My recommendation is doing cardio after lifting (so legs or upper body, followed by 30mins cardio etc). Otherwise, in my opinion there's no reason to change what you are doing unless you have specific goals you are trying to achieve. Going to the gym and working out helps me with my sanity, so I guess I'm somewhat addicted to it, but I don't push myself to the extreme. Cardio is best for after the workout so you are lifting with as much energy as possible. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, We're a community for female and gender non binary/gender non conforming redditors to discuss fitness, Press J to jump to the feed. I lift and do cardio as well. Are you happy to be in maintenance mode and exercise with weights and cardio for good health only? If the above factors have left you a little confused, then check out the below video for a … What are your goals? This is my approach to rest days as well. Press J to jump to the feed. I need to incorporate your advice regarding the cardio after weights. I really appreciate your input. Start with a 5-min. For optimal results you should do HIIT appart from your weight lifting session entirely. Mercey Livingston. If you do Cardio before lifting weights you will deplete the glycogen stores in the body, which will leave you tapped out in this area when you start the weightlifting component. I I feel like the days after I do my lower body lifting, I'm still fine to do my cardio, but am I doing myself a disservice? Assuming you’re cutting calories and lifting weights three to four days per week (three is the minimum amount that most trainers say you need to see progress), you only need about three cardio days per week to see your abs. I think you can still make good gains while doing a little cardio at the end of your workout. If you lift weights before aerobic training, you’ll only need 15-20 minutes of cardio. Arms or rest?". Do your cardio … Lifting and running on the same day not only takes more time, it increases your risk of overworking your muscles, which is exactly what you want to avoid. I find myself relying on the exercise so much for my mental well being and I'm not that good at listening to my body because my body always wants me to sit and watch Netflix! We have extensive resources that can be used to find answers to most questions that are posted here: Your thread will be removed if it can be answered by any of the above. Myth: Cardio is any exercise that increases the heart rate. It all depends on what your goals are when it comes to body composition. I would love to get stronger too. I have a rest day when i think I've overdone it and can feel a slight strain on my knees or if i find myself feeling like i can't be arsed - then I take that as a sign my brain needs a rest day and I stay in to watch Netflix! Cardio after lifting. Otherwise, in my opinion there's no reason to change what you are doing unless you have specific goals you are trying to achieve. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. 3) Burn fat and build lean muscle On the flip side, if I play basketball after my weight-training sessions, I feel fresh and energetic. The best time to do cardio is whenever you want/have time. Fitness and weight-loss coach Dave Smith told the Huffington Post that because cardio is not the most effective fat-blasting workout, you'll have to keep doing more and more if you want to see weight loss. I need cardio for my sanity. Not quite. For an activity to qualify as a cardio workout, it has to meet both criteria mentioned above. So if you spend 90 minutes 4 times per week lifting weights (6 hours), that means you should do no more than 3 total hours of cardio per week. How To Incorporate Cardio Into Your Lifting Schedule Sample Workout Plan 1. Just about any physical activity you do can increase your heart rate, from lifting weights to strolling between your desk and the bathroom to rolling out of bed in the morning. I might invest in a personal trainer eventually, but for now, I'm trying to figure things out on my own because I'd rather not spend the money. Then take a rest day. The protein you’ve ingested prior to your workout will support muscle repair after it. ;) I basically go to the gym, hop on the elliptical and decide I'll do it for as long as it doesn't feel too terrible and after a few minutes of warming up, I seem to be just fine. Also acceptable: lift weights after your feeding window (9 or 9:30 PM in this example). Actually, performing too much cardio will put your body in a catabolic state and burn hard-earned muscle. Keep it going! came to ask exactly same thing here. I do cardio just about six days per week and I lift this way: lower body one day, then abs, then upper body, then just cardio and repeat. I usually feel pretty good, but there are those days when I feel run down, yet when I hit the gym, after about 15 minutes, I feel better for some reason. It probably doesn’t make much sense to do your cardio workout before a hard leg workout. Monday a.m.: Lower Body; Monday p.m.: Stationary Bike—8-10 sets of 1 min. Moderators remove posts from feeds for a variety of reasons, including keeping communities safe, civil, and true to their purpose. Some of them are much more efficient and recommendable than others. That has been working very well for me. off. An ideal cardio session should be around 45 minutes. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Alternate cardio intensities. The loss of muscle will not only reduce strength, but it will also slow down your metabolism. I've dropped 46 lbs so far and I'm looking to lose another 15-20 lbs and to tone. Thank you! Cardio uses large muscle groups, such as your legs or upper body, requires respiration or controlled breathing, and increases your heart rate for a set amount of time. 06-03-2010, 12:23 PM #5. brianhorne3. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Many people are shocked to learn that I do no more than 1.5 to 2 hours of cardio per week while cutting but am able to get to the 6 to 7 percent body fat range with ease. The short answer is no, it won't impact you very much. With that said, a little cardio after lifting isn't bad at all, unless you're doing it excessively. Thanks so much! If you enjoy running, do it! 15 minutes high intensity cardio after every lifting session. After some time training, the heart becomes much healthier and the human body is able to regulate oxygen much more efficiently, resulting in better energy management. Great attitude. After your alactic intervals, perform some active recovery like the recuperation/recovery method above for 8to 10 minutes before starting any other form of training (such as your strength workout). As an aside, smaller women may find that they reach a point where food cannot be realistically further reduced to continue losing weight; in these cases, it may sometimes be needed to max out the amount of cardio performed or even to go slightly above this amount. I think it really depends on your body and how you feel - do you feel run down or low energy, keep getting injuries/strains? You’ll get the same benefits as you would do in 45 minutes without weight training. Well, the idea that you have to do a ton of cardio to get shredded is a complete myth. The answer to that question is that cardio always comes AFTER lifting weights. It isn't a bad idea to do some light cardio before your workout either, your body will be semi warmed up, prepped for your weight training. If your primary goal is to gain muscle, then you should lift three times per week, with two moderate-intensity cardio sessions of about 20 to 30 minutes each on your off days. I'd appreciate any advice/insight. The best time for HIIT seems to be at least 6 hours after your weight lifting session, but preferably placed on another day completely. Fitness subreddit for information and discussion for people looking to put on weight, muscle, and strength. I think that people get very uncertain about cardio since there’s so much noice out there. An ACE-backed study in 2014 found that doing cardio after lifting resulted in a heart rate 12 beats per minute faster than doing cardio alone. Every time I play ball before lifting, I have my worst weight-training sessions. This is because, as a man, you should be lifting relatively heavy weights (or in the process of working up to it). #1 Avoid cardio before or after leg workout. Strength training will help to protect and build lean muscle, which burns more calories than fat. The difference is that if you lift weights before cardio, your metabolic rate will be higher throughout the day. I want to believe it’s just broscience but there’s so much conflicting info on the internet I don’t know what to believe. Cardio Benefits After a Workout. Even if you’re not getting in a traditional workout, focus on ways to be active throughout the day. Feb. 27, 2020 10:44 a.m. PT. Cardio before or after weight lifting: Which one is better for weight loss? on, 1 min. ("On" means going all out—the last 10-15 seconds of your interval should have you gasping for air.) Will have Glycogen: If you decide on doing Cardio after a workout you will still have Glycogen in your body to lift the weights. However, people who have chronic health conditions may not be able to do as much cardio exercise. Not sure on the science of it but after incorporating it my lifts and work capacity have increased. Sorry, this post has been removed by the moderators of r/gainit. The Best Bet There are two ways to get the benefits of a full cardio session and a full weightlifting session. My only advice would to incorporate 5 to 10 minutes of high intensity training. For my workout, i extensively relied on weight training (using dumbells and calisthenics) and high intensity interval training for my cardio both for 4-5x a week. It doesn't really take too much of your devoted energy to lifting, and it gives me a boost of energy. Muscle and strength.com and Athleanx have great advice and programs that follow this strategy. I do cardio after lifting. The answer isn't as simple as you might think. warm-up and finish with a 5-min. cool down. Welcome to Gainit! Steady State cardio (jogging) when taken to longer extremes (going beyond 60 minutes) can raise cortisol levels and switch the fuel from fat/carbs to include more amino acids (protein). Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. You can do 40 minutes of weight training, followed by 20 minutes of cardio, with your energy levels remaining relatively strong. Are you aiming for the most possible muscle growth, or for something else? Pair cardio with strength training. If your metabolism slows down too much, you'll have a tough time burning fat. It’s not only unnecessary but unhealthy as well. In this post you will find out when is the best time to do cardio when lifting weights. I've learned that lifting before cardio is much better for fat loss and workout energy efficiency. Although, i may have lost some weight and gained some muscle, I still cant get around the fact that i still have my love handles after 7 … I'll usually do about 30 minutes of cardio and the rest of the time is weights/resistance exercises and I'm at the gym for about an hour or so per day, 6 days a week. My general rule of thumb is "if I worked out yesterday, I can rest today (if I want)". . I generally don't want, but it does give me a lot of leeway to check in and go, "Hmm... weak legs today. A 30-minute cardio workout is a safe activity for most people to do every day. Cardio after lifting is not bad for anything. This is bad, however a short jog of only 30 minutes will be negligible. Just ensure that you are getting that post workout protein shake as well as those much needed amino acids and carbs. Imo when you exercise frequently you need to get good at listening to your body and recovering well but i don't think everyone necessarily needs to have rest days at a set pattern each week. There's no exact answer for how much cardio is too much. Lifting doesnt do much gor my mind. However, as you do more cardio, your body could lose muscle mass, which leads to a … Am I better off not doing the cardio in order to give that part of my body a proper rest? Cookies help us deliver our Services. The other issue is that chronically doing too much cardio can lead to actually losing muscle. A solid routine includes cardio, strength, flexibility/mobility, and rest. If that is right after lifting, then that is the best time. My recommendation is doing cardio after lifting (so legs or upper body, followed by 30mins cardio etc). In my normal life, I do weight lifting 4 times a week, and practice Muay Thai (can be compared with a HIIT easy) 2 times per week and BJJ (not so much cardio, but still a demanding activity) 3 times per week, sometimes 4… Trying to rest at least 2 days per week… Do you guys think doing cardio right after lifting is bad for muscle growth? Ask yourself how active you are out of the gym—e.g., do you work at a desk, or do manual labor?—and how much your diet and sleep are on-point. Good, quality cardio is also one of the key components in weight-loss and martial arts provides many opportunities to exercise the heart. Cardio and lifting can co-exist, but there should be strategy behind how you program them. According to NASM, we need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory exercise, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity, or a combination of moderate- and … I hope this isn't a stupid question, but I could really use some advice. 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