Cardio then lift or Vice Versa?

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Wookinpanub
Wookinpanub Posts: 635 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My goal is to burn extra belly fat and love handles. I want to lose about 25 lbs. I read an article where a doctor recommended lifting first then cardio after to have a greater calorie burning effect. Thoughts? Any other recommendations to get rid of these last 25 lbs around the waist?

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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    It doesn't matter which you do first as far as weight loss goes. I lift first because I want all my energy while I have weight on my back, and I mostly focus on lifting. This is the best reason to chose lifting first.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    edited February 2015
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    you cant spot reduce, so as long as you maintain a healthy deficit, you should see your body fat lower.
    lifting will certainly help that and make you stronger, and cardio will increase the deficit, but neither will necessarily target belly fat.

    my suggestion, pick what you enjoy doing and stick with it.
  • LiveForTheWilderness
    LiveForTheWilderness Posts: 57 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Lifting > HIIT cardio > LISS cardio. The more muscle one has, the higher their BMR is which results in more calories burned.

    And ya, no spot reducing. Your body burns where it wants to burn. Just keep at it.
  • bornforbattles
    bornforbattles Posts: 63 Member
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    ^What arditarose and liveforthewilderness said. You can't spot reduce, body fat is stored throughout the body. Cardio first vs last would be up to the person, personally I like doing it after
  • sdado1013
    sdado1013 Posts: 209 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I asked my trainer the same question. My trainer told me to do strength first while you have more energy and do cardio after. If you do cardio first you might be more tired and have worse form. I think the fat burning would be the same either way though.
  • jimeads
    jimeads Posts: 7 Member
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    It depends on what you want to accomplish. We tend to work out harder earlier. So, if fat burn/weight loss is most important, do cardio first. If building muscle is more important, do weights first.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    jimeads wrote: »
    It depends on what you want to accomplish. We tend to work out harder earlier. So, if fat burn/weight loss is most important, do cardio first. If building muscle is more important, do weights first.

    In a deficit, we are saving muscle-not building it. Cardio is great for heart health and creating a larger deficit, which aids in fat loss. Lifting helps you keep muscle, instead of losing it along with the fat. If you're lifting heavy, you should do it first so that you are awake and not fatigued from cardio.
  • foursirius
    foursirius Posts: 321 Member
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    I enjoy doing HIIT prior to lifting since it gets me nice and warmed up.
  • Cookiejo2270
    Cookiejo2270 Posts: 51 Member
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    I really like cardio first.
  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
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    I do cardio after weights. I only do about 10 minutes and like to run because I feel like any tension from squats or deads is loosened during the brief run. When I have skipped that run due to time I have felt more soreness or stiffness later. I fear if I had already ran my legs might be too fatigued to squat properly. One could argue the reverse is true but feeling like I need to stop running is much better than feeling like I can't finish a squat.
  • darkbluex3
    darkbluex3 Posts: 13 Member
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    I don't think it makes a huge difference either way (in my experience). I find that if I do cardio first, then my legs are trashed and I can't lift to my full capacity, so I do cardio after lifting.
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
    edited February 2015
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    A common principle in training is to lead with the most important exercise. I'm learning to run just now, so I began with that. I want to learn good form and don't want sore muscles holding me back from that or from achieving good times. I'm more confident in my lifting form.
  • chadgledhill
    chadgledhill Posts: 10 Member
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    Try it each way and see what you like, I've found i like strength training my legs before i run, for some reason it makes me feel stronger. Then i do my upper body after my cardio, it helps me cool off if i get all sweaty from running.
  • HappyLifting89
    HappyLifting89 Posts: 17
    edited February 2015
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    I always do a five minute warm up on some cardio machine to get my heart going. If I am in a cycle of building I limit the cardio to strictly 5 mins then move onto my lifting. If I am not in a cycle of building, i will do 5 mins cardio, lift for 60 +/- then to 10-15 mins cardio. It really depends on where you want you focus. You can't go 100% on both and expect a decrease in a certain area of your body. It takes time. Find the rhythm that works for you and do it :)
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    I do light cardio first, just to warm up and get my heart rate up a bit.
  • HitenL
    HitenL Posts: 38 Member
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    I tend to do my cardio first then weights. I think it comes down to personal choice and there is no right or wrong. It is important to stretch to avoid soreness and stiffness. I think that is something people tend to miss in their routine.

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