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Thread: Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

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    Banned Katrine's Avatar
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    Default Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    Ok Gym Freaks, a Question for you:

    I do about 20-25 minutes of cardio and about 45-1 hour of weights at the gym 3x a week (or try to )

    I like to do my cardio first. That way, all of my muscles are warmed up, and I think my body is also burning fat while I do my weight reps.

    But my boyfriend says that I should do a mild warmup of light reps with weights, then do cardio at the end. I have also had a trainer in the past who suggested a mild 5 minute cardio warmup, then weights...


    Which method do ya'll prefer? Which method is better for weight maintenance, toning, and building muscles?

    Thanks for the help!!! r:

    "Have you ever been to American wedding? Where is the vodka, where's marinated herring?" - GB
    "And do the cats give a shit? No, they do not. Why? Because they're cats."-from The Onion

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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    When I was a little more consistent with my work outs, I followed nearly the same routine. It's always good to do some cardio, as you said, to warm up your muscles before hand and maximize your weight lifting session. I think your bf and your trainer suggested the short warm up due to perceived endurance levels.

    What ever works for you. If you can handle 25 min of cardio before hand and have a strong session with the weights, do it! You'll definitely see some nice tone with that routine.

    From being a running bastard, I have relatively good endurance, so I always do 30-60 min of cardio before weight lifting (with Heart Rate around 70% of max). Then, 30-60 min weight lifting. Then, 15 min light cario. This strategy worked well with me, because I could still get in a good amount of cardio in without the sore, fatigued muscles. I found if I would do lifting first, the cardio portion would suffer.

    In terms of building muscle, I don't bulk up, but I can get "toned" with this work out. I definitely burn more fat over a longer period of time with the medium/hard cardio - weights - light cardio routine.

    IMO, your strategy is the best for muscle definition and tone. If you want to be lean and mean, stick to your routine....

    lol... and no, I wasn't trying to rhyme

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    God/dess VenusGoddess's Avatar
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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    Your body responds better with a light warm-up before your weight session. The old belief that you need to do a lot of cardio before you do weights to keep your body "burning fat" is completely out-dated. It's been proven that weight lifting actually burns more fat than just cardio alone. If you do your cardio routine AFTER weights, your body will burn fat much more efficiently. I do not know if I am explaining this right...but when I find that article, I'll post it.

    In short, your boyfriend and trainer were right. Light cardio warm-up...weights (not those sissy 5 pounders, either) and then cardio.

    Hope that helps!

    Here's a good quote: http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybui...uilding16.html

    In general, people will practice cardiovascular activities and forget about weight bearing exercises when it comes to burning fat. Many trainers will say that aerobic exercises burn off fat and weightlifting is only used to build muscle bulk. This statement is not entirely correct because the more muscle mass one acquires through weight bearing exercises, the more he will burn fat calories...even at rest.


    We see a growing trend from cardiovascular training towards weight and strength training. According to a study by the Fitness Products Council and Sporting Goods Manufacturers, the number of people lifting free weights has increased 76 percent in the past decade. Right now, weight lifting is among the most popular sports in North America.



    This change is for the best because cardiovascular activity combined with weight training will result in much more effective fat loss. Cardiovascular exercises will raise muscle metabolism during the activity and for a short time after the exercise session. Weight lifting exercises, on the other hand, will raise your muscle metabolism during the exercise session, and for a long time after the exercise session. Some high intensity trainers have even seen their metabolism rise for several days following their training session.

    Performing adequate weight training exercises should limit your repetitions anywhere from 1 to 20 (more or less). Such resistance on muscles will make their tissue leaner and stronger. The muscle development will take place during the rest period following the resistance training. Therefore sufficient rest periods are essential.

    Whether your goal is to tone or build muscles, it is important to know what happens during the muscle training process. When lifting weights, muscle tissues are torn apart (at the microscopic level) from the stress, and it's in the recuperation period that your muscles become stronger and therefore able to support the extra stress. Usually the recuperation period required is 24 to 48 hours after the weight lifting activity.



    During the recuperation period, the muscle metabolism is still burning energy, and that's when it's time to perform cardiovascular activities. Carrying out high repetitions of the same movement will tire the body on a different basis. Combining low repetition exercises (weight lifting) with high repetition cardiovascular exercise will stress muscles in a complementary way to increase the total fat burning effect.

    Anybody who debates the fact that weight bearing exercises don't help people lose weight and fat should lift weights for one hour and see their heart rate go through the roof. Simply look at athletes who specialize in short, intense bursts of energy and you still see that they are very low in body fat. The point is to combine a weight lifting routine with a good cardiovascular workout to increase muscle metabolism and total fat burning ratio.

    An important factor to consider when trying to lose weight is that lots of muscle mass can be lost as a result. As muscle mass will keep your metabolism high, try to avoid quick weight loss through miracle diets or starvation. This weight loss will be regained just as quickly. Instead, opt for a gradual fat loss routine by combining weight training and cardiovascular activities, and allow muscle mass to build up and increase your metabolism. Results may take a little longer , but they will last for a longer period of time.

    *Edited to add quote and source*

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    Banned Katrine's Avatar
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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    Wow, thanks!

    Guess I'll just flip-flop my training around. Hopefully it will give me better results...

    purrrrrrrrrrrr....


    "Have you ever been to American wedding? Where is the vodka, where's marinated herring?" - GB
    "And do the cats give a shit? No, they do not. Why? Because they're cats."-from The Onion

    Quote Originally Posted by Mia M
    If a cupcake was tossed at me... well, I'd only be upset if it missed my mouth

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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    I agree with the boyfriend, trainer, and VG...

    Plus the cardio after the woorkout helps keep the muscles loose and the blood flowing...This way there will be less sorenes or tightness of the muscles....well it worked for me when i used to workout....i used to lift for 45 min then play ball for an hour or two....but now im just a big mess

  6. #6
    Pamela
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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    Cardio first for me. This is usually in the form of fast walking, sometimes dancing around my living room. Then i feel like i actually want to lift some weights. I have a weight machine, not the best, it's old but gets the job done. Now all i realy want is keep toned. And to lose some ass!!!! So i stopped doing major ass workouts, just light (and a few only) squats.

    Pamela

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    Senior Member Natascha's Avatar
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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    Great info, everyone!
    What about Pilates and cardio? Which should I do first?
    Lately, I arrive at the gym and do one hour of cardio before I go to my Pilates session. Should I do a short cardio warmup, Pilates, and then my main cardio session?
    Thanks!

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    God/dess VenusGoddess's Avatar
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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    It's always a good idea to warm your body up before doing anything...doing a 5 minute cardio warm-up will push the blood through your muscles, warming them up...which is great to do before you do Pilates/Yoga/Weights.

    With Pilates, I do not think it matters when you do the cardio. You are not doing heavy weight lifting...you are doing more "toning" and stretching. There is a difference. Which way do you feel better? Doing Cardio and then Pilates? Or doing a warm-up, Pilates, and then Cardio? I think when it comes to this...it's more about how much better you feel.

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    Senior Member Natascha's Avatar
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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    Thanks, Venus!
    I'll stick with my routine.
    I do weights 3x a week and I'll follow the advice given here on that!

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    Banned Katrine's Avatar
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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    I changed around my routine yesterday. I did a 5 minute treadmill warmup, then an hour of weights, ab crunches, then tried to do 20 minutes of elliptical glider. Well....I was so tired by then that I only lasted 10 minutes in cardio...WTF??

    When I do it the original way, I get everything in! Can I just do my full cardio separately? The BF does this, going running in the morning, then does his weights in the eve after work. Suggestions?

    Thanks ya'll!

    "Have you ever been to American wedding? Where is the vodka, where's marinated herring?" - GB
    "And do the cats give a shit? No, they do not. Why? Because they're cats."-from The Onion

    Quote Originally Posted by Mia M
    If a cupcake was tossed at me... well, I'd only be upset if it missed my mouth

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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    Well, first...when you do weights, do you do sections, or do you try to hit your whole body at once? Also, your body is not used to this workout (which is also why it's good to change your workout routine every few weeks...prevents your body from "memorizing" the routine) so, you may find that you are a little more tired when starting the new routine. You can do a few things:
    1. Keep doing what you are doing and give your body a chance to catch up.
    2. Make a weight day (where you do the warm-up and weights only) and a cardio day (where you do just cardio).
    3. Go back to what you were doing before.

    I really think that you should stick to the new routine. It's proven to be much more effective. Don't think that you need to do EVERYTHING in one gym visit. The idea is to be more effective...more concentrated. It's the quality, not quantity. If you want to do weights in the morning and then do cardio in the afternoon or evening, then do that. Keep the new way for a few weeks...then try something different. See what works best with your body. But, you need to try out each new routine for several weeks so you can see what kind of results you are getting with each one. I hope that helps you a bit. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Just remember...what works best for one person doesn't mean it'll work best for everybody.

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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    I recently changed up my routine to a light warm up, then weights, then cardio.

    If I didn't have time for breakfast before working out, I will skip the cardio at the end, as the weight training all by itself should have been enough to wear me out.

    Katrine, you may not of had enough carbs before working out to finish everything. If you are on a low carb diet, try having some healthy carbs before training to preserve your muscle while dieting. Other wise do either do weights or cardio, not both of you haven't had much to eat that day.


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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    I gotta agree with VG, you should give the new routine a couple of weeks before you can make an accurate judgment. However, like I said before: hard cardio - weights - light cardio has always work for me. In my experience, you can get a good cardio workout in, raise the heart rate, and still do well with the weights. Why? well, first you have breaks in between each set. This allows your heart rate to settle, catch your breath, and then start again refreshed for the next set. And second, depending on which muscle group you are using, weight lifting can leave your muscles depleted, sore and fatigued - definitely not ideal for a good cardio workout.

    I have to do this type because I simply do not have the time to have two workouts in one day. If you have the ability to break up your hard cardio and weight lifting routines, that's probably your best bet.

    How about 3 days cardio, 2 days lifting or vice versa? It's 5 days of workout routines, however your visits will be much shorter. Just a thought

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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    Ok ok... maybe I need to change my routine... did a little research in addition to VG's post(s):

    "If your goal is bodyfat loss, then you should ALWAYS do your weight training before you do your cardiovascular training.

    Second, why is this the case?

    Basically, it has to do with your body's consumption of energy during exercise. When doing weight training exercises, your body can only use sugar for energy. You know - all of those carbohydrates that you hear so much about. In one way or another, they are utilized as sugar in your body for either immediate or long-term energy. Your body uses this sugar during weight training, and is unable to use bodyfat for energy while engaged in weight training activities. However, please don't give up on your dumbbells just yet, because there is a very good reason why you should not only do weight training, but do it as intensely as possible.

    Other than many other benefits of weight training, sugar is used up while you are doing it. That sugar may be free floating in your system as glucose, or it may be stored in your liver or skeletal muscles as glycogen. Use it up on the weight lifting floor BEFORE stepping onto the treadmill if your goal is bodyfat loss. The more intensely you workout, the more sugar you use!

    Now, when doing cardiovascular training, your body can use sugar OR bodyfat for energy. If the goal is bodyfat loss, then you want your body to use bodyfat for energy during cardio, right? Well, if your body has a choice between using sugar for energy, or using bodyfat, what do you think would happen if you had already performed an intense weight training session, and used up the majority of your sugar during that workout?

    That's right - your body would have NO CHOICE but to burn fat for energy! I don't know about you, but when I am working up a sweat during my cardio session, I'd like every single one of those hard earned calories to come from bodyfat if possible! So, other than the 24-hour metabolic boost that you get from weight training, other than it's power to strengthen your muscles and connective tissues as you get older, and other than it's ability to increase your balance and coordination, you now have the Golden Reason for doing weight training - because it helps you burn bodyfat!"


    One thing to keep in mind is that fat is an inefficient source of energy. Once you have used up your gylcogen stores, and your body turns to fat for energy, your "quick" response will be eliminated. Glycogen is immediate energy that your body can use, whereas fat has to be converted, then used, thus causing a feeling of fatigue and weakness. This may be why your workout suffered towards the end.

    Yeah, it sucks, but it sounds like all the others are correct: light cardio - weight lifting - cardio may be the way to go. bleh ... lol

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    Default Re:Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights


    In reference to doing cardio to lose weight, the best method is to do this in the morning, as soon as you wake up...

    Your body has nothing in its system, and you will start burning calories much faster and more efficiently than at the end of your day, when your body has ingested a few meals and all the calories taken in daily...

    My two best friends, husband and wife, compete in bodybuilding.. they have been using this method for years in pre-comp training...

    Better living through chemistry....

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    Default Re: Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    I usually do my cardio in sections. I do 15 min when I wake up, 30 at the gym before weights for 30 min, and then 15 min later in the afternoon. If I do weights before cardio, I am usually waayy too tired to really push myself doing cardio. I do this anywhere from 3-5 times a week...do you guys think this is enough to see results? With a healthy diet of course...
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    Default Re: Workout Order-Cardio vs Weights

    I work out everyday .....always first warm up 5mins..stretch....weights 3-4times a week...followed by 45-60min cardio....cooldown and stretch

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