmpowered Posts: 650 Member
    Personally, I have to do my cardio first or do some before and some after. If I do weights first, two things happen. 1) I get wrapped up in my lifting and run out of time for cardio, since I am on a tight schedule when I am in the gym. or 2) I do my lifting and then go to run and just run out of steam. Especially right now that I am training for my first half, any days where I am lifting and running I run first. It just works MENTALLY for me better and I do better on my run. I have read time and again that you should do weights first, but any time I try my workout just isn't as good to me. So i guess I have decided to just do whats best for me, I only do weights and cardio on the same day once a week now, so it doesnt really seem to mess with my progress at all. :smile:
  • luisalg14
    luisalg14 Posts: 202 Member
    I personally, on days when I'm doing both cardio and lifting (3x a week), lift first. I do warm up with baby weights (2kg atm) for a few minutes doing some squats, extensions, presses, etc. before switching over to the heavier weights.
    Back in the gym days, I always used to do pump then combat. But I don't know if it's just habit. I do feel quite tired after cardio most days, so not sure what it'd be like to do weights with thighs feeling like jelly meat if I switched it around to try. I'd probably stare at the weights rack and go "nah" :laugh:
  • helpfit101
    helpfit101 Posts: 347 Member
    Hi .. I would have to agree with what everyone else said. It depends ;)

    You can do light cardio before weights.

    You can do serious cardio before weights if you only do a couple of light weight exercises after.

    If you do serious weights then do cardio after weights.

    If you don't want to lose any muscles also keep your cardio after weights shorter than 20-25minutes. If some muscle loss is acceptable then do more cardio that's fine.

    Doing weights and then cardio actually works out well for fat loss (this I've only read about not verified). Apparantly it has to do with your sugar energy being depleted after weights and your cardio then addressing mostly fat later.
  • NirvaniTeasley
    NirvaniTeasley Posts: 138 Member
    Yes...I believe you are right...I did a shorter cardio workout and then lifted and then a longer cardio...come to think of it.
  • violettatx
    violettatx Posts: 230 Member
    I may be in the minority here, but I like to split them out on to different days. Means I can give my all to both activities.

    That's exactly what I do. I never lift and do cardio on the same day unless it's a weekend when I can do one early AM and one later in the PM. I couldn't imagine having the energy to do one right after the other.

    This is what I do also. I do a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill before I lift, and cardio on non-lifting days. If I do a proper weight training session I'm too whipped to do cardio.
  • Yeller_Sensation
    Yeller_Sensation Posts: 373 Member
    Eh.

    I do 20 minutes of cardio early in the morning so I'll be a little more awake for work. I lift in the evenings.
  • Zombriana
    Zombriana Posts: 764 Member
    I've been doing 20-25 minutes of HIIT then 30-45 minutes of lifting on upper body days. I never feel too pooped out to wreck it on weights. My doing the cardio gets me amped up, as much as I hate it with a passion.
    On leg days I do 15-20 minutes of HIIT then 30-45 minutes of lifting, then 10-20 minutes of steady pace cardio on the elliptical. I read that it helps with the blood flow and reduces soreness. I've done it the past 3 sessions with no pain the next day! (And yes I'm still pushing myself, my weights have gone up every week)

    Buuuuuut, to each their own. :flowerforyou:
  • BonaFideUK
    BonaFideUK Posts: 313 Member
    I'd say unless your specifically training for someone cardio related then you should do weights first. You dont want to blow your load on cardio and have nothing in the tank to lift those heavy weights :)
  • hellokittymaui
    hellokittymaui Posts: 226 Member
    I do cardio first and then weights. But I don't lift very heavy or mega-intensely, so it works for me.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I've worked with three personal trainers and all three had me doing cardio first...It is a matter of preference. I could not start lifting weights until I am good and warmed up.

    IMO a warmup session is different that a cardio session. And yes, you should warmup before you lift.

    I walk into the rack and do a set with the bar, a set with half my working weight and then I'm on to the main event, whatever the lift may be. That's a warm up and it's a warm up that actually grooves the move I'm about to attempt. I'm not sure running on a treadmill for 10 mins is going to warm me up for the bench press, but that's just me.

    Now for cardio/conditioning, I do a 10 minute warm-up to get the blood flowing and the heart rate elevated. That may involve jumping rope, burpees, kb swings, etc. Again it'll be appropriate to the physical activity I'm about to attempt.

    If I'm doing something like Kung Fu, I may actually spend the first 30 minutes or more ramping up to full explosiveness. Try to kick someone in the head when you're not warmed up properly..... ouch!

    But this may be specific to me. I've been working out a long time and know how to listen to my body and how my body reacts to different exercise types. Most people think that they need to do the same warm up for everything they do. They do not.
  • MrsBioChem
    MrsBioChem Posts: 80 Member
    I don't do the cardio warm up before, I just stretch real well, hop on the foam roller and do a couple warm up sets for that muscle group..

    Same
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    So I am a new member to a gym so I'm just getting into the whole working out thing. I've been doing 30 minutes of cardio (Treadmill or Elliptical) then I do 30 or so minutes of weights. Recently someone told me that I was "ruining" my body and doing it wrong by doing cardio first. Just wanting opinions

    Anyone who says that is a total f---king moron.
  • Csoldano
    Csoldano Posts: 34 Member
    unless you're training specifically for cardio performance, you do weights first.
    Do whatever works for you.

    Pretty much this. I do weights then cardio...I suppose it's working....maybe..
  • missADS1981
    missADS1981 Posts: 364 Member
    Me personally I warm up for 5-10 on treadmill, then hit the weights. if its a day i am adding in HIIT i do it after my lifting. your body is in a different zone at that point.
  • EPhinn
    EPhinn Posts: 119 Member
    I usually do cardio before and after. I do my first cardio in the morning, then weights late afternoon, and a very short cardio session before bed.
  • ahmadfahmy
    ahmadfahmy Posts: 214 Member
    So I am a new member to a gym so I'm just getting into the whole working out thing. I've been doing 30 minutes of cardio (Treadmill or Elliptical) then I do 30 or so minutes of weights. Recently someone told me that I was "ruining" my body and doing it wrong by doing cardio first. Just wanting opinions

    you should just stick to strength training only...if you really want some type of cardio then walk for half an hour after you lift.

Categories