Cardio or Weightlifting

[TammyC]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I have been reading through a lot of old posts. I came across one that said you should never do cardio prior to lifting, you should do it after or another day. I always thought you needed to do cardio first to get the heartrate up to help burn fat while lifting. Whast is the benefit or reason for lifting first? Is it better to do cardio after lifting or to do it a different day? I am trying to lose fat and tone. Thanks for any info!!
Tammy

[latinrose]

Well, from my point of view weightlifting and cardio has to go together if you want to get tone and lean. Cardio does burn fat but you will only look lean but not tight. Weightlifting will help develop muscle and burn fat. You can develop strength and endurance. You can a little bit of cardio before weight lifting just to warm up the body.. about 10 mins the most. After you finish your strength training or weight lifting (3 to 5 days depending on your goal, you can do about 30 to 45mins of cardio (3 to 5 days depending on you goal).

[Tiffany_P]

The idea is that you deplete your glycogen stores while weightlifting, and therefore you burn more fat while doing cardio. If you deplete all your glycogen stores during cardio, then you won't have any energy left for weightlifting. I've found this to be true. If I do any considerable amount of cardio before weightlifting, then I can't lift with the same intensity. 5-10 minutes of cardio to warm up before weightlifting can be beneficial. You just don't want to do a long session.

[nicoledominique]

Ideally, it is best to separate cardio and weightlifting by 6 hours, but for most people that is pretty much impossible with a busy schedule.

I usually do 30 minutes of cardio during my "lunch hour" at work. Then after work (approx 3 hours later) I do my weightlifting and following that, 20 more minutes of cardio. Seems like a lot, but the fact of the matter is if you want to reach your goals, you gotta put in the time and the effort.

It's well worth it.

[Ever84]

From what the trainers at the gym told me the first 30min of your workout is the calories you ate that day that are being burned off, then anything after 30 min burned is your fat storage. So if you do a 5-10 cardio warm up, then 30 min of weight lifting...and then do your cardio directly afterwards you'll hit into your fat storage. And if im not mistaken cardio will burn more calories then weights so it's better to do it after lifting.

[chicana_peach]

Both are essential for fat loss and gaining muscle. If you do morning cardio, then wait awhile before doing your weight lifting session. If you prefer to do both together, then yes cardio would have to be afterwards like stated before about the glycogen stores. How many times are you doing cardio? Typically what i have seen is that people do weights 3xs a week and on non weight days, cardio 3xs a week.

[TammyC]

Hello everyone, thanks for all of the advice. It seems I've been doing this wrong then. I have been doing cardio 5 times per week for 30 min and then doing 30 min of lifting right after. So I will start doing like 10 min of cardio just to get my heart rate up, do the lifting then finish cardio.

Is it better to do them seperate days or is it ok to do them both in the same day. With my work schedule it is very hard to work out first thing in the morning (I know thats the best). So i usually get my workout in at 7pm. Does it really make much of a difference if I do it in the evening compared to morning? Thanks again everyone!!
Tammy

[Tiffany_P]

Whether you separate them or not depends on how many days a week you plan to do cardio and weights. The only thing you shouldn't do is follow a long, hard cardio session with your weight training, because you won't have enough energy to lift with enough intensity to get any benefit from it.

[TammyC]

Well right now I have been doing 5 days a week and doing cardio and lifting each day. Is that good to do both 5 days per week?

[nicoledominique]

I wouldn't advise you to lift every day - cardio is a different story. Lifting takes a lot out of a person, and it's best to split it up over the week:

Ie:

Mon: Lift & Cardio
Tue: Cardio
Wed: Lift & Cardio
Thurs: Cardio
Fri: Lift & Cardio
Sat: Cardio
Sun: OFF

That's assuming you WANT to be doing that much cardio. For fat loss, you'd see good results with this kind of split training program, just remember to work a different bodyparts on each lifting day. I would suggest only lifting once a week for each bodypart, so bi/back on Mondays, Chest/Tri on Wednesdays, etc...

Also, it's important for you to take at least one day off from everything each week.

[Sunshineslynn]

I have to agree with the responses about cardio afterwards if you are cramped for time. I do my cardio afterwards.


For fat loss the intensity of your weight lifting, clean diet and the correct amount of cardio are the most important factors. how much cardio you do and the instensity is really up to how your body responds to it. I do HIIT 3xweek and watch my diet and stay pretty lean all year long. I have tried the above posters way of doing cardio and it did not work for my body and I ended up loosing to much muscle. I would if I were you document how your responding on a bunch of cardio and then try another type document that and come to your own personal conclusion on the way your body responds.

[lysbys]

Originally Posted by TammyC

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I have been reading through a lot of old posts. I came across one that said you should never do cardio prior to lifting, you should do it after or another day. I always thought you needed to do cardio first to get the heartrate up to help burn fat while lifting. Whast is the benefit or reason for lifting first? Is it better to do cardio after lifting or to do it a different day? I am trying to lose fat and tone. Thanks for any info!!
Tammy

if youre trying to gain weight for muscle mass then you shouldt do cardio with your lift workout but if you want to be cut then you should do like 15mins of cardio (to get your heart rate up) then lift then do another 15-30 mins of cardio for fat loss and have your protien and carbs afterwards...

[TammyC]

I am trying to lose weight first, and I want to be toned. I am 5ft2in and weigh 168lbs. I need to lose about 30 pounds. So it seems like the best thing for me is to do a little cardio, get the heart rate up and then lift?

Also I find myself very hungry after working out. Should I workout before, after, both? Also what do you recomend to eat?

I really appreciate all the tips, any help is great! Any other advice?
Tammy

[txtenista]

well i know i can relate to that as well, even if i eat before going to the gym or playing tennis, i find myself ravenous for food...according to some of the stuff i've seen on here and read in the most recent issues of fitness rx and muscle & fitness hers, it's good to eat at least one hour before working out and then within the 30 minute to an hour window afterwards have something with protein and a little sugar...the examples they gave in the mags were to carry with you a smal bottle of choco milk, a protein bar from one of the supplement big names, you can also try apples with peanut butter too. you wanna try not to eat too heavy before you workout because you need all of your energy to lift the weights and complete the reps to fatigue. after your workout though is not the time to pig out on anything thinking you can cause you just exercised. you will only end up consuming what you just burned and you don't wanna sacrifice all of your good, hardwork:-) i know last night my after workout snack consisted of a whole wheat one piece of bread with peanut butter, two glasses of milk, and a snack of a small handful of cashews...

[lysbys]

Originally Posted by TammyC

I am trying to lose weight first, and I want to be toned. I am 5ft2in and weigh 168lbs. I need to lose about 30 pounds. So it seems like the best thing for me is to do a little cardio, get the heart rate up and then lift?

Also I find myself very hungry after working out. Should I workout before, after, both? Also what do you recomend to eat?

I really appreciate all the tips, any help is great! Any other advice?
Tammy

eat pasta before and have a lilttle protien after and that should help...

[Chris@UGA]

Make sure you have some carbs afterwards as well to replace the muscle glycogen...