For fat loss - cardio first or weights first?

F

fatboy

New member
Hello,

For weight loss, should I do cardio first when I go to the gym followed by weight training or vice versa? Or does it matter?

Thanks
 
It doesn't matter. Don't overthink things. :)

For people who are looking to build muscle and bulk, the recommendation is often to do weights first, while your muscles aren't fatigued.

But overall, for weight loss, it doesn't matter.
 
KaraCooks said:
It doesn't matter. Don't overthink things. :)

For people who are looking to build muscle and bulk, the recommendation is often to do weights first, while your muscles aren't fatigued.

But overall, for weight loss, it doesn't matter.
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KaraCooks say it doesn't matter if you start weight lifting first or start cardio first. I say that it does matter which one you do first. If you want to be built then you should start with weight lifting because that will turn the fat into muscle. If you want a more slender figure you you work on cardio first and lift weight for toning. If you don't think about the body type you want first than you might lose weight but not the desired look you want. Therefore It does matter which one you do first.
 
I say that it does matter which one you do first.
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Really? Would you please provide sources for this opinion?

If you want to be built then you should start with weight lifting because that will turn the fat into muscle.
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And right here you just showed that you don't know what you're talking about. Fat does not turn into muscle.

You pretty much just proved that you are clueless. Go do some research and then come back with sources and information.
 
I personally do both. I like to start of with a nice 10-15 minute run to get my heart pumping and let my body know I'm here to work. If you push yourself hard enough you can trigger a good runners high, then I jump straight to the weights, do my full workout and then finish with a 30-45 minute run with high incline! It worked for me, Lost 75 pounds this year alone doing it this way. Hope my advice helps you!
Dan
 
In general it doesn't really matter. From practical points of view which ever exercise you do first, cardio or weightlifting, you will be able to put more energy and effort into that exercise because you are fresh where as you're normally pretty tired near the end of a workout. In this sense I would say doing cardio first as it burns more fat than weightlifting if looked at equally.

There is another way of thinking when it comes to sequence of exercise for fat loss, by doing weights first you burn the glycogen that's stored in your muscles. So when you do cardio your body has less carbs to burn before it starts using fat as energy, thus burning more fat.

Both have their benefits, it's up to you.
 
Kreesh said:
There is another way of thinking when it comes to sequence of exercise for fat loss, by doing weights first you burn the glycogen that's stored in your muscles. So when you do cardio your body has less carbs to burn before it starts using fat as energy, thus burning more fat.
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1) Unless you're talking insane volume of weight training, it's not all that glycogen-depleting. I doubt anyone around here is hitting daily volumes that are depleting their glycogen much.

2) Fuel substrate used during activity matters little next to net energy balance at the end of the day, week, month or whatever.
 
I usually do cardio first because I'm the first person to get to my gym in the mornings and it guarantees me a spot on the elliptical.

That's probably the best reason to choose one over the other, in this case.

Figure out and do what works best for you. I find myself less effective in my cardio workouts if I do my weights first, because my muscles are feeling a little weaker. I get more of an internal reward for doing my cardio well, so I prioritize it.
 
Instead of doing research, I'm going to speak from my own experience. When I do cardio first, I tend to be weaker when it's time to lift weights. I do more reps/resistance when I start out fresh without cardio.

I guess it all depends on how much effort you put into cardio. For me, I go all out with sprint intervals on the treadmill.
 
misterkailo said:
Instead of doing research, I'm going to speak from my own experience. When I do cardio first, I tend to be weaker when it's time to lift weights. I do more reps/resistance when I start out fresh without cardio.

I guess it all depends on how much effort you put into cardio. For me, I go all out with sprint intervals on the treadmill.
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The fact that this answer is different than mine is proof that the best answer is what works for the individual, not just some "general sweeping rule". :)
 
I always teach to do weights first and then cardio. But as pointed out above just do what works best for you and worry about the details later once you are well into your training.
 
I split my days into cardio and weight training. For my current goals I do 3 days of cardio and 2 of weights.

But when doing weights I always warm up with a bit of cardio, to wake up and get the blood pumping :)
 
by basic observation and trial & error I found for myself at least:

weight training had a lot less impact on my ability to do sustained cardio vs the other way around.

Cardio was good to get warmed up quickly.

Myself, I do 5 minutes of cardio in whatever area I'm going to be lifting in (elliptical, vs rowing, vs etc) then weights, then cardio, then rest, then strength training.

Now, same time, 5-10 minute rest between these things mostly negates any effect one has on the other.

so basically, if you're worried about it, take a break, drink some water, maybe walk a lap or two on teh track to stay warmed up and then get back to it.
 
juliejenson said:
I split my days into cardio and weight training. For my current goals I do 3 days of cardio and 2 of weights.

But when doing weights I always warm up with a bit of cardio, to wake up and get the blood pumping :)
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This is exactly how I do it as well. Even the cardio warm up on lifting days
 
Personaly I like to do a little bit of weights first just to kinda warm up cause I really like to push it on the olyptical. But as long as your active, any exercise is beneficial.
 
Just to clear things up a bit...

Nothing in fitness is set in stone. Virtually everything is context specific. Sure, there are optimal ways of doing things. But what's optimal for one may not be optimal for another. Which goes back to the importance of context.

Level of body fat, time availability, goals, etc will all play a role in what's the optimal path to take.

Oh, and it's elliptical. Not olyptical.
 
Hi Rick. You didn't read the thread, did you?
 
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