hi all I thought It would be fun to take a poll on which is more preferred. Cardio before or after weights?

I like cardio before weights - it "warms" up my muscles so I don't experience injuries. At our gym we do a circuit class: a few minutes warm up and stretching - 5 minutes of intense cardio then onto a weight station for 1 - 2 minutes, then back to cardio for 3 minutes then onto a different weight station. One day the weights will be for the lower half and the second session of the week we do upper body weights. At the end we do a 5 minute cardio cool-down. With the Schwarzbein WOE - I can actually see some definition in my arms and shoulders - WOW! I am soooooo pleased! ANd I feel GREAT! Bonus!

I do cardio on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & weights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays. I usually put in Pilates in the evenings when I get a chance. I am also seeing some muscle definition.

I do circut training every day (except sundays) which is a combination of both at the same time. every other day after the circut I add additional weight training in isolated areas (i.e hard to target under arms inner thighs lower back)

This is a hot debate question at our gym. I'm with the cardio after weights group. I enjoy the weights part more so get right into it when I get to the gym. If I run out of time at the end I cut my cardio down a bit. I usually do about 30 mins cardio HIIT.

Lesley

If you are trying to add muscle, do your weights first. If you do your cardio first, you can use up your available muscle glycogen, and your weight lifting will suffer.

Love your new avatar, RoadRash--much nicer than your old one. What WAS that in your teeth, anyway??

N.

LOL. Sorry, but that's not me, That picture came from a Dutch motorcycle magazine. Those are bugs. (very low carb)
Yet another reason to always wear a helmet when you ride.

sorry I spelled you name wrong, RODErash!!

Glad you haven't resorted to bugs for protein

Wow this is really a preferrence. Either way cardio before or after they both have their ups and downs.
I used to do cardio after weights and lately I have switched it around. I;m not sure which way I like better yet They both seem to do the same for me. I still lift the same amount of weight. no down fall yet for me on doing cardio before. I really does wake you up.

for me cardio 1st; if i do the weights first I get lazy and skimp the cardio
the weights are like the "dessert"....


nix

i've read and heard so much about cardio vs weights lately; actually this instructor at my gym told me if i really wanted to loose weight to lay off the weights;

whoah nelly don't get in a huff:

what she said was then to for example do the stairmaster or elliptical cardio machine instead of walking+leg weights, that would give the muscle training for me as well; do rowing instead of just walking and arm weights - it gets in the arm/back muscles.

thoughts?

I think that it has a great deal to do with your personal goals and expectations.

If your primary goal is to lose weight at the fastest rate possible, and to develop a "buffed", well defined, "body builder" kind of body, then the evidence is pretty clear that you should focus on anaerobic exercise, mostly free weight lifting designed to work specific muscle groups in planned sequences.

On the other hand, if your primary goal is to develop a body that is permanently lean and slim, that is flexible and mobile, that has the capability to work at a high rate of effort for hours on end, then the evidence is equally clear that you should focus mostly on aerobic exercise, especially walking fast, jogging, running, cross country skiing, rowing, and swimming, with some supplement of low weight, high rep weight lifting.

If you look at most of the world class athletes, like those in the Olympics, you don't see very many "body builder" types. Most are quite slender for their size, don't have massive biceps or thighs or shoulders, and rapid, sustained movement, in a coordinated fashion is their hallmark.

The same is true for rock climbers, mountain climbers, brick layers, cement workers. They tend to have slender limbs, but with muscles which are strong and can work for hours on end, day after day.

Probably for most of us, a combination of the two approaches is the best answer. For myself, I am much more interested in having a slender body, that can walk in tough terrain and cast flys for 12 hours a day, much more so than looking like a muscle beach guy. And that is why my Nordic Trak ski machine is the center of my exercise efforts, backed up by high rep weight lifting.

Decide what you want, and then go for it!!

Keep on, keepn' on!

My trainer told me it was a matter of preference. If you want to have most of your energy for cardio, do cardio first. If you want to have most of your energy for weightlifting, do weightlifting first. (I lift weights first.) My 7 day routine includes a 4 day split w/cardio, 1 day cardio only and 2 days off.

I am totally into weights right now with no interest in aerobics for the time being.

I think consistancy in exercise it the key to this stuff. WOL is the whole package not just what we are eating. So i'm sticking with what I seem to be enjoying and my body is changing for the better so I am happy with it.

I do the FRIM tape which combine both aerobics and weights. For some reason, I get better (faster) results this way.
Robin