When to cardio?

[JustSaiyan88]

So I'm realizing I need to get more of a sweat and get better at cardio again. However, I'm not sure how... There are so many studies saying one thing then another (as always) and time restraints and such that I am not sure what is actually best for me.

So I figured I'd ask the rest of you fine people! When do you cardio?

Do you do a cardio workout in the morning and then lift at night?
Do you do your cardio right before/after your weight training?
or
Do you have completely seperate days for cardio and strenght? (Mon, Wed, Fri are cardio while Sun, Tues, Thurs are strength)

What has worked best for you?

Thanks!

[hardyboysare]

The 'claimed science' on vast parts of the internet behind cardio is an odd one which seems to stem from fear of either muscle loss (mainly males worry about this it seems) or doing cardio at a set time will offer better fat loss, which by chance neither are correct in reason.

So IMO I find the best time to do cardio is either after my weights or on my rest days.

I don't believe in going to the gym twice a day when you can just go out for a walk/ socialize with friends doing activities instead which involve exercise instead of planned gym sessions but that is personal choice. I think the importance of cardio is to offer extra help achieving a caloric deficit and cardio ability (health) whilst ensuring it doesn't impair your weight training.

Therefore the key is make sure the cardio doesn't impact on one your calorie target (aka doing cardio makes you eat back more calories) and second you can't do weights as you are tired/ ache/ etc. So I would advise to focus on cardio after the other two factors, when you do this is up to you. However I do caution doing cardio in the morning and weights in the evening as mentally you can start justifying why you don't need to go in the evening to do weights as you have already exercised in the morning which is the wrong mindset.

If you wish to train twice a day I advise weights first and foremost, and then cardio as if this is skipped for whatever reason it will make less impact then skipping weight training for body composition anyway.

[andy0w]

School run.

5pm leave the office, run home

[kimm4]

After weight training and sometimes I'll throw some in on rest days.

[taf1968]

Just spreading some greenz around

[Fiction2Fitness]

Depends on my schedule and what I'm training for as I've done all of them. When I trained for the 10k back when I was working 1-9pm and it was hot, I'd run in the morning then rest before work and lift at night as I preferred lifting after work in general. If I lift and cardio same session it's lifting first than cardio. I do separate days at times, catch a few classes at the gym and walk there.

My work schedule varies with morning, mid-day and close shifts. For the most part though lifting is the priority though I did do a couple of weeks with more cardio focus. Starting back after my vacation it will be 4 days a week lifting with some cardio after lifting sessions with maybe one day of just cardio on its own depending on what days of the week I get off.

[JCFIT03]

So I'm realizing I need to get more of a sweat and get better at cardio again. However, I'm not sure how... There are so many studies saying one thing then another (as always) and time restraints and such that I am not sure what is actually best for me.

So I figured I'd ask the rest of you fine people! When do you cardio?

Do you do a cardio workout in the morning and then lift at night?
Do you do your cardio right before/after your weight training?
or
Do you have completely seperate days for cardio and strenght? (Mon, Wed, Fri are cardio while Sun, Tues, Thurs are strength)

What has worked best for you?

Thanks!

I think its a case of finding what works for you. I have 3 kids and my days are never the same routine. I basically look at the beginning of the week and plan it - sometimes I do early morning LISS then re-fuel, school run and weights. Some days I weight train mid morning then HIIT 6 hours later in the day.

[Violettt]

I try to work in a bit of cardio every time im at the gym. 5 days a week max for maybe 20 minutes on average. Some days I go to the gym just for a cardio session. It really depends on my schedule and my goals at the time.

[maeva27]

I do cardio 3x a week at the moment (200 calories each time), I'm bulking but like to keep some cardio in anyways. I do it when it works in my schedule. Most of the time I'll do it right after lifting. But some days I'll do it fasted before work just because this is when it works for me. And then sometimes I do it later in the evening...

Between having two young kids, a husband that travels ++ for work and having a job with a super long commute, I just do it when I can. Same with weights actually!

I just never do it before lifting weights, just because I want to keep most of my energy for lifting heavy.