“Is is better to do cardio before or after weights?” many ask. The answer isn’t so simple though. Depending upon your personal situation or fitness goals, there are a couple of variables that will influence the answer of whether you should do cardio before weight training or cardio after weight training. Perhaps the number one, biggest influence in this answer is your individual fitness goals. Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain strength, or are focused on conditioning and overall health determines the intensity of your workout routine which can in turn determine whether it makes sense to do cardio before or after weight training.
In addition to fitness goals, the important variables to consider when deciding the order of cardio vs. weight training include:
* How hard are you doing to train: Will you be doing high intensity cardio and weight training or will you be doing a basic, even level of cardio? Do you perform low rep, heavy lifting or high rep training to failure?
2. Duration of each component: is cardio a marathon or short but intense session?
3. Conditioning: how do your muscles feel after cardio vs. weights? What fatigues you more?
* Your own personal preference for one over the other. Can you bring the intensity at the end of your workout or at the beginning?
In a study conducted by Brigham Young University, a small group of participants showed that doing their weight training after their cardio training was more beneficial. Here are the other things they found:
* They concluded that it is better to do weight training after cardio when the two would be performed in the same workout. * It is much more difficult physiologically to do a cardio workout after weight training, than it is to do your cardio work before weights. * The result of the study was that it is better to do aerobic exercise before weight resistance exercise if you will be combining both workouts into one session.
But it is difficult to base a whole theory on a study done with just 10 participants. I would certainly agree that doing cardio before weights has some benefits, but I think the findings on fat burning may be questionable.
When you think about it, it’s very practical to do your cardio exercise after weight training. It is very beneficial for your energy level to be at its highest rate when you are lifting weights. I also need a tremendous amount of focus and coordination to do it well. It would be difficult for me to do cardio and then a lengthy set of squats since I like to focus on my lower body for my cardio workouts. Of course, on the other hand, running after a lengthy squat routine isn’t simple, or enjoyable by any stretch of the imagination.
I do think that it’s a good idea to either separate your cardio and weight training sessions into different days, or to do weights and then cardio, I also suggest the following as overall goals:
1. Increase muscle: cardio after weights; use high energy levels to maximize weight training workouts
* To Improve Cardio Endurance - It is recommended that you do a cardio workout before weight training so you can focus your highest energy during the cardio phases and max out your marathon or HIIT workout training.
* To Burn Fat - Six of one, half a dozen of the other! Many beginners benefit from doing cardio before weight training because they can burn more calories by performing a longer cardio routine relative to a weight training routine which tends to fatigue them faster. Those who are already fit will get more out of doing the opposite since an intense weight training session releases fatty acids and Human Growth Hormone; which the body can get rid of during the cardio portion. * When it comes to overall fitness, it doesn’t really matter which is done first or last.
The bottom line is that there is no clear answer to the question: should I do cardio before or after weights? Doing cardio first will enhance your endurance and stamina; doing cardio last will help you bulk up those muscles and get more strength. You must decide which order benefits you the most and helps you reach your fitness goals best.
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