cardio before weight training

[jaysas_63]

hey guys....i usualy lift weights every other day, and 3 times a day (about an hr and a half each time)...so my Q to u guys is, is it nessesary to do 20 mins of cardio before each weight liftnin "session", the reason i ask is becuase i lift weights at home, and don't have a treadmill handy, and would really prefer not to run outside in like -30.......so what are the adverse affects of not doin the cardio, and if cardio is absolutely nessasary before the wieght liftin, do u guys have any ideas of what i can do in my house to raise my heart rate (like jumpin jacks or sumtin lol)....ne ways thx fpor the help!

[DUBBED]

It's good to do 7 minutes of cardio before working out to get your heart rate up, I've been told that's all that's necessary.

On top of that if you should do 30 mins of constant cardio every other day.

[Shaolin]

I started doing weights in late jr high and all through high school.. I'm reasonable size, not big, but not skinny (I'm 5'4 3/4 and about 150lb).. but when I got back into soccer, it took me a good season of straight cardio (2 practices a week, 1 game, bike at home) to get back into good shape.

Before I got a bike I went as far as doing stairs in my basement and doing high step running (touching your hands with your knees) in the same spot while I'm watching tv. Yeah, pretty stupid, but I had nothing else to work with.

that's about it at home.. I pretty much stopped lifting after high school and just do cardio.. off and on I'll pull the dumbells out and do 15lbs to tone my arms or tone my abs.

Hope that helps.

[jaysas_63]

Originally posted by DUBBED
It's good to do 7 minutes of cardio before working out to get your heart rate up, I've been told that's all that's necessary.

On top of that if you should do 30 mins of constant cardio every other day.

Originally posted by Shaolin
I started doing weights in late jr high and all through high school.. I'm reasonable size, not big, but not skinny (I'm 5'4 3/4 and about 150lb).. but when I got back into soccer, it took me a good season of straight cardio (2 practices a week, 1 game, bike at home) to get back into good shape.

Before I got a bike I went as far as doing stairs in my basement and doing high step running (touching your hands with your knees) in the same spot while I'm watching tv. Yeah, pretty stupid, but I had nothing else to work with.

that's about it at home.. I pretty much stopped lifting after high school and just do cardio.. off and on I'll pull the dumbells out and do 15lbs to tone my arms or tone my abs.

Hope that helps.

hey guys thanks for the advice.......and shaolin i really think i'm ganna use that high step running thing..thx for the advice

[davidI]

I never do cardio before working out....

It is probably wise to warm up and get the oxygen flowing but I just warm up the muscle with some light sets first. When I'm bulkin I avoid doing cardio as much as possible!!! It's not the healthiest thing in the world to do but my metabolism is so ridiculous that I can't cram the calories that I need in if I'm too active!

[Dope Dealer]

Cardio first thing in the morning for 30 minutes in your heart rate target zone is the best. I guess its kind of hard to measure if you dont have anything to work with though

[Shaolin]

Originally posted by jaysas_63





hey guys thanks for the advice.......and shaolin i really think i'm ganna use that high step running thing..thx for the advice

FYI, bikes are going for about 200 bucks for those good magnetic tension setting ones for the christmas holidays.. much better than those belt tension ones.

[Mckenzie]

Many studies have shown that people doing strictly weight training have significantly more strength and size gains than people who do both cardio and weights. Basically you start using your muscle to fuel your cardio workout. That might be something you want to consider depending on what kind of training you are doing, what your goals are and how much time you have.

[jaysas_63]

thanks again for all the advice guys!

[1-Bar]

I think cardio is a good idea overall. I mean your exercising one of the most important muscles in your body <insert male member joke here> and you won't be some buff person who can't run a 1/2 km if your life dependend on it. I've never really done cardio before workouts, sometimes I try, other times I just want to start. But I do play a lot of sports....regardless it does get the blood flowing good, which is always a plus like davidI mentioned earlier.

Also, try stretching before you work out to prepare the muscles more. Not only pertaining to the body parts you plan on working out. I've read an interesting article on stretching your legs before any workout to help bloodflow in the whole body. I guess it aries from the quads/hams being the larger muscles of the body which can dramatically influence blood flow. Dunno if its true or not, but you can always try.

[YCB]

Only do like a 5-10 minute low intensity warmup if you wanan do cardio first.

Do cardio after you lift. By doing the weights first, you deplete your body of glycogen. Once depleted, your body can burn fat more efficiently. If you run first, you use your glycogen storage first, and you won't have as much energy to lift, and you wanna lift more to get bigger right?

If you run in the morning then lift later during the day thats fine

[cboyspimp]

i do 7 minutes of running usually after weights.. its a good way to finish workouts for me anyways.. lots of girls in the running areas too!! lol

[~Leah~]

Originally posted by YCB
Only do like a 5-10 minute low intensity warmup if you wanan do cardio first.

Do cardio after you lift. By doing the weights first, you deplete your body of glycogen. Once depleted, your body can burn fat more efficiently. If you run first, you use your glycogen storage first, and you won't have as much energy to lift, and you wanna lift more to get bigger right?

If you run in the morning then lift later during the day thats fine

DO NOT and i repeat DO NOT do a cardio workout before your workouts, unless you are working your legs.

You can warm up with a light jog for 5-10 mins before, that is actually preferred. It gets the heart rate up but doesn't tire you much. However, if you are doing an upper body workout, do your cardio later. The only reason you do cardio first on your leg days... is cuz... well... you're probably already barely able to walk after a leg workout, let alone doing 30 mins of cardio.

[Carfanman]

Everything Ive ever read and the few trainers Ive spoken to say to do cardio right before and right after a weight workout.
Its not healthy to jump right in tho the weights without properly warming up first. And I think some people said its ok to warm up but dont do cardio. Warming up IS cardio. And then you need to do it when your done so that you cool down gradually. Its not good to do heavy weight training and get your heart rate way up and then just... stop. And saying that cardio will deplete your energy for the weight training is bull. Its alot harder to go from not moving to lifting weights and putting that kind of strain on you muscles than it is to slowly work your way up to it.

[hockeybronx]

Hey Playa...

I do my cardio mainly separate from my workouts. I do lower body cardio three times a week. (swimming, running, hockey)

I do upper body cardio once per week. (punching bag).

Before my workouts I might go for a walk, do some minor stretching and stuff like that. I agree with DavidI though, it's probably better to start with a small amount of weight and use that as your warmup.

[davidI]

Originally posted by Carfanman
Everything Ive ever read and the few trainers Ive spoken to say to do cardio right before and right after a weight workout.
Its not healthy to jump right in tho the weights without properly warming up first. And I think some people said its ok to warm up but dont do cardio. Warming up IS cardio. And then you need to do it when your done so that you cool down gradually. Its not good to do heavy weight training and get your heart rate way up and then just... stop. And saying that cardio will deplete your energy for the weight training is bull. Its alot harder to go from not moving to lifting weights and putting that kind of strain on you muscles than it is to slowly work your way up to it.

Your logic is great for being fit but not for being big or lifting big weights! Like I said, I lift light weights at first to warm up the muscle groups I'm targetting. If you think cardio doesn't deplete your energy stores then I guess all those people doing it to lose weight are stupid!!!!

[Carfanman]

Originally posted by davidI


Your logic is great for being fit but not for being big or lifting big weights!

You can be both but isnt just being big and not fit really superficial?

Originally posted by davidI
Like I said, I lift light weights at first to warm up the muscle groups I'm targetting.

I dont know if that counts but it might.

Originally posted by davidI
If you think cardio doesn't deplete your energy stores then I guess all those people doing it to lose weight are stupid!!!!

Actually, that is a good point, I didnt think of it that way, but doing cardio wont make your weight training worse unless you have almost no evergy to begin with.

[awd]

I completely separate the two, lift one day, cardio the next and so on -- I never mix the two.

[davidI]

Originally posted by Carfanman


You can be both but isnt just being big and not fit really superficial?

People have different goals! Some wanna look good, some want to be strong, some want to be fit. Each goal requires a different style of training. Powerlifters are even less likely to do cardio than a bodylifter because they just want mass!!! I used to be all about being fit, then started getting into bodybuilding and got big, then got a gf and let myself go and now I'm getting back into bodybuilding but with much more focus on powerlifting!

Actually, that is a good point, I didnt think of it that way, but doing cardio wont make your weight training worse unless you have almost no evergy to begin with.

Trust me. Just doing weights I am exhausted leaving the gym. I have a ton of energy going to the gym and since becoming single have strated to plan my day around hitting the weights again! An hour of me lifting is probably more intense and tiring than someone on a bike for the same amount of time!!! You ever puked after deadlifts? or squats? or even leg press?

I'm not knocking cardio at all!!! Once I gain enough mass I'll be definately looking to cut and get fit again. Plus cardio can actually help in gaining muscle mass and power lifting by increasing oxygen flow through the blood. It's just for ectomorphs like myself, I can't expend anymore calories than I already do because sitting in the kitchen for half the day is already too much!

[YCB]

Yeah normally I don't do cardio when I want to gain weight, but since I wanna cut, I been doing, like davidI says, there has been a few times after some squats where I feel like yacking..

There has been many issues about proper way to warm up, people say even if you go straight to stretching you could injure yourself because your muscle fibres haven't warmed up. If you wanna warm up ur chest for example doing cardio will warm up your legs but what about your chest it doesn't target it unless you could your boobs bouncing up and down as a warm up. But in the end its your own body, no ones body is the same. It just has been proven or reasearched for the "majority" of people, which may or may not include you.

WAnna be fit you can do cardio before after and in between, but if you wanna get big, its more "effective" if you do cardio after.