Today’s hotel breakfast featured the greasiest scrambled eggs, which oddly enough, are my favorite of all the scramble eggs they serve.
Extra cheese is fine by me! The eggs also have small pieces of sausage and bacon thrown into the mix.
As someone who typically prefers sweet (or sweet + savory) breakfast, I’m surprised at how often I find myself gravitating toward eggs at the hotel breakfast buffet.
Maybe I typically opt for sweet breakfasts because they involve less cooking? Smoothies, yogurt bowls (or yogurt pudding!) and banana sandwiches don’t require cooking like eggs and omelets do. Hmm.
I enjoyed my scrambled eggs with a side of peanut butter-topped oatmeal.
Quite the satisfying breakfast!
Moving right along to some fitness talk…
Cardio Before or After Weights
When I finally realized the importance of incorporating strength training into my workout routine, I quickly learned not to train the same muscles two days in a row (they need time to repair and recover) and picked up other tips and tricks that I took to heart.
One question that has always eluded me? If you’re going to do cardio and strength training on the same day, which should you do first?
I’ve researched the answer to this question, read many articles and talked to various fitness professionals to try to come to one conclusion. Eventually I realized that everyone has a different theory and recommends different things. There are valid arguments for doing cardio first just as there are valid arguments for doing strength training first.
After all of this information overload, I’ve come to two conclusions:
- If your fitness goals revolve around cardio, do cardio first. If they revolve around muscle development and strength, do weight training first.
- Do whatever one you’re more likely to skip first so you’re less likely to bail on it at the end of your workout.
Since I currently do not have any real fitness goals other than improving my overall health, I adhere to conclusion number two.
On days when I do strength training, I typically also do about 20 minutes of light cardio. I do this before strength training because if I don’t I’m 5,000 times more likely to skip it.
If you’re a fitness professional (or even if you’re not!), I’d love to hear your opinion on this in the comments section of this post.
Question of the Morning
- If you do cardio and strength training on the same day, which do you do first? Why?
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Does the hotel offer a good variety of cereals & yogurt?
I do max 20 mins of light cardio before weights to get my heart pumping and also as u said, if i don’t chances are i won’t at all. And then I cool down with another 10 mins or so! Even on days where I feel like doing more cardio, I stop because it does ultimately affect my progress during weights!
Oh meant to say…if you feel like shaking things up try this workout:
-run 1 mile
-do 3 sets of 2 weight exercises
repeat the above 3 times (but with each ‘circuit’, do a diff weights exercise) and then stretch
I like your advice a lot! I’ve seen a lot of debate on this issue too.
If I am doing both in one day I usually do them at different times- a run in the AM and a weight session at night.
I typically do a 5-10 min. warm up on the bike, then I stretch, do my weights, and then cardio. From what I have read, doing weight training first starts the sugar breakdown in your body, so that when you move to cardio, your body is already in the fat-burning process.
I typically run three times a week and don’t do any strength training on those days and then on the other three days, I incorporate strength training into circuit training so I am getting both strength and cardio during the same workout. I typically keep my workouts 30-45 min max…I get ancy if it is longer than that unless its a day I need to run an hour or more…
I do cardio first b/c I typically get more bored with that ST is fun compared to cardio so I just get throught the cardio to “reward” myself with ST!
I usually do cardio and strength on seperate days and if I do them together I do circuits. Works best for me!
I always do cardio first because when I do weights first, my muscles are often fatigued to the point where I don’t get a good cardio workout. I also get a good weights routine done whether or not I do it first or last. Weird.
definitely do strength training first, since it’s my least favorite part of the whole workout. i heard about an iphone app for keeping on track with your fitness workout…have you tried it??
Cardio first, always. I don’t know why, but I like to be warm (like physically, not muscle-wise) when I lift. Plus it helps me get in the workout zone!
cardio last always because it burns more fat!
I’m not a fitness professional, but I have done quite a bit of research on this topic. Generally, I think it’s better to do weight training first if you are planning on splitting your workout in half (strength and cardio). That way you will have the energy to focus on your form and avoid injury. Another option is to split your strength and cardio into a circuit training style and do weights for 10 minutes, then cardio for 10 minutes, and repeat for 60 minutes. I like this style of training because it keeps your body challenged and allows you to push yourself without getting too bored!
I’ve generally read that you should do weights first. Also, it does depend on your goals, and I totally agree with you about both your points. Like you, I do whatever I’m in the mood for, or if I know today is a lifting day, I will do that first so that gets the most effort/energy.
Is that a treadmil you’re running on?! It looks funny!
I have been working out for well over 3 years now and LOVE running. I tend to stick to cardio first, usually 40-50 minutes. Always on an incline and intervals toward the end, it is all about pushing yourself to the limit. Now, doing cardio after strength training burns I believe 30% more fat than cardio first, but since I work so hard with weights after my run, I would be too tired.
I never skip cardio, I do cardio everyday, strength training everyday, and never the same exercise twice in a row. I always do pull-ups and push-ups on the stability ball though!
I usually do weights first becaue it helps elevate my metabolism. I am insulin resistant and have other health issues that make my metabolism very sluggish! I figure pumping some iron before doing cardio helps me burn more fat. (I could be totally wrong, but it works for me!) Also, after I do a lot of cardio I like to stretch and cool down. I rarely ever do weight training after cardio even if I plan to before I start.
I’m a trainer and I typically recommend clients to do a 5 minute warmup with cardio BUT strength training comes first. I’d rather have them put all of their effort into strength training first to lift heavier and avoid injury. I find that doing cardio wears people out first. And if it’s a particularly strenuous lifting session, then I’ll just do light cardio after for like 20 minutes at max and save the longer, intense cardio sessions for non lifting days.
I always strength train first, because I want to have enough energy to keep perfect form. I’m afraid that if I do cardio first, I’ll be too tired to care much about form and could possibly injure myself or at least not get the full benefit of the exercise. That’s just me!
I almost always do cardio first because I’m afraid that my muscles will be too fatigued after weight training to get my speed/endurance up. Sometimes I switch them up just to keep it fresh, though!
When I was new to strength training I always tried to do what the fitness magazines said which was “do strength before cardio if you want to build muscle”. But in reality I really hated it that way and would end up skipping the strength which wasn’t good! So I just go with what works best for me, cardio first then weights. Getting my cardio in first ensures that I’ll do the strength training portion since for some reason it gives me more energy and it just feels better to me.
One good thing about doing the cardio first is that you warm up your muscles. I once had a trainer that made me do cardio before every workout because it would warm me up and prevent injury.
One good reason to do cardio second, would be that when you strength train the lactic acid builds up in your muscles. Cardio allows the muslces to work, move around, and sort of drain that lactic acid so you are less likely to be sore the next day.
Maybe the ideal way is to split it up? haha
Hi Julie, i’m not an authorithy in this subject. I workout at the gym 3 times a week. I’m trying to combine cardio work outdoors in the other days.
But when i go to gym, what my trainers tell me to do is: i start with 15 m of bycicle, then i train a group of muscles (ex: legs). After that i do more 15 minutes of cardio: step or treadmill or eliptical. Then other group of muscles (ex: shoulders). In the end 15 more minutes of cardio (different from the ones i did before).
Like i said, i’m not an authority in this matters, but thats the workouts that my trainers gave me.
P.S. Sorry for the wrong words. I’m portuguese. English is not my first language… 🙂
Cardio before weights! I just find that running gets me really pumped up, sweaty and wanting to keep going with my work outs. As well, my body is usually pretty tired after lifting strength training and don’t have the energy. When I’m done lifting all I want is my protein green monster.
If I’m doing strength training, I always do 20 minutes of cardio beforehand to just warm up and get my heart rate up. I hate lifting when I’m fresh out of bed and still tired! The 20 minutes on the treadmill wake me up. 🙂
I tend to start with half an hour cardio, then move on to strength and finish with another half an hour of cardio. It keeps me from getting bored with cardio, which is what my workouts revolve around. By the way, i love that picture of you on the treadmill!
I always do cardio last, because my muscles feel like they don’t stiffen up as much the next day!
I generally separate cardio and lifting days at the gym, but if I am going to do both, I always lift first. I like to lift heavy weights with low reps and only a few sets (rather than lighter weights, higher reps) and I find that lifting first while my body is fresh allows me to lift more with good form (so important!). I always warm up with an easy, “safe” lift, like lat pull-downs on the machine, or do a few dozen jumping jacks to get my heart rate up before I move to free weights, where the magic really happens!
I did a research study on this very thing a few months ago! We were looking at which order burns more calories, resistance first – cardio second; or vice versa. Although I realize it’s really a personal preference type of thing.. our conclusions are as follows:
Resistance first, cardio second leads to overall higher caloric expenditure both during AND after exercise… (your metabolic rate stays elevated post-exercise for up to 48 hours!)
Though the increase wasn’t much, (30 calories on average), for someone trying to lose weight or optimize time in the gym – every little bit counts! 🙂
P.S. My entire office is obsessed with this blog.
i tend to do my strength training first – i’ve read that it jump starts your metabolism and allows you to burn more calories during your cardio workout and throughout the day.
i totally agree with rule #2 though – if you just aren’t feeling it, do whatever seems worse first!!
I try to alternate cardio and strength training days, cuz I know I’ll bail if I try to do too much in one day. But if I were to try and do them both on the same day, I’d go for cardio first just to get it out of the way!
I have to go with your second conclusion. I will never strength train if I don’t do it first. It is SO much more boring than cardio.
On days when I do BodyPump, I much prefer to do my cardio first. Otherwise, I’m about 99.9% likely to bail once class is over 😉
I do cardio first. I just feel like it warms me up for strength training.
I typically never do the two the same day because whether it be weights or cardio, I want to give 110% to that specific activity. That said, on weight days, I will warm up on the treadmill for 10 minutes if I haven’t ridden my bike to the gym.
xo! see you in about a week!
I’m a runner so running in my main concern. That said I think cardio first is the way to go. I think if you lift and get your muscles tired first your form could be off for the later cardio and end up injuring yourself. I believe most strength exercises are good to do slowly so it’s easier to pay attention to form. Also, no matter what I’ve done in the past I’ve always been told a little light cardio first to warm up the muscles is a good idea no matter what your goals are.
I incorporate them both into one. My workouts daily are no more than 20 minutes total, but I do not stop in between, ever. I do intervals that get my heart rate up, but they include strength training (body weight only) so I benefit from them both! Since I’ve switched to doing this, I ALWAYS look forward to my workout. I have fun, and knowing that it takes so little time is mood boost too.
Hi Julie,
I am a certified personal trainer and have my degree in Kinesiology. You are always supposed to do SOME cardio before weights as you need to get your muscles warmed up and your blood flowing before lifting or else you are much more likely to injure yourself. Only 5-10 minutes is required to warm up.
After that you should do your weight routine and then end with more cardio if you choose.
The idea is that you don’t want to do anything that will tire out your core muscles before you start lifting because then your form will be compromised. So if you are going to do a lot of cardio I would just do a warm up, do your weights, then end with more cardio
I usually always do cardio first to really get my heart pumping and then carry that over to my strength training.
I tend to do cardio first. I’m not sure how I got into that routine but I’m fairly sure it had to do with the fact that I didn’t start weight training until fairly recently. Before that it was just cardio after cardio, day after day, so when I started incorporating weights it was only natural that they come after my sweat session.
I always do cardio first. Probably because I like that best!
I do cardio before weights. For the exact reasons you listed! Cardio is most important but least attractive to me. I can always muster the energy to do weights at the end because I enjoy it so much!
I was JUUUST wondering about this the other day.
For a while, I was convinced that I had to do cardio first. Then by the time I was done with that I had 0 motivation to go back and hit the weights.
Just recently I’ve started doing weights first – it gets me warmed up and pumped up so after my light weight session I’m ready to hit the road! It’s been working out really well so far 🙂
hehe I think your findings are on point! I definitely do cardio first and plan on doing weight training..then I end up not feeling like it by the time I finish my cardio. I think my solution to this is cutting just a bit of time off the cardio. Stay tuned 😉
I prefer strength training and then cardio. there really are so many theories out there, but I like the way cardio feels after strength training. Its usually not as intense as my cardio days, so it feels good to run the muscles out that i just worked so hard on 🙂
Great post Julie!
I’m a certified personal trainer and I usually go for cardio first. Personally, I like cardio a lot more and I won’t skip out early on it as I do sometimes if I already weight trained. I usually have a workout written down for weights, so I can cross each exercise off. If I just wing a weight workout, I usually do much less.
With that said, we were taught to do weights first because of the calorie burning idea that many people referenced. You do keep burning calories after a weight workout for several hours. This isn’t as drastic in cardio. Also, some people think that you’re more likely to get a better weight workout in before you’re tired, but I counter that with then you’re going to be tired for your cardio workout and no do as well there.
I say go with preference!
I’ve also read that cardio before weights first is good (though, it’s better to do whatever helps us not “skip” one or the other) because it helps our bodies not to feed off of the muscles, and therefore helps the muscles keep building rather than “breaking” them down.
I’m with ya on conclusion #2. I’ve always read to do cardio after lifting, but I’m not a big cardio fan and found that it was very easy to lift and then skip out on the rest. By getting cardio out of the way first I always get it in. I love lifting, so that’s never a problem.
Thanks for the advice! I am just beginning to incorporate weights into my routine and never thought about this before… I feel like I would be more warmed up to do a weight routine after some cardio?!
I’m a Personal Trainer and I always have my clients warm up for 5-7 minutes to get their muscles pliable and warm and then start with the weights. I do it this way so form isn’t compromised due to being tired from cardio. EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) or the “after burn” is higher after doing strength training so you burn more calories per hour for up to 48 hours later! That happens with cardio too, just not as much. Also strength training is anaerobicold done at a high intensity so you use up glycogen first and if you follow that by cardio, you begin burning fat. Either way, the calorie burn happens with both strength and cardio so it’s really a matter of preference!!
* thAt should read “anaerobic if done at a high intesity”. Damn autocorrect!!
I am not a personal trainer but I work closely with two PT’s and they both recommend stregnth traning first exactly for the reason that Heather in comment #149 stated. You do not want to be too tired from doing the cardio first and sacrifice your form when you do the weights 2nd. If you sacrifice form, then you are more likely to lead to an injury.