cardio , best to do before or after your workout?

[xjohnnyjohnsonx]

i've recently gotten back into working out after 5 years and i know we all have different goals and such and my goal is to lose FAT and im an endomourph and i gain weight easy so im not worried about getting big , i wont to get down lol ,well i have been doing cardio before i hit the weights before each workout and i do one body part a day and i have been doing 40 minutes of cardio a day. i started on the bike and last week i switched to the treadmill. all low intensity cardio tho, i dont know how true this is but the reason i've been doing low cardio is because the trainer at the gym said its best if your goal is fat loss which that is my goal. anyways i was wondering if im doing something right doing cardio before i lift weights while i have alotta energy or should i do cardio after i lift?

 

[Gazhole]

I would do cardio after weight training. Not because it's better for fat loss or any bullshit like that, but because i dont wanna be tired from cardio when im lifting weights because that just begs for an injury.

Fat loss is all about diet management, if you arent managing your calorie intake to be in an overall deficit when compared to your maintenance level (ie - you are using up more than you are taking in) you WILL NOT LOSE FAT.

Doesnt matter what you do in the gym.

That said, working out a bodypart a day is a sub-optimal way of going about your training. I suggest you read the stickied threads in the training section for advice on how to set up a weight training program.

I would also read the stickied threads in diet and nutrition to learn about diet management and eating the right foods if you are serious about losing fat.

 

[xjohnnyjohnsonx]

thanks man, i really appreciate your help

 

[Merkaba]

after

 

[DiGiTaL]

According to Built, its best to do them 8 hours apart or right after you workout, take your shake and cardio away.

Best to do them on off and leg days.

 

[OneWheyOrAnother]

According to Built, its best to do them 8 hours apart or right after you workout, take your shake and cardio away.

Best to do them on off and leg days.

Yep and look at Built's avatar.... you don't get get abs like that from not knowing what you're doing. She's quite the hottie

 

[CowPimp]

If you're going to do them in the same workout, do the cardio afterward. The literature supports the fact that there is potential for a significant decrease in strength following a cardio session, but not a reduction in performance during a cardio workout if you lift weights first.

Not to mention, you are less likely to catabolize muscle by doing the more aerobic/less intense exercise while in a glycogen depleted state than if you were to do things the other way around.

 

[pyromaniac327]

What if the cardio is about a 1.5 mile run and is done before working out?

Just wondering since thats what happens in my school( and its probably not open to change.)

 

[Built]

It's shitty, but you're stuck with it. Sip a protein shake with a little dextrose in it while you train. It'll help you spare glycogen so you can train better.

 

[DiGiTaL]

Built: What do you think of a 5min cardio before working out? To get the blood flowing

 

[CowPimp]

Built: What do you think of a 5min cardio before working out? To get the blood flowing

That's not going to kill you. I wouldn't worry about such a low volume of cardio, although I feel like there are more appropriate warm-up activities you might be performing.

 

[Built]

Built: What do you think of a 5min cardio before working out? To get the blood flowing

Your blood IS flowing.

That's not going to kill you. I wouldn't worry about such a low volume of cardio, although I feel like there are more appropriate warm-up activities you might be performing.

Agreed. For example, dynamic warmup: Got Built? » High Intensity Interval Foreplay

 

[Merkaba]

Built: What do you think of a 5min cardio before working out? To get the blood flowing

What does 5 minute cardio consist of.

 

[DiGiTaL]

Straight cardio, no HIIT or anything to make me tired. Normally i'd go to the basketball court and shoot hoops for about 5-10mins but thats starting to get real boring.

 

[Merkaba]

5 minutes isnt cardio in my book. Thats just a warmup.

 

[QuestionGuy]

I remember a few years back we had this discussion here and someone prooved that cardio is better done after a wokrout....If I were you I would seperate lifting and cardio a few hours and meals apart...But that takes a lot of dedication as well./..