Cardio Finishes Last…Weight What?

Have you been working out for a while and still feel like you look like the same girl or boy you were when you started? Have you reached a new PR in the mile or lifted more weight than you did a year ago (or something along those lines)? There could be a lot of reasons as to why you are not seeing results; one HUGE reason could be your diet.

This week, I am not going to sit here and tell you how to cut the sugar, eat healthy, blah blah blah. This week, I want you to reevaluate the WAY you work out; not your form, not the reps, but the order of your cardio and weight training.

Cardio before weight training is a really great workout and is best if you are looking for a leaner toned look. One of the down falls of doing a great cardio workout before you lift is that you may use a lot more of your energy and only have a smaller percentage of your “pump” left over for your weight training workout.

Weight training before cardio is the best workout if you are looking to lose body fat and build muscle. You burn more calories AFTER you weight training, which means that while you are doing your cardio after a lifting session, you burning 2-3X more.

Cardio all the way can be a great stress reliever and super healthy for the heart, although that is all that is really is. Of course if you perform lots of cardio workouts throughout a day, you are bound to lose weight and feel better, although if you stick to your 30-minutes of cardio a day, you are truly only helping your heart and stress level.

The goal is to find a routine that fits you best and keep at it. Whatever your goal is, keep pushing forward. Remember, a small workout is better than no workout at all.

To learn more, check out these great articles:

Cardio After Strength Training?

Cardio Training Before or After Weights?

Topic of the Week: Weight Training

“It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you keep on going.”

Kenzi Weidman