Cardio before strength

stacj27
stacj27 Posts: 71 Member
edited 5:46AM in Fitness and Exercise
I know I know. It's supposed to be after strength training. But I'm having trouble doing my strength first. When I do cardio first, I feel like I can lift the same amount, but I sweat more. I'm doing a light job 3x a week and HIIT running the other 3x with one rest day. So how horrible is it to keep doing cardio first and does anyone have any tips to change it to the end of my routine?

Replies

  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    All depends on your goals and your focus. I do a 1 mile run as my warm up for weight training. More than that takes away too much energy from getting the most out of the weight training. That is my goal on those days. I do nothing but cardio on the days in between. (3 full body compound sessions with auxilliaries per week)

    How much cardio do you do on lifting days? How do you know you can lift the same amount and with the same intensity and form? BTW, sweating more while lifting is not an indicator of effectiveness or work accomplished. It's irrelevant really other than you may feel warmed up and loose to lift.
  • singletrackmtbr
    singletrackmtbr Posts: 644 Member
    As is usually the case, science will provide a better answer than most message boards. Here is a decent ACE Fitness article on the topic. https://www.acefitness.org/blog/6228/cardio-before-or-after-lifting

    This cites studies for both sides of the argument, and as said above, encourages you to examine your goals to help you decide. The article does a nice job in compiling common goals and making recommendations linked to them. Hope this helps!
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    singletrackmtbr wrote: »
    As is usually the case, science will provide a better answer than most message boards. Here is a decent ACE Fitness article on the topic. https://www.acefitness.org/blog/6228/cardio-before-or-after-lifting

    This cites studies for both sides of the argument, and as said above, encourages you to examine your goals to help you decide. The article does a nice job in compiling common goals and making recommendations linked to them. Hope this helps!

    Just starting the article, and already struck by the common sense of the following:

    "When seemingly simple questions continue to puzzle us it is often because the "simple" question has a nuanced answer that is dependent on numerous factors. And we run into trouble whenever we take what works for one individual and try to make that the template for all of humanity to follow. The "correct" answer to this question can vary from person to person"

    Think I should figure out how to set this up as a signature.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    singletrackmtbr wrote: »
    As is usually the case, science will provide a better answer than most message boards. Here is a decent ACE Fitness article on the topic. https://www.acefitness.org/blog/6228/cardio-before-or-after-lifting

    This cites studies for both sides of the argument, and as said above, encourages you to examine your goals to help you decide. The article does a nice job in compiling common goals and making recommendations linked to them. Hope this helps!

    Very cool article. Simple, to the point and an easy to use decision making matrix.
  • JonDrees
    JonDrees Posts: 161 Member
    I actually recommend it before strength training in most cases. If your goal is maximal strength, I would switch it to after, but if you are like the average person that wants to gain some muscle and lose some body fat, it's probably more optimal to do it beforehand. This is assuming you are doing the typical 10-20 minutes on the treadmill, not marathon prep.

    With that said, the gains would be very minimal and either route is probably fine.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    stacj27 wrote: »
    I know I know. It's supposed to be after strength training. But I'm having trouble doing my strength first. When I do cardio first, I feel like I can lift the same amount, but I sweat more. I'm doing a light job 3x a week and HIIT running the other 3x with one rest day. So how horrible is it to keep doing cardio first and does anyone have any tips to change it to the end of my routine?

    There's not really a right or wrong answer because you're talking about a gazillion different variables here. What's your cardio like? What's your lifting program like? Are you training for anything specifically, etc...the list could go on and on.

    On weekends I often ride my bike to the gym to lift...it's only about a 5 mile trip there and another 5 mile trip home afterwards...that's no biggie and doesn't impact my lifting session, nor do I really consider my commute ride to be a very intensive cardio session. My commute there doesn't impact my lifting session and my lifting session does not compromise my ability to ride home.

    Conversely, a 30-35 mile ride would substantially compromise a lifting session and there's no way I'd want to get under a heavy barbell after a 30-35 mile ride...flip that around, and a good lifting session would compromise my ability to ride 30-35 miles afterwards. In this instance, I would do these things on alternate days.

    You also have to consider intensity. I do sprint intervals or hill repeats about once per week...they are of fairly short duration, but very intense workouts...not getting under a barbell after one of those, nor would I do those things after a lifting session as the workouts would be impaired.

    Currently, my lifting sessions are pretty much about maintaining a base of strength...it's the tail end of the cycling season, so my focus has been mostly on cycling with lifting 1-2x per week tops and they aren't super intense sessions in the weight room.

    When winter rolls in, my focus will switch to the weight room...my coach wants me to do a power lifting competition in March, so that's where my focus will be this winter and cardio will be fairly limited as to not impede recovery from far more intense lifting sessions.

    It all just depends on what you're doing, how you're doing it, etc...tons of variables.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
    " I do cardio first, I feel like I can lift the same amount, but I sweat more. " So, you have YOUR answer. If it works for you, there is no reason to change.
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    I like to do about seven minutes on the treadmill to get my body temp up that 1 degree or so and then go train.

    Cardio is a tool for "calories out" so I do cardio when I need to do more "calories out" work (and, no.....that does not mean "Dang it...I ate way too much last night....guess I need to get on the treadmill"....or, even worse....."Dang, I really want 15 bacon-wrapped wings....okay, I will just get on the treadmill for an extra hour tomorrow").

    As several have suggested, what works best for you?
  • Sunshine_And_Sand
    Sunshine_And_Sand Posts: 1,320 Member
    You can find all kinds of recommendations for when to exercise/what order to exercise in/how to time meals around exercise, etc. But,... the best answer for all of that is to pick the time/order you will actually do.
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