Weights before Cardio or viceversa?
- Thread starter Indigo88
- Start date
Well this is mainly dependent on ones goals. But, generally weights prior to cardio is preferred. As cardio is generally more intensive in regards to energy levels. Meaning if cardio is done prior to weights. Its more then possible one wouldn't have the energy to fully exert them selfs through weight lifting. Which would reduce the overall benefit of the session.
They don't have to be done directly after one another. For instance weights one day and cardio the next would be fine. OR weights in the morning and cardio in the evening is fine aswell. Which ever way best suits your lifestyle then do it. Of course there is a "optimum". for both weight lifting and cardio but in generall weight loss this does not matter so much.
They don't have to be done directly after one another. For instance weights one day and cardio the next would be fine. OR weights in the morning and cardio in the evening is fine aswell. Which ever way best suits your lifestyle then do it. Of course there is a "optimum". for both weight lifting and cardio but in generall weight loss this does not matter so much.
For me, I only do one or the other. However, when I lift weights, I do some form of activity between sets to keep my heart beat up. I usually jump rope or punch the punching bag.
Before you do either cardio or weight training, try for just 5 minutes of light cardio to warm-up and get your body into workout mode. It will get your blood flowing and your body ready for the workout, which will increase results.
Hope it helped!
Before you do either cardio or weight training, try for just 5 minutes of light cardio to warm-up and get your body into workout mode. It will get your blood flowing and your body ready for the workout, which will increase results.
Hope it helped!
I've heard that if you do both together there's a tendency to not work hard at either one. I'd suggest that you mix it up and not do this routine (cardio+weights or weights+cardio) throughout the week on strength days.
I prefer to get cardio done first, earlier in the evening then later (an hour or two) get strength done.
I prefer to get cardio done first, earlier in the evening then later (an hour or two) get strength done.
Newtwarrior
New member
I Do Weights then Cardio.
Weights tend to always put stress on you (and if they aren't well, better up the weight.) You'll need your full Strength to lift those weights, machines etc.
Then doing cardio afterwards can at times make it easier, I always find it easier to run when my legs are fresh from the gym.
Weights tend to always put stress on you (and if they aren't well, better up the weight.) You'll need your full Strength to lift those weights, machines etc.
Then doing cardio afterwards can at times make it easier, I always find it easier to run when my legs are fresh from the gym.
blueeyes414
New member
According to womens health and fitness you should lift before cardio...
the most cardio u should do before lifting is 5 minutes on a tredmill to get ur heart rate up!
the most cardio u should do before lifting is 5 minutes on a tredmill to get ur heart rate up!
I advocate weights before cardio for much of the reasons discussed in this thread.
As for the quote above, if you have the energy to do all that stuff between strength training sets.... you aren't training hard enough.
Is training to the point of muscle failure hard enough? I do that yet still mix in jump rope sets. Sometimes it sucks, like if I do a bunch of shoulder presses then jump rope... crap that burns. Otherwise, unless I just happen to be doing squats, I can do most anything to the point of failure and still jump rope.
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It defeats the purpose though.
The point of weight training, especially when dieting is to maintain strength and lift as intensely as possible (in a fatigue-managed way). Lifting with intensity while dieting is already compromised, even if you don't feel it, due to a lack of calories. This dictates the necessity even more so for complete recuperation between work sets. The idea is to recoup! Not jump right into another form of exercise.
Doing so, if anything, merely limits your intensity, which again, is critical. If you feel you can do it, be my guest. But I would never do it myself, nor would I do it with any of my clients.
Weight training serves a very specific and critical purpose with regards to the overall plan, and adding things in between aren't worth risking this purpose, IMO.
Also, you mentioned muscular failure. I hope you aren't lifting to muscular failure every single day on every single exercise.
DeepGreen
New member
One of the reasons I heard that so many advocate weight lifting before cardio is that it helps deplete the glycogen levels in your muscle, so this way, you can burn more fat.
However, a personal trainer (yeah, I know) that I recently talked to, says this only applies to really fit people, so I'm a little confused.
However, a personal trainer (yeah, I know) that I recently talked to, says this only applies to really fit people, so I'm a little confused.
Not sure where you got that idea.
I'm just saying that lifting to the point of failure is about as hard as I can go, yet even when I do that, I still have enough energy to jump rope, but your original post acted like if I had that energy, I'm not working hard enough.
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Not sure where you got that idea.
I got that idea when you started talking about training to muscular failure.
If you are doing crap between sets, more than likely, it is taking away on a macro or micro level from the goals of the strength training program. Hence, if you are adding crap in, you are not training enough.
Also, I know personally, when I am training, the last thing I want to do is jump into some exercise between my sets. What's the point of it? What benefit is there? And how does that benefit stack up against the detriments of contraindicating strength and intensity, as well as energy substrate repletion?
And even if there were a point, when I am in full swing, going heavy.... I would not be able to do cardio between sets. Going "hard" in the gym elevates my heart as is.
I mainly started doing that because I started having alot of luck with jumping rope, but I couldn't do the high reps that I wanted to (like 1,500) all at once, I had to break it down or else my heart would about jump out of my chest. I had to warm up with 100 reps and work my way up. Anymore I do 100/150/200/250/300/500 for a total of 1,500 and alternating styles of jumps with every 100, such as normal jumps, one legged jumps, jumping jack style, running in place, etc.
May sound dumb, but ya know, jumping rope is how I was able to get back into running. Actually I'm faster than I have ever been on a bike, yet I only ride once a week, I just run and jump rope now. They have helped an unreal amount. So, those are my main priorities. But, if I'm breaking up my jump rope routine like that, I figure I might as well lift in between sets. I just have to save the squats until the end.
May sound dumb, but ya know, jumping rope is how I was able to get back into running. Actually I'm faster than I have ever been on a bike, yet I only ride once a week, I just run and jump rope now. They have helped an unreal amount. So, those are my main priorities. But, if I'm breaking up my jump rope routine like that, I figure I might as well lift in between sets. I just have to save the squats until the end.
Corn, if that's what you want to do, go ahead. I just wouldn't do it myself, nor would I recommend it for the aforementioned reasons.
I am also a firm believer of don't fix what ain't broke. If you are experiencing success, stick with it.
And by the way, I love jumping rope. Excellent exercise.
I am also a firm believer of don't fix what ain't broke. If you are experiencing success, stick with it.
And by the way, I love jumping rope. Excellent exercise.
Not necessarily in regards to jumping rope, but, is this not about what LL Cool J does? His circuit workouts are just BAM BAM BAM, one thing right after another, for 45 minutes. Seems to work for him.
"LL's personal trainer of nearly 5 years, Scooter Honig, is pushing his client through a 45-minute workout that's as intense as it is relentless. After supersets pairing pullups with incline bench presses, Honig orders LL straight to the treadmill, already revved to a speed that has the rapper at a full sprint.
This workout, in which not 1 second is wasted, was born of necessity during concert tours."
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Haha, if I was stupid, I'd train like that during my diet and show you the difference in results compared to training *sanely*
You always like to go to some genetically gifted individual and compare yourself or others to them.
You should join curves... they don't waste a second either.
On top of that.... I've watched LL's workout, as well as many other big stars.... it was a VH1 special or something.... and most train or are trained like morons.
But they look good.
Gasp!
How could that be?
Better yet, let me find LL's workout and give it to you. You do it and see how you turn out. I will give you every dollar in my bank account if you look like him once you are done.
You always like to go to some genetically gifted individual and compare yourself or others to them.
You should join curves... they don't waste a second either.
On top of that.... I've watched LL's workout, as well as many other big stars.... it was a VH1 special or something.... and most train or are trained like morons.
But they look good.
Gasp!
How could that be?
Better yet, let me find LL's workout and give it to you. You do it and see how you turn out. I will give you every dollar in my bank account if you look like him once you are done.
Nobody writes interesting stories on normal people.
Sweet, save me $20+ for his book.
Well... I don't really want to be black.
I did flip through it one day. Most of it seemed... rather novice.