20May/100

Cardiovascular Training:Cardio Training Or Weights First?

Cardiovascular Training: Should I Do Cardio Training Before Or After Weights?

Cardiovascular Training

A question that is often asked when it comes to effective muscle building and weight loss, is when should cardiovascular training be done? Should it be before or after weight training? Well like most things in the topic of muscle growth and fitness, it totally depends on the individual and what their goals are.

But what is the best option for you? Below you can find some common goal, and how to go about achieving them in terms of strength training and cardio training.

1. If you goal is ultimately just to build up you muscle mass, then doing cardiovascular training before you start hitting the weights could drain you of the energy needed to get the real gains you want. When you want to bulk up and add muscle mass, it is important that your body has enough stored energy to push the muscle to the limit. You need your body to be able to go, until the muscles can do no more, not until you don't have enough energy to do more. If this is your goal, then I would suggest doing an intense strength workout first, followed by a short but intense cardiovascular training session. This should be about 10-15 minutes at the end of your workout, but should be done with high intensity.

2. If you want to improve your overall fitness and stamina, such as training to run a marathon or to do other endurance sports then I would suggest splitting up your training into two sessions. In the morning do a light strength training session, then in the afternoon do your cardiovascular training, or vice versa. But don't neglect the strength training because you don't think it will help your endurance. Strength training is important for strengthening the joints and will help you to avoid injury.

3. Is weight loss you goal, and you are looking to drop a few pounds? Well in this case the best way to go is to combine strength training and cardiovascular training into what is known as circuit training. This is done by combining several strength training exercises, with not much rest in between. What this does is keep your heart rate high, but also ensures it is working at several different rates, due the different intensities of the exercises. The best way to lose weight and fat is to have the heart working at range of different rates.

4. If you really just want to keep and maintain what you have, i.e. not put on any fat or weight and not really add any more muscle, than it is fine to cardiovascular training before your strength training. Just be sure that you do both frequently.

So to answer the question of when to perform cardiovascular training, you first have to decide what your goals are, and go from there. The above should help you decide.

What are your goals?

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