is it better to run and/or do cardio before or after a workout and why?
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
running before or after a workout?
- Thread starter jeffreypg64
- Start date
I tend to leave my cardio and weight sessions to different days. I do a light 3km run before weights to try and burn some fat and get the body warmed up before lifting. I did a full run before weights a while back and found not only that i was very sweaty but i also had little energy to lift properly so thats why i seperated them! If i was doing both in the same day i would def do cardio afterwards...
Hello everyone, this is my first post here.
Personally, I have found the best results with running and doing cardio before AND after my weight workout. I use my post workout exercise as a low intensity workout to keep my heart rate going and cool off a little bit. When I run before my workout it can get pretty intense. I like to do this because it loosens my muscles and increases my heartrate. I give myself a couple of minutes of break time before I begin lifting, but I have found that the run before the lift increases the efficiency of my workout. I am able to push a little harder and keep my heartrate elevated throughout the process, to help burn extra fat. It seems to be different from person to person, but for me, this is what works best.
BTW, I have experimented with running only before or only after and found that dividing it, not necessarily into two equal running sessions, but dividing it works best.
Personally, I have found the best results with running and doing cardio before AND after my weight workout. I use my post workout exercise as a low intensity workout to keep my heart rate going and cool off a little bit. When I run before my workout it can get pretty intense. I like to do this because it loosens my muscles and increases my heartrate. I give myself a couple of minutes of break time before I begin lifting, but I have found that the run before the lift increases the efficiency of my workout. I am able to push a little harder and keep my heartrate elevated throughout the process, to help burn extra fat. It seems to be different from person to person, but for me, this is what works best.
BTW, I have experimented with running only before or only after and found that dividing it, not necessarily into two equal running sessions, but dividing it works best.
Yeah, same reason I do it. I can't imagine just going straight to pumping max weights. I need to, at the very least, stretch for about 15 minutes before doing anything. Then I jog a mile and cool down, dry off the dripping sweat, and then hit the weights.When I run before my workout it can get pretty intense. I like to do this because it loosens my muscles and increases my heartrate. I give myself a couple of minutes of break time before I begin lifting, but I have found that the run before the lift increases the efficiency of my workout. I am able to push a little harder and keep my heartrate elevated throughout the process, to help burn extra fat. It seems to be different from person to person, but for me, this is what works best.
When I did this a couple of years ago, I was working at a garden doing a lot of labourous tasks throughout the day. I was so tired when I got home but after doing my stretch and job, I felt wide awake. I just got so used to the routine that I woke up after warming up and then after taking a shower I would fall asleep within minutes.
Hi, this is my first post in this forum as well
I'm more of a runner than a lifter, I train for marathons and a few 5 and 10ks around the year so I get all my running done before a weight lifting session for a couple of reasons.
Number one, because its simply a more efficient method of getting my running in, and it increases my heart rate, letting me lift more efficiently. Also lifting before a workout creates a heavy limb feeling that kills my run.
And Number two, because if my focus were muscle building the bulk could slow my marathon a good thirty to fourty minutes.
These are just my personal preferences but the truth is the science is so sketchy about the human body that nobody really knows whats better for you. Beyond the point that everybodys designed differently the human body is the most complex and perfect machine that has ever been created, and sometimes you just gotta go with what feels best
Some things to keep in mind however, some research does show that too much cardio can break down muscle building complexes and eat some of your bulk for energy, this can be avoided by keeping running down to a maximum of an hour run a day, and resting well and eating right between workout times. Also running after a workout has shown to beat up lower and mid section muscles which doesn't let them grow properly and can hurt both workouts.
If you wanted my professional opinion, if your not working out on a program like I am (long distance run every day and 45 minutes of weight lifting every other day) Its best to leave your aerobic and anaerobic excercises for seperate days, but thats just me
I'm more of a runner than a lifter, I train for marathons and a few 5 and 10ks around the year so I get all my running done before a weight lifting session for a couple of reasons.
Number one, because its simply a more efficient method of getting my running in, and it increases my heart rate, letting me lift more efficiently. Also lifting before a workout creates a heavy limb feeling that kills my run.
And Number two, because if my focus were muscle building the bulk could slow my marathon a good thirty to fourty minutes.
These are just my personal preferences but the truth is the science is so sketchy about the human body that nobody really knows whats better for you. Beyond the point that everybodys designed differently the human body is the most complex and perfect machine that has ever been created, and sometimes you just gotta go with what feels best
Some things to keep in mind however, some research does show that too much cardio can break down muscle building complexes and eat some of your bulk for energy, this can be avoided by keeping running down to a maximum of an hour run a day, and resting well and eating right between workout times. Also running after a workout has shown to beat up lower and mid section muscles which doesn't let them grow properly and can hurt both workouts.
If you wanted my professional opinion, if your not working out on a program like I am (long distance run every day and 45 minutes of weight lifting every other day) Its best to leave your aerobic and anaerobic excercises for seperate days, but thats just me
If your trying to add a little bulk and not merely strengthen your muscles for running purposes then lift before, run/cardio after. Probably one of my biggest mistakes was doing cardio before workouts because you exhaust your muscles so much that you don't have as much energy to push yourself during lifting. For me, i spent one entire summer where i did cardio before, lifting after and i had literally no results. my muscles were never sore the next day.
i have cross country practice, so ill be running an absolute minimum of 3 miles right after school. I want to keep lifting for lacrosse season, but the only time i can lift is right after that run. is it bad to lift after that run? or will i just not get as much out of it as i could.
Well dear i am also fitness loving person and used to do ab workouts daily. I prefer running after ab workouts. I do 10 min warm up, then ab workouts, and then jogging. I know from personal experiences that I feel better running after working out. Here i also like to share that i join abworkouts.me that helps me to get six pack abs in less than 2 months. Sounds interesting, right?
lol If you truly weight train cardio after you workout is no good. After ripping all of the muscle tissue you need to refuel by drinking some kind of post workout drink and give the muscles time to rest and grow, cardio after your workout will not allow this process to happen unless you decide to drink it and then do cardio which will only lesson the diminishing process due to having the essential nutrients running through your body.
There are different types of running and different types of weights. It depends what you do.
If you require either of them to be very intense, I'd say do one at a time- one per day not both the same session. Your body needs time to recover after an intense session, it will mean the other (which ever order you chose) will not be as good as it could have been. You may then feel bad for not getting as far as you could do/normally do/wanted to do and this could make it harder next time.
If your running, you don't have to rack it up to full intensity every time. Slower speeds, stop-start runs (interval training) jogging etc rather then speed work, long distance, hill running or HIIT could be an idea. Or you could simply use running to warm up for 20 mins then to cool down after 20 mins. If you feel your body is slowing down or feeling cold halfway through your weights, take another 20 min jog to re-warm up. You don't have to do your best impression of the Tazmanian Devil, just enough to pick your heart rate up and keep it up for a while.
If you require either of them to be very intense, I'd say do one at a time- one per day not both the same session. Your body needs time to recover after an intense session, it will mean the other (which ever order you chose) will not be as good as it could have been. You may then feel bad for not getting as far as you could do/normally do/wanted to do and this could make it harder next time.
If your running, you don't have to rack it up to full intensity every time. Slower speeds, stop-start runs (interval training) jogging etc rather then speed work, long distance, hill running or HIIT could be an idea. Or you could simply use running to warm up for 20 mins then to cool down after 20 mins. If you feel your body is slowing down or feeling cold halfway through your weights, take another 20 min jog to re-warm up. You don't have to do your best impression of the Tazmanian Devil, just enough to pick your heart rate up and keep it up for a while.
Well dear i am also fitness loving person and used to do ab workouts daily. I prefer running after ab workouts. I do 10 min warm up, then ab workouts, and then jogging. I know from personal experiences that I feel better running after working out. Here i also like to share that i join abworkouts.me that helps me to get six pack abs in less than 2 months. Sounds interesting, right?
Kill yourself.
I always try to lift before running though I prefer to do the opposite. I am not a heavy lifter and am a distance runner. I have always read that since the glycogen and other stored energy sources are depleted in the run, weight lifting on "empty" will be catabolic. There is nothing left to fuel the lifting, let alone to build muscle with until you eat again.