Should you do cardio or strength training first? Should you do cardio after strength training?

During cardio and strength training, the body works differently, respectively, these two types of sports activities have different effects. The most winning strategy for losing weight will not be choosing one of the two, but a skillful combination of two types of exercise. Success in losing weight depends on the extent to which calorie expenditure exceeds calorie intake. Let's look at which workouts make us spend more.

And after an intense workout, where the main thing was performed by the participants in a circle until failure, daily calorie consumption increased by 23%. Scientists have concluded that strength training helps you burn more calories if it's really hard.

Cardio does not build muscles, unlike strength training, and muscles not only create an attractive silhouette of the figure, but also help to spend more energy. Those who have more muscle burn more calories.

For cardio to be effective, you need to choose a feasible minimum that you can perform regularly without skipping in order to ensure stable energy expenditure for your body. On average, for sustainable weight loss you need 2-4 strength training sessions per week, do 15-30 minutes of cardio immediately after them, and do 2-3 cardio workouts for 45-60 minutes on separate days.

Cardio training strengthens the cardiovascular system and makes the body more resilient. These include running, cycling, swimming, etc. These sports are not very popular for those who are trying to make their torso sculpted or quickly get rid of extra pounds, considering them not effective enough. But in fact, cardio training makes a significant contribution to the development of the muscular system and burning calories - more about them later in the article.

The effect of cardio training on muscle growth

Let's look at why you need cardio when gaining muscle mass. The fact is that such training forces a large group of muscles to work that are not used during strength exercises. Due to this, various processes in the body are accelerated, in particular, metabolism is improved, which means that decay products are eliminated faster.

This in turn affects the intensity of muscle fiber recovery, so muscles will grow faster. In addition, the body's endurance increases due to the strengthening of the heart, which will make it possible to increase the duration and load of strength training.

For those who want to maintain muscle mass, the ideal option would be the so-called interval cardio training. It alternates pace and load when performing exercises: as a result, fat is burned faster without losing muscle mass.

Combining cardio and strength training

You can do exercises to strengthen the cardiovascular system before or after strength training, as well as alternating between them. Each option has its own characteristics.

Cardio after strength training

Combining workouts in this order is beneficial for those who want to quickly lose excess weight. Strength training forces the body to intensively burn carbohydrates, in particular glycogen.
By the end of the workout, there is a minimum of it in the muscles, and when it comes time for exercises to develop endurance, the body is forced to spend reserve fat reserves located in the fatty layers in order to get the required amount of energy.

It should be remembered that if the load is distributed incorrectly, muscle mass may also be lost along with fat. Therefore, it is advisable to combine light and medium weights when doing strength training with a low load on cardio training.

Important! It is better to avoid running as a cardio exercise, since during it there is a lot of stress on the knee joints, which is not very good if you have a lot of extra pounds.

In this situation, exercise on exercise bikes or intense walking are ideal. The load needs to be increased gradually: first 15 minutes (or as long as you can, but no less is better), then 20, etc., ascending - it is advisable to reach 60 minutes or more. Don't do too long a cardio session on the first day.

Before strength training

Not everyone can do cardio exercises first and then move on to strength training, because a full-fledged cardio workout is not a 10-15 minute warm-up on a treadmill or exercise bike. It should last at least half an hour to bring the desired result.
After 30–60 minutes of exercise, an unprepared body will hardly be able to find the strength for a full-fledged weight program. Therefore, if you do not have basic general physical fitness or have problems with excess weight, then it is not advisable to include strength training as your final one.

Separate strength and cardio loads

As you can see, performing both types of exercises on the same day is not suitable for everyone, so it is best to alternate. As an option, do them every other day: one day, another day. Bodybuilders usually do this. With this training schedule, it is possible to perform a full range of both types of exercises, and there will be time for muscle recovery.
In addition, if you devote more time to exercises to maintain a high heart rate, the body’s endurance develops more intensively, which means you can quickly increase the weight of barbells and dumbbells. If you are a beginner and you cannot do daily exercise, even when alternating types of exercise, then you can perform exercises to strengthen the cardiovascular system once or twice a week.

The effectiveness of weight loss training depends on compliance with the basic “laws” of sports activity:

• The right time. In terms of effectiveness, physical activity in the evening is no different from that in the morning. The training time largely depends on your personal biorhythm. It is better for “larks” to devote themselves to sports in the morning, for “night owls” in the afternoon. The main condition is compliance with the diet. Fitness instructors advise starting exercise no earlier than 2 hours after eating.
• Regular cardio and strength training for weight loss. Pursuing the goal of losing an extra kilo, you need to exercise 3 times a week for 30-40 minutes. Study time should be increased gradually. There should be an equal amount of time between training sessions.
• Sequence of exercises. 7-10 min. Warm-ups will prepare your muscles, heart and lungs for serious exercise. The main part involves the use of strength loads, which are aimed at active fat burning. Finally, do some stretching exercises.
• The correct balance of training for weight loss for endurance and strength. Ideal option: 3 aerobic endurance exercises and one strength exercise.

Cardio exercises for weight loss

The best way to get rid of excess fat is cardio training for weight loss. The main thing is to choose the right amount of exercise that will accelerate the removal of extra pounds without burning muscle mass. The intensity of cardio load is an individual parameter that depends on the physiological characteristics of the body. If after exercise you feel a loss of strength, severe fatigue, poor sleep and fatigue, you need to reconsider your physical activity and daily calorie deficit.

What is cardio training to burn fat?

Cardio exercises for weight loss are physical activity that affects the heart rate, increasing it to 130-160 beats per minute. Cycling, running, skiing, step aerobics are common types of cardio exercise. When studying the question of which cardio is best for weight loss, it is necessary to consider the existing types:

• Ordinary. Long-duration, slow-paced training, or LowIntensitySteadyStateCardio (LISS), helps convert muscle tissue into energy. Therefore, switching to medium intensity will have a more favorable effect on your figure due to the process of fatty acid oxidation.
• High intensity with short duration. High Intensity Interval Training (HITT) leads to fat burning through lipolysis. The important point is to achieve a calorie deficit in the body. A separate bonus of HITT is increased metabolism and long-term fat burning after the end of the session. During the training process, the amount of growth hormones and testosterone increases, which, with insufficient load, will maintain muscle mass in tone.

The effect of aerobic exercise on the body

Cardio exercise is an effective method for enhanced weight loss. Training lasting 20-30 minutes a day reduces the risk of heart failure, develops endurance of the cardiovascular system and lungs, and activates metabolism. Low-intensity cardio helps you burn fat in problem areas and maintain muscle mass at the same time.

Nutrition for cardio

The menu for cardio exercise should exclude fast carbohydrates and fatty foods. Aerobic glycolysis provokes the process of breaking down glucose into energy due to its oxidation with oxygen. Instructors recommend not resorting to debilitating diets during cardio. Doing exercises on an empty stomach can lead to the appearance of fatty ridges in the abdominal area. Evening meals are highly undesirable because they slow down metabolism.

Does strength training help you lose weight?

Physical exercises aimed at overcoming resistance or using loads in the form of weights are considered strength training. Most women view heavy lifting with skepticism, considering it an exclusively male sport for bodybuilders. However, do not worry, nature has taken care of female beauty - the high level of estrogen in women will not allow them to “pump” muscle mass.

Correctly selected exercises and diet will lead to weight loss by 2-3 kg per month. Visually, your body volume will decrease as if you lost 5 kg of weight. The explanation lies in the predominance of the volume of adipose tissue over muscle. Elastic muscles smooth out the unwanted relief of problem areas. In addition, blood flow to the pelvic organs prolongs “women’s” health.

What is involved in strength training?

Depending on the type of resistance, weighted exercises are divided into:

• overcoming your own body weight - push-ups, pull-ups on the horizontal bar;
• external resistance involves the use of dumbbells, weights, and individual elements of strength training equipment;
• isometric – holding tension for a short period of time.

Strength exercises

Effective strength exercises for weight loss include:

• abduction of legs in a crossover;
• squats, leg extensions and bendings in the simulator;
• pull of the upper block towards the chest;
• stretching.

Correctly chosen weight of the weighting agent is the basis for the effectiveness of training. In one approach, you need to do 12-15 power movements, gradually bringing them up to 25. At the beginning of the training, you should give preference to complex exercises, the main task of which is to work out problem areas as much as possible. Other muscle groups can be given a slight load. Stretching at the final stage is designed to restore muscle mass in the body.

Nutrition for strength training

Without a proper diet, it is difficult to lose weight, develop muscle mass, and improve body tone. A high-calorie menu will lead to the accumulation of fat. Low-calorie foods will cause muscle loss. To strengthen the muscles of the body, it is necessary to have a special “fuel” - glycogen, the reserves of which are influenced by the amount of proper carbohydrates in the diet. The diet for weight training is based on increased protein intake - 1.5-2 g per kg of body weight. The ratio of fats and carbohydrates to total calories looks like:

• healthy fats 20-30%;
• carbohydrates 40-50%;

What workouts are more effective for losing weight?

Cardio exercises are aimed at burning fat. Exercises with weights involve the formation of a muscle corset and a significant improvement in body tone. Their combination is fruitful for losing weight and gaining attractive, elastic forms. The main rule is systematic training.

How to combine cardio and strength training

Their effectiveness depends on alternating exercises to lose weight and tone muscles. Trainers give several options for combining strength training with cardio when losing weight, each of which is aimed at achieving the desired results. Separate workouts are popular. To simultaneously lose weight and build muscle mass, you need to set aside separate days of the week for cardio and strength training (no more than 30 minutes). Dedicate about 40 minutes to aerobic exercise.

Cardio or strength training first

Weighted exercises before cardio are great for those who are not interested in building muscle in their body. During the period of cardio exercise, muscle mass “burns” along with the fat layer. You should not expect a positive effect when using strength training after cardio. Running for half an hour will not be beneficial in the fight against extra pounds, and the remaining “labor” resources will not be enough for intense exercise.

Alternating cardio and strength training

Interval training involves alternating exercises with weights and cardio loads in one approach - 8 min./8 min. It involves all organs and processes in the body, maintaining performance for a long period after training. This approach is accompanied by huge energy costs, so it is suitable for physically fit women and men.

Training program

In order to lose weight and develop muscle definition, a combined program is used that includes supersets and cardio exercise. This scheme is designed for 1.5-2.5 months. Supersets are designed to increase the intensity of the training, making it as effective as possible for burning subcutaneous fat deposits. To perform the exercises correctly, you should study the photo instructions.

Warm-up

Running on a treadmill for no more than 10 minutes is ideal as a dynamic warm-up. In addition you should do:

• bending forward on one leg;
• lunges with arms raised;
• lunges to the side.

Strength training

With a combined weight loss program, you should alternate weight training and cardio exercise. Exercises should be performed in 3 sets of 10 repetitions, cardio for no more than 10 minutes. In the period between supersets, you need to rest for about 2 minutes. The lesson plan looks like this:

• oblique twisting;
• running on a treadmill;
• leg press in the gym,
• squats with dumbbells between the legs;
• running on a treadmill;
• seated overhead dumbbell press,
• running on a treadmill.

Aerobic exercise to burn fat

The peculiarity of aerobic exercise is the production of energy through the oxygen oxidation of glucose. To achieve maximum effectiveness from aerobic training, fitness instructors recommend consistently increasing their frequency, starting with 3 times a week and reaching 5-6 workouts lasting 40-60 minutes. each. Exercises that are effective are exercises in which the intensity of cardiac activity is 65-80% of the maximum heart rate.

An anaerobic exercise routine promotes the oxidation of glucose without oxygen. The intense pace and short duration of the movements are ideal for losing weight in the abdominal area. They involve strengthening the muscular frame of the body, increasing the endurance of the cardiovascular system and lungs. Exercise counteracts the accumulation of toxins in the body, speeding up basal metabolism.

Video

Cardio training is a set of exercises that increases your heart rate and increases blood circulation throughout the body (from the English cardiovascular - cardiovascular) .

You can do cardio training both in the gym on exercise machines (treadmill, bicycle, elliptical) and at home without additional equipment. We offer you a unique selection of cardio exercises and ready-made cardio workout plan at home for losing weight and burning calories.

General information about cardio training at home

For some trainees, cardio is an unloved activity, for others, on the contrary, it is a real passion and pleasure. But no matter how you feel about cardio training, it is one of the key components of fitness. Be sure to include cardio exercise in your workout plan, even if you have low endurance or you are a beginner. If you choose an adequate, feasible load, then cardio training will be accessible to everyone.

Why do you need cardio training?

Before we move on to cardio exercises at home, let's remember again: why do you need aerobic exercise:

• Improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system by training the heart muscle
• Burn calories and improve muscle tone
• Endurance development
• Release of negative emotions, reduced risk of depression
• Acceleration of metabolic processes
• Reducing the risk of diabetes by reducing sensitivity to changes in blood sugar
• Improving the functioning of the respiratory system
• Increased bone density

Plus, a moderate cardio workout gives you energy throughout the day and you'll feel cheerful and full of energy. Of course, unless it is an ultra-intense activity that is performed to the limit of your capabilities. In this case, on the contrary, loss of strength and fatigue are possible.

Rules and features of home cardio training:

1. Always do cardio exercises at home while wearing running shoes. Not barefoot, not in socks, not in sneakers, and in sneakers. Training without sneakers is dangerous for joint problems and injuries.
2. To accurately measure calorie expenditure during cardio training, it is better to use a heart rate monitor or. Average 30-minute cardio workout high intensity burns 300-400 kcal. Medium intensity 250-350 kcal. Low intensity 200-250 kcal.
3. During cardio workouts, try to keep your heart rate between 130-150 beats per minute. These are the optimal boundaries for high-quality and safe heart training and effective calorie burning. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, you can pause for 15 seconds and take your heart rate (or in between sets).
4. If you have a problem with varicose veins, then you can use compression stockings or knee socks, which protect the veins from overload and injury. But it is better to avoid jumping.
5. It is much more effective to do cardio training in interval mode. For example, 30 seconds of intense work - 15 seconds of rest (or the popular Tabata training option: 20 sec/10 sec – more on that below) . This will help you burn more calories, reduce muscle loss, speed up the fat burning process, and allow you to get the most out of your workout in less time.
6. Cardio exercises for women and men are the same, and the approach to aerobic training has no fundamental differences. Except that men usually have higher endurance.
7. Always start your cardio workout at home with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. Check out our pre-workout warm-up and our post-workout stretch.
8. If you want to lose weight, don't forget about nutrition, which is the most important factor in burning fat. Even with regular workouts without dietary restrictions, it is impossible to lose weight.

Well, now let's move on to the main part of our article: cardio exercises for different levels of training. Read more about How many times a week to do cardio training, read below.

Cardio exercises are presented in GIF animation, which will help you visually understand how the movements are performed. After the pictures there is a version of the lesson plan for 25-30 minutes. You can do it yourself change duration and intensity cardio training at home, reducing or increasing the number of circles.

Low-impact cardio exercises for beginners without jumping

This selection of cardio exercises at home is suitable for beginners, as well as for those who avoid jumping, for example, due to joint problems or varicose veins. Even without jumping, these cardio exercises will help you get your heart rate up and get an effective cardio workout.

Thanks to the YouTube channel for the gifs MFit!

2. Walking with shin overlapping

10. Kick forward and backward with opposite legs

25 Minute Home Cardio Workout Plan for Beginners

All exercises are listed in the table:

Exercises Sprinter, Knee Pull, Side Kick And Kick forward and back

You can start doing 15 minutes a day (choosing only 2 rounds), gradually increasing the duration of your cardio workout.

Intermediate Cardio Exercises

These cardio exercises are suitable for more experienced exercisers or those who can easily tolerate cardio exercise and jumping.

1. Running with shin overlapping

5. Jumping to the side

9. Jump Squats

11. Plank jumps with legs raised

12. Touching your feet in a reverse plank

Intermediate 25 Minute Home Cardio Workout Plan

All exercises are listed in the table below. Some exercises are taken from the beginner level so that you have the opportunity to take a breath and endure the lesson from beginning to end.

We repeat each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds. We repeat each round in 2 circles. Rest 1 minute between circles. If you want to change your workout time, you can adjust the number of laps and exercise time.

Exercises and Kick forward and back in the first circle they are performed on one leg, in the second circle – on the other.

Advanced Cardio Exercises

If you're doing the intermediate cardio version without any problems, you can make your program even more challenging. Attention: the cardio exercises presented below are suitable only for experienced exercisers without health problems.

Advanced 30 Minute Home Cardio Workout Plan

All exercises are listed in the table below. Some exercises are taken from the intermediate level to give you the opportunity to catch your breath and endure the lesson from start to finish.

We repeat each exercise for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds. We repeat each round in 2 circles. Rest 1 minute between circles. If you want to change your workout time, you can adjust the number of laps and exercise time.

Cardio training at home using the Tabata method

Tabata training is a variation of cardio training that alternates bursts of intense intervals with short rest intervals. Cardio training using the Tabata method involves the following scheme: We train for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, perform 8 sets of each exercise, 1 minute rest between exercises. 1 Tabata round lasts 4 minutes.

We offer you 2 options for Tabata training at home: for intermediate and advanced levels of training. Typically, one Tabata workout includes 8 exercises, in this case the lesson lasts ~40 minutes, but there may be other options at your discretion. For beginners, it is better not to practice Tabata training, but to choose a training plan from those proposed above.

Scheme for performing cardio training at home using the Tabata protocol:

• Tabata training includes 8 exercises
• Each exercise is performed 8 approaches
• Each approach involves 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest.
• One exercise is performed for 4 minutes
• Rest 1-1.5 minutes between exercises
• The total duration of a cardio workout using the Tabata protocol for 8 rounds is 40-45 minutes.

Ready-made timers for Tabata can be downloaded for mobile absolutely free of charge, look in the application market of your device (Tabata Timer). Or turn on a ready-made video with a timer and music, for example:

• Running with shin splints
• Jump Squats
• Jumping in plank with legs raised
• Reverse plank foot touch
• Jumping to the side

Exercises and perform 4 approaches, first on one side, then on the other.

Execution scheme:

For example, first we do "Running with shin sprain" "Jump Squats"

Exercises included in the program:

Execution scheme:

• We perform each exercise according to the following scheme: 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest (this is one approach)
• We perform each exercise in 8 approaches, then move on to the next exercise.
• Between exercises rest 1-1.5 minutes
• Total workout duration: 40-45 minutes

For example, first we do in 8 approaches according to the 20/10 sec scheme, rest for a minute and move on to “I run with high knees”, which we also repeat in 8 approaches, etc.

What else is important to know about cardio exercises at home?

How many times a week should you do cardio?

1. First situation: you want to lose weight

• 30-45 minutes 3 times a week.
• 15-30 minutes 4-5 times a week.

2. Second situation: you just want to keep fit or are working on muscle mass

• If you plan to alternate strength and cardio workouts on different days, then do cardio 40-50 minutes 1 time per week.
• If you plan to do strength training and cardio on the same day, then do cardio 20-30 minutes 2 times a week.

When to do cardio training: after or before strength training?

If you do intense strength training with heavy weights for muscle growth, then do cardio after strength training.

If you do strength training with small weights for muscle tone, then there is no fundamental importance when to perform cardio exercises. Focus on your well-being. If after cardio exercise it is difficult for you to fully train, then start your session with strength exercises. If, on the contrary, you do not have enough strength for cardio after strength training, then start your session with cardio exercises.

How else can you do cardio workouts at home?

But if regular cardio exercises at home seem boring or simply inappropriate to you, then you can choose another type of activity to develop your cardiovascular system:

1. Exercise equipment. You can buy a treadmill for home, and then the question of choosing cardio training will disappear by itself.

2. Step aerobics. With this type of cardio such as step aerobics, you will never be bored, and the load on your knees during step aerobics is significantly lower than during jumping. More about this: Step aerobics: benefits, harm, effectiveness for weight loss, exercises.

When I started training, this question haunted me. When is it better to do cardio exercises, before or after strength training?

Some people believe that these exercises should be done at the beginning of a workout because they help warm up the body. Adherents of another school believe this: in order to lift more weight, you should conserve energy, and therefore the cardio load should be after the strength block.

Based on conversations with various trainers, as well as my own experience, I have briefly outlined the reasons why cardio exercises should be performed before strength training and why after it.

1) Why should cardio exercise be done before strength training?
If you're building up weights, one light set of cardio exercises will warm up your muscles so you can lift weights at high intensity.
Also, if you are training for an endurance event, such as a half marathon or triathlon, cardio should be done at the beginning of your training. This way, you use your core energy and put more effort into achieving maximum results.

2) Why should cardiovascular exercise be performed after strength training?

After cardio exercise, the quality of weight lifting exercises may suffer because energy sources may be depleted after it. And since the last two or three sets of weight lifting are most effective, it's important that you have enough energy left over for these sets. You may not have enough fuel if you did cardio exercises before strength training. Reducing the strength load in training will lead to a loss of strength over time, since the full potential of the muscles will not be used. Cardio exercise burns fats and carbohydrates. And if you do them at the beginning of the workout, you will spend most of the carbohydrates, which later will not be enough to produce energy during strength training. So if you want to build muscle, then strength training should be done first.
Also, according to some people, there is another reason for organizing the workout in this order. After suddenly stopping strength training, blood concentrates in the lower part of the body. With weakened blood circulation, the cardiovascular system works poorly and you may feel dizzy. Since moving muscles can restore blood circulation, it is beneficial to continue muscle activity. Cycling, walking, or other light-impact cardiovascular exercise are recommended to gradually reduce activity after resistance training.

So which approach should you take?
There are pros and cons to both approaches. If you plan to build muscle (which I do), do cardio before your main workout. If, on the contrary, you want to lose weight or tone your muscles, cardio should be in the first part of the workout, before you start lifting weights.

If you want to build muscle, but still prefer cardio exercises at the beginning of your workout, there is an alternative option: drink sports energy drinks before strength training.

Last but not least, do cardio and strength training on separate days. I haven't used this method myself before and would like to hear your opinion if you have experience with it.

And in conclusion I would like to say that cardio exercise is necessary no matter when you do it. They are useful for general strengthening of the body and for burning fat. Don't get hung up on the order of strength and cardio loads. Change their order occasionally. Doing cardio exercises before or after strength training is voluntary and not subject to any laws. If you enjoy doing cardio before strength training and feel it benefits you, continue doing whatever you feel comfortable doing.