Cardio before or after lifting?

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Archean_Life
Date: September 09, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/cardio-before-or-after-lifting.5526/

To save time, I'd like to start combining lifting and running into a once-a-day workout. I tried to go on an easy run after lifting shoulders and back today, and I felt pretty terrible in terms of energy.
So do you guys do your cardio before, or after lifting? Is it different if you're talking about lower body lifting vs. upper body? If you have a physiological justification for your answer, please include it.
Related questions:
Do you consume carbs or protein in between?
What about striking or grappling workouts before or after lifting?

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: MuscleFarmer
Date: September 09, 2008 at 10:46 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/cardio-before-or-after-lifting.5526/

I don't do a lot of cardio, but ANY time you lift, you need to do at least 10 minutes before and 10 after. Pre-lift cardio warms you up for stretches, etc. Lifting cold is a great way to get hurt. Post-lift cardio gets the blood flowing into the muscles and helps prevent lactic acid from building up. Not saying it makes the acid go away, but helps reduce it's effects for sure.
When I am doing more cardio during a cutting phase, I stick with the warm-up and do the hard cardio after. Reason for this, physiologically speaking: I need my energy for the weights. Cardio for MY purposes is to burn fat, so my body uses the fuel (carbs and protein, etc) in my system for the weight training, and burns fat with the cardio.
The most important day to do cardio POST-lift is leg days. Squats SUCK no matter what you do, but running, treadmilling, biking, etc helps loosen them up after a leg routine.
Just my $0.04. Two cents went up to four due to inflation.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: ulloa4h
Date: September 09, 2008 at 10:55 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/cardio-before-or-after-lifting.5526/

after

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Jak
Date: September 10, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/cardio-before-or-after-lifting.5526/

MuscleFarmer said:
you need to do at least 10 minutes before and 10 afte
Click to expand...
That's what i do, just like MF said, get the heart rate going get your muscles loose... actually MF pretty much stated my position to a tee....

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: dublindevil83
Date: September 10, 2008 at 12:05 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/cardio-before-or-after-lifting.5526/

Ive done some reading on this and ive read plenty for both sides claiming one is better then the other. Personally ive done it both ways and IMO doing the cardio after weightlifting has proven more benifical for me. I do however stretch and do my ab work before i begin lifting to get the blood flowing and muscles warm.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Showdown
Date: September 10, 2008 at 01:47 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/cardio-before-or-after-lifting.5526/

I run a minimum of 2 miles before lifting. I get the best workouts this way. When I lift stone cold, I get the worst workouts.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Brick
Date: September 10, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/cardio-before-or-after-lifting.5526/

I do light cardio before lifting, maybe some jump rope sets.
Then after lifting, I do some balls-out cardio. My body is warmed up, a little tired, and very loose. I generally hate running, but after a lift I often go out and do a sprint/jog type of run, and make sure that by the time I get back to my house I'm ready to cry. Sometimes only a mile, but I make it the type of mile that people driving by think I stole something.
Only doing light cardio before ensures that I have plenty of energy for lifting. Then, after lifting, you know the cardio is all you have left, so you can leave it all on the table and push it to the limit.
But, like they said above, probably a personal choice depending on how your body reacts. My body has never reacted well to running, but seems to do much better after a lift.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Johnny419
Date: September 10, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/cardio-before-or-after-lifting.5526/

I always feel that if you are combining weights and cardio into one workout that doing your intense cardio last is usually your best bet. The light cardio to warm up is excellent since we all know what happens when you workout cold. I also agree with Brick's insight to this, you can run 5 miles jogging but it wouldn't mean as much as if you sprinted 2 miles like Richard Pryor when he freebased his face.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: MikeyR
Date: September 10, 2008 at 07:41 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/cardio-before-or-after-lifting.5526/

Sometimes it depends on what type of lifting you are doing that day. For example: if you work legs or back it is a good idea to do cardio before the workout, if you decide you want to do cardio at all that day. But it is scientifically proven that doing at least 20 minutes of cardio after an arm workout can increase arm strength up to 17%. When doing exercises with arms, shoulders, and chest it is a good idea to do cardio after the lift. It is a good way to maximize your workout as well. If you do a shoulder workout skip for cardio, Chest workout hit the eliptical. And I feel there is nothing better than jogging after a tricep workout.