What order do you exercise in?

jules1984
jules1984 Posts: 439 Member
edited September 19 in Fitness and Exercise
I know a lot of people rotate days between cardio and strength, but I've got to do certain strength exercises every day for physical therapy. So here's my question:

If I'm doing 30 min of cardio and 30 min of strength - which should I do first?

Is there a logical order to this that I'm just not catching? And I do these at the gym so I'm not making two trips in one day - no time for that.

Replies

  • jules1984
    jules1984 Posts: 439 Member
    I know a lot of people rotate days between cardio and strength, but I've got to do certain strength exercises every day for physical therapy. So here's my question:

    If I'm doing 30 min of cardio and 30 min of strength - which should I do first?

    Is there a logical order to this that I'm just not catching? And I do these at the gym so I'm not making two trips in one day - no time for that.
  • stevieg_fan
    stevieg_fan Posts: 51
    rotate - from a keeping the body strong and responsive standpoint, you don't ever want to do the same thing all the time - the body learns how to do what you're asking it to in about 3-6 weeks and the full benefit of that work reduces. I see this as being true for how you stack weight training with cardio; interval training, etc. as well. Though if you're under the care of a PT - ask them. Also - I usually do cardio and strength in some form during every workout as well. Just my two cents.
  • ohthatbambi
    ohthatbambi Posts: 1,098 Member
    I try to do a little bit of cardio to get my heart rate up before I pump it up!! But that does not always happen. I like a little variety in my routine so I just go with the flow mostly.
  • leg8
    leg8 Posts: 49
    I think I've read before to do strength before cardio so that your muscles aren't fatigued when you begin lifting. When I do yoga or pilates, I do them before running. Have a good night :smile:
  • astarte09
    astarte09 Posts: 531 Member
    I have heard both... from 2 different trainers...but I always do my cardio first, that way my HR is up the whole time
  • Sheri4MS
    Sheri4MS Posts: 87 Member
    I was told to do a 5 minute warm up and than do my weights followed by my cardio. As this would provide more strength for the lifting, verses the other way around. Not sure if that is correct or not. Will be interesting to see what the feedback is.
  • nopogal
    nopogal Posts: 162
    When I really want to ramp up my workouts, I do 15 min on a cardio machine, do 15 min of strength training, go back to a cardio machine and do another 15 min, then finish off with 15 min of strength training and then about 10 of stretching. Intervals are awesome for your health AND it helps break up the monotony of the cardio machines, which I find incredibly dull.
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
    it's best to do 5 min cardio warmup, do your 1/2 hour of strength training, and then do a 1/2 hour of cario
  • sweetassurance
    sweetassurance Posts: 461
    it's best to do 5 min cardio warmup, do your 1/2 hour of strength training, and then do a 1/2 hour of cario

    I agree. Along with my warm-up, I do some muscle stretching before I start my pumping weights.
    I also do not pump every day because my muscles need to rest. Therefore, what I do is I will either alternate my lifting weight days or work on different parts of my body on a daily basis. After this, I do my cardio. I have noticed that after building muscle I get more energy to do my cardio or kick boxing.:happy:
  • Coach2010
    Coach2010 Posts: 209
    Hmmm...This is a great question!!!

    I've been trained to do aerobics before working out. But that was for Football, Judo, etc. You've encouraged me to reverse this, as I don't want to keep size, but to burn fat.

    I'm going to reverse mine, simple cardio for about 10 mins, strength for 30, cardio for 40.

    By the by, I don't know if there is an absolute for your question....but I'll try this out, and if it works, I'll get back on the thread to advise. Cheers! :drinker:
  • wildkat318
    wildkat318 Posts: 326 Member
    I think I've read before to do strength before cardio so that your muscles aren't fatigued when you begin lifting. When I do yoga or pilates, I do them before running. Have a good night :smile:

    This is what I have been told this as well. Cardio is actually a cool down from the weight lifting!:huh:
  • jules1984
    jules1984 Posts: 439 Member
    Yeah, thanks for all the great responses! I guess I usually got to the gym and hopped on the bike and then went over to the weights. Yesterday I started wondering if this was really the right way to do this. I think I'll start with a 5-10 minute workout, then do my strength training, and then hit a bike or the pool for some good cardio!

    I'll let everyone know how this works for me. Thanks!
  • hdtoolgirl
    hdtoolgirl Posts: 93 Member
    When I really want to ramp up my workouts, I do 15 min on a cardio machine, do 15 min of strength training, go back to a cardio machine and do another 15 min, then finish off with 15 min of strength training and then about 10 of stretching. Intervals are awesome for your health AND it helps break up the monotony of the cardio machines, which I find incredibly dull.

    I do the same thing! It really makes it go by quickly and keeps me pumped the whole time!
  • cherapple
    cherapple Posts: 670 Member
    It depends on which one you are trying to put more emphasis on. Your body will have the most energy for the activity that you begin with, so if your wish is to add muscle and get stronger, start with weights. If you want to burn a lot of calories, increase your cardio fitness, or become a faster runner, start with the cardio. But I agree that no matter what you choose to do first, you should change it up every once in a while in order to keep your body guessing. :happy:
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Great posts! Gives me a lot to think about. I usually get my cardio over with first, then I go directly to the weights. I might try mixing it up a bit and see what happens. P90X stresses muscle confusion, maybe it will help here, too.
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