Weights first ... cardio second

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Replies

  • nitag
    nitag Posts: 706 Member
    Bumping for a response ... :noway:
  • allaboutme
    allaboutme Posts: 391 Member
    This was good reading.

    I always warm up on the treadmill for 10 mins then do some weights then 15 mins on the treadmill then weights again 15 more mins on the treadmill ect.. Usually 60 mins on the treadmill and 20 mins for the weights..

    Does anyone have any tips for me.. I need to spice it up ....

    I started on Jan 22nd and have lost 14 lbs..

    I think you should be giving us tips, if you lost 14 lbs since January 22, you must be doing it right already :laugh:
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member
    This was good reading.

    I always warm up on the treadmill for 10 mins then do some weights then 15 mins on the treadmill then weights again 15 more mins on the treadmill ect.. Usually 60 mins on the treadmill and 20 mins for the weights..

    Does anyone have any tips for me.. I need to spice it up ....

    I started on Jan 22nd and have lost 14 lbs..
    do you have a gym available for use? Or are you working out at home?

    One things to keep in mind is that we definitely want to confuse our muscles so they continue to burn fat and work better for us. We can do this by varying our excercises often. I don't know if the above is your standard everyday workout or not, if so perhaps trading off the treadmill for another piece of equipment if you have use of one. If you are working out at home, lots of great cardio workout DVD's are often mentioned here on MFP.

    Changing up our workouts often keeps us from getting bored as well:drinker:

    FC:heart:
  • qatarsessions
    qatarsessions Posts: 31 Member
    There was a very short article about this just the other day in the Houston Chronicle newspaper. It talked about the glycogen use and that weights should be done first for that. I think that if you are talking about one after the other in the same training session then that applies. If you talking about morning to night or day to day I don't think it does. Sometimes I do my spinning class in the morning and then weights after lunch when I've rested and refueled.

    BUT. It also said, and I totally agree, that to be most effective with weight training proper form is crucial. You should lift first while you are fresh and strong. Being tired and weak after cardio can compromise form needed for lifting weights and you are more prone to an injury.

    No science, just common sense.
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member
    Great write up.

    Time to bump.!!!
    :wink: :drinker:
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    If the body holds approx. 2000 cals of glycogen, what does it matter? I am never giong to do a 2000 cal workout. I've read many articles on this, and there is generally some disagreement even among the so-called experts. If they can't agree, what hope is there for us mere mortals? BTW Fitness Chick, I really like your posts and good info you provide. Thanks.
  • oodesireoo
    oodesireoo Posts: 29
    i usually do weights first then cardio then abs... should i do abs first then cardio?
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    If you do a bit of cardio first, it gets your heart pumping so you are burning fat while doing your weights. It also warms up your muscles so you are less likely to injure yourself while lifting. If you do too much, you will wear yourself out and not be able to lift as well or as safely. So it's a balance.

    In the end, the most important thing is to burn calories though. Most of us aren't at a point where doing one first or the other first makes a bit of difference. We aren't professional weight trainers trying to maximize our workouts to get a slight advantage over our competition.

    Therefore, the most important thing is to actually *do* both cardio and strength training. That's much more important than the order or whether we do them on the same day or separate them.

    Just my 2 cents...
  • meemee1030
    meemee1030 Posts: 4
    I take classes at the gym that are a cardio/weights mix. Most instructors at our gym do stations during group classes. Every other station is weights and usually every body part is used by the end of class. The cardio stations are jumping rope, step work, jump squats,ect. What do you think about that type of routine?
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    :drinker:
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
    If you do a bit of cardio first, it gets your heart pumping so you are burning fat while doing your weights. It also warms up your muscles so you are less likely to injure yourself while lifting. If you do too much, you will wear yourself out and not be able to lift as well or as safely. So it's a balance.

    In the end, the most important thing is to burn calories though. Most of us aren't at a point where doing one first or the other first makes a bit of difference. We aren't professional weight trainers trying to maximize our workouts to get a slight advantage over our competition.

    Therefore, the most important thing is to actually *do* both cardio and strength training. That's much more important than the order or whether we do them on the same day or separate them.

    Just my 2 cents...

    Thanks for mentioning that. My mom wound up really hurting herself because she didn't warm up before weight-lifting. It had never happened before, she lifts weights all the time, but decided to do something new and wound up in a lot of unhealthy pain.
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
    I've always done weights first, cardio second. My muscle mass is way too important to me to sacrifice potential energy by doing cardio first.
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