You've arrived to the gym - but what do you hit first? There's plenty of cardio machines open, along with a complete weight room. Did you know the order in which you complete your exercise routine actually matters? The choice to do cardio before or after weights is dependent on your end goal.
Improve Your Balance
Do EITHER cardio or weights first.
Studies have shown that performing neuromuscular exercises or flexibility exercises at the beginning of a workout didn't improve participants’ balance or agility. You gain many benefits from aerobic exercises and resistance training, so it makes sense to do the above later on. Since it doesn't matter if you do cardio or weights first, just be sure you do them at some point in your exercise routine.
How To Get Faster
Do CARDIO first.
It's no surprise that doing cardio first will help you become faster in the long-run (literally). Research confirms that people who did cardio later in the workout had a higher heart rate than those who performed cardio first, even though it was the same exact workout intensity and duration. There are also many fitness trackers that can improve your cardio workout experience. As a result, the workout felt harder than it actually was, which won't allow you to run faster. Additionally, strength training can affect a person for several days after the session. This concludes that weights can reduce the performance of endurance athletes, such as runners. If you want to get faster, always start with cardio.
How To Get Stronger
Do WEIGHTS first.
On the other hand, it's not a shock that doing weights first will help you get stronger. But do you know the reasons behind this? Lifting weights involves short bursts of extreme effort and requires that your muscles use an energy source other than oxygen to perform the exercise. If you've depleted all your energy storage during the cardio portion of the workout you did first, then you won't have much leftover to build strength after. Many exercisers who did cardio before weights actually performed 20% fewer reps of the exercise at a reduced weight, which really shows. Remember that your muscles and heart can only tolerate a set amount of training before becoming fatigued, depending on your fitness level of course.
Want To Lose Weight
Do WEIGHTS first.
Many people think that running or cycling for a long period of time will help them lose weight, which actually isn't the case. Resistance training with weights builds muscle, and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. Your resting metabolic rate makes up majority of your caloric energy, so this makes sense to do if you want to lose weight. Just 10 weeks of resistance training can increase your resting metabolic rate by 7%, and reduce fat weight by almost four pounds. So do weights first, but don't skip cardio altogether for it will help shed some calories after.
Improve Your Overall Fitness
Photo Credit: Total Shape
Do EITHER cardio or weights first.
If you're just looking to improve your overall fitness, then either or will work first! The best exercise is one that you enjoy doing on a daily basis, so choose the one you're happier with. No matter what you'll be getting in shape and promoting a healthy lifestyle, so keep doing you!
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-Gina
