Which exercise do you do first? Cardio or strength training?

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Replies

  • angelapolite
    angelapolite Posts: 249
    I actually do 10 min of cardio first, then strength, then 30-50 more min of cardio. If I do all my cardio first, I tend to not lift as much.

    That's how I feel about it too!
  • cPT_Helice
    cPT_Helice Posts: 403
    One more thing....... people keep talking about how they hear that cardio first will effect how much you can lift, etc. And, I said it myself. But also keep in mind form and the importance of maintaining good form, not just for maximum gain but also to prevent injury. You are much more likely to get injured if you go to lift, when you are tired.

    Side - When doing fitness testing according to ACSM guidelines, we ALWAYS test in this order: strength, cardio, flexibility. There is a reason for this.

    But again..... if you can switch it up onto different days, that would be best.
  • angelapolite
    angelapolite Posts: 249
    One more thing....... people keep talking about how they hear that cardio first will effect how much you can lift, etc. And, I said it myself. But also keep in mind form and the importance of maintaining good form, not just for maximum gain but also to prevent injury. You are much more likely to get injured if you go to lift, when you are tired.

    Side - When doing fitness testing according to ACSM guidelines, we ALWAYS test in this order: strength, cardio, flexibility. There is a reason for this.

    But again..... if you can switch it up onto different days, that would be best.

    I agree, I feel having good form is important so you don't get injured.
  • Simona38
    Simona38 Posts: 66 Member
    I always do weights first. If I'm pinched for time then I dont really feel too guilty about shortening or skipping cardio but weights is what's important to me.

    I'd recommend reading the book by Alex Hutchinson called "Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?" Good read and talks about a lot of exercise myths, including which should be done first...cardio or weights.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    serious question.....are you being sarcastic or is this really how long you spend on each?
    I do cardio and then strength training.45 minutes of cardio followed by 10 minutes of strength training.
  • gracefulotus
    gracefulotus Posts: 42
    Everything I've read indicates that weight training first is the way to go because the more muscles you build the more calories you burn. And, by doing cardio after your weight training is the equivalent to doing cardio first thing in the morning before breakfast. Having said that I find it really, really difficult to do my cardio after weights, but I'm keeping at it. I just say to myself an extra 5min, and then when I get through those, another 5min. Haha.
  • angelapolite
    angelapolite Posts: 249
    I always do weights first. If I'm pinched for time then I dont really feel too guilty about shortening or skipping cardio but weights is what's important to me.

    I'd recommend reading the book by Alex Hutchinson called "Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?" Good read and talks about a lot of exercise myths, including which should be done first...cardio or weights.

    I read the customer reviews for this book, interesting you mention this book. :smile:
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Most people recommend doing the strength first and cardio after.

    I do the cardio first myself. 20 minutes of intense cardio on the elliptical or rowing machine then 45-60 of weight training. I like to make sure Im really warmed up and the blood is pumping before I start lifting. 36 years old and want to make sure I dont injure myself. Have not noticed a difference in strength doing it this way.

    If you are only doing 20 minutes of cardio, it won't make a major difference. They say to do 5 minutes to warm up your muscles and to then do a warm up set with each muscle group. But, I do like to do 10-20 minutes sometimes first. (Knowing that your muscles ARE warmed up after 5 - I feel like I can justify not doing the warm up sets. But I can't support this with facts.)

    Yea I have no facts and I dont know if I can call only 20 minutes "cardio". For me it is more "conditioning". I like to break a sweat and stretch the lungs before hitting the weights. I dont even start sweating until about 10 minutes so really the cardio portion isnt even the full 20 minutes. I have done it both ways and didnt notice any difference in amount of weight or number of reps.

    When I first started 20 minutes straight on the elliptical would wipe me out so I can see if this is what most people are talking about. Now 20 minutes, even going flat out, is fairly easy for me. It probably depends a lot on the person and how much the amount of cardio effects them.
  • cPT_Helice
    cPT_Helice Posts: 403
    It's best not to do both on the same day, as they actually contraindicate each other. But, sometimes we have no choice. That being the case, warming up with a few minutes of cardio first is fine. But, strength should always be done first. Yes, cardio will boost your heart rate and so it will be higher when you do your weight training but you are not actually burning more calories this way. It's misleading.
    The reason to do strength first is that you want to be able to lift your max weights and have your best form. If your muscles are already tired, you get muscle fatigue sooner and can't lift as much or for as many reps and so you don't actually get the full benefits of the weight training.
    Of course this also works for the cardio - if your muscles are fatigued from weights, you can't work to your max. But the convention is.... strength before cardio.
    But you can see why they will interfere with each other on the same day.

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    (of a symptom or condition) to give indication against the advisability of (a particular or usual remedy or treatment).

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  • Chris_acc_can
    Chris_acc_can Posts: 83
    Been reading a couple things that I wanted to comment on. For those who say they do cardio to get their heart rate up. This is a myth. The second you get off the machine your heart rate will begin to decrease. If you are in decent shape, by the time you clean your machine walk over to weights and get your exercise set up (2min.), your heart rate would have fallen back to a level of rest (or close enough).

    You can get the best of both worlds -weight training with cardio. If you want to increase your heart rate/intensity of your weight training to trigger fat loss there are a coulpe things you can do that don't involve a cardio machine.

    1. Time your breaks. The shorter your break/recovery the higher the intensity and the less time your body (HR) has to recover. You might want to research volume training which does high reps and sets with minimal break. Google "GVT - German Volume Training", it will kick your butt.
    2. Introduce more dynamic exercises to your routine. Instead of a squat, do a squat jump. Instead of a shoulder press, do a jerk and press. The more dynamic the workout the more eneregy your body will use and you will easily hit fat loss goals.

    Some bodybuilders don't even touch cardio equipment to shed LBS. I prefer a mix of both but definetely try the above.
  • DavidOfOz
    DavidOfOz Posts: 225
    It's best not to do both on the same day, as they actually contraindicate each other. But, sometimes we have no choice. That being the case, warming up with a few minutes of cardio first is fine. But, strength should always be done first. Yes, cardio will boost your heart rate and so it will be higher when you do your weight training but you are not actually burning more calories this way. It's misleading.
    The reason to do strength first is that you want to be able to lift your max weights and have your best form. If your muscles are already tired, you get muscle fatigue sooner and can't lift as much or for as many reps and so you don't actually get the full benefits of the weight training.
    Of course this also works for the cardio - if your muscles are fatigued from weights, you can't work to your max. But the convention is.... strength before cardio.
    But you can see why they will interfere with each other on the same day.

    ^^^^^ This. I agree and always do 5 minutes of warm up cardio, then weight s and then finish with a proper cardio workout.
  • Eleisabelle
    Eleisabelle Posts: 365
    I've heard light cardio to warm up the muscles, then do your strength, and then follow up with a longer stretch of cardio. Someone told me that the second round of cardio gives you a bigger burn after strength.

    I haven't verified the truth of that, though.

    I usually just do 5-10 minutes of cardio to warm up my muscles first, and then strength. But that's just on my strength days. I alternate strength and cardio days, really.
  • _the_feniks_
    _the_feniks_ Posts: 3,412 Member
    I save my cardio for the end of my workouts. Why burn energy on cardio before lifting (if you do both on the same day)? I don't stretch either. You ever see a cheetah stretch before going after a gazelle?
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    Honestly if it's fairly easy for you you aren't doing something right......at any fitness level. Do you do straight cardio or HIIT? I greatly prefer HIIT and get it knocked out in about 25 total.
    Most people recommend doing the strength first and cardio after.

    I do the cardio first myself. 20 minutes of intense cardio on the elliptical or rowing machine then 45-60 of weight training. I like to make sure Im really warmed up and the blood is pumping before I start lifting. 36 years old and want to make sure I dont injure myself. Have not noticed a difference in strength doing it this way.

    If you are only doing 20 minutes of cardio, it won't make a major difference. They say to do 5 minutes to warm up your muscles and to then do a warm up set with each muscle group. But, I do like to do 10-20 minutes sometimes first. (Knowing that your muscles ARE warmed up after 5 - I feel like I can justify not doing the warm up sets. But I can't support this with facts.)

    Yea I have no facts and I dont know if I can call only 20 minutes "cardio". For me it is more "conditioning". I like to break a sweat and stretch the lungs before hitting the weights. I dont even start sweating until about 10 minutes so really the cardio portion isnt even the full 20 minutes. I have done it both ways and didnt notice any difference in amount of weight or number of reps.

    When I first started 20 minutes straight on the elliptical would wipe me out so I can see if this is what most people are talking about. Now 20 minutes, even going flat out, is fairly easy for me. It probably depends a lot on the person and how much the amount of cardio effects them.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
    If I do both on the same day I do cardio first to warm up the body and elevate the heart rate. The only exception to this rule is if I am doing heavy legs, then I will do cardio after to loosen up and release the lactic acid. Typically I don't do both on the same days though.
  • juliavalencia
    juliavalencia Posts: 2
    I do cardio in the morning & then strength training later on in the afternoon.
  • JSheehy1965
    JSheehy1965 Posts: 404
    I do cardio one day and strength the next day...however, I do warm up with stretches and about 10 minutes on the elliptical first before I attack the weights.
  • hbody2012
    hbody2012 Posts: 3
    I try to do both but I start with strength traing, then cardio. The day's I cant make it to gym I do extra cardio at track, or around the block. I have tried it both ways and doing cardio before training I was beat.
  • Becky_Boodle
    Becky_Boodle Posts: 253 Member
    I like to do a quick warm up jog to the gym and some jumping jacks to get my heart rate up
    then I do my weight training...full body hour long sessions Mon, Wed, Fri
    and then I walk home from the gym and grab my dog and go for an hour long run...I run daily
    I find if I do cardio first I'm to tired to do weights and then I risk not having proper form and hurting myself
    plus I find that doing weights first pumps me up for my run :)
  • cassblue21
    cassblue21 Posts: 207
    Another vote here to do 3-5 minutes of warm up cardio before strength training. The owner of the gym I go to has been studying and researching this type of stuff since he was in high school and is in his late 40's early 50's now and continues to study. He says if you do all your cardio before hand you are not getting the max benefit from your strength training. He also contends you can do cardio afterwards and has me doing 20 minutes after weights on the arc trainer at 50% resistance and a 10 incline which is the highest incline. Burns a ton of calories and is super hard at first! :)

    But in all reality there is so much information out there in the world that it really can be confusing so it is really is best to get the best expert opinion you can, and for me that is the owner of the gym. Maybe you could just ask the main trainer at the gym. Most times they will not charge you for asking a question. :)
  • angelapolite
    angelapolite Posts: 249
    I try to do both but I start with strength traing, then cardio. The day's I cant make it to gym I do extra cardio at track, or around the block. I have tried it both ways and doing cardio before training I was beat.

    That's how I think I'd feel. I want to make sure I have energy for my strength training first.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I have to split it up, 15 minutes cardio, 25 minutes lifting, 15 minutes cardio. If I can hack it, i will do 30 minutes cardio at the end
  • thistimeismytime
    thistimeismytime Posts: 711 Member
    I strongly think that strength is best. Being fresh on your lifts allows you to push harder and heavier (which is exactly what you should be doing). ****It's also safer not to be tired****. Cardio can easily be done after. Just do dynamic warm up of 3-5 minutes before weights and do warm up sets on your first weight sets.

    Cardio may have a better "burn" but weights are how you get LEAN.

    ^^^This exactly!!
  • dedarlin
    dedarlin Posts: 41 Member
    i would definitely NOT reccomend strength training after a seriously hard cardio session! once i went to a 1hr kickboxing class and then tried to do biceps and triceps (with a 30 minute break AND snack) and i thought i would die, or vomit, or both! i had nothing left to give to my weight lifting and made myself feel sick for the rest of the day by trying! personally after that experience if i am going to do strength training i will warm up with 5 minutes of jumping jacks and push ups or 10 minutes on the stairs or treadmill. good luck, hope you find what works for you!
  • tiffaneenicole
    tiffaneenicole Posts: 12
    Hey everyone! I am a personal trainer and if you are AT ALL focused on gaining muscle, please, please, please do your weight training before your cardio!

    Tiffany
    www.tiffanystaples.com
  • angelapolite
    angelapolite Posts: 249
    i would definitely NOT reccomend strength training after a seriously hard cardio session! once i went to a 1hr kickboxing class and then tried to do biceps and triceps (with a 30 minute break AND snack) and i thought i would die, or vomit, or both! i had nothing left to give to my weight lifting and made myself feel sick for the rest of the day by trying! personally after that experience if i am going to do strength training i will warm up with 5 minutes of jumping jacks and push ups or 10 minutes on the stairs or treadmill. good luck, hope you find what works for you!

    Thanks for sharing! :flowerforyou:
  • Nigerianebony
    Nigerianebony Posts: 182 Member
    What about how your body is composed? What type of body muscle fibers are you mostly composed of? I think i have an equal balance of fast and slow twitch fibers. So i can run for an hour and then lift my maxes afterward or vice versa. Of course those with more fast twitch fibers might not be that much effective after a long run because the don't have enough slow twitch fibers. Their fast twitch fibers may be used up and can't be used for heavy or power lifting. Does this make sense?? That might be the reason why it is different for everyone.


    Again, i think it is how your body is composed. And you can train yourself to be start off either way. But you should know how your body react when you start off with either way to determine what is more effective.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Honestly if it's fairly easy for you you aren't doing something right......at any fitness level. Do you do straight cardio or HIIT? I greatly prefer HIIT and get it knocked out in about 25 total.


    I do straight 20 minutes full out. And when I say "easy" I mean I dont feel wiped out afterwards. Not that it was a cake walk. A couple minutes rest and Im ready to go. I cant say the same after lifting. I am crawling out of there after lifting. No way I would want to do any cardio after that.
  • cPT_Helice
    cPT_Helice Posts: 403
    I save my cardio for the end of my workouts. Why burn energy on cardio before lifting (if you do both on the same day)? I don't stretch either. You ever see a cheetah stretch before going after a gazelle?

    Never saw a cheetah posting on MFP either, though.
  • angelapolite
    angelapolite Posts: 249
    bump
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