Can I do cardio and weight lifting?

That looks like a great week of workouts for you! Just be sure that everything you do aligns to your goals and be sure to give yourself a good solid day of rest! - Fail to plan, plan to fail - and I see a great plan here!
You've got this!

In the SL5x5 literature there is talk about cardio... from memory it says try do weights and cardio on separate days otherwise do your weights before you do cardio. But I don't know personally how much difference it makes.

Personally I just used to run and SL on alternate days and only occasionally found that one negatively impacted the other.

I think you have posted this schedule in the past, and for me, it looks way too much. Unless cardio is something really relaxed, like 30 minutes walking and unless you are really lifting at way below your full capacity. If you love the classes, do the classes, do not feel compelled to lift and do some extra cardio on top of the classes, you cannot have everything. Or decide to do lifting alternating with cardio for the next X weeks, then go back to the circuit type classes for a while and so on. Or figure some other program not demanding lifting 3 types per week. Or some other less demanding classes. Being a beginner (I think you mentioned starting a few months ago) in intense classes having also a strenght training part, then starting a new lifting program and wondering where to fit some cardio too, it is an accident waiting to happen. There are all sorts of classes and lifting routines and sports that can be combined, the ones you are doing sound like an overkill together.

I'd add in the cardio over time and see how much you can handle. Also, the cardio you're looking at has strength elements in it, which may be an issue. Why not stick to something that is more pure cardio?

You CAN, however depends on your goals. If you want to lose WEIGHT then eat in deficit ---- If you want to lose fat lift weights Build muscle to burn FAT ---- If you want to increase your cardiovascular fitness then work on cardio.

Most people have a huge misunderstanding of burning fat vs losing weight

Here is what I say about too much. Listen to your body. I have been doing crossfit everyday for the past couple months and run every so often to work on my cardio distance and seldom take days off. Some days are less work than others. But just listen to your body and mind. Do what makes you happy and rock it!

The answer to your question is that yes, of course you can do cardio in addition to strength training. I think most people that lift weights do some form of cardio as well.

However, I know from recent experience with two-a-days, you may find that it's too much. Like others have already said, listen to your body. If too much cardio is making you feel like crap or your lifts start to suffer, back off a bit.

I prefer little to no cardio, but do what you enjoy.

I think you are substantially undervaluing rest; it is just as important to your fitness as the work. Also, nothing wrong with doing some cardio on non-lifting days, but I would avoid cardio that also involves resistance work...you're seriously going to be over taxing your muscles and not getting anywhere near the benefits you could be getting.

I do cardio on non-lifting days, but my cardio consists of riding my bike at a moderate pace. I take at minimum one day of rest and often two.

May I ask why you have chosen SL? You do not plan to really follow the program for what it is designed for, so why did you chose it? You say you are not interested in increasing strength. There is no point in a 5x5 program that does not challenge you where strength is concerned, there is no point in a 5x5 program when strength is not among your goals and there is no point in a progressive lifting program when increasing weight is not the plan. I get the feeling you found something you loved and worked for you and then read a lot here about how SL is amazing, and you thought you are missing on somethign big that is essential. And so are trying to add this to your workout, without removing anything else, because the other things are the ones you love. Why not stick with what you like for now? Or try a different strenght training program, that can fit in your routine?
If you talk with my pilates instructor, she will tell you pilates is the most essential thing in the word, and will explain in detail why for her free weights do more damage than good, do not correct posture, do not train the right muscles etc. She is very passionate about it (and has an amazing body) and could convince you to add pilates in your routine in no time If you now talk to my friend who is a swimmer, she will tell you how swimming is the most essential thing to do, will be gentle on your joints, increase cardio capacity, is a full body workout and will help you build awesome abs. And so on... She will have you convinced that unless you swim, you are missing the most important workout ever. And I bet you can find people in all sports passionate about their routine. But, you cannot do everything at the same time. Figure out what you like, what fits your goals, and work with this. Or you will burn out.

aggelikik wrote: »

May I ask why you have chosen SL? You do not plan to really follow the program for what it is designed for, so why did you chose it? You say you are not interested in increasing strength. There is no point in a 5x5 program that does not challenge you where strength is concerned, there is no point in a 5x5 program when strength is not among your goals and there is no point in a progressive lifting program when increasing weight is not the plan. I get the feeling you found something you loved and worked for you and then read a lot here about how SL is amazing, and you thought you are missing on somethign big that is essential. And so are trying to add this to your workout, without removing anything else, because the other things are the ones you love. Why not stick with what you like for now? Or try a different strenght training program, that can fit in your routine?
If you talk with my pilates instructor, she will tell you pilates is the most essential thing in the word, and will explain in detail why for her free weights do more damage than good, do not correct posture, do not train the right muscles etc. She is very passionate about it (and has an amazing body) and could convince you to add pilates in your routine in no time If you now talk to my friend who is a swimmer, she will tell you how swimming is the most essential thing to do, will be gentle on your joints, increase cardio capacity, is a full body workout and will help you build awesome abs. And so on... She will have you convinced that unless you swim, you are missing the most important workout ever. And I bet you can find people in all sports passionate about their routine. But, you cannot do everything at the same time. Figure out what you like, what fits your goals, and work with this. Or you will burn out.

I am wondering the same. There are a lot of other heavy lifting programs out there to choose from. Why did you choose SL5x5? If you don't want to add weight at the rate that it has you add weight, choose a program that is set up differently. Greyskull LP has you add 2.5/5 pounds instead of 5/10 pounds each time. AllPro's has you at the same weight, just adding reps, for 5 week cycles. Wendler 5/3/1 beginner has you work quite a bit below your max most of the time. In fact, if you look at the blackironbeast.com calculator for 5/3/1 you can see that there are a couple of 2 day options that you can get your numbers for pretty quickly. Maybe a better option for you would be a 2 day lifting program plus one of your bodypump or Insanity classes and then lighter cardio around those.

kmab1985 wrote: »

@Stage14.... Thanks for your reply. Bodypump and Insanity are on a Tuesday and Thursday, therefore could I do

Mon: SL in the evening
Tuesday: Bodypump
Wednesday: Rest Day
Thursday: Insanity
Friday: SL in the evening
So I'd be reducing my SL's by 1!

or should I just stop doing Stronglifts and find a weight programme that isn't so intense?

This would still have you doing multiple days of full body intense muscle work in a row, which is what you want to avoid.

Honestly, I agree with the others who are questioning why you are doing SL at this point? You don't intend to follow the program as it is designed and you're doing other types of strength training already. Can you tell us what you are specifically hoping that SL will do for you so that we can maybe recommend some alternatives that could work better?

Not too much at all, but you need a rest day.

And I've read weights then cardio. You burn more calories this way.

leop123 wrote: »

I was told by personal trainer, who is my friend as well ALWAYS do Cardio before weight lifting to warm up your body and get your heart pumping

There is a difference between a full cardio session and using some sort of cardio as a warmup. I walk on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes. Technically speaking, walking is a cardio exercise. But I don't consider it to be a cardio session. I reserve that description for the days when walking or running is my actuall full exercise session.