posted Thu, 03/02/2017 - 10:47
1850
Cardio before or after lifting?
ad
I'm currently working on building muscle while lowering body fat (isn't everyone).
Anyhow, in the past when I was in my best shape I would do cardio first thing in the morning, then lift later in the day or at night after work.
Currently I get to the gym 5 days a week but don't have the time or convenience (old gym was literally 2 mins away) to make 2 trips a day.
So I usually do about 45 mins cardio then immediately follow with that days lifting workout. I prefer it this way as the cardio really wakes me up / gets the blood pumping, etc. Also after I'm done I can drink a shake/eat right away.
My question is does anyone prefer to lift then do cardio and if so why?
- Bookmark
- 0
- 0
I do a moderate cardio warm up to get the blood flowing. If I'm bulking I only do a 10 minute warmup and it's on to the weights. If I'm cutting hit cardio in the am fasted then weights later in the day 2 weeks light weights one week heavy, just how I like to do it.
I agree with @Makwa - ditch the cardio for maximum gains. But if you keep it, do it after workouts.
I would suggest; not necessarily at the end of a workout, it could be at the end of the day/few hours later
If you retain cardio, ditch the steady state and go for 100% balls to the wall HIIT twice per week only, 4 mins per session or so, only
e.g. hop on the spin bike warm up a half minute, sprint fast as you can seated for 45 seconds then turn the friction up way high and try to get 15 seconds at 100% output (less is wasting your time) then medium pace for 15 secs, sprint for 30 seconds fast as you can seated then turn the friction up way high and try to get 15 seconds at 100% output and so on, warm down for 30 seconds at the end
you only need 2 of these sessions to achieve the same results in terms of fat loss that 5 jogging or other SS sessions would give.
It has become pretty much irrefutable that HIIT is better for burning fat effectively than steady state. So why waste all that time on 'cardio'
:-P
If I do cardio (only on a cut) I do it after.
Do you drink a shake or anything after lifting and before cardio, or just hold off till after everything?
I eat 1.5 before and have a shake with BCAA during
If you are trying to build mass, skip the cardio completely. You not going to build muscle and lose fat at the same time (it is very inefficient to try and do so) so pick one or the other. Now, assuming you are trying to burn fat and you can only do cardio and liffing back to back, you want to do your cardio after lifting weights. Burn through your glycogen stores by lifting weights so that afterwards when you do your cardio your body has to preferentially shift to the next available fuel which is your fat reserves. Do it the other way around and it won't be as efficient. Your body needs the quick energy available as glucose for your intense weight lifting sessions and if you burn those up with cardio your weightlifting is going to suffer and you don't burn as much fat weight lifting since it is an aenearobic activity so it has a hard time using fat as fuel when weight lifting. Bottom line is your body will be burning more fat if cardio is done after weights. Works on the same premise as fasted cardio.
I've read mixed opinions on fasted cardio as well. But I will try to lift first next week and see how it goes.
You'll definitely have more energy for the muscles lifting 1st
Rustyhooker^^^^^ yup. Weights burns carbs. When carb depleted after weights i hit cardio with heartrate in fatburn zone. For my age and weight its 110bpm.
So RH, what's your height and weight? After the cardio how do now gather your nutrition, protein /carbs%. What is your post workout meal schedule?