Cardio or strength first?
chalaivy
Posts: 101 Member
Is one way over the other or does it not matter? Just looking to see if there's any cool facts over just preference.
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Replies
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Lifting builds muscle which helps burn more fat long term. But, cardio helps you outrun the zombies...
I do both since I still have a ways to go with fat loss to reach my first goal. 1 -
Always weights first you burn most of your glycogen stores, so doing cardio after will burn more fat than the other way around.2
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Strength because cardio in the same workout will sapp your ability to get the best lift possible.0
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I do both. Warm up with a recumbent crosstrainer for 15 min then an hour or so weights, then about 20min of walking.0
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Do first what is most important to you. For me, that's always lifting so it's what is always first. Not that there is a lot of cardio in my program to start with.0
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On lifting days, my weight training is my primary focus...thus they are called lifting days...I do cardio, but it isn't my primary focus...so obviously I would lift first or if I did any cardio before it would be light cardio earlier in the day or something.
Cardio days are for cardio...lifting days are for lifting.1 -
If you're dieting and in a deficit of energy, that is completely irrelevant. You are going to oxidize the same amount of fat regardless of doing X or Y exercise or doing A or B first.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »
If you're dieting and in a deficit of energy, that is completely irrelevant. You are going to oxidize the same amount of fat regardless of doing X or Y exercise or doing A or B first.
ohp. well then, nevermind.. but when I stop dieting and go to maintenance, then I should use that method?0 -
For safety's sake I do weights first. I'm afraid if I'm tired my form will be sloppy and I'll get hurt.0
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Strength because cardio in the same workout will sapp your ability to get the best lift possible.
+1
Also, if exhausted from a cardio session you are more likely to lift with poor form. The converse, lifting then cardio, will not cause you form issues with machine based cardio such as elliptical, rower, stair climber, bike etc and is highly unlikely to cause form issues with running cardio (street, track, field, or treadmill).0 -
As a runner, if I do strength and cardio on the same days, it is running first, strength after. When I do this, I go a little lighter on the lifting to maintain form.
Best possible scenario is strength and cardio on alternate days. In the summer it's four days running, two in the gym. Spring/Fall it's three and three. Winter is four days strength and two running.
Find out what works for you.0 -
filovirus76 wrote: »As a runner, if I do strength and cardio on the same days, it is running first, strength after. When I do this, I go a little lighter on the lifting to maintain form.
Best possible scenario is strength and cardio on alternate days. In the summer it's four days running, two in the gym. Spring/Fall it's three and three. Winter is four days strength and two running.
Find out what works for you.
thank you for the advice!0 -
It really depends on your goals. If your goal is to build strength and muscle mass like the burly gents saying it should always be weight training first, then yes its advisable to use those glycogen stores for your primary focus.
If your aim is weight loss, eating at a deficit and no intention of gaining from your strength training then cardio is a good way to start. The increased heart rate after the cardio helps burn more calories while strength training.
These are all just really opinions, there is no right or wrong answer. Why don't you try both and see what suits you? If it were me I'd do a week of each to gauge the difference in recovery each evening and over rest days, by following the same eating plan you may also be able to gauge weight loss if that's your aiming for.2 -
It's 100% goal dependent.
If you're just training in a more general sense- then strength first.
If you're an endurance athlete- the priority is the event training- running/cycling/swimming.
If you're a lifter- well- odds are you don't do cardio anyway. so there is that.0 -
JoshuaMcAllister wrote: »These are all just really opinions, there is no right or wrong answer. Why don't you try both and see what suits you? If it were me I'd do a week of each to gauge the difference in recovery each evening and over rest days, by following the same eating plan you may also be able to gauge weight loss if that's your aiming for.
I like that idea. My goal is to lose weight, but I also want to be able to run, and lift.. lol but neither is really my primary goal right now, and I have been doing my running first and strength after for a couple of weeks so far, i just started strength first today.. But if cardio first is better for weight loss should I just stick with that?0 -
JoshuaMcAllister wrote: »These are all just really opinions, there is no right or wrong answer. Why don't you try both and see what suits you? If it were me I'd do a week of each to gauge the difference in recovery each evening and over rest days, by following the same eating plan you may also be able to gauge weight loss if that's your aiming for.
I like that idea. My goal is to lose weight, but I also want to be able to run, and lift.. lol but neither is really my primary goal right now, and I have been doing my running first and strength after for a couple of weeks so far, i just started strength first today.. But if cardio first is better for weight loss should I just stick with that?
no- calorie deficit is better for weight loss.
Weight lifting = optimizing fat loss and minimizing muscle loss
cardio = good for your heart AND can also HELP with a calorie deficit- but it's a slippery slope relying on that solely as your deficit.0 -
A lot of people say that you should do weights first and then cardio because the lack of energy will affect the intensity of your lifts. I don't necessarily buy it though as I've always done a good cardio routine prior to my lifts because it gets the blood pumping and muscles warmed up but I don't do cardio on leg days. As far as depleting your glycogen stores, you'd have to do a pretty good cardio workout to burn up your glycogen. Everyone is different though, find what works for you. My body is just accustomed to what I do to it.2
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JoshuaMcAllister wrote: »These are all just really opinions, there is no right or wrong answer. Why don't you try both and see what suits you? If it were me I'd do a week of each to gauge the difference in recovery each evening and over rest days, by following the same eating plan you may also be able to gauge weight loss if that's your aiming for.
I like that idea. My goal is to lose weight, but I also want to be able to run, and lift.. lol but neither is really my primary goal right now, and I have been doing my running first and strength after for a couple of weeks so far, i just started strength first today.. But if cardio first is better for weight loss should I just stick with that?
no- calorie deficit is better for weight loss.
Weight lifting = optimizing fat loss and minimizing muscle loss
cardio = good for your heart AND can also HELP with a calorie deficit- but it's a slippery slope relying on that solely as your deficit.
I am in a calorie deficit. I'm doing both of these things on top of my deficit and my goal is weight loss first, but I'm also trying to be in better shape just overall and I was asking to see if doing one first is better for some reason or another.0 -
A lot of people say that you should do weights first and then cardio because the lack of energy will affect the intensity of your lifts. I don't necessarily buy it though as I've always done a good cardio routine prior to my lifts because it gets the blood pumping and muscles warmed up but I don't do cardio on leg days. As far as depleting your glycogen stores, you'd have to do a pretty good cardio workout to burn up your glycogen. Everyone is different though, find what works for you. My body is just accustomed to what I do to it.
So far it's been my preference... Interesting to hear different approaches
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I lift first, cardio after.. Reason for me is fatigue, every lift session is leg day and trying to squat 5x5 after a 30 minute jog is a bit rough lol1
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Whichever you favor in your training.
If you want to focus on cardio training, then do cardio then weights. If you want to focus on strength/muscle gains, do weights then cardio. The first will always sap energy reserves from the second.1 -
JoshuaMcAllister wrote: »These are all just really opinions, there is no right or wrong answer. Why don't you try both and see what suits you? If it were me I'd do a week of each to gauge the difference in recovery each evening and over rest days, by following the same eating plan you may also be able to gauge weight loss if that's your aiming for.
I like that idea. My goal is to lose weight, but I also want to be able to run, and lift.. lol but neither is really my primary goal right now, and I have been doing my running first and strength after for a couple of weeks so far, i just started strength first today.. But if cardio first is better for weight loss should I just stick with that?
no- calorie deficit is better for weight loss.
Weight lifting = optimizing fat loss and minimizing muscle loss
cardio = good for your heart AND can also HELP with a calorie deficit- but it's a slippery slope relying on that solely as your deficit.
I am in a calorie deficit. I'm doing both of these things on top of my deficit and my goal is weight loss first, but I'm also trying to be in better shape just overall and I was asking to see if doing one first is better for some reason or another.
By eating at a caloric deficit, your body sheds weight. Some of it fat, some of it muscle. This is unavoidable.- By strength training while in a deficit, you will maintain more muscle, and therefore lose fat, specifically, more quickly.
- Focusing on pure cardio while help increase the deficit some, as long as you don't eat back all the calories burned. This will increase loss of body weight, both fat and muscle, generally.
Play around with both, figure out your goals, and start doing it!1 -
Here's what's working for me to lose weight and get stronger:
M/W/F - walk 60 mins during lunch, Stronglifts after work
T/Th - run 60 mins
Sat- Run 5+ early, then have fun
Sun- several slower walks with dog or swim for 45 minutes
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My decision is more pragmatic than anything. My gym has six "good" treadmills, so if the gym is busy and a treadmill is open, I grab it first, then use the weight machines. If all of the good treadmills are taken I lift until one is free. If the gym isn't busy and there are plenty of treadmills, I lift first because I hate lifting and want to get it over with asap.1
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I have done both and choose to do cardio first because it gets my blood going. I prefer lifting, no question, but I want cardio health. Plus doing it first gets it over with quicker. lol1
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IILikeToMoveItMoveIt wrote: »I have done both and choose to do cardio first because it gets my blood going. I prefer lifting, no question, but I want cardio health. Plus doing it first gets it over with quicker. lol
Yep, I'm the same^ 0 -
I like doing my cardio first. I just find that I have more endurance and lift a little more when I do cardio first. My personal theory is that the cardio gets me mentality pumped up, plus it gets my muscles warmed up and ready to go. Just seams that I run farther and faster during my cardio and I am able to do more weight and reps when I do the cardio before the weights, when I do weights first I have no endurance and my running always suffers for some reason. But everyone is different! Try both ways a couple times, it won't take long for you to decide what works best for your body!1
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shagerty777 wrote: »Lifting builds muscle which helps burn more fat long term. But, cardio helps you outrun the zombies... I do both since I still have a ways to go with fat loss to reach my first goal.
What shagerty77 said... do both to lose that weight and fat. I do situps and stretches at home and use the gym's machines for the bodybuilding and cardio workouts.0 -
I think I'm finding that I like cardio better when I get it out of the way first, and I do feel a little more pumped for weights as long as I cool down for a little bit after cardio....
Is it too much to do cardio and weights both 5 times a week? I try to do cardio for my first 20-ish minutes of my workout then go over to weights for about 40ish min. Does that ruin the effectiveness of either regimen?0
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