cardio after lifting?

[MOD]

would this be a good idea? I figure you'd be forced to burn more fat since a lot of the glucose would have been used during lifting. I'm thinking of doing low intensity cardio for 15 - 20 min after my workouts ( mon, tues, thurs, fri ). would this be too much if I'm trying put on muscle? also, could the cardio help get the lactic acid out of my muscles and aid recovery?
thanks, I appreciate any help.

[Blindfaith]

when you finish your weights your body is in its most anabolic/catabolic state of the day....you have to get a good amount of protein and carbs in to feed your muscles (ie: myoplex shake).

So if u do cardio right after lifting then make sure its no more than 30mins worth.

I perfer to do mine first thing in the morning on an empty stomach because your insulin levels are low and you are more likely to burn more fat....besides it also increases your bmr for the better part of the day which will make your body burn more cals even after you finish your cardio.

cheers

[MOD]

do you do your cardio on lifting days, non lifting days or does it really matter? if you do it on lifting days how many hours before do you do it and does it affect your lifting?

[CreatineMan]

if you are bulking, i would not be doing cardio.

[csakiges]

Originally posted by Blindfaith
when you finish your weights your body is in its most anabolic/catabolic state of the day....you have to get a good amount of protein and carbs in to feed your muscles (ie: myoplex shake).

So if u do cardio right after lifting then make sure its no more than 30mins worth.

I perfer to do mine first thing in the morning on an empty stomach because your insulin levels are low and you are more likely to burn more fat....besides it also increases your bmr for the better part of the day which will make your body burn more cals even after you finish your cardio.

cheers

Bump

Definitely best in the morning (if you are really looking to accelerate fat loss for reasons blindfaith pointed out above). Post workout cardio is good especially because your glycogen storage is low, but the problem is you only have that 30 minute window to spike insulin levels. My advice would be the same, do about 20 minutes post workout cardio and then get your drink down you ASAP.

[Timbo]

By keeping the intensity low to moderate right after hitting the iron, you should be okay and you might actually help with some recovery. But it would be critical to still get your post-workout nutrition in immediately AFTER the cardio.

The first-thing-in-the-morning cardio would NOT be an optimal choice for you since you are more concerned with adding muscle mass and not necessarily prioritizing fat loss.

This method of cardio (fasting), is not necessarily so potent because of "low insulin levels," but rather because the body's liver glycogen stores are pretty much depleted after an overnight fast. If this is the choice, the intensity is best kept in the moderate to low range.

Ideally, it's best to separate the cardio and resistance components of your training program. You will see better adaptations to both with less interference effects. Also, post-cardio supplementation is just as important as post-training supplementation in this instance.

[Blindfaith]

Originally posted by MOD
do you do your cardio on lifting days, non lifting days or does it really matter? if you do it on lifting days how many hours before do you do it and does it affect your lifting?

well im in cutting mode right now so im doing cardio 6 days a week. I do my cardio first thing in the morning...and then hit the weights in the later afternoon say around 6 or 7pm. And on the days that i dont lift i will play up some racquetball for usually about 2 hours depending on my energy level.

But no matter what...bulking or cutting always do cardio...whether it be low intensity or balls to the wall sprinting. For cutting, cardio is nessessary 5-7 days/week. For Bulking...even doing 10 mins low insensity before lifting and 5 mins after for a proper warmup and cooldown is good...it wont effect your muscle building.

Cardio helps train your ticker...and no matter how much you can squat or bench...if your heart isnt healthy then it all dont mean ****!

cheers

[Timbo]

I don't care what your primary goal is, I would never suggest a cardio session prior to training with weights. You should always, always be trying to build muscle and strength and lifting should be number one on the priority list. There is no place for pre-fatiguing your mind, body or muscles.

[Blindfaith]

and yes 10 mins of light jogging after a workout will help get rid of 70% of the lactic acid build up. So its a good idea. But make sure u dont do more than 30mins after lifting...because u need that shake asap after your workout!

cheers

[Sartoriousnz]

Thanks guys for your comments - I've been cutting quite well without cardio and have got stuck and had been looking at the cardio gear after my weights, wondering what to do.

Problem solved - what do you think is best - bike, stepper or treadmill (Winter here!)?

[csakiges]

Which ever you prefer. Just make sure to keep your heart rate up in the target range.