Oh, the age-old question; which should we do first, weights or cardio? I have heard this debate since I started working out. Some say that weights after cardio will help lose fat, others say that weights before cardio is the only way to actually gain muscle. Believe it or not, but both arguments are right! For now, it seems the fitness world may be at a slight agreement about the weights/cardio conundrum and believe that it all depends on what we want from our workout routine.
If You Want to Loose Fat
Do your cardio first. Although weights will burn more calories per minute, cardio will burn more over the entire exercise period. This is because we tend to do endurance activities for a longer period of time without breaks. Cardio will also increase your endurance and will take more energy than weights. If you really want to kick up the calorie burn, try doing both at the same time. High inderance interval training, or HIIT, uses both resistance and cardio training at the same time to increase the calorie burn, muscle growth, and results.
Another option for those not quite at the HIIT level would be to alteranate resistance and cario. By alternating the days you do cardio and the days you do resistance training, you will be increasing your calorie burn per day and increasing your muscle tone. Alternating will also help reduce the risk of injury while running.
If You Want to Build Muscle
If muscle is your main goal, weight before cardio is the best. Glycogen is a polysaccharide that is stored in the muscles and used for energy when converted to glucose. This sugar is needed to support muscle growth. When we run before we lift weights, we are depleting that glycogen reserve in our muscles and making it near impossible to get any muscle growth from lifting weights after cardio. If you do not want to get bigger muscles, this is not all bad since your are still burning calories. But, if you are trying to increase your muscle size, this is the worst thing ever.
Completing a small cardio warm-up before weight and resistance training is still recommended for anyone. Light cardio warm-ups that will decrease the risk of injury and increase athletic performance include jumping jacks, knee-ups, leg-ups, and jump rope.
If You Are Prepping for a Race
If you are trying to increase your endurance for any reason, running prior to lifting weights is key. For runners, fitness and muscular stamina are more important than muscle strength. Therefore, focusing your energy on running rather than weight training seems to be a no-brainer. That being said, it is still vital for overall health to continue resistance training along with your endurance. Resistance training will decrease the risk of muscle fatigue and injury.