cardio and weights

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Shellz_
Shellz_ Posts: 12 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
as I start going to the gym again I started up with my usual cardio.. I was wondering if it would be better to do weight lifting before or after the cardio if I am looking for fat loss
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Replies

  • urenanadrea
    urenanadrea Posts: 12 Member
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    Shellz_ wrote: »
    as I start going to the gym again I started up with my usual cardio.. I was wondering if it would be better to do weight lifting before or after the cardio if I am looking for fat loss

    I hope people start replying to this because I want to know too!
  • Shellz_
    Shellz_ Posts: 12 Member
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    urenanadrea wrote: »

    I hope people start replying to this because I want to know too!

    If they don't I'll just keep on reposting, hopefully someone will reply!
  • veronicacannon
    veronicacannon Posts: 107 Member
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    You could also search and see if anyone has asked a similar question. I saw a post recently and someone had said do strength training first then cardio. Their logic was so that you might be too tired to lift weights after your cardio routine.
  • Shellz_
    Shellz_ Posts: 12 Member
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    veronicacannon wrote: »
    You could also search and see if anyone has asked a similar question. I saw a post recently and someone had said do strength training first then cardio. Their logic was so that you might be too tired to lift weights after your cardio routine.

    oh that might work, I'll have to look up more discussions! thank you, it does make sense if you think of it that way, I'll be trying it tomorrow
  • celianicolee
    celianicolee Posts: 4 Member
    edited January 2016
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    For fat loss, I believe its weight training before cardio. Your heart rate goes up as your cardio does, and your body continues to metabolize at a higher speed.
  • Shellz_
    Shellz_ Posts: 12 Member
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    celianicolee wrote: »
    For fat loss, I believe its weight training before cardio. Your heart rate goes up as your cardio does, and your body continues to metabolize.
    great! thanks, I'm hoping this will do the trick (:

  • jmattmacd79
    jmattmacd79 Posts: 8 Member
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    Weights first. You are trying to build up muscle which means you are working to tear the muscle then have it repair, causing the muscle to grow (hypertrophy). You want to be looking at doing sets of 2-6 reps of 80-90% your 1 rep maximum to optimise this effect, which is going to be extremely difficult to do after half an hour of hiit or even just running on a treadmill, in fact likely as not you wont be hitting that 80-90% at all so you muscles arent growing.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    Always pump iron first to utilize your glycogen. Then cardio to burn fat. You alway use up all your available glycogen, before ANY fat burning takes place.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
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    Are you asking the order for the day, (lift then run today) or if you should start doing one before the other? Do both, starting at the same time. Most recommend doing your lifting before cardio, get in your lifts then run.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,404 Member
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    I like to do them in separate blocks. I lift first if my weight sessions are heavy so that I have full concentrated effort for every lift. If my session is light, I may combine it with cardio circuits.

    As for body shaping, I think of it this way: Cardio can make the scale go down / Compound lifting can make the body leaner.
  • toughmudderMN
    toughmudderMN Posts: 129 Member
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    I always lift first. I do this so that I have the energy to make sure that I can hold form on my lifts. Whatever I have left for energy after I lift goes into cardio.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    It doesn't matter for fat loss.

    A good general guide is if you have to do them on the same day, the first one should be the one that is your main focus for the day so that you are freshest while doing it. If you are a higher level athlete you would likely give your programming more thought but, in general, for most people who are just trying to be in generally good shape, you can do either first.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    For weight loss order doesn't matter one bit. The only thing that matters is the calorie deficit.

    If your primary goal is strength, then lift first and put more effort into that. If your primary goal is endurance, then run first and put more effort into that.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    jmattmacd79 wrote: »
    Weights first. You are trying to build up muscle which means you are working to tear the muscle then have it repair, causing the muscle to grow (hypertrophy). You want to be looking at doing sets of 2-6 reps of 80-90% your 1 rep maximum to optimise this effect, which is going to be extremely difficult to do after half an hour of hiit or even just running on a treadmill, in fact likely as not you wont be hitting that 80-90% at all so you muscles arent growing.

    most people don't need optimal, they just need good enough. Running and then doing whatever you can manage with a 5x5 routine is good enough if your primary goal is endurance and fat loss.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    I do my in separate blocks. I do my running early a.m. and lift later in the day. This is or will not even be possible for the general population as I work at home.

    If you go to a gym to do your workout in one block, it is totally ok to do 20 - 30 HIIT in the gym before hitting the weights. I read a lot about this from a women's side and believe it or not, women recover better than men in this area, therefore cardio before is certainly ok before. I made sure that it would not hinder my goals doing before or after on lifting days.

    I see where others do it after, my statement may be a wash since I do not work with doing cardio and lifting in the same hour.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    celianicolee wrote: »
    For fat loss, I believe its weight training before cardio. Your heart rate goes up as your cardio does, and your body continues to metabolize at a higher speed.

    No.......

    You do weight training before cardio to ensure that you're not fatigued and using bad form (you want to avoid depleting glycogen before doing weights)
  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
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    I always do my weights first before cardio...seems to have worked well so far.

    Increased all weights I use, increased my time and level on the bike and have lost weight.
  • ddany9117
    ddany9117 Posts: 10 Member
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    Physically is important to start with strength exercises first e.g weight lifting. Cardio would follow. Doing cardio toward the end of your workout forces your body to metabolize more fat, since all the available glucose was consumed while weight lifting. I would not go for more than 20 min pure cardio after all, since my weight lift is in cardio/aerobic mode " fast reps, few seconds rest then slow heavy reps then fast and etc."

    Hope that helps.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/weights-or-cardio-first-does-it-even-matter
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    I do weights first

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