Cardio before or after Workout for Weight Loss?

So, you’re pounding the treadmill at your local gym, sweating it out to lose that stubborn belly fat. But have you ever wondered if cardio before or after weight training is more effective for weight loss? Before deciding on which of these workout regimes work best, let’s first explore what they entail. Related Article: Carnivore Diet Weight Loss

Cardio workouts are characterized by activities that increase heart rate and breathing rates over a prolonged period. Popular cardio exercises include running, cycling, swimming, and jumping jacks.

On the other hand, strength training workouts or resistance exercises involve moving weights to condition and build muscle mass. Examples of strength training workouts include squats, lunges, bench presses, dumbbell curls, and crunches.

Think of cardio like elevators – they take you quickly to a high floor but won’t help much in building your strength floor-wise. In contrast, think of strength training as climbing stairs – no matter how slow the journey may seem initially; you’d slowly get stronger with each step upwards along the way.

Table 1: Comparison between Cardio and Weight Workouts

When trying to shed those extra pounds naturally, cardio exercises play a crucial role alongside watching your diet (total calories). Aerobic or cardio exercises rev up your metabolism, allowing maximum calorie burn during a single session.

Think of cardio like turning over soil before planting seeds – breaking down dirt particles makes space for new growth.

It’s essential to note that not all cardio is created equal. Generally, the most effective cardio exercises for weight loss are those that raise heart rate and breathing at higher intensities- think sprints, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or skipping.

However, there’s ongoing debate among fitness enthusiasts as to when one should do cardio – before or after weight training.

Arguments have been made for both options, depending on individual fitness goals. Those seeking stronger endurance or cardiovascular fitness could aim to do cardio workouts before strength training. Cardio before lifting weights has been shown to increase oxygen uptake during exercise and reduce muscle soreness post-workout.

In contrast, people looking to build more muscle through strength training should prioritize these exercises before cardio. While cardio after strength training burns more fat during the first 15 minutes of a workout, it may cause fatigue or interfere with muscle building during resistance training.

Whether done before or after weightlifting, incorporating both types of exercises into your routine can lead to optimal results.

For many people, the primary goal of working out is to lose weight. While cardio workouts undoubtedly burn calories and can help you slim down, strength training is also a critical component of weight loss efforts. By building muscle through resistance exercise, you raise your resting metabolic rate, which means your body burns more calories even when you’re not working out. An increase in lean muscle mass not only promotes weight loss but also ensures that you maintain weight loss over time. Additionally, strength training improves your body composition by reducing body fat and increasing muscle mass. Therefore, strength training should be a crucial aspect of any weight-loss workout routine.

Think about a car’s engine’s horsepower, the stronger it is, the faster it can go and pull more weight. By adding more muscle mass to your body, you boost its overall power and potential calorie-burning capabilities.

When incorporating cardio into a workout routine, there is an ongoing debate surrounding when to carry out cardiovascular exercises – before or after strength training. Some fitness enthusiasts swear by doing cardio before lifting weights as it helps warm up the muscles while also improving endurance for a better weightlifting session. On the other hand, some argue that following a productive strength-training session with cardiovascular exercises helps burn off any additional calories that weren’t consumed during the weightlifting session.

Now let’s delve deeper into why some experts recommend doing cardio before lifting weights.

The Case for Cardio After Weights

According to several studies, after working out with weights or resistance exercises, muscles utilize glycogen for repair and rebuilding. This can translate to greater calorie-burning power compared to cardio-only sessions where the body largely burns calories directly consumed by the user. Therefore, doing cardio post-weights promotes fat burning while still ensuring lean muscle maintenance. It’s also famous for boosting metabolism and reducing cortisol levels.

Imagine two 30-minute workout sessions; one focusing on cardio before strength training while the other swapping both exercises’ order. The latter leads to burning more calories overall since the body remains in an elevated heart rate state due to resistance training leading to more fat burned overall.

Despite these arguments, some scientists argue that none of these methods are sufficiently supported by empirical scientific evidence without limitations and biases.

So what is the recommended approach? The answer – it depends!

There isn’t necessarily a wrong choice between cardio before or after lifting weights as long as both methods are carried out appropriately with proper form and adequate recovery time — ultimately depending on a fitness enthusiast’s goals in terms of endurance, strength, or weight loss.

Cardio exercises are meant to increase your heart rate, warm up muscles, and help burn excess calories. This makes cardio ideal for warming up and getting ready for weight training as it increases blood flow to the muscles and prepares them for intense exertion. Additionally, doing cardio first can lead to improved endurance during subsequent weightlifting sessions. By completing cardio exercises before lifting weights, you also ensure that you’re not too fatigued to complete cardio after your weightlifting routine.

For example, let’s say you’re a runner who wants to build more muscle mass while keeping your cardiovascular endurance. Starting with a 20-minute run on the treadmill or around the block will raise your heart rate, increase blood flow and prepare your body for lifting weights. Afterward, you can proceed with strength-based exercises such as deadlifts and squats which work on multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

Another benefit of cardio before a workout is that this method is more effective at burning calories than lifting weights alone. If you are looking to lose weight, beginning with moderate-intensity cardio before starting a resistance training session can help boost the number of calories burnt throughout the entire workout.

However, keep in mind that this may not work for everyone. Heavyweight lifting could fatigue your muscles too much if you did intense cardio beforehand, hampering your ability to achieve maximum strength gains during the primary workout.

Although many people structure their workouts by doing cardio before lifting weights, there is also an argument for doing so after weight training. Some people believe that resistance training should be prioritized over cardio since it targets different types of muscle fibers that aren’t engaged in traditional cardio but give better results in building muscle mass.

Consider a person seeking increased lean muscle gains while lowering body fat percentage – doing weights first means they first exert necessary force during strength exercises when the desired muscle groups have yet to fatigue due to cardio, thus ensuring increased resistance and overall burn.

Additionally, Research has shown that doing intense cardio after weightlifting promotes greater fat burning—the body is more likely to target stored fats as a source of energy once glycogen stores are depleted. If you aim to lose weight and build muscle simultaneously, doing cardio post-weight lifting session can be very effective.

If your goal were to become a mythical creature half-man-half-goat like in Greek mythology, strength training would make up the goat half and cardio the human half. While both these formations are equally essential, it’s best to start with what primarily defines you, and for most people, building muscle is a top priority in the gym.

Whether cardio should come first or last depends on your fitness goals and how you plan to achieve them. Most experts recommend doing some form of cardio and strength training while allowing for recovery time between sessions. But what factors determine the order of your workouts?

One of the main factors is the type of cardio exercise you’re planning to do. If you’re doing low-impact exercises such as cycling, a treadmill, or walking, it’s best to start with cardio before moving to weights. This strategy helps build endurance and body warmth, preparing muscles for strength training.

On the other hand, if you plan on lifting heavyweights or high-intensity interval training (HIIT), cardio after lifting will help maximize fat-burning potential during the workout session giving better results in less time. Starting with weights on these days could potentially prohibit full range muscle movement or cause injury before reaching your target heart rate.

Now that we understand the factors affecting workout orders let’s explore how fitness goals play into it.

Whether weight loss, gaining endurance or building strength, your exercise sequence should align with your fitness goals.

For better endurance, do cardio before weights; this allows muscles warm-up before strength training takes place while also prioritizing cardiovascular health by increasing heartbeat rate first.

If building strength is the goal, it is recommended that weights be done before cardio as proper form is necessary to avoid injury and fatigue when lifting heavy weight.

To burn fat and lose weight, do cardio after weights. It’s suggested that working out with weights first depletes glycogen stores so that fat can be used as fuel during post-workout cardio enhancing overall calorie burn and weight loss potential

It’s important to note that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to workout order since each individual has unique requirements. As an example many lifters choose a hybrid approach to weight loss by performing full body lifting routines at a high-intensity, followed by 20-30 minutes of steady-state cardio.

Ultimately, the fitness goal determines the workout sequence. Understanding how your workouts impact your body allows for optimal results while keeping injury and wear from muscle fatigue to a minimum.

For instance, if someone is training for a triathlon or distance running race, it’s suggested that they increase endurance and stamina through consistent cardio first before incorporating extensive strength training.

With these factors in mind let’s discuss balancing both cardio and strength training.

Weight loss is a journey that requires discipline, consistency and optimized workout routines. Incorporating both cardio and strength training in your workouts can be beneficial for weight loss goals. While cardio may burn calories during the activity, strength training can help build muscle mass that burns more calories at rest than fat does. Finding the right balance between the two allows for optimum weight loss results.

Think of it like baking a cake; measuring all ingredients correctly and using them in the right proportion will yield a delicious cake.

It is important to consider individual fitness goals and level of experience when balancing cardio with strength training. For example, those looking to gain muscle should prioritize strength training while individuals who want to increase their endurance may benefit from starting with cardio.

As per the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity cardio per week. Additionally, strength training exercises should be done at least twice weekly.

The timing of cardiovascular and strength workouts can also impact personal fitness goals. In order to determine the best workout plan, one must adapt workouts based on their specific needs and what they hope to achieve.

Now that we have explored balancing cardio and strength training let’s look into some best practices for combining workouts.

It is important to note that combining cardio and strength training is suitable for individuals who have been consistent with workout routines for a considerable period of time. This helps prevent injury, exhaustion or overstraining muscles without achieving desired results.

To optimize results, practitioners should tailor their routines according to what they hope to achieve – building muscle, burning fat or general health improvement.

One approach is splitting up cardio and resistance ‘sessions’ into different sessions throughout the day (if time allows) or week. Alternatively, one can combine the two types of workouts. An example of this hybrid approach is performing High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which involves alternating between short bursts of intense cardio exercise and strength training exercises.

For instance, incorporating squats into your HIIT routine can be an excellent way to build lean muscle as well as burn calories.

It’s important to leave at least eight hours between high-intensity cardio and lifting weights for recovery purposes – allowing the body to recover and reduce the risk of over-fatigue or injury.

When integrating both forms of exercise, form is key. It’s imperative that practitioners maintain proper form throughout strength-training exercises and warm-up segments before high-intensity cardio sessions in order to avoid injuries.

However, some may still find it challenging to determine whether to complete a cardio session before or after lifting weights for weight loss goals. For a more detailed understanding, let’s look into “Picking the Right Workout Order for Your Weight Loss Journey.”

Choosing the right workout order essentially depends on your overall fitness goals and individual health conditions. Generally, there are pros and cons to doing cardio before or after weight lifting for weight loss. Cardio before weight training is suitable for those aiming for better endurance, whereas cardio after weights might be better for those looking to burn fat and shed extra pounds.

If your goal is muscle gain, then lifting heavier weights should take priority over cardio workouts. However, it’s generally recommended to incorporate both exercises into your routine. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio a week, in addition to strength training at least twice a week.

Here’s an example: if you’re working out four days a week, two of those days could be dedicated to strength training alone, while on the other two days, you can do cardio followed by weight lifting or vice versa.

Splitting cardio and weight training into two separate sessions on the same day also allows more time for recovery between high-intensity workouts. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recommends spacing separate workouts eight hours apart when combining high-intensity workouts like running with strength training.

However, there are potential negative effects to keep in mind if following this approach. Doing heavy weight lifting too soon after cardio might result in increased fatigue that leads to poor form during lifting and an elevated risk of injury. On the other hand, doing heavy cardio before lifting might decrease overall endurance needed later in the workout if trying to train for races.

Think of it as preparing a meal; you want enough energy (carbs) in reserve to have an optimal workout (lifting weights). If you use up all your carbs (energy) during your warm-up (cardio), then you may not have enough left for your workout.

It’s essential to note that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to prioritizing cardio before or after weight lifting. Simultaneously, incorporating both exercises into your routine ensures maximum benefits in terms of building strength, shedding extra pounds and burning fat.

Now that we’ve discussed the recommended approach to incorporating cardio and weights into your routine let’s delve further into how and why this regimen can lead to a healthier lifestyle as well as overall weight loss.