Why cardio after weights

That's leaves your body primed to burn fat once you're done lifting weights. A short minute aerobic exercise should be enough to burn any fat you have covering those bulging muscles you've been working so hard on. This scenario is where most fitness-minded males find themselves.

You want to have cardio for days because of the many health benefits that come with that, and it's always nice to be the only one of your friends who isn't exhausted after a game of flag football. You also want to have nice muscles you can show off every now and then, but you're not worried about becoming the next Mr.

If this sounds like you, you're probably better off doing your cardio first, then moving over to weights. That's because getting your cardio routine out of the way first elevates your heart rate, metabolism, and internal temperature. Once your heart rate is elevated, it stays elevated when it's time to move over to the weights. Sure, you won't have as much energy to push yourself during your weight lifting sessions, but you will burn a lot more calories and fat while lifting weights.

The end result: You end up looking like a lean, mean muscle machine. If you find yourself in this bracket, it doesn't matter much whether you decide to start your workout sessions with cardio or weight lifting, since women who are looking to tone their muscles and burn fat generally aren't interested in doing any type of heavy lifting.

If you decide to start off with a low-intensity cardio workout, you get the benefit of having your heartrate and metabolism elevated early in your workout. By the time you're ready to start the weightlifting portion of your gym routine, your body is prime for fat loss.

Since there is no desire to gain large muscles with your weightlifting sessions, the fact you won't be able to go as hard as you would have been able to if you didn't start your workout session with a cardio routine won't make any difference. If your top priority when you walk inside a gym is to lose weight and burn fat, you're better off starting off with the weightlifting portion of your workout, then moving over to a low-intensity cardiovascular exercise.

The reasoning for this is simple. As stated earlier, the anaerobic energy system isn't close to being as efficient as the aerobic energy system that is typically used during cardio sessions, so the glycogen stored in your body is depleted at a significantly higher rate when you're lifting weights, compared to when you're jogging or swimming for instance.

So, when you start off a workout by lifting weights, your glycogen reserves are burnt off a lot faster, forcing your body to start converting fat to energy, then eventually muscle. This is obviously beneficial to someone whose main focus is to lose weight since your body will likely start burning fat off before you even begin cardio work.

Compare that to a person doing only cardio, whose body might spend up to an hour depleting glycogen reserves before beginning the fat burning process. Adenosine triphosphate ATP is the fuel that the human body runs off. That's what allows you to contract your muscles when you're doing bicep curls. The thing is, there's only a limited amount of this ATP in your muscles at all times. When it's all gone, your body needs to make more quickly.

There are three main energy systems that power the human body. People often ask about swimming tips. Here is a typical email that truly will require a video to explain the stroke this Get the scoop on discounts, pay, benefits, and our latest award-winning content.

Right in your inbox. View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page. Here is a workout I like to do to check progress, or lack thereof, in a variety of running styles and benchmark distances. It is possible to get through your training program with running only a few days a week, but your risk future injury. The focus is to run shorter and faster runs in the week and a long slower run at a comfortable pace on the weekend.

Most of the time, I receive emails from people who are seeking to pass their PFT, and just as many who wish to max out their There's a good reason why the military and law enforcement are now testing speed and agility. If you were the fitness king for a day and could create a fitness test for yourself to qualify for any job or goal, what Using a kettlebell complex, you can create a circuit of leg and core-activating movements that challenge not only the legs As we age, non-impact cardio options start to become favorites, especially if the knees are aching and the body is carrying Cardio or Weights: Which Comes First?

The U. He said that weight lifting is the only real way to sculpt your physique. The idea that cardio should be done at the beginning of a workout is apparently a myth. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know. Loading Something is loading. Email address. Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. If you lift weights for 30 minutes versus doing any other cardio activity for the same amount of time, cardio will burn more calories.

With that in mind, you may want to start your workouts with cardio at a steady intensity to get into the heart rate zone you need for burning fat. You can then transition into weight lifting, which will create an " afterburn ," that helps burns calories after you're done exercising. You don't even necessarily need to work your body hard to reap the benefits of a cardio workout. Lifting weights first, especially if you are lifting heavy using your entire body, will tire you out before you make it to the cardio portion of your workout.

That means you might cut your workout short and not reap the calorie-burning benefit of cardio -- especially if you want to burn as many calories you can in a set amount of time. That said, try both starting with cardio and starting with weight lifting to get a sense of what works best for you.

If you are performing exercises with light weights, that can help get your heart rate up and get your body ready for running, biking or another cardio activity. Lastly, if you like to run, bike or swim and want to improve your speed or overall endurance, then choosing cardio first is smart because you're going into those workouts fresh.

This way you are starting with the most important exercise for your long-term goals and will make progress more quickly. Lifting weights and performing strength training exercises is the most effective way to build muscle.

If your main goal is to improve your strength, be able to lift heavy things or build more muscle, then lifting weights first is best. Don't tire out your body by doing cardio first.