Posted: 3/16/2010 2:43:58 PM EDT
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Had someone today tell me that doing cardio after a weight lifting session was better than using the cardio for a warm up. Reason if you use your available energy for the weights and the cardio will make you burn fat better.
Any truth to that or thoughts? I have used the cardio as a warm up forever but will switch tonight to see how I feel about it physically. |
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I don't do cardio and weights in the same day but my philosophy is that if I had to I would do weights first. My priorties are strength training and cardio first would negatively impact my strength.
I lift on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and do cardio on Tuesday and Thursday. First thing in the morning for both weights and cardio. |
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Weights then cardio to maximize muscle gain/fat loss is the predominant opinion of the "experts". The other way around only depletes energy for your weight session and is therefore rarely seen as a recommendation. This interests me, I've been doing ass backwards for years. |
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Weights then cardio to maximize muscle gain/fat loss is the predominant opinion of the "experts". The other way around only depletes energy for your weight session and is therefore rarely seen as a recommendation. This interests me, I've been doing ass backwards for years. Me, too! No wonder I can't lift worth sheitz. I am already tired before even the first rep - well that's my lame attempt of an excuse anyway 
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Quoted:
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Weights then cardio to maximize muscle gain/fat loss is the predominant opinion of the "experts". The other way around only depletes energy for your weight session and is therefore rarely seen as a recommendation. This interests me, I've been doing ass backwards for years. So have I, apparently. I switched it around tonight, I expect the lbs to start rolling off LOL |
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The quick/simple explanation is:
Weight training, not matter how hard you do it, it basically anaerobic: you deplete muscle glycogen. If you follow that up with aerobic exercise your body shifts into fat burning mode more quickly. High intensity interval training really cranks up fat burning. |
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The quick/simple explanation is: Weight training, not matter how hard you do it, it basically anaerobic: you deplete muscle glycogen. If you follow that up with aerobic exercise your body shifts into fat burning mode more quickly. High intensity interval training really cranks up fat burning. If this is true it shouldn't matter which way you do it, as both are different energy systems. |
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Quoted:
The quick/simple explanation is: Weight training, not matter how hard you do it, it basically anaerobic: you deplete muscle glycogen. If you follow that up with aerobic exercise your body shifts into fat burning mode more quickly. High intensity interval training really cranks up fat burning. good point, I'll have to revise my work outs. Maybe a 10 minute warm up, weights, then 20 minute of cardio. |
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It more depends on how much and how intense the cardio is you're doing and what your goals are. Second, as pointed out earlier, it's a different energy system so it shouldn't matter, especially if you have a snack during your workout to replenish your stores. You can use the easy cardio for a warm-up which will help your lifts.
If you are looking for mass you'll want to limit cardio and the intensity. Look at distance runners, longer periods of aerobic activity hurt muscle building. Also, why you want to do cardio before lifting because cardio redirects blood flow from the extremities to primarily the legs. Not what you want if you want nutrients going to your arms and other upper body muscles. So end on a high note and with blood flow going to your arms. Cut the difference and split higher level aerobics from intense lifts days. If looking for mass, your better bet is interval training, look at sprinters. You'll also still reap many of the arterial benefits distance running will do. In this case you'll want to run before lifting, as this lowers the risk of muscle injuries. Training as a sprinter and jumper for over 15 years and coaching at the college level, running first, never hurt the weight room. |
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The quick/simple explanation is: Weight training, not matter how hard you do it, it basically anaerobic: you deplete muscle glycogen. If you follow that up with aerobic exercise your body shifts into fat burning mode more quickly. High intensity interval training really cranks up fat burning. If this is true it shouldn't matter which way you do it, as both are different energy systems. It is true and it DOES matter because neither energy pathway is totally independent from the other, except at the margin...hence the phrase "shift to fat burning sooner" rather than instantly. If you perform cardio first, you need to go at least 20-30 minutes before depleting your energy stores and beginning to burn a higher % of fat. If you try to lift after that, in addition to being tired (at least I am) you are very likely to be in a state where you will start to consume protein (muscle) for energy. I made the assumption that someone who is lifting and doing cardio is interested in maintaining a moderate amount of muscle/strength, a lower amount of fat and decent endurance. For this I would recommend weights then cardio. If you are not trying to build/keep strength/muscle then you won't care about the catabolic effects and reduced intensity during weight training due to cadio first. |
On days when I do strength circuits, I like to do 2 to 3 minutes of moderate intensity cardio to warm up, and then in between sets (if I have time, I don't always). It keeps me moving, seems like it makes the workout go faster even though it actually takes longer, and I've heard that it can torch some serious calories.
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The quick/simple explanation is: Weight training, not matter how hard you do it, it basically anaerobic: you deplete muscle glycogen. If you follow that up with aerobic exercise your body shifts into fat burning mode more quickly. High intensity interval training really cranks up fat burning. If this is true it shouldn't matter which way you do it, as both are different energy systems. It is true and it DOES matter because neither energy pathway is totally independent from the other, except at the margin...hence the phrase "shift to fat burning sooner" rather than instantly. If you perform cardio first, you need to go at least 20-30 minutes before depleting your energy stores and beginning to burn a higher % of fat. If you try to lift after that, in addition to being tired (at least I am) you are very likely to be in a state where you will start to consume protein (muscle) for energy. I made the assumption that someone who is lifting and doing cardio is interested in maintaining a moderate amount of muscle/strength, a lower amount of fat and decent endurance. For this I would recommend weights then cardio. If you are not trying to build/keep strength/muscle then you won't care about the catabolic effects and reduced intensity during weight training due to cadio first. It is true neither are totally exclusive systems. But the margin depends on the intensity. If you're at a pace where the body can keep up with energy demands it will stay mostly with aerobic energy production. Your first energy is going to be what's found in the blood stream. Even after that glycogen stores in cells are high enough that 20-30 min of low to moderate aerobic exercise is only going to deplete 200kcal of the 800 normally stored, if all of that evens comes from the cell stores. Eating a small snack or taking a drink that includes carbs during your workout will replenish quite a bit also. As far as fat burning goes a study from Bringham Young found that it didn't matter which order you did, but if you did both EPOC values were significantly higher than just one or the other. It still really doesn't make sense to end with your body in a state of catabolic chemicals flowing if you're trying to to gain. I would want to get that part done, flush it out, and end with the increased blood flow, nutrients, and muscle building chemicals released from lifting. That said, from my training and coaching experience for max strength and explosive power and speed (as needed for sprints and jumps). Going for an 1.5hrs of high intensity interval (which would be largely anaerobic, explosiveness) training followed by high intensity weights had only slight affects going into the weight room immediately after, hitting 4-5 sets of 3-6reps at 85-95% of max on dead lifts, squats, and olympic lifts. Gains in strength were made consistently throughout the season. I can't think of any high level coaches or athletes that do weights first, that includes throwers. And like previously stated, if you really wanted to max on mass and strength, it would be best advised to skip cardio all together and do interval training (short sprints, intensive temp, etc). |
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Had someone today tell me that doing cardio after a weight lifting session was better than using the cardio for a warm up. Reason if you use your available energy for the weights and the cardio will make you burn fat better. Any truth to that or thoughts? I have used the cardio as a warm up forever but will switch tonight to see how I feel about it physically. It's a tough question to answer without knowing your goals/priorities. If it's a skill sport or something that requires explosiveness, you're better off following the route that 007 lays out. Order also depends on the intensity of your exercise and what body parts you might be lifting. Low-moderate intensity of a relatively short duration - it won't make much difference before or after. Yes, you will diminish blood glucose and liver glycogen, but as 007 said, these can be replaced with a sports drink or a piece of fruit. Glycogen stored intramuscularly isn't transferrable between muscles so a brief jog on the treadmill won't noticeably deplete the glycogen stored in your upper body muscles. That said, when I do lift (rarely), I typically do so prior to endurance work which is not typically explosive, though it may be intense - i.e. 800s/mile repeats. If I am working sprints on the bike, I separate that workout by a day or two from any lower body strength work. |