Cardio or Strength?

Question

I have the same work out routine....30-40 mins on the elliptical and 15 mins of strength training...I always start off doing cardio and wondering if I should be doing strength first and then cardio? Does it really matter which one I should do first? Cause I notice a lot of the guys do strength and then cardio...and my girlfriend changed her routine and said she seen better results...I am just wondering what I should do...HELP!

Answer 1

strength training then cardio. doing cardio first will effect your strength training but performing strength training first won't effect your cardio workout.

the body only has a limited supply of muscle glycogen to use during exercise. if that is burned during cardio then your muscles will not have sufficient energy to fuel them through the resistance training session

* warm-up with cardio for 10-15 minutes then do your strength training then finish up your cardio workout

Answer 2

I have done both, and personally it is better for me to do the cardio first. If I do hard lifting then it really affects my running. If I run first I know it also affects my strength, but I do not think it is as much. My normal workout is usually an hour of each. I only lift 2 days a week, so this is not something I do everyday. I run 5 to 6 days a week. If you do 15 mins of strength how much do you lift and do you do the same routine each time or do you change up the amount or reps or body parts, upper one time and lower the next? I have had classes in coaching and the theory about doing strength first and then converting it to speed has changed they now teach running first.

Answer 3

If you do do the strength and cardio in the same sessons, ALWAYS do strength first.

The reason for this is that, when you do cardio 1st, you use all the energy/muscle-glycogen from your muscles, so that, when you come to 'pump iron' your body will not have as much energy as it needs to give you the results you're after.
But when you do cardio 2nd, your body will go faster to the source of bodyfat, to use as energy, as it would have if you did it 1st... as you'll have already used the stored muscle-glycogen with the strenth training.

Also, if, as you say, you are doing the SAME routine every time (for over 4weeks) then your body will have become used to the exercises, and your results will decrease.

Keep your body guessing by adapting slightly different exercises to your normal routine... the running or rowing machines instead of the elliptical, dumbell bench presses or flyes, instead of just barbell bench presses; concentration curls, instead of bicep barbell curls, etc.

By keeping your body guessing, it not only gives you faster results, but you shouldnt get bored when you go into the gym, expecting the same old routine every time!
Ideally though, do cardio and strength on different days.

Answer 4

I wouldn't do both the same day.
That being said,People hurt them self by strength training and cardio is a great warm up.I do a little cardio before I lift.
I don't think you need allot of strength.
Thanks for being beautiful.