Running, which engages your slow-twitch (type I) muscle fibers to carry you through sustained aerobic efforts, should always be done after lifting if building strength or muscle mass is your main goal.
The ACSM recommends doing your cardio exercise after lifting weights. Since weights push a much higher intensity stress on the muscle, you should do those first. If you did a running workout first, then your muscles could be too tired to lift the ...
You should run before your workout if weight loss is your main goal. This approach allows you to take advantage of the immediate caloric burn from running while still incorporating effective strength training into your routine afterward.
In order to do this, you must burn off your glycogen stores first. When you weight-train, you typically use glycogen as fuel. By doing weight-training first, you can burn the majority of your glycogen stores. Knocking out your cardio after you crush the weights will burn more fat!
Cardio exercises are preferred in the morning over stern exercises like weight lifting. This is because of the way our internal body clock works. When you wake up in the morning after resting for 7-8 hours then cardio seems better as it is less strenuous as compared to weight lifting.
Doing a cardio workout after weight training is ideal if you want to lose fat and get stronger.
The case for doing weights first
The less tired you are, the more repetitions you'll be able to do with correct form -- and good form is crucial for performing strength training exercises safely and effectively. Doing weights first may also be helpful for fat loss when combined with cardio, according to Millington.
The 12-week study concluded that exercising in the morning helped reduce abdominal fat and blood pressure for the women involved, and working out in the evening increased their muscle strength.
Four to five days is the sweet spot for many runners. Generally speaking, running more often develops your aerobic system better and helps you run faster and farther.
On pure calorie burn, he says: “You use more calories on a steady run, but consistently in studies, high intensity wins on fat burn.” So, the final answer to the question of short runs vs long runs for fat disposal is short and fast every time – both experts agree.
Start your warm-up with an easy 30-60 minute aerobic endurance run. You can do this on a treadmill or outdoors. Right after your endurance run do a strength or bodyweight workout. Do two to four sets of the following seven exercises: Pull-ups, Squats, Push-ups, Forward Lunges, Superman Pull, Bridge, Russian Twist.
At the end of the day your body is ready for the effort and the window from 5 to 7 pm is often conducive to good performance. If your training plan calls for a long run, getting out during the early evening can be your best bet.
Depends on your goals & priorities. If you're training for strength & lifting heavy that day, makes more sense to hit the weights first. If you're training specifically for running, might make more sense to run first before you're fatigued.
So, for instance, if building strength is your top goal, Silva recommends starting with weight-lifting. “Conversely, if improving your aerobic endurance is your priority, starting with running ensures you have the energy to train effectively,” he says.
Aerobic exercise includes any activity that raises your heart rate such as walking, dancing, running or swimming. This can also include doing housework, gardening and playing with your children. Other types of exercise such as strength training, Pilates and yoga can also help you lose belly fat.
Run after you lift if you're doing both on the same day in the off season. (If your race is around the corner, however, run first.) Wait about six to nine hours between your lifting session and your running workout, and aim for a low-to-moderate intensity run.
One small study found doing weights before cardio burned more fat. In another small study, researchers found that doing strength training first increased heart rate more than doing cardio first (in the same workout). So, starting your workouts with strength training could help you burn more calories.
If your goal is better endurance, do cardio before weights. If your goal is burning fat and losing weight, do cardio after weights. If you want to get stronger, do cardio after weights. On upper-body strength training days, you can do either first.
You will have stronger legs from running
When we run, we use all the muscles in our legs, big and small. If you are new to running, you might be surprised by how quickly you start to develop lean muscle in your legs and the speed at which you build endurance.
Go high-intensity.
“Sprint or high-intensity interval training (HIIT), for example, can lead to muscle hypertrophy,” Rosenkranz says, so higher-intensity training may be better than longer, slower endurance training for maximizing gains.