Is it better to do cardio to lose fat before strength training?
Rags_91
Posts: 15 Member
What I'm asking is should I be doing cardio and strength training at the same time? Or would it more beneficial to focus on cardio to lose weight and then focus on strength training and gaining muscle afterwards?
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Replies
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I'm not a man but I think either way works. It's good to do a little bit of both.0
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I would do them both throughout the weight loss process.
Strength training will help you retain muscle and will help with your physique.0 -
I've heard firstly that it's best to do them on separate days, or during separate sessions....and that if you're going to do them at the same session, to do strength first, then cardio..xo0
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Both, together, at the same time, well, in the scheme of your workouts, yes!0
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What I'm asking is should I be doing cardio and strength training at the same time? Or would it more beneficial to focus on cardio to lose weight and then focus on strength training and gaining muscle afterwards?
It depends on what your goals are, what your stats are, your experience with weightlifting, what program you are on. The question is too undefined for anyone to be able to give a real answer.
That being said cardio does not cause weight loss, neither does lifting. Weight loss is all diet. You get heather, stronger, and to eat a little more from exercise but not lose weight.0 -
Both, but be prepared for the scale to move slower with strength training as part of your regimen, and that's not a bad thing.
When we eat in a deficit we lose water, fat, and muscle. Strength training as part of your remimine helps to combat that muscle loss, so your losses are mostly water and fat. This may cause the scale to move slower, but if you keep measurements you'll see the progress as you're losing mostly fat and lowering your BF%.0 -
Cardio before or after weight training is fine, but you will feel weak (at least I do) for whichever comes second. If you are mostly concerned about weight loss this shouldn't be a big deal. You can also split cardio and weights into separate days of the week. Honestly, cardio and weights really won't help you lose "that" much weight on their own. Diet is 80% of weight loss; training is 20%. So if you have a high quality diet you will lose weight without exercise. Though I would still advise clean eating and hard training.0
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Yes, do both. What is your current program or what do you plan on doing? I'd focus more on lifting and then do short, intense cardio sessions either after lifting or on alternate days depending on how often you want to workout.0
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Fat loss happens with a calorie deficit whether or not you exercise. One of the biggest myths in the fitness industry is that cardio is NEEDED for fat loss. Cardio and lifting are for fitness and health. They can HELP with creating a calorie deficit, but if one ate as much as they burned regardless of how much exercise they did, no weight loss would occur.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I should have been more specific. I'm on a calorie deficit, roughy 1700 per day but I have started to train for a 5km run for next summer 3 days a week. Doing the C25K. I'm just wondering if I should be doing more and including strength training to maximize weight loss and becoming more fit.0
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I should have been more specific. I'm on a calorie deficit, roughy 1700 per day but I have started to train for a 5km run for next summer 3 days a week. Doing the C25K. I'm just wondering if I should be doing more and including strength training to maximize weight loss and becoming more fit.
Training to complete or do you want to crush some dreams?
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I would do them both throughout the weight loss process.
Strength training will help you retain muscle and will help with your physique.
This^
Do both!
You maximize weight loss "results" with strength training. It doesn't help move the number on the scale so much, as it helps lower body fat percentage.0 -
I feel that strength training should be integral, if not the key focus when losing weight, so that as much muscle mass is preserved in the process.0
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No always do strength first, while glycogen stores are high.0
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I would definitely do both, I start with light cardio to get a sweat and warm up, then weight lift, and then cardio after my lifting session
Like several people stated above, weights will help shed BF%. It also helps with weight lose because the soreness caused by lifting weights is from the muscles being microscopically torn. It takes calories for your body to heal those tears so you actually keep burning calories after your weight lifting session is done. And weight lifting results in muscle gain which in turn increase your metabolism (basically, the more lean muscle you have, the more calories you will burn while at rest).
As for the cardio, the warm up cardio is just a preference of mine, some people just prefer a good stretch, but cardio after lifting is important because it helps get blood to the muscles and will help with recovery and of course overall fitness0 -
I've been doing cardio for the last 6 month and it's helped me drop weight. I have now just started adding weights, albeit not heavy, a few times a week. I also do cardio on a weights day but far shorter session.0
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Whenever I've worked out with a trainer they would incorporate both. Typically using lighter weights with less reps will build less bulky muscles but make you toned. Also doing push-ups and planks; any type of body weight resistance exercises, will help you reach your weight loss goals when integrated with a cardio work out.0
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Typically using lighter weights with less reps will build less bulky muscles but make you toned.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I do both and recommend both. I used to do them on separate days but now I do cardio after strength because I found I needed my rest days.
Diet for fat loss, strength for muscle retention, cardio for fitness.0 -
Whenever I've worked out with a trainer they would incorporate both. Typically using lighter weights with less reps will build less bulky muscles but make you toned. Also doing push-ups and planks; any type of body weight resistance exercises, will help you reach your weight loss goals when integrated with a cardio work out.
OP, this is not true, especially if you're in a deficit.
Building bulky muscles comes from an on point diet, in a surplus, and hours of dedication and work in the weight room on a progressive overload program.
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