Cardio or Weights first?

Whoa, you are a monster! I do strength and cardio on different days, I have no idea how to handle them on the same day! I hope someone else has some knowledge to share with you

PS - great job doing both the same day!!!

BUMP!!

I want to hear the answer to this. I do both in whatever order works (meaning if an elliptical is open when I get there I start with cardio, if not I work the weights until a machine opens up). If I would get more fat burn doing the weights 1st, I would love to know!!

That statement would be correct. When you jump straight on a treadmill, you're body's going to burn any sugar (glycogen) stored in your muscles as fuel first. So the first 20min plus of your cardio will just be depleting these stores, before it starts to tap into fat. AND, as a double bonus, when you use this energy for strength training instead, you'll get a much better workout, because you won't be fatigued.

Unless you're specifically training to improve your cardiovascular fitness, definitely strength first. Just make sure you warm up properly first!

I did a spin class and was going to do a leg workout with weights after. My trainer asked why, since I had burned all the glycogen in my muscles during spin. He said to go home and rest and recover for the day. I read you should do weights first, since your muscles have stored glycogen, then if you have the energy, cardio after.

Wow, great info to know. Thanks all.

bump

We were taught in our Kinesiology classes to do weights first and cardio second to burn more fat

My trainer always has me do weights and then cardio.

Thanks for all the responses MFPers! I will do some more research and might just have to switch up my routine. I think I will still do a 5-10 min warm up on the treadmill though. Thanks again!

We have a fitness team and work and when they reviewed the plan I followed, they had me switch up to do a 5-10 min warm up, followed by weights and then cardio! The fitness team are all college grads with bachelors who have been working in the business for years! Good luck on your journey!

I was curious if what I said really had any relevence, and I found this article. I'm a runner and so for me, running first, weights second is the best option. As with all things mfp, I think it really comes down to what works best for you!

What should you do first, cardiovascular endurance exercise or weight lifting? Or does this even matter?
The answer really depends upon what you are trying to accomplish.

There isn't any special magic in exercise order, but some reasons it may matter have to do with the available energy for exercise, the causes of muscle fatigue, and the risk of injury during exercise. In general, exercise you perform when you have adequate energy is performed at a higher intensity with more focus and efficiency. Exercise you perform when your energy supplies are low is less effective and more likely to result in injury.

Exercise order may also matter if you are trying to achieve a specific goal, such as building muscle or improving sports skills, or if you have an extremely high level of fitness already.

Exercise Order Recommendations
Most recreational athletes can avoid this question altogether by doing cardio and weight training on different days. Another option is to do both endurance and strength training at the same time with interval training or circuit training routines that give a full-body workout in limited time.

Even though there is no magic in exercise order, some things seem to work better than others. If you have specific goals, use the following advice regarding exercise order:

If Your Goal is Improving Overall Health
To improve overall health, it really doesn't matter if you lift weights first or do endurance training first. In fact, you can do both at the same time with interval training or circuit training routines or you can alternate weight lifting and endurance days if you prefer.

If Your Goal is Increasing Cardiovascular Endurance
In order to build and maintain cardiovascular endurance, you should perform endurance exercise first, when you have plenty of energy for long-distance exercise. Add resistance exercises 2 to 3 times a week, either after or separate from the endurance work in order to develop muscular strength and reduce your risk of injury. Lifting prior to running is not recommended because you increase your risk of injury due to muscle fatigue.

If Your Goal is Increasing Muscle Size and Strength
Increasing muscle size can best be accomplished by lifting weights first when the body's main source of energy for muscle contraction (glycogen) is high. If you do a hard cardio workout before lifting, you deplete glycogen, which makes the workout ineffective.

If Your Goal is Burning Calories for Fat Loss
If your primary goal is to burn as many calories as you can in a single session, it's probably best to do cardio first and lift weights next. There isn't any magic behind this; it's simply easier for most people to burn more calories per exercise session when they do cardio first. However, almost any combination of burning more calories while eating fewer will result in fat loss.