Cardio first or weights first?

[Chrisc121]

Just wondering what most people recommend. I have been doing weight training first and doing cardio after. I have had a few people say to do card training first and then weights after.

Also since this is my first post wanted to say hi to everyone and hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.

[MadMuscleMania]

Just wondering what most people recommend. I have been doing weight training first and doing cardio after. I have had a few people say to do card training first and then weights after.

Also since this is my first post wanted to say hi to everyone and hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.

Hi man,
Welcome to the forum
It s a good question, and im sure you will find many highly in depth replies very soon to your thread with all type of scientific analysis etc. For now, here is my take on it.
From personal experience of many years training, what seems to work best for me is cardio first weights second.
This way i find that i am nicely warmed up and ready to hit the weights hard. Although some people will tell you your overall strength may slightly suffer by doing cardio first, i find that cardio just gets my body into a great 'zone' ready to hit those weights. It has always worked for me dude. I even do empty stomach cardio (for fat loss) then take a protein shake and get straight into weights after that. Seriously effective.

A lot of people will tell you differently but thats the way i do things - and it works.

Here is a handy reference of some Beginner Cardio Routines for you to check out too.

Also, keep your Cardio sessions intense. I am a big big fan of interval training. That way, Cardio doesnt take forever, you keep your energy levels high, burn fat and improve lung function.

Keep weight sessions short and intense also so to avoid catabolism. (Especially important if youve done cardio first)

[Chrisc121]

Thanks for the quick response. I will give it a try next time to see how it feels. Only thing that concerned me is that I do about 40 min of cardio with a heart rate between 155-165 and burn between 525-575 calories so I am pretty beat. I will see how the weights feel next workout.

[titomuheedo]

Weights always first. If your trying to lose weight, weights first. If you are trying to bulk up, weights first. By doing cardio first you would be tiring out your body so that when it comes time to hit the wieghts you can't go 100%. When you do weights, you burn all your glycogyn stores(I hope im using the right word, fuzzy in that area lol.) then when its time for carido you more apt to use fat as fuel.

[Chrisc121]

Tito, that's the way is has been explained to me but it seems lately more people have said start with cardio to warm up the muscles. My goals are to lose about 15 more pounds and tone up. Have already lost 15 lbs in 2 months by cardio 5 days a week along with a good diet. I just do 1 body part a day right now. Side question is I want to start training legs with weights so should I drop a day or so off cardio or start the weights after I reach my goal weight?

[SideSteal]

Tito, that's the way is has been explained to me but it seems lately more people have said start with cardio to warm up the muscles. My goals are to lose about 15 more pounds and tone up. Have already lost 15 lbs in 2 months by cardio 5 days a week along with a good diet. I just do 1 body part a day right now. Side question is I want to start training legs with weights so should I drop a day or so off cardio or start the weights after I reach my goal weight?

I prefer weights first but I have no basis for suggesting this to you beyond personal preference. It's for the same reasons posted above--cardio first = crappy lift for me.

I would not recommend waiting for a goal weight before you add leg lifting into your program. I would add legs into your program if you aren't currently doing any leg lifting. Is there a reason you have to drop a day of cardio in order to do this?

Also, it's clear that what you are doing is working so far but I'm curious--why only 1 bodypart/day for lifting?

[Blakkfox]

Im trying to lose alot of fat and I was told weights first also.....I was told the first 10 minutes are wasted warming the body and if you lift first you burn from the start. 15lbs a month so far cant be wrong....

[LiL USMC BBer]

Its whatever your more comfortable.

Some people find that if they do cardio first they are too fatiqued to properly conduct weight training. If your unable to provide a stimulus to your muscles, they will not grow.


Some people find that if they weight first, they might become bored with cardio and won't ever even do it. In this case you would want to do your cardio first to ENSURE that you do it.

I personally always conduct weight training first, then roll into my 20-45 minutes of PWO low-medium intensity cardio.

[Slow-N-Steady]

It depends on your goals. If cardiovascular fitness and/or fat loss is your main goal, it may make sense to give cardio priority. Otherwise, it generally makes sense to lift first.

[Chrisc121]

I prefer weights first but I have no basis for suggesting this to you beyond personal preference. It's for the same reasons posted above--cardio first = crappy lift for me.

I would not recommend waiting for a goal weight before you add leg lifting into your program. I would add legs into your program if you aren't currently doing any leg lifting. Is there a reason you have to drop a day of cardio in order to do this?

Also, it's clear that what you are doing is working so far but I'm curious--why only 1 bodypart/day for lifting?

My main focus has been weight loss with building muscle second. Now that the weight loss has been going well I am doing more on the weight side. Since I am doing cardio every day I am not sure if I should drop a cardio day off to do legs or can I do legs and cardio the same day or is that too much? The main reason for one body part a day is merely time. I get to the gym at like 5:40 and am at work by 7. About 45 minutes I have been spending on cardio and like 15 min on weights.

Thanks again for everyones help

[nixter]

"Warming up" and "cardio for fat loss" are 2 different things. If you want to warm up first, go right ahead but save your cardio for after the weights.

[Wildtim]

Weights always first. If your trying to lose weight, weights first. If you are trying to bulk up, weights first. By doing cardio first you would be tiring out your body so that when it comes time to hit the wieghts you can't go 100%. When you do weights, you burn all your glycogyn stores(I hope im using the right word, fuzzy in that area lol.) then when its time for carido you more apt to use fat as fuel.

This.

Tito, that's the way is has been explained to me but it seems lately more people have said start with cardio to warm up the muscles. My goals are to lose about 15 more pounds and tone up. Have already lost 15 lbs in 2 months by cardio 5 days a week along with a good diet. I just do 1 body part a day right now. Side question is I want to start training legs with weights so should I drop a day or so off cardio or start the weights after I reach my goal weight?

cardio to warm up the muscles is about 5 mins at a moderate to slow speed. The goal is to get blood flowing and the joints moving. If you get out of breath or at all fatigued from your warm-up it was to much. I personally warm up with a couple of light sets or bodyweight sets of my main compound movement for the day that way I know I am warmed up in exactly the muscles and joint I need to use.

[titomuheedo]

Tito, that's the way is has been explained to me but it seems lately more people have said start with cardio to warm up the muscles. My goals are to lose about 15 more pounds and tone up. Have already lost 15 lbs in 2 months by cardio 5 days a week along with a good diet. I just do 1 body part a day right now. Side question is I want to start training legs with weights so should I drop a day or so off cardio or start the weights after I reach my goal weight?

Cardio is a good warmup, but only for a few minutes, not a whole 60 minute session. Try 4-6 minutes at lowish intensity. Enough to get your heart rate up.

And id avoid cardio on leg day.