CARDIO AND WEIGHT TRAINING IN THE SAME WORKOUT

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kwelborn2873
kwelborn2873 Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
There seems to be a lot of confusion about it is beneficial to do cardio and weight training in the same workout session. I have been doing both but now I am starting to think that by me doing weight training on the same days I am not reaping the benefit (weightloss) of my cardio workout. Don't get me wrong I want to be lean and toned but I need weightloss to go with it. Does anyone have an opinion as to which is the best way. Cardio one day weight training the next, both in one day, who knows, somebody give me some advice please.

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  • knakau
    knakau Posts: 29
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    just had my review at gym and was advised to mix my cardio and weight, i.e on my visit do cardio warm up, then a circuit then cardio then circuit cardi then circuit. more muscles more calories you burn ,
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
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    I don't think it matters unless you are trying to actually "build". If you are toning & losing fat/weight, then both together are fine. That's why circuit training is great! It's strenght training and cardio at the same time.
  • TrainerRobin
    TrainerRobin Posts: 509 Member
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    It's fine to do both. Just be sure to do weight training first, cardio second.

    Have at it!
  • ahbach2005
    ahbach2005 Posts: 119
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    People jave great sucess mixing the two. The key is finding your fat burning heart rate and staying within it (5-10bpm up or down) during your workouts.

    Building muscle burns calories. It also increases the size of the "engine" so it requires more calories to function.

    Circuit training has come along way. P90x and some of the other programs are advanced versions of circuit training.

    I tend to mix the tow but I am not into hardcore cardio. Just excercising as efficiently as I can.

    Circtui training is a combination of cardio and weights and is very efficient.
  • givprayz
    givprayz Posts: 328
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    That's one of those debates that you will find a lot of people totally committed to a philosophy about, but that the serious science on is shaky at best. Your body does not set a clock after a cardio workout and refuse to build muscle until 24 hours has passed, or vice-versa. If you like to do both, there is no good reason not to do both. For me, every cardio workout is also a strength training exercise because my body has gotten so flabby. I don't do any weights yet, because I am not strong enough to benefit from lifting more than my own body-weight (or limb weight.)
    There is good evidence that taking an occasional rest day from both is not a bad idea. If you experience soreness regularly, then taking an extra healing day every 7-10 days is good for your body. There are people who would never consider taking a day off, and those who take every-other-day off. It's really what works for you.
    If you want, you can test it on yourself. Do both types every day for six weeks and track weight and measurements. Then go to every-other-day for six weeks and see if there are any differences. I am sure it would give different people different results.
    Best of luck!
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    I do both and I'm doing just fine. I just make sure to have a protein shake after my workout so my muscles don't hold onto too much water. But, the strength training isn't going to negatively affect your fat burning. In fact, it gets your metabolism going better and keeps it going longer so you end up burning more fat than with cardio alone. Your muscles do hold onto water to help repair themselves, so your weight may not always change, but you are burning fat even if you do cardio and strength training in the same workout.
  • bigcurt61
    bigcurt61 Posts: 51 Member
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    This is one of the toughest things to do, you'll really have to look at what your primary goal is. For me it's too decrease body fat %, you do this by losing fat and gaining muscle. That's why it has taken me so long to get my weight down. Sounds like your primary focus is weight loss, so I would devote most of my energy to cardio. You'll still need to work your weight training in because the more muscle you have the more calories you burn while resting.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Based on the way the body burns fat, you're better off to do weights first and follow it immediately with cardio. High intensity training such as weights function primarily on the breakdown of glucose to produce ATP. Long duration cardio training functions primarily on the breakdown of fat to produce ATP. BUT, the chemical process in the body that breaks down fat for fuel requires the by products of glucose breakdown. So, if you haven't done enough high intensity work, then the cardio fuel will come from glucose first to get the pyruvate to be able to breakdown fats. If you've done weights first, there will be plenty of pyruvate available from the high intensity weights to get more fat burning from your cardio without having to do as much cardio. The same principle applies to circuit or interval training, you jack up the pyruvate from the high intensity stuff and then burn the fat from the lower intensity stuff in repeated mini-cycles instead of one long cycle like traditional weights followed by traditional cardio. Either way you burn more fat from combining them then you do from a straight cardio session or from doing your cardio before weights.

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