Turn Up the Heat on Your Slimming and Fitness Goals.
Hey everyone! I'm new to the gym and not sure about the best way to structure my workouts. I want to incorporate both cardio and strength training but I'm not sure which one I should do first. Should I do my cardio before my strength training or after? I'm not quite sure which order would yield the best results. For some background, I'm looking to lose some weight and build some muscle tone. Any advice would be appreciated!
In my personal experience, I've found that doing cardio before strength training has been helpful in warming up my body and getting my heart rate up. I typically start with a five-minute warm-up on the treadmill or elliptical, then move on to my weights. However, I have noticed that when I do my strength training after cardio, I feel more fatigued and find it harder to lift heavy weights.
That being said, I think the best order ultimately depends on your personal goals and preferences. Some people prefer to do their strength training first because they have more energy and focus, while others prefer to get their cardio out of the way first. I would suggest trying both and seeing what works best for you.
One thing to keep in mind is that if your primary goal is to build muscle, then you may want to prioritize strength training over cardio. But if weight loss is a bigger concern, then doing cardio before strength training could be more effective. Just be sure to listen to your body and adjust accordingly.
I usually do strength training first followed by cardio because I find that I'm able to lift heavier weights when my muscles are fresh. Strength training requires a lot of energy and focus, and I want to make sure that I'm not too exhausted before I start.
After my strength training, I'll do 20-30 minutes of cardio to cool down and get my heart rate up. I feel like this order helps me get the most out of my workout and I've seen good results in terms of building muscle and improving my cardiovascular fitness.
However, I also agree that the best order really depends on each individual's goals and preferences. Some people may find that doing cardio first helps them warm up and get into the zone for strength training, while others may prefer to do cardio after so they can burn off any excess energy.
Ultimately, it's important to experiment and find the order that works best for you. Don't be afraid to mix things up and see what feels right for your body. Just make sure you're listening to your body and not pushing yourself too hard.
As someone who typically prefers weightlifting over cardio, I tend to save cardio workouts for after my strength training sessions. I find that when I do cardio before lifting weights, I tend to feel drained and struggle to lift as much as I normally would.
When I finish my strength training for the day, I'll usually do some light cardio on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical machine for about 20-30 minutes. I like to keep my heart rate up without putting a lot of strain on my muscles, and I find that this approach works well for me.
That being said, I've also found that sometimes it's nice to switch things up and do a more intense cardio session before lifting weights. This helps me get the blood flowing and really wake up my body before beginning my strength training workout.
Overall, I think mixing things up and trying different exercise orders can be helpful in keeping your workouts interesting and challenging. Don't be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you!
Personally, I like to do my cardio and strength training on separate days. I find that it helps me focus on each type of workout more intensely, and I don't feel like one takes away from the other.
When I do cardio before strength training, I feel too fatigued to lift heavy weights or push myself in my strength training workout. And when I do strength training first, I'm not able to give my maximum effort during my cardio workout.
By dedicating separate days to each type of workout, I can fully focus on building endurance and cardiovascular health on my cardio days, and then work on building my strength and muscle on my strength training days.
Again, this order may not work for everyone, but it's been the best approach for me personally. It's all about finding what works for your body and sticking with it.
I always thought that cardio should be done before strength training in order to warm up the body and prevent injury. However, I've found that I personally get better results by doing strength training first and then following it up with cardio.
When I do cardio before strength training, I find that I don't have as much energy for my lifting session, which means that I can't lift as much weight or work as hard. But when I do strength training first, my muscles are fresh and I'm able to push myself more. After my lifting session, I'll do 20-30 minutes of intense cardio, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or sprints on the treadmill.
This approach has helped me achieve better overall fitness and weight loss results. I find that by focusing on strength training first, I'm able to build muscle and boost my metabolism. Then, by doing cardio after lifting, I'm able to burn more calories and get my heart rate up even higher.
Again, everyone is different, and what works for one person may not work for someone else. I've found that this approach works well for me personally, but it's important to experiment and find what works best for your own body and fitness goals.
I prefer to do a hybrid approach where I do a short burst of cardio before I start strength training. For example, I'll do a quick 5-10 minute run or bike ride to get my heart rate up and warm up my muscles a bit. Then I'll move on to my strength training session. After I'm done with my weights, I'll do another 20-30 minutes of cardio at a lower intensity to wrap up my workout.
I find that this approach helps me get the best of both worlds - I'm able to warm up my muscles and get my heart rate up before I start lifting weights, which helps me feel more energized and focused. Then, by doing a longer cardio session after my weights, I'm able to work on my cardiovascular endurance and burn more calories overall.
As others have said, the best order ultimately depends on your personal goals and preferences. For me, this hybrid approach works best because it allows me to incorporate both cardio and strength training into one workout in a way that feels balanced and effective.
For me, it depends on the type of training that I'm doing. If I'm doing a full-body workout that involves both strength and cardio, then I'll usually do a quick cardio warm-up before jumping into my strength training exercises. This helps me get my heart rate up and my blood flowing, and I feel that I perform better during my strength training session.
However, if I'm doing a workout focused solely on strength training or cardio, then I'll do them separately in different sessions. For example, on days where I focus on strength training, I'll do all of my weightlifting and then stretch to cool down. On cardio days, I'll run, bike or swim for the duration of my workout.
Ultimately, I think it's best to change up your workout routine and keep your body guessing. Sometimes doing cardio before strength training can be helpful to warm up your muscles, while other times it's best to separate the two workouts. It all depends on what you feel comfortable with and what you want to achieve with your workout.