cardio/weights/cardio

Here is my routine currently. Sometimes I change it up if I am training for something specific (I.e. Spartan Race). But for the most part this is what I do. I change the weights around so that my body doesn't get bored.

Sunday: 6-13 Mile run (or 30-50 miles outdoor bicycle at average 15mph)
Monday: 2-2.5 mile run then 90 minutes Chest and Triceps finish with 10 minutes on stairs
Tuesday: 2-2.5 mile run then 90 minutes Back and Biceps finish with 10 minutes on stairs
Wednesday: No cardio 90 Minutes legs and shoulders finish
Thursday: 3-5 mile run 45-60minutes Abs
Friday: 2-5 mile run 90 minutes full body (light weights high reps)
Saturday: Rest day or swap with Friday

Lifting weights will become an incredibly demanding thing over time as your nervous system adjusts (6 to 10 weeks) and you really start to recruit more muscle fiber each rep. During this time you will not gain muscle mass, but will make large gains in strength.

By the end of that you will find your weight training to be very demanding you are now using most of your muscle each lift, instead of just part of it. You will use a lot more oxygen per rep and set. You will put a bigger strain on your body. It will be harder to maintain proper form. You will become exhausted faster between sets. If you are doing full body lifts, which you should be at this point, you will be WORKING. Squats, dead lifts, bench presses, even for women.

(Incidentally, women who does these do not get bulky, they get shapely. To get bulky you have to eat huge and work out all day. For a woman to get bulky with muscles, you almost have to devote your life to it, or be incredibly genetically gifted mutant. I say that because every time I advise a lady to lift heavy, I get told they do not wish to get bulky. It won't happen in a million years unless you go nuts and live for it.)

For this reason I would recommend getting in the habit of a good solid 10 minute cardio warm-up, then weights, then any cardio you wish to do. So yes, weights definitely first.

Doing a weight lifting session after an hour of cardio is not going to leave you sufficient energy to get intense. In weight lifting, intensity matters most. Do not be one of those people that go through a certain number of sets and reps and barely sweat and call it a day, making NO gains. You are wasting time and may as well just do more cardio.

Lifting properly takes LOTS of energy, and there always seems to be enough energy for cardio. Not true for lifting at your potential.

Lift heavy, be breaking a good hard sweat, then go running. Life will be GREAT! I promise!

Just my 2 cents and rant on the subject

EDIT, btw not implying you are a woman with my post, just stressing the advice applies equally to both sexes imho.

As far as worrying about not getting a good caloric burn from breaking up the cardio...that's bass-ackwards. The best trick I've learned is to break it up - do 10 minutes of cardio...go do something else for a few...come back and do 10 more...repeat. It fools your metabolism into kicking in three times instead of one.

Also...that was good advice about lifting before cardio - I never thought of it that way.

are you running on the treadmill or walking?

my PT told me i need to be doing interval training as much as possible. so when i go on the treadmill, i do fast running, as fast as i can handle, for 1 minute, then stop for 30 seconds (feet on the side, leave the treadmill running) . rather than consistent pace, it makes your heart rate go up and down. i would never be able to do 70 minutes on one machine, i'd get bored so i usually do 10-15 minutes per machine

cross trainer / elliptical
treadmill
bike
stair machine
and some weights as well.

I like to lift weights first then do cardio! I heard you can burn more cals that way.. not sure if i'm correct but sometimes when I do cardio first, I do get a bit tired to do weights.. so try switching it up with weights first then cardio!