Cardio or strength training first?

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aprilflower18232
aprilflower18232 Posts: 205 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
If you are doing both...what is best to do first?

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  • Booda101
    Booda101 Posts: 161 Member
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    I prefer strength training first so that I have the maximum energy for it. Most weeks I don't even do cardio immediately after weights, instead doing it later in the day or on alternate days. But it's an individual preference.
  • dezb64
    dezb64 Posts: 109 Member
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    Let me start off by saying you look great! What ever you are doing is working.
    My trainer told me to do 5 min cardio warm up, followed by weight training, then 30 min cardio. That is what I do most of the time except for my cardio only days. Be careful you do not fall into the cardio only trap( like I did). Yes you will loose lots of weight like that but you will also loose a lot of muscle.
  • hilts1969
    hilts1969 Posts: 465 Member
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    If you are doing both...what is best to do first?

    set of weights upper body

    5 min warm up treadmill

    set of weights upper body

    30 min run

    set of weights upper body

    set of weights legs

    set of weights upper body


    find mixing it up gives muscles more of a break, if i do all weights together my later weights suffer from fatigue, the run doesnt affect my weights to any degree
  • SKME2013
    SKME2013 Posts: 704 Member
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    I usually do weights first and then elliptical or spin bike, but when I am training for my 10k run, then I do cardio first.
    Stef.
  • Damir_Poljak
    Damir_Poljak Posts: 10 Member
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    I do recommend core exercises parallel with cardio.
    My routine is:
    800m treadmill (warmup)

    (I am staring again after two years so for me 10 repeats for now, check your limit and then push one more ;) )

    5 series of these with 500m row in between. 800m treadmill at the end to cool down...

    10 Pushups
    10 Pullups
    10 Situps
    10 Back extension
    20 Lounges

    next visit to gym,
    800m run warmup
    5 series of:

    5 flights of stairs with different runs,
    10 situps with a bell (not sure what are they called)
    20 squats with a bell with a push
    10 Jumps
    10 sit and get up on one leg (again don't know what are those called)
    Also 500m row in between and 800m cool-down treadmill.

    This worked so well for me 2 years ago and I was able to hit my targeted weight very quickly. I am happy to build my core with those exercises again.
    When you feel that you can do those exercises with less effort increase to 20 repeats, and later add weights to repeats.

    Finally when you feel that your core is strong enough to support weights, start lifting to build mass.

    As I said that worked so well for me in the past and I hope it will work for you too.
    Best of luck
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    If you do them both together, you'll sacrifice intensity and maximal benefit for marginal efficiency.

    Personally, I'll do a light cardio warmup before a lifting session, but there is no chance that cardio is happening after a lifting session. Due to intensity, it often takes me a good 10 minutes to be able to get recovered enough to drive home. Depending on how I sleep, I can do some light cardio in between lifting sessions, but not much. Now on now lifting days as long as I'm recovered, I can get in some good cardio work.

    Essentially though, if you are working at maximal intensity in one, the other will likely suffer and be at a lower intensity.

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