Cardio AND weights?

Angelfire365
Angelfire365 Posts: 803 Member
edited November 21 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all! I just have a quick question: I usually do my C25K and my weights separately, either one a day or one in the morning and one after work. I always do a brisk 5-minute warm up before, and a cool down and stretch afterwards. My question is about the stretching; if I want to do them back to back (today is biceps/lats then C25k) should I stretch the muscles used after weights and then jog, or do weights, straight to jogging, then stretch everything out after?

Thanks for your time!!

Replies

  • xBabyLlamaDrama
    xBabyLlamaDrama Posts: 53 Member
    I remember reading, a while ago, that the cardio is better after lifting weights. Not a medical professional, but my advice would be to stretch the muscles unused during your workout before the run.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    We have known for a while that stretching before activity temporarily weakens the muscles that are stretched. So if you're going to run after weights, don't stretch your leg muscles. It would be better to lift, run, and then stretch—if you feel like it; I do dynamic warmups before running but have never stretched afterwards and haven't had any problems.
  • Mr_Stabbems
    Mr_Stabbems Posts: 4,771 Member
    W_Northrop wrote: »
    I remember reading, a while ago, that the cardio is better after lifting weights. Not a medical professional, but my advice would be to stretch the muscles unused during your workout before the run.

    The theory behind that is the intense weight lifting has used up all the glucose in the muscles and therefore the cardio taps directly into the stored energy. I'm not sure how accurate that is in practical terms though. I can cycle for many hours on a non weight day but i wont manage half that on a lifting day.
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  • cbrook29
    cbrook29 Posts: 57 Member
    They (general fitness community ) says in general do cardio last because all the glycogen/stored energy in your muscles will be tapped out/depleted thus impairing the workout. You might not be able to give it your all of you are depleted. I stretch before weight lifting and running with no ill effect.
  • mkmoon85
    mkmoon85 Posts: 6 Member
    I guess I have been doing it wrong. I have always done my cardio first. I liked to get it out of the way. Gonna try it the other way around now.
  • WarriorAmit
    WarriorAmit Posts: 2 Member
    I agree, the way I read is do your weights first then your cardio as cardio in absence on tissue glycogen uses up the fat cells and if there is glycogen left in the cells then the cardio uses glycogen and not fat so first weight then cardio then stretching I guess that's recommended
  • heis4u2004
    heis4u2004 Posts: 176 Member
    I have always heard that we should stretch warmed up muscles, not cold. Like a rubber band- it stretches easier when warm, but if it is cold when stretched, it will break. Just a thought.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    heis4u2004 wrote: »
    I have always heard that we should stretch warmed up muscles, not cold. Like a rubber band- it stretches easier when warm, but if it is cold when stretched, it will break. Just a thought.

    Body temperature is almost 100 degrees, which is hardly cold. Just a thought. B)

    OP, you don't have to stretch after exercising unless you feel like it. :+1:
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    From what I've read, if you're doubling up, do the one first that's most important for the results you want as you probably won't have the energy to sustain a high-quality workout for the second, in-a-row option. For that reason, I do light cardio after lifting weights or do a little yoga after my runs.
  • heis4u2004
    heis4u2004 Posts: 176 Member
    For me, when I stop thoroughly stretching after running last year, I developed an injury. Now I cannot run at all. I am good to walk. I found tightness in the right adductor that aided in the injury. A therapist worked the knot out, but I still tend to get the pain, just not as severe as before. So stretching these muscles after a long treadmill walk is crucial for me.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,030 Member
    WarriorAmit wrote: »
    I agree, the way I read is do your weights first then your cardio as cardio in absence on tissue glycogen uses up the fat cells and if there is glycogen left in the cells then the cardio uses glycogen and not fat so first weight then cardio then stretching I guess that's recommended
    It's actually quite hard to use up enough glycogen to tap fat cells for energy.
    Fat is MOST effectively burned at rest than working out. That's why a calorie deficit is all that's needed to do it.

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  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    WarriorAmit wrote: »
    I agree, the way I read is do your weights first then your cardio as cardio in absence on tissue glycogen uses up the fat cells and if there is glycogen left in the cells then the cardio uses glycogen and not fat so first weight then cardio then stretching I guess that's recommended
    It's actually quite hard to use up enough glycogen to tap fat cells for energy.
    Fat is MOST effectively burned at rest than working out. That's why a calorie deficit is all that's needed to do it.

    That's for sure!
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    edited July 2015
    Mr_Stabbems wrote: »
    W_Northrop wrote: »
    I remember reading, a while ago, that the cardio is better after lifting weights. Not a medical professional, but my advice would be to stretch the muscles unused during your workout before the run.

    The theory behind that is the intense weight lifting has used up all the glucose in the muscles and therefore the cardio taps directly into the stored energy. I'm not sure how accurate that is in practical terms though. I can cycle for many hours on a non weight day but i wont manage half that on a lifting day.

    In practical terms, I am simply a better lifter before cardio, but I can cardio for a while after a lifting session. The only exception seems.to be when I do a Barre class before leg day. That's low intensity cardio and it opens up my hip flexors so that my squats and dead lifts have better form.
    Edit to.add: Better form on leg day after Barre may also be related to more attention to posture in Barre class.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    heis4u2004 wrote: »
    For me, when I stop thoroughly stretching after running last year, I developed an injury. Now I cannot run at all. I am good to walk. I found tightness in the right adductor that aided in the injury. A therapist worked the knot out, but I still tend to get the pain, just not as severe as before. So stretching these muscles after a long treadmill walk is crucial for me.

    Maybe it was the fact that you were stretching at all which helped, not the timing of the stretching..?

    Just curious - do you sit with legs crossed? That's a common reason for women having one adductor tighter than the other.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    Stretch, weights, cardio, stretch.
  • Angelfire365
    Angelfire365 Posts: 803 Member
    This is a lot of info! Thanks to everybody!
This discussion has been closed.

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