Cardio before weights or cardio after weights

"Is is better to do cardio before or after weights?" many ask. It's a bit complicated to answer that question. In fact, there are a few different variables that effect whether it makes more sense to do cardio before weights or cardio after weight training. Perhaps the number one, biggest influence in this answer is your individual fitness goals. Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain strength, or are focused on conditioning and overall health determines the intensity of your workout routine which can in turn determine whether it makes sense to do cardio before or after weight training.

In addition to fitness goals, the important variables to consider when deciding the order of cardio vs. weight training include:

* How hard are you doing to train: Will you be doing high intensity cardio and weight training or will you be doing a basic, even level of cardio? Will you be doing as many reps as you can with light to moderate weight or will you lift heavy weights and just do a few reps?
2. Duration of each component: is cardio a marathon or short but intense session?
* How does your body respond to weight training as opposed to cardio training? Which exercise tires your muscles out more? * Your own personal preference for one over the other. Can you bring the intensity at the end of your workout or at the beginning?

In a small study that was conducted by Brigham Young University involving 10 men, it was determined that doing weight training after cardio was the most beneficial method. The findings are as follows:

1. EPOC (the caloric after burn effect) was highest when cardio was done before weight training.
* Participants burned more calories for a longer period when weight training was done after the cardio portion.
3. The overall recommendation was to perform “aerobic exercise before resistance exercise when combining them into one exercise session.”

Unfortunately, this study was only conducted on 10 individuals, so it isn't a hard fast finding by any means. Sure, there are good things to be said for doing cardio first, but what about melting away all the fat?

It makes more sense to me to do my weight training first. I like to make sure I have a high energy level so that I can lift heavy weights. I also need a tremendous amount of focus and coordination to do it well. A bulk of most cardio workouts involve the legs, making it extremely difficult to be able to do sets of heavy squats following a 45-minute cardio workout. That being said, the inverse is also true in that trying to run after doing heavy squats isn’t the easiest thing in the world either.

I do think that it's a good idea to either separate your cardio and weight training sessions into different days, or to do weights and then cardio, I also suggest the following as overall goals:

* To Increase Muscle - It is recommended that you do cardio after weight training so your energy will at peak levels during the weight training portion of your workout.

* You can increase muscle by doing weights first, then cardio; both need a great focus and energy to perform well.

* To Burn Fat - Six of one, half a dozen of the other! Many beginners benefit from doing cardio before weight training because they can burn more calories by performing a longer cardio routine relative to a weight training routine which tends to fatigue them faster. However more advanced exercisers can get a nice release of HGH and fatty acids by performing resistance training and follow that up with cardio to burn the fatty acids in the bloodstream.
* To Improve Health - If your goal is to improve your overall health, there is no difference in the order that you do your weight training and cardio.

The bottom line is that there is no clear answer to the question: should I do cardio before or after weights? Doing cardio first will enhance your endurance and stamina; doing cardio after weights will help you bulk up those muscles and get more strength. You must decide which order benefits you the most and helps you reach your fitness goals best.