Why cardio after weights?

[marygrace]

I began New Rules of Lifting for Women last month and have been following the program, as well as doing HIIT after my weights. I'm just curious as to why it seems like doing cardio after weights is such a bad idea. Is it just to save energy for lifting or is there more going on?

[Cynic]

Originally Posted by marygrace

I began New Rules of Lifting for Women last month and have been following the program, as well as doing HIIT after my weights. I'm just curious as to why it seems like doing cardio after weights is such a bad idea. Is it just to save energy for lifting or is there more going on?

It's not so much that it's a bad idea. As Lou explains in it the original NROL, the body tends to prefer cardio to resistance training when it comes to the effect on itself, that includes muscle loss. Now, if you insist on doing cardio, it's best to do it after resistance to minimize the effect.

However, you can do energy system and lactic threshold developing using iron. That's the 2x25 scheme. Also, the 3x15 seems to work on that, as well as shortening rest times, as in the BSS and step-up superset when the parameters are 3x15 w/ 30s rest.

[sg516]

i was told (and i don't know if its utter BS) that when you lift first you burn off the glycogen sotres in your muscle so when you do your cardio it has a better fat burning effect. is there any truth at all to this?

[Cynic]

I don't know about all that, but I've also heard that post resistance cardio does have a continuing fat loss effect since you are keeping the metabolism boosted high for a longer period. Also, I think most experts agree that cardio does burn more WHILE YOU ARE PERFORMING IT as opposed to resistance, but resistance exercise burns more over the long haul due to effect of EPOC.

[Lost Dog]

It's important to be fresh for the weights, so you can lift the most weight and do it safely.

To some degree, intervals are relative, too. You give it your all, forcing your body to use more oxygen, but the difference between doing them fresh and tired isn't as big a deal.

Cardio is just burning calories, so the differences between the amount of effort before vs after is not significant.

Bottom line, safety should be considered first, then consider what's most important to you. For fat loss, your weight training should be most important. Give your weight training your all and do your best on the rest.

[marygrace]

Thanks for the info everyone, it was all very informative. I will continue to do my weights first.

[StuWard]

You should always do your priority workout first. If your goal is to be a runner, do your cardio first, if it's to be stronger, do weights first.

Stu

[strambo]

For safety and so you can concentrate mentally and physically on lifting the heavy things. If you are lifting high rep Barbie weights it wouldn't matter.

The other physiological factors are interesting, but like others said, safety trumps all that anyway.

[marygrace]

Originally Posted by StuWard

You should always do your priority workout first. If your goal is to be a runner, do your cardio first, if it's to be stronger, do weights first.

Stu

That's a really great way of looking at it. Thanks!

[WarrenI]

I do my cardio after my weight training. Workout just as hard on a elliptical as I do lifting weights.

[Hunter]

Originally Posted by sg516

i was told (and i don't know if its utter BS) that when you lift first you burn off the glycogen sotres in your muscle so when you do your cardio it has a better fat burning effect. is there any truth at all to this?

I recall reading this as well (I think it was written by Alwyn Cosgrove, but I can't find it immediately). If you're eating low carb and your glycogen stores are depleted, after a weight workout there are fatty acids circulating in your system, so aerobic work at this time burns that for fuel. That's what I recall reading, anyway...but my memory may be flawed .

[PowerManDL]

Calories burned >>>>>>>>>> substrate used for fuel

The practical reason for the OPs question is fatigue management over the course of the workout. The cardio is most likely to affect the weights far more than the opposite order.

Unless you're a runner, in which case you do that first. But that's already been said.

Even in that instance you'd still want to separate the sessions as much as possible.

[Mahler]

Frankly, I do HIIT on off days. If I have enough in the tank to do anything else after a workout, then I have not worked out hard enough or with enough intensity.

[Tom@foresight]

I tend to agree with the comments above the pro and cons in terms of exercise order depend on your indervidual goals and what you are lloking to achive.

As for me personally I do weights only during my gym sessions, and tend to run on the road/box/other CV work in seperate sessions.

TOM