Cardio Then Weights?
Razz_Baby
Posts: 89 Member
Which is the best way? Cardio then weights or the other way around? I have always done cardio first but I think I read somewhere that weights first is better.
What is the general census? Does it matter?
What is the general census? Does it matter?
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Replies
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It depends on what your goals are and whether or not you will actually do the cardio after you lift. It is better to do it after however I do mine before because if I don't I won't.0
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My first goal is to drop the pounds. Once I've dropped about 10 or so I want to start focusing on toning and increasing my endurance.0
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Weights first, as a safety issue. Cardio first can lead to fatigue, which leads to poor form during weight lifting, which leads to injury.0
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I do cardio and weights on separate days so I can get the most out of the workouts. Would that work for you?0
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I recommend doing them on different days. This allows you to go all out on each without reducing the effectiveness of the other.
If you must do them on the same day, or same workout session, do weights first.0 -
My first goal is to drop the pounds. Once I've dropped about 10 or so I want to start focusing on toning and increasing my endurance.
Firstly, don't wait to start.
Secondly, given these goals, I'd suggest either doing them on different/alternating days (depending upon how intense you want your cardio sessions to be) or lifting (with no more than a light 5-10 minute cardio warmup) then cardio.0 -
I recommend doing them on different days. This allows you to go all out on each without reducing the effectiveness of the other.
If you must do them on the same day, or same workout session, do weights first.
^^^
This....you dont want to compromise form in either workout, and it helps you give the best amount of effort!0 -
Which is the best way? Cardio then weights or the other way around? I have always done cardio first but I think I read somewhere that weights first is better.
What is the general census? Does it matter?
I think the stigma against doing both on the same day is hogwash. I have lifted without doing cardio first and was able to do the same progress as if I ran first with the difference being that I didn't even break a sweat. On top of that a 'compromise in workout', which won't happen once your body adjusts, is better than no workout. Deciding to forfeit an exercise for another is already compromising your fitness.0 -
My first goal is to drop the pounds. Once I've dropped about 10 or so I want to start focusing on toning and increasing my endurance.
Firstly, don't wait to start.
Secondly, given these goals, I'd suggest either doing them on different/alternating days (depending upon how intense you want your cardio sessions to be) or lifting (with no more than a light 5-10 minute cardio warmup) then cardio.
I tend to go all out on cardio. I prefer the treadmill for walking/running. I did the cardio last night for 45 mins. I was originally just going do it for 30 mins but I felt like going longer. Afterwards, though, it was all I could do to walk home. There was no way I was going to do weights.
What about cardio in the morning and weights at night. Or vice versa? This would just be a matter of preference, huh?0 -
I tend to go all out on cardio. I prefer the treadmill for walking/running. I did the cardio last night for 45 mins. I was originally just going do it for 30 mins but I felt like going longer. Afterwards, though, it was all I could do to walk home. There was no way I was going to do weights.
What about cardio in the morning and weights at night. Or vice versa? This would just be a matter of preference, huh?
As long as you are rested/recovered enough from your morning workout so that you can give your evening workout everything - that should be fine.0 -
I do mine before just to get it over with. I only do about 20 minutes mind you.0
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What about cardio in the morning and weights at night. Or vice versa? This would just be a matter of preference, huh?
If you're going to do both on the same day, this is how I would do it. Cardio in the morning in a fasted state, weights in the evening, about 1 - 2 hours after a small meal.0 -
I have heard to do weights/lifting first and then cardio so that you burn more calories during your cardio workout. Don't know if this is true or not but heard it from a good source0
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I do a 10-15 minute cardio warmup before hitting the weights then end with a 30+ minute cardio workout.0
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I don't think it really matters which you do first. But personally I find doing cardio first, although just a warm-up and short workout, gets my body going, prepares my muscles and gets me in the right frame of mind before I do some weights.0
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What about cardio in the morning and weights at night. Or vice versa? This would just be a matter of preference, huh?
If you're going to do both on the same day, this is how I would do it. Cardio in the morning in a fasted state, weights in the evening, about 1 - 2 hours after a small meal.
Feast 20-30 min before a workout for maximum performance.0 -
cardio (warmup) > strength training > cardio
The warmup is just to get the blood pumping, and isn't tiring at all. My warm up is 10 minutes on a stairmaster doing 2nd level interval training.
Strength training = weights, levers, nautilus.
Cardio for the end - 20-30 minutes on a treadmill, 3.0 mph walk to 4.5 mph jog.
Once you work out on strength, the body burns extra calories, so there is an added calorie burn to your already-burning cardio workout. AND the cardio workout will ensure another long interval of calorie burning for quite a while after the workout. It's a synergistic effort.
But my goal is to burn fat while gaining lean muscle. A skinny person might want to forgo the cardio if they are only interested in gaining mass.0 -
I tend to go all out on cardio. I prefer the treadmill for walking/running. I did the cardio last night for 45 mins. I was originally just going do it for 30 mins but I felt like going longer. Afterwards, though, it was all I could do to walk home. There was no way I was going to do weights.
What about cardio in the morning and weights at night. Or vice versa? This would just be a matter of preference, huh?I have heard to do weights/lifting first and then cardio so that you burn more calories during your cardio workout. Don't know if this is true or not but heard it from a good source
Exercise in a way that best boosts performance. The weight loss will come as a byproduct of you getting in shape. The best way to maximize weight loss is to maximize the way you enhance your fitness performance.
If weight loss is your only concern, just eat less and spend your time doing something else rather than going to the gym.0 -
If I do cardio in the morning then I'm already fasting. I jump up, put my shoes on, grab my headphones and I'm off. If i dilly dally then it won't get done!
I'm like you, Baldmitch, I want to burn fat while building muscle. I like your routine.0 -
Weights first, as a safety issue. Cardio first can lead to fatigue, which leads to poor form during weight lifting, which leads to injury.
Yep, this!0 -
I was once told by a trainer to do a light 15 minute Cardio warm up, then 20/30 minutes of weights, then 30 minutes Cardio. On Cardio only days it was 15 minute Cardio warm up then 45 minutes of Cardio. However I do 30-45 minutes of Cardio then go hit the weights. Mostly just because that is the way I like to do it.
I read that if you do Cardio first then your metabolism stays reved up while you are doing weights (although I see someone posted it was the opposite so who knows). There are too many contradictions about the right/wrong way to do things and really it only matters if it works for you and if you will stick with it. What I do works for ME - I have been doing it for almost a year and have lost 70 lbs and my muscles are much more defined then before so no one can say I'm doing it "wrong" LOL.0 -
I was always told to do 10 to 15 minutes of cardio before weights. It warms the body up, loosens the muscles up for lifting, stretches them out more than the pre-workout stretching. That has been 3 or 4 personal trainers over the past 10 to 12 years. I always get my 45 minutes to 1 hour of cardio in before weights but I think that is just personal preference since 10 to 15 is all that's needed for warm-up.0
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Weights always ALWAYS first regardless. Especially important if you run intense cardio.
Even if you are just a tiny bit fatigued by the cardio then your weights will suffer. The whole point of weights is to put enough stress on the muscles to cause adaptive change. If you are even just a tiny bit fatigued you will have the cards stacked against you in terms of causing that high level of stress in your workout for those muscles to grow.
Sure, it might be hard to lift a lower weight when you are not at 100% and you will still benefit from it as opposed to not lifting that lower weight but it is just not an efficient way to spend your time for results. You would benefit vastly more from hitting the weight when you are at 100% rather than 80%. You will just have more energy to put more stress on that muscle to trigger the adaptation (which is already a slow progress)
On the other hand with cardio, it is mostly aerobic. You can hit up cardio when you are still at 80% and have a really REALLY effective workout.
If your doing something such as HIIT, than definitely hit that directly after weights for the most benefit. If you are training more for just heart health, cal burn, distance or such as a runner than you best bet would be to space out the days and if training days overlap than hit your weights in the morning, feed yourself during the day and then hit your cardio at night.
I currently have two days a week where my weight training and cardio share a day and I found this to be the most effective way to navigate it after hours upon hours of research, talking to peeps I look up to and experimentation.
Just my 2 cents0 -
Thanks, folks!0
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Which is the best way? Cardio then weights or the other way around? I have always done cardio first but I think I read somewhere that weights first is better.
What is the general census? Does it matter?
I think the stigma against doing both on the same day is hogwash. I have lifted without doing cardio first and was able to do the same progress as if I ran first with the difference being that I didn't even break a sweat. On top of that a 'compromise in workout', which won't happen once your body adjusts, is better than no workout. Deciding to forfeit an exercise for another is already compromising your fitness.0 -
I do them on opposing days except for my Saturday gym session...on Saturday I spend a full two hours in the gym (to make optimal use of the drop in child care) so I'll lift first and then do the stair stepper or something for an hour to get an extra calorie burn (for the beers I will be having later)...and then I just sorta stretch and walk around and talk to friends, etc to burn another 1/2 hour before I'm forced to go pick up my kids.
My primary focus is the weight room and I do cardio primarily for cardiovascular benefits and to be able to drink all the beers...plus I enjoy riding my bike...but really, my greatest effort goes into my lifting so it always comes first and I have to skip anything, I skip the cardio.0 -
Which is the best way? Cardio then weights or the other way around? I have always done cardio first but I think I read somewhere that weights first is better.
What is the general census? Does it matter?
I think the stigma against doing both on the same day is hogwash. I have lifted without doing cardio first and was able to do the same progress as if I ran first with the difference being that I didn't even break a sweat. On top of that a 'compromise in workout', which won't happen once your body adjusts, is better than no workout. Deciding to forfeit an exercise for another is already compromising your fitness.
Almost every proven weight lifting routine has you lift something between 1-10x and then put it down for 2-5 min. You spend about 25% of your time strength training actually doing work. It's not intense for someone who has good cardiovascular fitness no matter how much you lift. That is unless you superset, but if you're concerned about cardio causing undue fatigue and negativily impacting strengtg performance, then supersets are off the table for the same reason.
Compare this to maintaining 185+ bpm by running for 20-30 min as fast as you can. Maybe you trot along for your cardio or convince yourself that you're doing HIIT the moment you get short of breath and quit, but I don't.
The energy expended running far exceeds the energy expended lifting. And if you get in shape, a 5 min rest between the run and lifts will recover you to 100%.
But hey, I only put all my lifts into "advanced" territory according to strstd. com and I run a 5k in the top 20%ile for my age group. And I did it in just 5 mo, but I'm clearly the one doing it wrong.0
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