I'm sure it's been asked a million and one times, but I'm gonna make it a million and two.

Due to work, I can only take time to work out immediately when I get off duty. I generally exercise sometime around 7 PM-8PM or so. With this in mind, I usually do weights, followed immediately by running/cardio. Is this harmful? Will my cardio hinder my muscle gains? This is really the only time I can work in cardio throughout the day, and so I've assumed it's alright. Let me know if it's hindering more than helping.

Thanks, folks! :tucool:

This is a mixed bag and has been debated here for a long time. The bottom line is you have to experiment with your routine and see what works best for you.

In general, if you must do cardio during the same workout as lifting, do cardio after. But make sure your whole working (lifting and cardio) only lasts 45-60 minutes. Otherwise you will release too much cortisol, and your gains won't be very good.

What a lot of people do, including myself, is lift 3 days a week and do cardio 3 days a week (non-lifting days). For me, this allows my muscles to develop better while not neglecting my heart from reduced cardio.

For some people, doing cardio the same workout as lifting hinders progress. This is true when bulking. However, when cutting, it's probably less of a problem.

Remember, lifting builds mass, which burns more calories when you're at rest. Doing cardio burns more calories. If you lift and do cardio the same workout, you'll burn more calories and have less calories to put towards muscle building, so your progress may be slower. But it all depends on your fitness goals.

I'm sure it's been asked a million and one times, but I'm gonna make it a million and two.

Due to work, I can only take time to work out immediately when I get off duty. I generally exercise sometime around 7 PM-8PM or so. With this in mind, I usually do weights, followed immediately by running/cardio. Is this harmful? Will my cardio hinder my muscle gains? This is really the only time I can work in cardio throughout the day, and so I've assumed it's alright. Let me know if it's hindering more than helping.

Thanks, folks! :tucool:

Shit man, this debate has been going on forever and I imagine it won't end any time soon. You're gonna get a thousand different answers here but I think I speak for everybody when I say if you're gonna do resistance training/cardio together, ALWAYS do cardio AFTER lifting.

This is a mixed bag and has been debated here for a long time. The bottom line is you have to experiment with your routine and see what works best for you.

In general, if you must do cardio during the same workout as lifting, do cardio after. But make sure your whole working (lifting and cardio) only lasts 45-60 minutes. Otherwise you will release too much cortisol, and your gains won't be very good.

What a lot of people do, including myself, is lift 3 days a week and do cardio 3 days a week (non-lifting days). For me, this allows my muscles to develop better while not neglecting my heart from reduced cardio.

For some people, doing cardio the same workout as lifting hinders progress. This is true when bulking. However, when cutting, it's probably less of a problem.

Remember, lifting builds mass, which burns more calories when you're at rest. Doing cardio burns more calories. If you lift and do cardio the same workout, you'll burn more calories and have less calories to put towards muscle building, so your progress may be slower. But it all depends on your fitness goals.

See, I had always thought (not based on any published or scientifically-founded information) that cardio 5 days-a-week promotes a continual fat-burning cycle, more or less. I believed this because I had always been in my best shape when I had played sports in high school, running day in, and day out.

Since you have replied to several of my posts already (thanks a bunch, by the way! :tu: ), you probably realize my goals are a very lean figure, with noticable (if not cut) muscle definition/toning. Will decreasing from 5 days-a-week, to only 3 hinder fat-loss massively? It just seems logical to me that it might slow down progress, but I also understand that it might be beneficial.

Overall, I think (since I am also using a 3-day split) that I am going to try cardio on 3 of my off-days. Any information about my questions above is appreciated, and like you said, I'll experiment with it and see how it works out. :D

Only through experimentation can you tell if going from a 5 day to 3 day cardio routine will alter your fat burning.

I've always believed that 80% of fat burning is done in the kitchen, and the other 20% is done in the gym. But anyway, the best physical fat burner, in my opinion, is muscle building. When you have more muscle, you'll burn more TOTAL calories all day long. Cardio burns calories while you're doing it (and some afterwards, but this has been highly debated here). In comparison to the total calories you burn during the day, cardio is usually only a small fraction (around 500 of 2700 or more). So, in the long run, burning more total calories and improving your overall quality of life will be the best fat burner. Turning your body into a permanent fat burning machine should be your goal--instead of focusing on fat burning cardio sessions.

Any reason why you couldn't incorporate the two since you're pressed for time anyway. Example: do circuits, possibly a HIT (high intensity training) routine, or possibly compound exercises with very short rests but give it your all. So long as your heart rate is up...I think you'd be getting the best of both even though you wouldn't be getting the max benefit of either...and really, that wouldn't be that big a deal. You are at least exercising and trying to make the most of your time, keep your quality calorie intake up and you should be good.

I guess it depends on your overall fitness goals.

I used to be all cardio in my mentality but I now try to find a happy medium of overall fitness as my target (since adding muscle increases your resting caloric burning rate (I mean how cool is that? Increased fat burning by breathing....that's a good by-product worth working towards). then again, I'm not preparing for any type of contest other than everyday life so as long as I'm sitting at comfortable numbers and my refelction in the mirror "looks" okay, I'm pretty cool with things.

I do both with probably a little more weight training simply because i like it more. Like its been said its really depends on your goals.

I do Cardio right before lifting and see no loss in energy..actually today I benched more than I ever did before :D

Simple: lift weights 3 days a week, do cardio 2 days a week. And throw in some cardio on Saturday and Sunday.

If you find it necessary to do cardio after weight training, keep it very short and very hard. And then eat your face off immediately.

If you find it necessary to do cardio after weight training, keep it very short and very hard. And then eat your face off immediately.
That is one of my problems with cardio post workout. You miss out on a huge and important opportunity to feed the hell out of your muscles with carbohydrates. Instead of getting your butt out of the gym, having some carbs, and GROWING, you are sitting on a bike. It's a waste of an opportunity.

i was just wondering about this the other day. my routine is usually 20 minutes steady on the elliptical and then weight training. after weight training i run a mile as fast as possible (which still isn't that fast.... yet).

i should probably reconsider some of my routine and do longer cardio sessions on my non-weight days and then limit the cardio to just the mile run on my weight days :)

thanks for the info everyone

Most recommend 8 to 12 hours bettween cardio and weight training on the same day also if your concerned about muscle growth.

Thus far enjoying my new split. Lifted last night... only lifted. I have always enjoyed doing weights, but cardio has always been such a chore. My muscles feel more taxed (in a good way) this morning, than they have when I've lifted and ran. I love the feeling, and hopefully with weights and cardio alternated, I'll make some progress. :D

That is one of my problems with cardio post workout. You miss out on a huge and important opportunity to feed the hell out of your muscles with carbohydrates. Instead of getting your butt out of the gym, having some carbs, and GROWING, you are sitting on a bike. It's a waste of an opportunity.

What about the 2 hour window of opportunity? Unless you're doing cardio for a ridiculous amount of time, there should be plenty of time for PWO nutrition.

What about the 2 hour window of opportunity? Unless you're doing cardio for a ridiculous amount of time, there should be plenty of time for PWO nutrition.

I think the bigger problem is cortisol. If you do cardio after an intense lift, your body will bump up cortisol levels, which is bad for muscle gains. Cortisol breaks down muscle proteins. So, it's probably better to rest and refuel immediately after lifting. Ideally, you'll lift for 45-60 minutes and then your body won't release too much cortisol.

I think the bigger problem is cortisol. If you do cardio after an intense lift, your body will bump up cortisol levels, which is bad for muscle gains. Cortisol breaks down muscle proteins. So, it's probably better to rest and refuel immediately after lifting. Ideally, you'll lift for 45-60 minutes and then your body won't release too much cortisol.

I think everyone is way over cautious about all this scientific mumbo - jumbo.Just take a look at any Div.1 college football teams workout routine and the results their players get.You wanna talk about double session cardio/strength training? Talk about muscular development?

I think everyone is way over cautious about all this scientific mumbo - jumbo.Just take a look at any Div.1 college football teams workout routine and the results their players get.You wanna talk about double session cardio/strength training? Talk about muscular development?

I don't think it's mumbo-jumbo. I call it fact. And I hardly call some football players top-nothch athletes; linemen are big and fat. Most linebackers and quarterbacks have about 16%-18% body fat (read this in SI last fall). The players in the best shape on the field are cornerbacks and receivers, and I hardly call them "huge." They are lean and mean.

I consider athletes like Lance Armstrong, Michael Johnson to be top notch.

And I can speak from first hand experience. I used to run 3 miles after every lift. Once I stopped doing that, my muscles grew so much better.

I don't think it's mumbo-jumbo. I call it fact. And I hardly call some football players top-nothch athletes; linemen are big and fat. Most linebackers and quarterbacks have about 16%-18% body fat (read this in SI last fall). The players in the best shape on the field are cornerbacks and receivers, and I hardly call them "huge." They are lean and mean.

I consider athletes like Lance Armstrong, Michael Johnson to be top notch.

And I can speak from first hand experience. I used to run 3 miles after every lift. Once I stopped doing that, my muscles grew so much better.

First of all,the last time I checked defensive backs and receivers WERE football players.Secondly, i'm pretty sure diet has a lot to do with the BF% of alot of players.(lineman in particular) I'm also pretty sure those "big and fat" lineman have lots of well developed muscle underneath their fat.As far as being huge - I don't care. It's all about personal preference. I'll take the Tyrell Owens body any day!
Lastly, because something works or doesn't work for you does not mean it will or will not be effective for someone else.

Oh, by the way. I'd hardly call Lance Armstrong a poster boy for muscular developement.

Cortisol levels are very important with respect to influencing body fat levels. This is indisputable.

Cortisol levels are very important with respect to influencing body fat levels. This is indisputable.

Cortisol will not make you fat. Over eating will. When people talk about the fat gain/cortisol relationship they are referring to chronic cortisol elevation brought on by things such as improper diet, stress, trauma, and a host of other things. Although cortisol levels will increase sharply during physical activity (stress) it is only temporary.