Weights then Cardio or Cardio then Weights?
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If the goal is weight loss then it should be weights then cardio. The idea is to burn as much glycogen, which is stored energy in the muscles, as possible before hitting the cardio. Once the body runs out of glycogen, it starts burning fat for use as energy. And you should be doing a minimum of 20 minutes cardio. One hour is ideal.
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Here's what I'm doing Sat and Sunday. If I want to increase the muscle while keeping getting fit, how should I structure the workouts? I'll resume going to the gym sometime in a month or two.<br />
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2 hour workout: 3 loops up and down the hill. Each loop includes 5 reps of a steep section at the front side, and 5 reps of a steep back section after reaching the top. All at max walking pace Then, I do some knee lifts (3 sets of
and some bicep curls with a squatting bar. Reps take 40m.<br />
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Longer hike 3-5 hours with a few knee lifts on the pull up bar at the end<br />
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I might do the same workout sat and sunday (and have the occasional longer 5-6 hour hike), extend it to 2 1/2 hours, and add on 30 minutes of weights at the end-continuous reps of squats, curls, bench press, knee lifts...and immediately drink protein drink and beef meal. Am 84-85kg at moment, want to get to 88kg with less fat -
I'm now on a three day revolving workout. 1. Chest/Back, 2. Legs/Core 3. Wednesday Arms, repeat with weekends off. 3 sets of 10, not including warmup which is the full circuit with 50% weight. Then onto the bike for cardio, 45 mins plus with H/R target of 75% maximum H/R - I'm 30 so that's around the 145bpm mark so I'm told. Saturday I just do the Cardio, Sunday off. <br />
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Quit the boozing (apart from a couple of lapses), eating low carb low cal and warily supplementing/replacing snacks with protein shakes. And I'm still on my liver pills - Milk Thistle stuff. <br />
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Dunno if I've ever mentioned it but a few years back I near on killed that with boozing - I had to do gluten free, no red meat, nothing but rice, chicken fish and veges and fruit. And some pills (that I eventually started throwing away...) from the quack that literally had me shitting anything I ate within 3 hours of eating. I lost 20kgs over 4 months, no exercise except the twiddling of thumbs for the playstation. Liver still screws with my metabolism, and I put a lot of that weight back over the last few years gradually.<br />
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Got a slight flu, oink, so had last night off because I felt like a half-burned matchstick. But this shit is working for me - losing my fat fluffybunny status at a good rate, toning up, raring to go for the boarding season which for me starts on July 11. -
I'm quite similar in some ways ( although despite all the boozing I used to do I haven't ever had liver problems ). Low carb eating is good to maintain the weight and I'm doing a chin up and pull up session a week for back/arms. Underhand then overhand a few days later. I do squats or deadlifts once a week. I'm alternating benching between close grip and normal grip, have to do less weights with CG obviously but burns the tris nicely !
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When I competed in bodybuilding I used to carb deplete then carb load. A week before competition, you cut your carbs way down, then two days before you go high carb and your muscles really fill out. Veins like garden hoses.<br />
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Bart, are they still doing that? It used to be the way to go when entering a competition. Not sure if it's still being done. -
yeah, you still carb deplete, dunno about the loading at the end - as I have said, leaving all that to my PT, she's a million times NZ champ etc, so if she says to eat rats droppings, rats droppings it is!!<br />
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I have veins popping out all over at the moment - down my quads even, feel like a freak, but loving every freaky minute of it! -
Okay the idea of the diet being 80% of a weight loss regime is bang on - down to a 35" waist from a 38", back into jeans I last wore in London, AB's jersey is looser, I look better in a L rather than an XL tee.... And I'm doing less cardio and weights than I was before and losing it faster.<br />
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For any one going snowboarding, the rowing machine, weirdly enough, is a friend. I guess it's all the "explosive" action for the legs. Roman chair thing too. -
After reading this thread I changed a couple of months ago from cardio then weights to weights first - man, I have been wasting time for years! Has made a significant difference in a bit of weight loss, a fair bit more fat loss, so I guess some muscle gain, but all with the same effort. Good one guys.<br />
Funny thing is Scorz, I have mostly subconsciously changed the way I eat too in the same time (even into Bart's tuna tins too!!), so that's helping as you say. -
That's awesome Cyclo, isn't it great when you find something that works and is [i]sustainable[/i] without becoming a miserable bag of shite eating things you hate? <br />
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The other thing I've taken on board is the disdain for things that say "fat free" on the wrapper. I know look at all the things that people eat because of the advertising and shake my head. It's almost enough to convince me of a conspiracy: Keep the people fat, and they'll be to lazy to buck the system. -
[quote name='Scorz']That's awesome Cyclo, isn't it great when you find something that works and is [i]sustainable[/i] without becoming a miserable bag of shite eating things you hate? <br />
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The other thing I've taken on board is the disdain for things that say "fat free" on the wrapper. I know look at all the things that people eat because of the advertising and shake my head. It's almost enough to convince me of a conspiracy: Keep the people fat, and they'll be to lazy to buck the system.[/quote]<br />
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Fat free they may be but full of carbs ! I treated myself to some delicious licorice wraps last night, about 5 of them over the course of the evening which was all well and good until I saw each one had THIRTY grams of carbs in it ! <br />
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Farkin hell, if those carbs were protein I'd look like Arnie. -
[quote name='cyclopath']After reading this thread I changed a couple of months ago from cardio then weights to weights first - man, I have been wasting time for years! Has made a significant difference in a bit of weight loss, a fair bit more fat loss, so I guess some muscle gain, but all with the same effort. Good one guys.<br />
Funny thing is Scorz, I have mostly subconsciously changed the way I eat too in the same time (even into Bart's tuna tins too!!), so that's helping as you say.[/quote]<br />
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Nice one cyclo. <br />
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There is a psyche that most people fall into and that is they have to do "cardio" before they start lifting weights to (and these are the ones I've heard around) "loosen up", "get the blood flowing", "get the heart racing", "warm up", etc.<br />
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They all sound good, and I agree that before lifting weights its important that the body is warmed up a bit in order to lift big, and the joints are loosened. But people don't realise that they don't need to go on a tready or bike for 15mins to get that. I always warmup before a workout with a variation of bodyweight squats, close grip pushups, back raises and pullups. Doing those exercises without rest for a couple of sets gets the heart racing, gives a full body workout and will contribute to fat loss as well.<br />
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BTW what type of cardio are you doing to finish up your workouts? -
Eh? My warm-ups = 1 set of everything with 50% weight on the bar. <br />
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Cardio warm ups for weights - that sounds like an injury waiting to happen? eusa_think <br />
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I'm doing the rowing machine buzz for cardio now. My knees are farked so no option on running, and the rowing machine seems to burn more cals than the bike. -
[quote name='Scorz']Eh? My warm-ups = 1 set of everything with 50% weight on the bar. <br />
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Why do you do that? -
[quote name='ACT Crusader'][quote name='Scorz']Eh? My warm-ups = 1 set of everything with 50% weight on the bar. <br />
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Why do you do that?[/quote]Just doing what I was told, maybe I put it badly... say if you are going to bench 3 sets of 12 @ 60kg, do one set of 12 with 30kg to get some "warmth" going. <br />
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It works for me, no pulled muscles and can still power it into the sets. -
Hey scorz, just a suggestion why don't you try the next time you are going to do your bench workout, do a couple of close grip pushup sets, then get into the bench pressing straight away, rather than doing a warmup set. <br />
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What I have found is that I lift heavier and more explosive in that first set and then get more out of the next sets. I have never had any injuries doing this. -
[quote name='Scorz']Will do, always open to ideas. xzxdrinks[/quote]<br />
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I was reading a bit of blogging on this issue of cardio and weights etc the other day and the certified trainer that was answereing questions was not so dogmatic and said that people should try things (safely) to see how their body reacts to it. <br />
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I tried cardio first and then weights some years ago, but have found over the past year that I have got better results doing it the other way around. I found that as I recorded the weights and reps I was doing, that I had made great strides in a shorter period of time. That's the results I was after. <br />
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If your goals are different to mine then something else might work. -
Well, my main issue right now is that I have lent my free weights to younger bro, who is training to join the cops. So I now only have access to a basic bench, a cable machine and a rower, the latter of which is out of action with a broken pulley wheel as of last night. Grrrr. <br />
I don't rate the cable machine at all - I am sceptical (sp?) about it's ability to isolate, so have been forced into doing as much as possible with the dumb bells. Bench press is still getting me good results, though the thing I've really noticed is my biceps have suddenly gone up in size within the last week or so - proof that really mixing it up as soon as something becomes easier works. <br />
Really missing the leg curl option that I had on my bench though. <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> <br />
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Basic goal, I'm wanting to build more muscle to burn the calories faster while dieting at the same time to reduce bodyfat. It's working. -
Note: Not that this is in any way directed at anyone on Te Fern, <br />
Isn't it awkward when you have been getting results and are pretty comfortable with how you're progressing and then someone tells you (sometimes wthout any real prelude) "No it's all wrong, you need to do this (cardio weights/weights/cardio argument variations), and don't eat that stuff you'll get reliant on it(protein shakes), I do this (1,000 sit ups a week religiously) and this (standing dumbell curls with tiny weights) and I avoid this (drinking cold water) blah blah"... While you're standing there in jeans you couldn't fit and a shirt you couldn't have worn 3 or 4 months ago confidently, diplomatically saying "well, I'm pretty happy with where I am and the stuff I do is working for me, everyone's body responds differently"... xzxdash2<br />
Best of all, they see fit to try and shove it down your face every time. How to lose friends and annoy the shit out of people! Especially when one of the main perps is a mate who struggles to not get blown away in a stiff breeze or as a truck passes by. xzxsarcastic
