What to do first at the gym - cardio or strength?

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  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
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    I do weights first, to make sure I have time for them.
    I'm OK with shortening the cardio a bit if I need to to get to work on time.
    Also, lifting weights doesn't leave me as sweaty as cardio, so it's nicer for people around/after me (though we're supposed to wipe off the machines after use).
    I have heard the opinion that one should do 5-10 min of light cardio to warm up before lifting.
    britishbroccoli wrote:
    An hour of cardio sounds like overkill
    30 min a day is to maintain weight.
    To lose, we need to do more than that.
    I have a couple MFP friends who walk for 2 hours a day, and I have regularly hiked (doing hills on the treadmill) for 90 min, 5-6 days per week.

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  • gshifrin
    gshifrin Posts: 53 Member
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    I've been doing 1/2 each of cardio and weights, usually cardio first to get warmed up. Lately though I've started taking a touchpad to the gym and watching Amazon or Netflix videos which makes it easier for me to do more cardio work. So I'll watch one show while doing cardio, do maybe 15-20 minutes of weight work, then come back and watch some more video while doing more cardio. Oh yeah, I switch to my tiny mp3 player while doing weights.

    For me, exercise is deadly boring and this seems to help.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    uconnwinsnc1 wrote: »
    Outdoor training.

    Still beats being indoors ;)

  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Since it sounds like you're doing more resistance training than strength training, I'd say it really doesn't matter. If you decide to get more into true strength training (progressive overload), I'd do only a small amount of cardio to get warmed up before strength training. Kind of depends on the cardio you're doing too -- if it's all leg work, then you could do arms afterwards, no problem. God help you if you tried to do leg work after an hour on the elliptical, 'tho.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    edited December 2014
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    MKEgal wrote: »
    britishbroccoli wrote:
    An hour of cardio sounds like overkill
    30 min a day is to maintain weight.
    To lose, we need to do more than that.
    I have a couple MFP friends who walk for 2 hours a day, and I have regularly hiked (doing hills on the treadmill) for 90 min, 5-6 days per week.

    I enjoy a good long walk from time to time, but I wouldn't call it necessary or efficient. You do not "need" to do any cardio to lose weight. Diet for weight loss, exercise for fitness. Where did you get "30 mins to maintain, more to lose" from?

  • texasfarmer
    texasfarmer Posts: 483 Member
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    I'm a runner so it's running first then hit the weights. I am training for a couple of HM and need to be as fresh as possible when training, but I am working on strengthening my core.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    It depends on how you're lifting and what your intents are...if you're training for other things, etc.

    If you're wanting to maximize your strength gains or do bodybuilding or are wanting to really focus on your physique and body composition or are working with technical lifts like snatches and whatnot, you're going to want to go in with a full tank of gas and hit the weight room first.

    Conversely, someone training for a marathon or century ride, etc is going to emphasize cardiovascular work and resistance training would take an aside and primarily be a supplement to the other training.

    As a matter of general fitness, I'd personally do a full body strength routine 3x weekly and do cardio work on non-lifting days and/or keep any cardio you do on lifting days light and after your lifts.
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
    edited December 2014
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    uconnwinsnc1 wrote: »
    Outdoor training.

    wi2b2f5ont8h.jpg

    Definitely the best idea! That's a BL-2, an unusual diesel. Nice job on it.

    Oh, cardio or strength - I do one or the other on a given day. It is dangerous to lift weights if you are tired and you should be tired after a decent cardio workout.

    OTOH, the Bootcamp Cardio class I attend is a combo - it really works the leg and arm muscles with bodyweight movements. The limbs are sore the next day.

    Like wolfman said, it depends on your targets. I am a beginner of half a year and general fitness is the goal - some added muscle and much more endurance.

  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
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    If I do cardio first, I don't have the energy for resistance training, and it messes with my strength level. So I normally do cardio last.

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