Fitness Blog---Weights first or cardio first?

[Marissa Lily]

I like to mix my cardio and weights together in supersetting, but if you want to do both in one workout session, which do you do first? If your goal is weight loss...

Cardio then weights


Why?

1. Psychology-
If you do a hard weight routine, your muscles will feel worn out and you will feel like collapsing if you attempt cardio afterwards. Your brain and your body will both be tired, leading you to have a less effective weight workout and a less safe weight workout.

2. Cardio is a warm-up-
You should never do weights on cold muscles, so you would need to warm up for about 5-10 mins beforehand anyway, why not extend that into about 20 mins and make that your cardio workout?


3. Afterburn-
EPOC (calories burned after a workout is completed) is higher when weights are done after cardio. and who doesn't want to benefit from an increased metabolism? In fact, resistance training increases metabolism for up to 48 hrs after a workout whereas cardio does for only an hour or so.

4. Weight lifting still burns fat-
if you do cardio and then weights, you will still be in your fat burning zone (unless you are just sitting around on machines) so your body will still be burning tons of calories. Psychologically though it won't feel like it and the weight session will feel more like a cool-down. So benefit from the increased heart rate you will get from cardio and carry it through your weight routine. (Meaning you don't have to do as much cardio as you would normally)

5. Weights first then cardio damages muscle-
If you do a weight routine and then try to power through a hard cardio workout, your muscles will not be focusing on rebuilding, they will be focusing on getting you through your cardio. Same with any blood glycogen you have, it is going to be used up for energy rather than for storage in your muscles which helps give you strength and endurance.

[Ms. Niki]

Great tips! I too am a workout junkie!

[Marissa Lily]

his basic premises are correct. I agree with most of what he suggests. You do need to build muscle. you don't need to focus on stupid little muscles because they will be incorporated when doing larger muscle exercises. lifting heavier (a safe weight of course) is better. You can't change genetics.
I do think you need to up your working out though.

[Filmmonkey]

I forgot to ask...
I'm just catching up on your blog posts now...

Are you familiar with the New Rules of Lifting? I'm going through it now, have been for about five months. I'm not real strict with it, since I just can't stand some of the exercises in it, and some I would just look too damn silly doing at the gym.
His big focus is the big muscles. I was skinny and underweight right up until my mid thrities and then things started tipping the other way :-( This was one brief period of time, right in between the two, when I looked damn good. Oh well...
Anway, since following that book and working out 1-3 times a week, I have never had legs as strong as I do now. So I guess something is working. He really down plays the "vanity" muscles (chest and arms for guys) but I really find myself wanting to do more of that. I mean if I'm doing all this work I at least want it to show...a little. I can run around in shorts all the time :-)

[Filmmonkey]

Interesting. I'll have to try this out. I'm currently doing damn little cardio but am wanting to start doing the interval training stuff.