At the gym, should you do cardio then weights or weights then cardio? Why?

Question

I've just started going to the gym, I've told the trainers I wanted to lose a bit of weight and gain more muscle - they've suggested I do 5 mins warm up, weights, then 30 mins cardio. The last gym I went to suggested the same 5 mins warm up but then go into the 30 mins cardio then weights.

Which order is the best?

- Cardio then weights (resistance training etc)
(or)
- Weights then cardio?

Answer 1

It has been some time since I was at the gym, but I always used to warm up for a few minutes, then lift, then do cardio. Eventually, I was even put under doctor's orders to do it this way.

The reasoning behind the doctor's orders was that the intense effort of lifting causes lymph and other fluids (probably also waste products, even dead muscle cells, produced by the effort of contracting the muscles) to accumuluate in your muscles, and doing cardio afterwards helps put those fluids back in circulation through your body, and allowing waste products to be eliminated - instead of, for example, pooling in your limbs.

I had to have lymph nodes removed from one armpit, so I now have to pay particular attention to this when I exercise, but I think it is applicable to 'normal people' as well (the benefit for them of getting those fluids out is going to have more to do with not getting so charlie-horsed from working out - which is a result of waste products accumulating).

The only reasoning I can see behind doing more cardio beforehand is to get you burning fat more efficiently, but most probably the five minutes beforehand is enough - the idea being to get you just to the point of working up a sweat, which BTW is basically how you know the fat-burning benefits are starting to kick in when you do cardio - and then you go to the lifting.

I think what I'd do in your shoes, especially since you say you are basically trying to burn fat (and grow muscle), is I'd try both ways - perhaps 4-8 weeks one way, and 4-8 weeks the other way, depending on how often you change your routine (BTW you should be doing that at least every two months - moving to different exercises for each muscle group, otherwise your body gets used to the old ones and they become less effective) - and see what works for you (i.e. what helps you burn fat the best).

Hope this helps :)

Answer 2

Hi, I have a personal trainer and they said you should always start with cardio to warm your body up first. Then do some weights then go back to cardio and finish with a bike ride xx

Answer 3

I don't do cardio at all on weight training days (i train 3 times a week,) i just don't have the stamina after a training session to do cardio properly. I do about 45mins cardio at the time i would normally be training. If you want to do cardio on training days, do it after weight training.

Answer 4

You want to do Cardio first because it get the blood flowing to all of your body. Also you will be steched out to better perform with the weights. Also you might want to try to hit the steam room after your work out if you can to help with just relaxing .

Answer 5

im wondering the same thing. i read on one website that cardio before weights isnt that good cuz you'll be so tired out from cardio that you dont lift as well as you could. then they said that weights before cardio isnt that good cuz you're not stretched out or anything yet and cardio burns muscle or something..

Answer 6

hi why are you asking this question, when the trainers have told you what to do, i think they would know best, as that is what they are trained for.

Answer 7

Go home and work on your inner being, love yourself first. eh