cardio and training in the same day

[wantmuscles]

If you do a training session and end with a 20 minute run on the treadmill does it start burning muscle or does it still burn fat? Is it beneficial or harmful?

[Telly]

It's best to keep your weights work and cardio on separate days. If you must do them together, make sure you take in some carbs immediately after your weights to be on the safe side. Just a carb drink and a piece of fruit.

But if you really want to maximise your muscle gains, do them on different days.

[Muscles]

Really a carb drink will help. Never thought of that Ill try it

[Delirium76]

One thing you may want to keep in mind is that you want to try to refrain from uping your levels of cortisol. It's a natural chemical that cause muscle breakdown that increases production during cardio.

It isn't really wise to produce more cortisol in a time when your muscles just got worked and are in a growth stage. if you could put a few hours inbetween your cardio and your weights training, it would be the best thing to do.

A few articles I've read actually say fast walking is the best cardio because it doesn't make your body produce as much cortisol. I'm not postive about this one, but it makes sense.

[Telly]

After a workout, your body needs to replenish glycogen levels which have just been depleted. Glycogen is replenished through ingesting carbohydrates. If you don't replenish glycogen stores after your workout and jump straight into cardio, your body still wants to replenish glycogen, but in the absense of carbohydrates in your system, your body may brake down protein stores and ultimately muscle in order to replenish glycogen. You don't want this happening.

[Muscles]

Originally posted by Telly
After a workout, your body needs to replenish glycogen levels which have just been depleted. Glycogen is replenished through ingesting carbohydrates. If you don't replenish glycogen stores after your workout and jump straight into cardio, your body still wants to replenish glycogen, but in the absense of carbohydrates in your system, your body may brake down protein stores and ultimately muscle in order to replenish glycogen. You don't want this happening.

I guess I better be careful then

[kelfitness1]

Actually interval sprints cause fast twitch fibers to grow, so if you do interval sprints on the treadmill or using the elliptical trainers you will be able to increase the oxygen capacity into your muscles. It's something to try. Also try incorporating push-ups into your rest time after sets with weights. It's intense, but it made my arms, shoulders, back , and chest develop thoroughly.

[WonderwomanMN]

So, whats the story if you do your cardio prior to your weight training? How does that affect fat vs muscle burning? I want to lose fat but Im not feeling too energetic after upping my cardio to 45-55 min prior to my weight training....*help*

[kelfitness1]

Do your cardio after weight training when your glycogen is low, that way you'll burn more fat and all your carbs will be depleted when you weight train so that you'll burn mostly fat.

Or, get up and do cardio in the morning and weight train at night!!

They both work great!!!

If you have any more questions I'd be glad to help. I'm a certfied personal trainer through the ISSA and a fitness competitor. Ask away.

[Fletch]

Originally posted by kelfitness1
Do your cardio after weight training when your glycogen is low, that way you'll burn more fat and all your carbs will be depleted when you weight train so that you'll burn mostly fat.

Or, get up and do cardio in the morning and weight train at night!!

They both work great!!!

If you have any more questions I'd be glad to help. I'm a certfied personal trainer through the ISSA and a fitness competitor. Ask away.

bump

I second the idea of doing cardio in the morning and weight training at night.

Note: Although you may feel bloated, making sure you're fully hydrated at all times....does wonders for fat burning. Water is the nector of the Gods.

- Fletch

[J.Reed]

I also agree with cardio in the morning and weight training at night. I do cardio first thing, even before eatin cuz your body burns fat faster at this time.

[Fletch]

It is more advantageous towards muscle development to do cardio in morning with lower glycogen levels rather then after you have lifted. Doing cardio after weight training can have you burning away muscle as well as fat.

After weight training, it is true that your glycogen levels are depleted, however, your muscle tissue has been broken down as well......thus meaning you need to get your post-workout nutrients (most important in muscle growth) to give you that natural insulin spike while you are most vulnerable to changing insulin levels as soon as possible (the "power hour"). Doing cardio back to back on top of your weight training can have serious effects on your recovery time as well as your ability to put on lean muscle.

I respect that everyone has different time schedules and sometimes doing cardio in the morning before work isn't possible. If this is the case, do your cardio after a lower carb meal but well in the day before you lift. Have your carb balanced breakfast...then next meal eat a very low carb meal and do your cardio right before you need to eat your next meal (with carbs). It will be the next best thing to doing cardio in the morning if your schedule does not permit, and prevents you from having to deal with extra soreness.

soreness does not equate growth....

hope this helps

- Fletch

[kelfitness1]

very, true, but in all cases, just don't eat a high carb meal before cardio, truth is YOU"LL ONLY BURN OFF THE CARBS!

[Fletch]

true......we want to tap into the fat stores and burn the fat off using it as your energy source......not the carbs. For lean mass conservation....do this in the morning.

- Fletch