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Strength Train First, Cardio Second, or Reverse?

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TheBrock84
TheBrock84 Posts: 68 Member
in Debate Club
Should I do Strength Training first, then Cardio. Or should I do Cardio, First. Strength Training Second.
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Replies

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    What is your goal?
  • TheBrock84
    TheBrock84 Posts: 68 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    What is your goal?

    Lose Weight, and get healthy. Period.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Then yes, I would strength train first.
  • TheBrock84
    TheBrock84 Posts: 68 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    Then yes, I would strength train first.

    That's what I'm talking about!!!

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Bwrock84 wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    What is your goal?

    Lose Weight, and get healthy. Period.

    Then do whichever suits you best and lets you perform your exercise the best.
    Unless what's done first compromises the second it really doesn't matter.

    My personal preference is separate days for cardio exercise and weights for focus and performance.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited June 2016
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    I have seen this post two three times now in the forums.. ;)
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
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    Why is this your favorite question!? there have to be other things you want to know about. This is the 3rd time you have posted about this, and the answers are always the same.
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    edited June 2016
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    This is the 'Debate' Forum ... so I interpret that as you want to start a debate about which comes first rather than a question about what you personally ought to do. Am I correct in that assumption?

    My take on it is ... don't do either or do them if you like. ... no, seriously. I think if you have a lifestyle that has you moving your body a lot, and doing a lot of physical stuff that taxes your muscles, then you don't have to do exercise per se. However, if you have a sedentary life style and do little or no physically challenging activity/work, then yes, do both cardio and strength training if you want to, like to.

    Which one should you do first? I've read a lot of body builders/ fitness trainers talk about this topic, and worked with a couple of personal trainers during my lifetime. The information is way more scientifically inclined than I am able to comprehend completely.

    However I did get this from it ... don't do both in the same workout session beyond warming up with a little bit of cardio. Also this ... if you are a beginner, then you can finish up a strength session with a short cardio workout ... like walking on a treadmill and follow that with a stretching session.

    The last trainer I worked with had me do cardio in the morning followed by working with bands and chains and then, in the afternoon, a strength session were I only warmed up with weight balls and then did the strength training, and followed that with stretches. He only had me doing the strength training 3 times a week, while I did the cardio every day.

    PS ... edited to say ... isometric stretches.

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    for me I lift first if it's leg day...if it's non leg day I go for my walk/run/ride when I want.

    However I have been doing early morning walks and haven't noticed my lifts suffering due to this...

    do what works for you.
  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
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    I prefer to cardio first to "get it out of the way" it is the most challenging for me.
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
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    Cardio first... increase blood flow.. wake up the muscles... get all the right chemicals flowing... THEN hit the weights
  • mecoconleche
    mecoconleche Posts: 86 Member
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    Strength training all the way, when you are in a deficit the body may use up your lean muscle instead of fat, unless you stimulate your muscles and get enough protein
  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Whichever you want to have more energy for comes first. My focus is lifting, so I do that first. If cardio were my focus, I'd do that first.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    Most important to you first. Everything else after.
  • ainarsraciks
    ainarsraciks Posts: 166 Member
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    It matters if you want to gain the most muscle and strength as possible. If that would be your goal then it's best to do cardio first for that bonus 2 to 5% strength/muscle gain. Cos doing cardio after weights undoes some of the gains, like 2% or something so you would get only 98% of strength/muscle gains you otherwise could have. That's what I have heard anyways from coaches and read online from fitness expert blogs.

    But since your goal is to just lose weight and get healthy then it does not matter at all. Do what makes you feel the best. Personally I like to do cardio before weights because I know my body and joints are warmed up and so it's less risk of injury. It's really insignificant amount at my age but hey, better be safe than sorry. For older peeps it's more important.

    On top of that, if I go do cardio after strength training I am already pretty tired and my muscles sore, so my cardio suffers. And cardio is my priority cos I want to get faster at running while weights are not that important to me. For some people it might be other way round, they might want to work towards getting those 100 push ups and do cardio just for calorie burn, and not care about running speed, so they might want to do strength training first to better use their energy.

  • brucealfred3
    brucealfred3 Posts: 47 Member
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    I disagree with most people on here... In order for you to become a good weightlifter, crossfiter, or whatever, you have to have your weight under control. There's a reason you don't see fat people doing snatches or clean and jerks... From personal experience...lose the weight, then shape your body with the lifting.
  • Erfw7471
    Erfw7471 Posts: 242 Member
    edited June 2016
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    brucealfred3 wrote: »
    I disagree with most people on here... In order for you to become a good weightlifter, crossfiter, or whatever, you have to have your weight under control. There's a reason you don't see fat people doing snatches or clean and jerks... From personal experience...lose the weight, then shape your body with the lifting.

    I absolutely disagree with this. There is no reason whatsoever that someone who is overweight should not lift as they are losing weight.

    ***EDITED TO ADD I am so glad that my trainer (actual, real, educated, experienced, knowledgable) didn't put me in the fat corner and tell me not to touch the weights until my "weight was under control".....she worked with me, made me more determined, challenged and taught me & didn't put limitations on *this* fat person.

    OP, whatever your primary goal are matter most for choosing one over the other. I lift first because I need my energy more for that, then follow up with cardio.
  • richln
    richln Posts: 809 Member
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    brucealfred3 wrote: »
    I disagree with most people on here... In order for you to become a good weightlifter, crossfiter, or whatever, you have to have your weight under control. There's a reason you don't see fat people doing snatches or clean and jerks... From personal experience...lose the weight, then shape your body with the lifting.

    Huh? You are aware that regularly lifting heavy weights is the single most effective strategy for retaining muscle mass while in caloric deficit, right?

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