Why Cardio & Weights Should Be Split

[Blown_SC]

Why Cardio & Weights Should Be Split

I have seen many threads in the past asking the same two questions over and over:

Should I perform cardio directly before weights?
Should I perform cardio directly after weights?

The simple answer is: NEITHER.

There is a little debate about this, but it should be quite simple to understand IMO. This is one of the main things that a lot of people do improperly, and can certainly hinder their goals; be it either fat-loss or increasing muscle mass.

Should I perform cardio directly before weights?

This is not recommended for two main reasons.

Reason One: You will be too physically drained after a cardio session to give the required effort to perform a superior workout.

Reason Two: You should have ample amounts of fuel in your system before exercising properly. It will generally take six hours, depending on meal placement to do so. Below is a quote from dalcowbag supporting this:

IMO u need 3 meals in before you lift. If you seperate them by 2 hours then you have a 6 hour rest period

dcb

Should I perform cardio directly after weights?

I figured that I would let some of SwoleCat’s various quotes of advice explain this, so I’m not just retelling what I’ve read. Below is a compilation of the better posts I’ve read regarding Cardio after weights:

Right off the bat, mixing aerobic/anaerobic activity is bad for both respective activities in regards to the results each are to produce.

Cardio after weights is pretty pointless. You cut into recovery time from an anaerobic activity by introducing an aerobic activity. Secondly, you MUST ingest a simple carb/protein shake (dex/pro) after working out, so as soon as you step off the cardio machine and down that shake, you immediately blunt lipolysis. (Fat burning stops cold!)

Not ideal. Split them up, and let your DIET be the factor in getting you ripped.

However, if you are forced to do weights/cardio together in one session (not advised at all), then it's better to do weights first, then cardio afterwards.
Never cardio first, then weights

~SC~

Hope this will serve you as it was intended.

--Blown_SC the thief

[Aboot]

What's the over/under on how many times this thread will be linked in the coming months in various other cardio threads? 20? 30?

[Blown_SC]

What's the over/under on how many times this thread will be linked in the coming months in various other cardio threads? 20? 30?

I'm hoping that it does... much easier to link a thread than rehash what has been said over and over again

[stocky121]

good post blown

[LeanMeOut]

What's the over/under on how many times this thread will be linked in the coming months in various other cardio threads? 20? 30?

[Blown_SC]

Shhhh
Men are talking...

(Thanks to Deca for that one lol)

[bluethunder]

I have known this for years but I always see guys/gals jumping off the eliptical straight to the machines or free weights. If I know them or they ask I explain to them the con's but only after I ask them what are their goals and what do they expect to achieve. Then most of the time they realize. Heck, I was in their position before so I am happy to give sound advice to help someone who really needs it.. I also explain that on occasions it may be acceptable to due some post cardio AFTER weights(never prior) but minimum! Cases like this may be after a hard leg workout to help recovery and flush free radicals from the lower body. Others may disagree on this and that's cool too..

[SwoleCat]

Great post!

~SC~

[IronReload04]

about the needing 3 meals and 6 hours before a workout. first off all, i always do get in three meals and 6 hours before a workout in the first place. but what the heck do you do when you have to lift in the morning? what the hell does a guy who needs to be at the gym at 6 am do?

[needmorestrength]

Good post

[SwoleCat]

about the needing 3 meals and 6 hours before a workout. first off all, i always do get in three meals and 6 hours before a workout in the first place. but what the heck do you do when you have to lift in the morning? what the hell does a guy who needs to be at the gym at 6 am do?

Probably workout one day, cardio a.m. only the next, etc., in a pattern like this.

Takes longer to reach results, but at least they are good results.

Working out on E in the a.m. is not a good idea either, but that's another E-book in the making.

~SC~

[Blown_SC]

Thanks Swole...

[chevy44]

i have gotten my best results from running and then lifting. when i was playing football at a local juco last season the coach had us going mon/wed/fri and the defense would run first then go straight to lifting and the offense would lift and then go straight to running. so we would do about an hour of cardio and then lift for another hour. i see now that this is foolish (after reading these posts) but i gained more weight (and increased speed) working out this way..

[flexin-rph]

Great post...interesting read.

[Panzerfaust]

Good post!

I say it gets linked 15-20 times easily.

[jonnytour]

Man do I feel like a fool. I am one of the idiots that asked this very question. This is stuff I shoudl have known! The above suggestion was made and it shall be followed. For all the newb's: Listen to these guys they know what they are talking about! Great post Blown!



Keep on keepin on!
Jonny.

[DNoMac]

Lines are out - O/U 27 o(-105)
u(-115)

[IronReload04]

Probably workout one day, cardio a.m. only the next, etc., in a pattern like this.

Takes longer to reach results, but at least they are good results.

Working out on E in the a.m. is not a good idea either, but that's another E-book in the making.

~SC~

so if a guy eats 80 grams of protein and 150 grams of carbs and is finished eating at 4:30 am. and starts lifting at 6:00am, eats every 3 hours through out the day, he wont be as successful as a guy who gets in 3 meals and 6 hours

[HiFi]

for me it only took one time of doing cardio before doing my weights to realize i was drained of precious energy needed to lift. but i do have a question.. if i do am cardio an wait 6 hours (after eating 3 meals).. will i have as much energy to lift as if i had not done morning cardio?

[Blown_SC]

for me it only took one time of doing cardio before doing my weights to realize i was drained of precious energy needed to lift. but i do have a question.. if i do am cardio an wait 6 hours (after eating 3 meals).. will i have as much energy to lift as if i had not done morning cardio?

Yes. After proper nourishment for sure.... unless you are 100000% out of shape to begin with..... you should be able to be back to 100% by your w/out time IMO...

[solid-d]

what if you lift at night, say 9-10pm.. Then eat your pwo and ppwo meals then go to bed... And you sore the next morning and your body is telling u it need protein/food.. Is it best to still do cardio in the morning on an empty stomach with sore muscles??

[Blown_SC]

You're body isn't just telling you it needs nourishment.. you need proper REST....
BTW, what do you do for nourishment b4 bed? Whey shake with flax?
Yes, still do your cardio in the AM, I do.

[solid-d]

I do 75gram dex and 40gram protien at 10pm after gym... Than at midnight I do 5 egg whites, 1 yoke, 2-3 slivers of ham..

[Blown_SC]

I do 75gram dex and 40gram protien at 10pm after gym... Than at midnight I do 5 egg whites, 1 yoke, 2-3 slivers of ham..

You may want to reconsider what you're ingesting before bed...
I'd suggest a whey shake with Udo's/Flax ...

[solid-d]

So 2 whey shakes after my workout? 1 with dex right after gym at 10pm, And 1 right before bed with flax..??

[Blown_SC]

So 2 whey shakes after my workout? 1 with dex right after gym at 10pm, And 1 right before bed with flax..??

PWO Shake : 2:1 Ratio of Dex to Protein... so roughly 80-90g Dex, 40-45g Pro.

Before bed, yes, whey shake with flax or Udo's oil will be good.

[solid-d]

bout how many grams of flax before bed?

[Blown_SC]

bout how many grams of flax before bed?

1 tablespoon should be ok for ya bro...

You can try casein protein as well, pricey but good, or cottage cheese... up to you..... some ppl prefer solid food to shakes

[se11]

why is cardio after the weights bad? is it the meal that you intake after you do the workout? i am still a little bit unclear.

[Blown_SC]

why is cardio after the weights bad? is it the meal that you intake after you do the workout? i am still a little bit unclear.

As was previously stated in the thread:

Cardio after weights is pretty pointless. You cut into recovery time from an anaerobic activity by introducing an aerobic activity. Secondly, you MUST ingest a simple carb/protein shake (dex/pro) after working out, so as soon as you step off the cardio machine and down that shake, you immediately blunt lipolysis. (Fat burning stops cold!)

That's it, plain and to the point.

[se11]

so then what kind of meal should you intake after a cardio workout alone?

[Blown_SC]

so then what kind of meal should you intake after a cardio workout alone?

You mean on a cardio-only day? Most will tell you a pro/fat meal....

[ChefJ]

What's the over/under on how many times this thread will be linked in the coming months in various other cardio threads? 20? 30?

Whatever it is I'll put 50$ on the over.

[ChefJ]

so then what kind of meal should you intake after a cardio workout alone?

I intake about 50 grams of protein and 20 grams of fats from walnut oil.

[GORILA-UNIT]

ok i gotta question bros, when u talkin about doing cardio how long r u guys talkin about exactly, i've recently just started doin like 20minutes of runnin b4 my workouts n im wonderin based on wat i read if its useless, it gets my blood goin n i feel pumped ready to hit the weights, any input apprieated

[R69]

Ok but then when it is the proper time to cardio if you must do weight train in the morning.Should i do it aftel the last meal prior to sleep to burn fat,or i hinder gains with this?

[Blown_SC]

ok i gotta question bros, when u talkin about doing cardio how long r u guys talkin about exactly, i've recently just started doin like 20minutes of runnin b4 my workouts n im wonderin based on wat i read if its useless, it gets my blood goin n i feel pumped ready to hit the weights, any input apprieated

The cardio that most of us are talking about is for fat-loss purposes...

I often do 5 mins of cardio before I lift just to warm up a little bit before I work out.... but I make sure not to tire myself at all so my workout's intensity doesn't suffer...

If you are hoping on fatloss from that 20 mins, you'd be better to do so in the AM on an empty stomach...

Cardio before working out isn't great because it DOES tire you some, which will affect the intensity of your workout....

[Blown_SC]

Ok but then when it is the proper time to cardio if you must do weight train in the morning.Should i do it aftel the last meal prior to sleep to burn fat,or i hinder gains with this?

As SwoleCat suggested previously in this thread, rotate your days:

"Probably workout one day, cardio a.m. only the next, etc., in a pattern like this.

Takes longer to reach results, but at least they are good results."

[Juggernaut]

I've been doing 45-60 minutes of cardio in the AM and then doing weight training right afterwards, then doing another cardio session of 30 minutes in the afternoon for the past year. I've been giving a thought to doing my cardio in the AM and then coming back in the evenings to do weight training.

[Blown_SC]

I've been doing 45-60 minutes of cardio in the AM and then doing weight training right afterwards, then doing another cardio session of 30 minutes in the afternoon for the past year. I've been giving a thought to doing my cardio in the AM and then coming back in the evenings to do weight training.

Bro, I would highly suggest that