Cardio and Strength Training combo?

What are your goals?

You can do cardio as a warm up before lifting or you can do it afterwards.

I would say do the one that you want to use the most energy towards first.

Or do them on alternate days.

sijomial wrote: »

MichelleLei1 wrote: »

Strength training always before cardio. Cardio will only deplete your glycogen stores, reducing your energy levels for strength training.

@MichelleLei1
That really isn't a problem for most people unless they are doing two hard hours of cardio. Often thrown around by people who simply don't like cardio and want an excuse not to do it!

There is no single "always" rule for everyone, it depends on goals, priorities, capabilities, intensity of the exercise etc. etc.
I can still hit my PB's lifting after an hour of cardio, someone else may find their strength training suffers.

My personal preference is to do my cardio and weights on alternate days to fully concentrate on that days' workout - but that's all it is, a preference.

I normally do an hour of lifting, then a half hour of cardio. I guess you're right it is down to personal preference, but I find this method the most efficient. I can easily do an intense session of cardio after a heavy lifting session, because I'm still on an energy high. But the thought of doing a heavy lifting after an intense cardio session sounds like death. I've done it before, but I definitely find that my workout is slower and less intense.

You can combine cardio and lifting by incorporating interval training or a program like German composition training, but the emphasis is on conditioning as opposed to strength or hypertrophy.

I lift monday wednestay friday then I do cardio tuesday thursday and one long run on a weekend day which ever best fits my schedule.

akafful wrote: »

samanthaluangphixay wrote: »

What are your goals?

You can do cardio as a warm up before lifting or you can do it afterwards.

I would say do the one that you want to use the most energy towards first.

Or do them on alternate days.

Cardio as a warm-up? I didn't know it could work that way.

5-10 minutes at a moderate pace.

On a strength training morning I generally run the mile down to the gym (warm up/cardio), then on a Monday I do a stretch session with my PT before I hit the weights, then run again after (recovery run from Sunday's long run).
My other strength day I run to gym, spend an hour doing my main lifting work, then have half hour intense cardio with my PT before I do my accessory work.
But my main fitness goals are running orientated, meaning that the other days of the week I do a lot of cardio.
My strength targets are upper body (until after I do my marathons) and I'm working on increasing my 1rpm in bench and shoulder press so I save intense cardio on those days until after I've lifted.

Sometimes. I like to mix it up. Im not one for long drawn out cardio so i love tabata training or high intensity interval training.

Days I lift heavy i do not add cardio only on leg day and i will finish my legs off with some spinning or I might just add legs on thursday with chest and back and do an hour of spinning on Wednesday.

My tuesday and Saturday i do both but also incorporating body weight exercises and high intensity interval training. Lifting upper and lower body at the same time gives me cardio benefit too. I lift weights quickly with little rest in between.

My friday is straight cardio with walk/jogging/ sprint work. I play with speed and incline making it an interval thing.


Monday-shoulders biceps and triceps-lift heavy
Tuesday- i teach a full body muscle with tabata/hiit training (hiit only about 25 min)
Wednesday- legs-heavy spin bike finisher
Thursday- chest and back- lift heavy
Friday- walk/jogging/sprint work
Saturday- full body muscle with tabata hiit
Training. Some body weight exercises, hiit training, weight training.
Sunday- yoga