cardio before weight training

Hello,
I am starting with some workout. Is it better to do cardio before or after weight training?
Thank you.

Hey,
I think this is a matter of personal experience. I do it before, but I think it is nothing wrong if you do it after weight training.

M8
cardio always after resistance training (weight lifting) cuz after weight lifting your heart rate rises so you are in burn fat and gain muscle mode for you cardio
matt

Merrie,

Welcome! That is a great question. It depends on your fitness goal. Are you trying to get bigger, leaner, lose weight or gain weight? In general it is best to weight train before cardio because you use all of your glycogen (energy) that you need to lift weights and waste it on cardio. To be most effective it is actually a best practice to not do cardio and weights on the same day, but to alternate them on separate days. Hope that helps. Come back and share your results with us!

Another option would be to do cardio on opposite days so as not to overtax yourself. Is that an option? Cardio, although good for the heart, can be taxing on your muscles, etc. Think about switching off. Be sure that you alternate muscle groups if you are doing this more than 3 days a week. Good luck with your health goals. It sounds like you have a plan. Don't forget the nutrition part. If you are going to be doing everything on the same day, you'll need to be sure that you have a nutritional plan to support that level of activity. Don't forget the water....Have fun !

I'm wondering is can cardio be done with riding a bicycle? I love to ride a bicycle, and I do it almost 5-6 day a week, so I'm wondering is cordio good before or after riding a bicycle?

Dark_red,

Riding a bike is cardio. Bike riding is a great cardio exercise as it get the heart rate up and builds muscles in the lower body. I would do cardio after the bike ride as if you do other cardio before riding you could get too light headed and run out of steam on your bike ride.

I think cardio is great to do after weight lifting. If you've already been stretching properly then this won't be an issue, but I do cardio after lifting to ensure that I am not quite as sore the next day! Cardio helps pump the muscles and I think it's a very relaxing and zen way to end the exercise. Although the argument can be made that doing cardio can also pump you up for weight lifting. Really, the choice is yours. I don't think there's a benefit one way or the other.

Hi Merrie:
If your post question was about yourself, what did you decided to do? How did you make your decision? Did you consult with a trainer before you started your weight/cardio routine. How is it going since you started? I hope that you are starting to see some results if you have begun your routine. I am anxious to hear about your plans. What is your goal? Please let me know what has happened so far. I look forward to hearing from you soon.