Thread: cardio immediately after weights; bad idea?

Well you definitely need a good PWO (weights) shake, but I think it's oke then.

I do cardio after weights almost all the time.

Originally Posted by P-funk

I do cardio after weights almost all the time.

I always have as well.

I do cardio after weights because otherwise, i wouldnt have the motivation or the mental buzz to come in and it seperately.

Originally Posted by mrmark

I do cardio after weights because otherwise, i wouldnt have the motivation or the mental buzz to come in and it seperately.

I agree... Even though my gym is only a 5 minute drive from my house, I wouldn't want to make the trip there just for cardio... Only exception would be is if I had an injury or something and that's all I could do, or I was doing a hardcore cut which isn't very likely.

is it ok that I do cardio around 4-4:45PM and then i lift weights from around 7-8?

I have been running 2-3 miles after every workout this past month, and I love it.

Originally Posted by danny81

is it ok that I do cardio around 4-4:45PM and then i lift weights from around 7-8?

depends on your goals.

I've had a question about this too.

Let's say your goals lead you to do 30-40 mins of cardio. In this case is it still okay to do it after you lift? Let's say you finish lifting and then start your cardio, then drive home, then blend up your shake. It could potentailly be 50-60 minutes in between your last set of weights and your PWO shake. Could this be damaging to your goals?

starting sipping your shake during your cardio if you are that scared about it.

depends on goal. i wouldn't do more than 20 minutes of it, personally, unless you are prioritizing fat loss.

well my goal is to weight lift and do cardio on the same day.

then lift first and do cardio second.

A little food for thought if you are aiming towards fat loss:

Glycogen stores are stores of energy that your body uses during weight training and cardiovascular exercise. Although, during weight training glycogen stores are the only energy source used. Thus, completing your cardiovascular routine before weight training will substantially deplete your energy (glycogen) stores needed to complete a proper weight training program. Also, completing your weight training before your cardiovascular program significantly decreases you glycogen stores. So, when you begin your cardiovascular training your body burns less glycogen and more of your stored fat. In summary, to reach you optimal fat burning stages and to have the proper energy to utilize an exercise program, complete your weight training before you cardiovascular training.


I remember P stated this a few months back..January, maybe?

Originally Posted by Soul of Sol

A little food for thought if you are aiming towards fat loss:

Glycogen stores are stores of energy that your body uses during weight training and cardiovascular exercise. Although, during weight training glycogen stores are the only energy source used. Thus, completing your cardiovascular routine before weight training will substantially deplete your energy (glycogen) stores needed to complete a proper weight training program. Also, completing your weight training before your cardiovascular program significantly decreases you glycogen stores. So, when you begin your cardiovascular training your body burns less glycogen and more of your stored fat. In summary, to reach you optimal fat burning stages and to have the proper energy to utilize an exercise program, complete your weight training before you cardiovascular training.


I remember P stated this a few months back..January, maybe?

I don't think I said that?

Anyway, it isn't really that simple. Depending on the length of time you workout, it will take awhile to really deplete all of your glycogen (also depending on your diet and if you are in a fed state, etc.).


Again, this is goal specific.....

endurance athlete = cardio before weights (prioritize)

athletes pre-season and inseason (football, soccer, basketball, etc) = condition before weights

I don't think it's a bad idea. Ideally I like to do cardio separately, but sometimes bunching it together is the only way to work it into your schedule.

I do cardio after weights quite often. I do find that my cardio sessions are better when I do them seperately.

I have been doing a 30 minute cardio 2-3 times per week but I'm interested in opinions also as to whether this is a good thing. My goal is weight and mass gain. Quite honestly I have a hard time consuming the calories I need if I don't keep up the cardio work. Some things I've read say the cardio is good to keep the 'skinny fat guy' away (getting a pot belly) whilst others insist on NO cardio whatsoever during a gain cycle. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks.

thanks p.

My opinion on cardio is that a moderate amount won't harm gaining mass if you're training and eating improperly. Even if it did minimal damage I would never cut it out entirely because consistent cardiovascular activity provides many other health benefits that don't directly pertain to fat loss.

I always to 20-25 mins of HIIT on an elliptical immediately after all weight session (4 days/week).

It's not much fun after a leg workout.

Well I found an article written by David Robinson about this issue and thought you guys might find it interesting too if you didn't know it already...

Contrary to the muscle-destroying reputation aerobics have gained, they are, in fact, essential to muscle growth. Aerobics will enhance, not only the metabolisms ability to burn fat, but also the removal of waste products (lactic acid) and the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles where they are used to good effect - to build them bigger and stronger.

They key with aerobics is to carefully plan them so as to achieve the correct duration and intensity of activity. Low intensity (do not overexert) medium duration (about 45 minutes) should be sufficient for bodybuilding purposes. A brisk walk remains probably the most popular, and effective, form of aerobics when aiming to assist muscle growth. A good aerobics program follows:

Monday, Wednesday and Fridays:


6:30 A.M. 45-minutes of brisk walking.

Originally Posted by jchappj

Well I found an article written by David Robinson about this issue and thought you guys might find it interesting too if you didn't know it already...

Contrary to the muscle-destroying reputation aerobics have gained, they are, in fact, essential to muscle growth. Aerobics will enhance, not only the metabolisms ability to burn fat, but also the removal of waste products (lactic acid) and the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles where they are used to good effect - to build them bigger and stronger.

They key with aerobics is to carefully plan them so as to achieve the correct duration and intensity of activity. Low intensity (do not overexert) medium duration (about 45 minutes) should be sufficient for bodybuilding purposes. A brisk walk remains probably the most popular, and effective, form of aerobics when aiming to assist muscle growth. A good aerobics program follows:

Monday, Wednesday and Fridays:


6:30 A.M. 45-minutes of brisk walking.

So, does improving the ability to use fat as an energy source promote muscle growth? I've never heard that before. Sounds good, but no scientific connection between those two occurences has ever been made to my knowledge.

Lactic acid is largely out of the muscle within minutes of ceasing an exercise session, and blood levels of lactate are normalized about an hour later. Doing cardio at 6:30AM has nothing to do with the removal of lactic acid from muscle tissue. Furthermore, quickly removing lactic acid from the blood is not essential to muscle growth from what I've heard and read, or at least I've never seen the connection made.

I do, however, agree that cardiovascular exercise improves the delivery of nutrients to the tissues, as it improves blood flow.

It sounds like this guy took a couple pieces of information and tried to connect them to bodybuilding to get lifters to do more cardio or something. He kind of took a leap of faith.

Also, I don't know why he considers that aerobic exercise program he laid out there a "good program."