Is it better to do cardio before lifting or after?
[quote]chadmang wrote:
Is it better to do cardio before lifting or after?[/quote]
I believe general thought is after.
What are your goals?
[quote]TriGWU wrote:
chadmang wrote:
Is it better to do cardio before lifting or after?
I believe general thought is after.
What are your goals?[/quote]
If you have to condense it, then after, but If at all possible I would try to space the two activities apart if at all possible.
I’ve been told both.
People without a thorough nutritional background and education tell me to do cardio before. To warm the muscles up and induce bloodflow in them before you lift.
People with a degree in the matter, that have books and train holywood superstars, say you should perform cardio after. It’s supposed to run all those hormones and recovery mechanisms throughout your body faster speeding recovery.
Personally, I just warmup the muscle group with a 12 rep set. If I do any cardio it is on days I do not lift.
OD
Like Tri mentioned, it really does depend on your goals, though in general I wouldn’t recommend trashing yourself with a full-blown cardio workout right before lifting, unless you’re primarily focused on training for endurance.
This isn’t to say that cardio before lifting should be avoided at all costs; a general warmup consisting of low-intensity, low-duration cardio does have value (though a lot of people turn this warmup into a workout!). Mike Robertson and Carl Valle shed some light on this issue with their “Superior Circuit” series of articles.
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=585287
From what I learned in school last year, yes you want to do some cardio beforehand, but like maybe all of about three or four minutes worth to raise core temperature and get the system ready. The best practice then was some stability drills, followed by hitting the weights. Actual cardio or aerobic work you want leave to a separate session if at all possible. Especially if you have aerobic cross training or sport-specific work to do, you want to uncouple the two kinds of training. They both hit the same energy system.
Or you can do your cardio on a separate day. I physically can’t do my energy work before or after lifing. It must be a separate day.
Id lean toward seperate days for any real dedictaed tough cardio. and not before. It simply takes to much away from the weight w/o.
I will however go on walks bikerides etc. the same day as lifting. Only either well before or more often than that well after.
Just My 2cc
Phill
I have to agree with what has already been said, it depends on your goals. I prefer to do cardio after my weight workout. Since my main focus on those days is weights I don’t want to exhaust myself first by beginning with cardio
Try both and see what you feel works best for you.
On days where I row and lift - I make sure to separate them by at least 8 hours.
I usually lift at 5:30 a.m. - I like the empty gym…
and then I’ll row at around 6 p.m. while getting at least 6 small meals / shakes in the interim period.
Have had no real problems with fatigue or loss of strength doing it this way. Am able to achieve awesome intensity on both workouts.