Cardio or weights first?

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freyaheart
freyaheart Posts: 220 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I have been doing pretty much exclusively cardio when I work out and I think it is time to start doing weights as well. So when I go the gym what should I do first? Weights or cardio? TIA

Replies

  • griffith5150
    griffith5150 Posts: 123
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    Personally I do cardio first to warm up my muscles... than weights. :smile: That's just me though :tongue:
  • lesteidel
    lesteidel Posts: 229 Member
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    Personal preference.

    Some do it in different days even
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    Nothing wrong with cardio, but I'd honestly focus more on heavy lifting. Just my .02. If you're training for a run or something, absolutely.. get that in, too.. but I've seen more of a change with focus only on picking up heavy things.

    If you insist on both, do a short cardio warmup, then spend the majority of your time lifting. Look into New Rules of Lifting for Women, Stronglifts, or Starting Strength.
  • rachaelgifford
    rachaelgifford Posts: 320 Member
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    My pattern generally is warm up, dynamic stretching, cardio, weights, corework, cool down anad stretch.
  • Symonep
    Symonep Posts: 181 Member
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    weights then cardio, though of course jump on a machine for 5 mins to warm up.

    I do:-

    5 min on treadmill

    weights

    15 mins on treadmill
    15 mins on stairs
  • professorRAT
    professorRAT Posts: 690 Member
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    I think it really depends on your goals and on what type of workouts you are doing. Aside from a short warm up, I like to do weights first. This is because I want to be strong for my lifting and make sure I have great form. The cardio can be sloppy, so I do that last.
  • funforsports
    funforsports Posts: 2,656 Member
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    Weights first is usually a better method. Keeps the intensity high while lifting. Even better would be to do them at different times or alternate days.
  • crisbabe81
    crisbabe81 Posts: 170
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    Advice I was given.. Always stretch first.. Weights second and cardio last. If you lift weights first and follow that with cardio you will have higher fat oxidation during the cardio because weight lifting depletes muscle glycogen.
  • glin23
    glin23 Posts: 460 Member
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    I'm on the personal preference train. Either that or I do what I feel is of greater importance to me, first.
  • qwertyek
    qwertyek Posts: 3
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    If I were you I would book in with a personal trainer at your gym. Getting information off the internet is all well and good but just half an hour with a trainer can save a lot of time. Plus it helps having someone there with you ensuring you have the correct form.
    It's up to you what order you do your workout in, but always start with a warmup. Saw some new study about how supposedly you burn more fat if you do cardio after weights. I don't know a lot about it but I always start with cardio.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Yeah, like others said, it can depend on what your main focus is or how your training schedule is (if you have to do cardio first for some reason).

    But, the way I do it (and the usual recommendation) is to do weights first. Because you need to be strong for that to get the most out of it and to prevent injury. Then you can do cardio after, or if that's too much you can do cardio on a different day.

    I actually walk to the gym for 20 minutes (that's my warm up), lift weights at the gym, then walk briskly back home (and I take uphill routes on purpose).

    I do yoga on the days I don't lift weights. And I am often dancing pretty much everyday. So I lift weights at the time I can fit it into my schedule.
  • NaturalinCO
    NaturalinCO Posts: 164 Member
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    I like to warm up a bit then lift - it's what has changed my body the fastest so I never want to go into my lifting with less energy because I used it for cardio. Afterwards I hit cardio, stretch and call it a day.
  • freyaheart
    freyaheart Posts: 220 Member
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    I didn't realize how hard a full body strength workout is. I was to tired for cardio.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Warm up, weights, cardio, stretch.

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