Cardio before or after?

kksmom1789 wrote: »

Should you do cardio before or after you lift weights?

Depends on what you're doing...cardio is a broad term and could be anything from going for a walk to aggressive interval sessions. Same with weights...depends on how you're training. It would also depend on what is more important to you...moderate to higher intensity cardio before lifting is more likely than not to negatively impact your lifting session...conversely, a hard lifting session is going to negatively impact a post lift cardio session, particularly if your cardio is training for something and you're trying to hit certain milestones and whatnot.

I do a full body 3x per week lifting program and I typically do cardio on my non lifting days. On lifting days I might get on the stationary bike for 5 or 10 minutes for an easy spin before lifting just to get the blood flowing...it isn't taxing cardio though. I usually do the same afterwards to cool down...but again, it's not really taxing like training would be.

Your priority on which you need/care to perform better on and when you most feel the fatigue from your chosen activities will decide the timing. (These will vary from person to person).

For instance, I'm most fatigued the day after lifting, so I won't do a lifting session the morning of the day before my harder/faster rides (fatigued = dropped). Ditto to being weaker in the gym (and not successfully meeting the weight/reps I had planned) the morning after a hard ride. So I tend to schedule for the same day (gym in morning bc not the overcrowded 7th layer of Hell it is after work; group rides after work at their scheduled times.

ritzvin wrote: »

(although, alas, I'm doing neither at the moment - broke my collarbone in a crash last week).

ouch sorry to hear that! heal up fast!

Yes.
No.
Maybe.
Depends.

Question is far too vague and no-one knows your goals or even what you mean by "cardio" (Type? Duration? Intensity?)

e.g.
I cycled to and from the gym and did weights for an hour today - no training or recovery conflict.
I cycled a brisk 100km on Sunday - that would be a huge training and recovery conflict if I tried to do strength training either before or afterwards.

kksmom1789 wrote: »

Sorry my goals are to lose weight I usually do 30-45 minutes of cardio 5x a week at the gym either treadmill or eliptical nothing crazy I want to start doing the weight machines but I’m unsure if I should do it before or after cardio I’ve heard reasons why for both just wondering what is the best and what everyone else does

Personally I would not do them in the same session.

I work out 6 days a week and alternate days between my cardio and weight training.