weights and cardio?

Heather125
Heather125 Posts: 433 Member
edited September 19 in Fitness and Exercise
I go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week but haven't done too much in the weights departrment.
Do I do weights first then cardio or visa vesa? or just do 1 day cardio and one day weights?

Replies

  • Heather125
    Heather125 Posts: 433 Member
    I go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week but haven't done too much in the weights departrment.
    Do I do weights first then cardio or visa vesa? or just do 1 day cardio and one day weights?
  • adopt4
    adopt4 Posts: 970 Member
    There's a lot of opinions on this, some say do weights then cardio... but personally, I do cardio then weights, if I start out with weights then I'm too tired to do all my cardio! There's nothing wrong with doing weights every day and cardio every day, so you don't have to alternate them unless you want to.
  • girlie1
    girlie1 Posts: 46
    I do weights first and then cardio, have been for a year and a half and been very successful.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    I warm up with a little less than a mile run to the gym, then lift, and then do any cardio I was planning on. You do whatever works best for you. But do aim to lift 3 days per week--any less and you will lose the adaptations you gain from lifting. It only takes 3 days to see a big decrease in your training level.
  • Heather125
    Heather125 Posts: 433 Member
    thanks I'll try that
  • Heather125
    Heather125 Posts: 433 Member
    I warm up with a little less than a mile run to the gym, then lift, and then do any cardio I was planning on. You do whatever works best for you. But do aim to lift 3 days per week--any less and you will lose the adaptations you gain from lifting. It only takes 3 days to see a big decrease in your training level.

    You always have so much information to share thanks :flowerforyou:
  • Calmand1
    Calmand1 Posts: 6
    From what I've read, the overwhelming opinion if your goal is to burn fat is to do weights than cardio. This is because you use up your glycogen stores, also known as blood sugar energy/carbs. Weight lifting is a great way of using up these stores. Then when you add cardio next, you are burning fat right away at a higher rate because your body is out of the glycogen. Also if you ate recently before you work out, it's going to take longer to get into the fat burning zone because you burn off what you just ate before fat.
  • molsongirl
    molsongirl Posts: 1,373 Member
    I skip rope for 10 minutes, that's my warm up, head for the weights, then do my cardio, works for me :happy:
  • eonblue
    eonblue Posts: 35 Member
    About a month ago I started training with kettlebells which are great for conditioning. They are a great cardio/weight training workout all wrapped into one. By the end of my 20 minute workouts (They are intense so anything over 20 is over doing it) I am breathing hard, sweating and my heart rate is nice and high. Plus I am building muscles I didn't even know I had. In just a month I have notices a significant difference in the shape of my body. I have lost inches, but not much actual weight. I attribute this to the fact that that I'm bulding muscle which everyone knows, weighs more than fat.

    If your interest has been peeked, I suggest checking out some videos on youtube.

    I do a combination of swings, snatches, clean and presses and squats. I've never really enjoyed working out but I look forward to these workouts. My new found muscles are motivating me to push hard! :bigsmile:
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    About a month ago I started training with kettlebells which are great for conditioning. They are a great cardio/weight training workout all wrapped into one. By the end of my 20 minute workouts (They are intense so anything over 20 is over doing it) I am breathing hard, sweating and my heart rate is nice and high. Plus I am building muscles I didn't even know I had. In just a month I have notices a significant difference in the shape of my body. I have lost inches, but not much actual weight. I attribute this to the fact that that I'm bulding muscle which everyone knows, weighs more than fat.

    If your interest has been peeked, I suggest checking out some videos on youtube.

    I do a combination of swings, snatches, clean and presses and squats. I've never really enjoyed working out but I look forward to these workouts. My new found muscles are motivating me to push hard! :bigsmile:

    I LOVE KB WORKOUTS!!!! Right now I have no KB so I have to improvise with dumbbells. Today I did the Turkish Getup, which is the COOLEST exercise I've learned so far. I agree that they are really intense exercises because they recruit so many muscle groups at once. Love them! :love: I want to get the Weider Powerball for x-mas. It's a KB that you can adjust the weight on so you don't have to buy an entire set.
  • eonblue
    eonblue Posts: 35 Member
    About a month ago I started training with kettlebells which are great for conditioning. They are a great cardio/weight training workout all wrapped into one. By the end of my 20 minute workouts (They are intense so anything over 20 is over doing it) I am breathing hard, sweating and my heart rate is nice and high. Plus I am building muscles I didn't even know I had. In just a month I have notices a significant difference in the shape of my body. I have lost inches, but not much actual weight. I attribute this to the fact that that I'm bulding muscle which everyone knows, weighs more than fat.

    If your interest has been peeked, I suggest checking out some videos on youtube.

    I do a combination of swings, snatches, clean and presses and squats. I've never really enjoyed working out but I look forward to these workouts. My new found muscles are motivating me to push hard! :bigsmile:

    I LOVE KB WORKOUTS!!!! Right now I have no KB so I have to improvise with dumbbells. Today I did the Turkish Getup, which is the COOLEST exercise I've learned so far. I agree that they are really intense exercises because they recruit so many muscle groups at once. Love them! :love: I want to get the Weider Powerball for x-mas. It's a KB that you can adjust the weight on so you don't have to buy an entire set.

    The KB I have is by Lifeline. It's a 26 pound bell. I will soon need to upgrade to a 36 pound KB but they are quite expensive. Oh course if it's a commitment or a workout you plan on doing often (which I do) I feel it's ok to spend a little more and get a better quality KB. Just be sure whatever you brand you buy that it doesn't have a seem in the handle. That will tear your hands up esp. if you're doing snatches or cleans. I like the life line a lot and highly recommend them but from what I hear, the Dragon Door brand is the best (also the most expensive) if you're getting iron bells. Steel KB's are much smaller since they are more dense and about twice, if not more, expensive.

    Turkish Getup - I don't know that one, I'm going to have to check it out. Sounds cool though!
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    I warm up with a little less than a mile run to the gym, then lift, and then do any cardio I was planning on. You do whatever works best for you. But do aim to lift 3 days per week--any less and you will lose the adaptations you gain from lifting. It only takes 3 days to see a big decrease in your training level.

    isn't that the truth I only hit the gym 1 day last week and just got back in yesterday today and there is a huge difference when I am hitting the weights I was struggling tonight- but it just shows I can't miss my workouts.


    As for the question-

    Per a fitness magazine it said if your are trying to lose fat/weight than cardio first then strength training

    If your just trying to tone then do weights first than cardio

    Me personally I like to do my cardio first then I hit the gym so I get my max calories burned while I am at the gym- but the calories I burn from strength training come later
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