I’d recommend hitting the weights first. By weight training first, you’ll have more energy to lift and your body will release the hormones needed to stimulate growth. Weight training will also get your body into fat-burning mode to maximize your ability to maintain and build lean muscle tissue.
With your metabolism in high boost, your cardio workout will be much more effective. Remember - For every one pound of lean muscle you add, your body will burn 30-50 additional calories per day!
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Posted by Hello Kitty
It’s not a good idea to do both on the same day because after weight training your cardio workout will not be as effective as if you did cardio on a separate day (or if you do cardio seven, eight hours later).
In addition, people like to get their post workout nutrition in right after weight lifting, instead of going straight into cardio.
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Posted by Hello Kitty
PS: But that said, _if_ you were to do both on the same day, weights first, then cardio after.
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Posted by Terry Ng
If your goal is to build mass and get big, then I’d suggest alternating your weight training and cardio workout days.
However, if you goal is to get lean, then doing both on the same day is more effective.
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Posted by vm3z9
I agree, when I did weights and cardio on the same day I couldn’t see much results in mass. I need to try alternating my days and note the results then.
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Posted by rbx6jm7man
i do cardio and weights the same day. but i usually do one significantly more than the other.
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Posted by Kwan
I would say that unless you’re doing specialized training for a sport, it doesn’t matter really if you do cardio and weights on the same day or different.
The only thing I see as important is intensity and diet.
Maxing out on weights is a given for improvement (of course not everytime).
But, it seems like a lot of people take it too easy on cardio (at least where I go). For example, reading magazines, watching tv, or just going really really slow…. if you’re not feeling the burn then I think you gotta push yourself harder.
Likewise, post workout not gorging is hard too. That’s my weakness, intense workouts and a post beer :P.
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Posted by Hello Kitty
Eww post workout beer is disgusting =P. Anyway the main point is to maximize efficiency as much as possible and be consistent. If you can repeatedly do a good day’s worth of lifting and still get your heart pumping by running afterwards, go for it. If not, do something you can manage (like splitting weights and cardio) that still gets you an effective workout.
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Posted by David
Anyone heard of High Intensity Interval Training? supposedly it burns a lot of fat in little time, and does build muscle while you’re at it. Next year, working out at the gym is a definite for me.
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Posted by Kwan
I didn’t mean postworkout beer like right after :P… I meant like 3 hours later after dinner, when I feel exhausted. And I know… alcohol is the worse thing for recovery.
High Intensity Interval Training? Does that mean like sprinting interval …fartleg? Or some form of plyometrics perhaps? I think you just need variety, if you’re going for fitness only and not sports. I find it very hard to make up new routines, whether it be jogging or lifting weights…. it seems my muscles/body become too adapted and everything hits a plateau.
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Posted by Kase
I’ve been doing cardio first and then hitting the weights afterwards on the same day, spending about an hour in the gym for the past 3 months. I’m not looking for mass, just looking to get lean. I’ve noticed muscle growth, and the abdominal muslces are really starting to show. =D I’m gonna try hitting the weights first and then cardio after and see what the difference in burning is. Also, not to mention, it’s very important that you stick your diet. Thats probably the hardest part. And drink plenty of water!!
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Posted by rbx6jm7man
another thing to note is that you shouldn’t use creatine or any other protein supplement until in the advanced stages of weight lifting. it has shown almost no effect on beginners. whearas, it has significant effects on the intermediate to advanced lifters.
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Posted by paddyspoint
i think cardio first would provide a good warm up to a weight training routine after.
i usually begin my workout with 30 minutes of cardio (like jogging). then i go into weights. it helps loosen up the body, especially when lifting weights.
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Posted by Terry Ng
paddy - For getting lean, it’s actually more efficient to do weight training first. It gets your heart rate up and body warmed up so that as soon as you start your cardio you’re in fat-burning mode.
If you start cardio first, you’ll need a good 15-20 minutes of warmup before you even begin to start burning fat.
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Posted by Hello Kitty
By the way, if you’ve not heard about High Intensity Interval Training before, you shouldn’t even consider doing it. It is not for beginners at all. It will not be efficient for you unless you are advanced enough to know exactly what it does.
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Posted by AllaN
If i do workout, i actually start by lighting weights then going cardio after. Thanks again for another quality post Terry
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Posted by Travis
If your goal is to get stacked, you shouldn’t do any cardio whatsoever.
Instead, focus on really sticking to a high protein and complex carb diet, and hit the weights M-W-F.
You need the downtime immediately after your weight routine for your torn muscles to repair themselves (grow). Cardio takes energy away from those muscles, meaning it’ll take much longer for your muscles to grow and you increase the chances of injuring yourself.
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Posted by Mr. JiggyFly
if u suffer from high blood pressure like i do, cardio is something that should dominate your routine… my doctor told me that it is my heart that i need to strengthen to keep off the medication but since it runs in my family, i will eventually be placed on it but, keeping up with the cardio should keep that a few years off
still i lift on my light days (2x a week) just to keep burning some calories but not enough to get stacked
btw… i run 4 to 5 nites a week 25 to 30 mins for heavy days and around 20 mins light days
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