Why the sudden slowdown?

[Stinkweed]

Quick question: Does doing cardio right before weights (and I do every day, considerable amounts. I mean, I do 30 minutes, but I break a mean sweat) hamper your efforts in gaining size through weight training? Does it also hamper your efforts in getting stronger through weight training?

[cantexplain]

I am not a physiologist nor a doctor .... but I think yes, if you want to add mass you need to get your cardio out from in front of the weight training, repping toward adding mass. Otherwise your cardio system will be a bit tired when you need it to do the extremes of adding mass to your muscles through pushing your weight training to the next limit. Consider your weight training to be your cardio, on that day.

 

Focus only on adding mass on the days you do that. On days following weight training, while your muscles are resting and restoring, then you can do the more vigorous cardio.

 

This is just my hunch having worked in fitness eqpt industry.

[Bigbilly]

I wouldn't say so. At least twenty-thirty minutes of cardio beforehand is actually a good idea. I would say it's probably your diet or maybe you aren't getting enough water? If twenty minutes of cardio is wiping you out so much, start with maybe ten or fifteen and then work your way up. Also, make sure you're getting a good amount of carbs and proteins if you want to build muscle.

 

This site is more focused on bodybuilding, but it still has a lot of good advice and articles pertaining to muscle gain and diet. Check it out.

link removed

[Juha]

You should do cardio after you lift... If your main goal is to gain mass and muscle then you are using alot of energy before you lift and not giving max effort to lifting...

 

DO cardio after lifting and on days when you do the big muscle groups I would do lighter than normal cardio...

 

Also within 30 minutes of lifting you need to take in protein, so if you are going to do cardio you need to eat a bar and or drink a shake...

 

The other thing is if your goal is to gain then you must take in at minimum 500 more calories a day than you use...Now I don't know your body type or metabolism so I can't say how many calories is good for you...

 

Good luck on your goals....

 

If you have anymore ??? I would be glad to help

[TiredMan]

Yes if you want to gain size, either do cardio another time OR do it right after the weight training.

[cantexplain]

You should do cardio after you lift...

 

Agreed!

[mikeca]

third agree,

 

I use to do before and felt nothing in ym gains, switched to cardio after the workout, or on separate days, much more pleasing

[Stinkweed]

Ok, then cardio after lifting it is. I usually eat an energy bar, then do 30 minutes cardio, about 30 minutes weights and right after that I drink a protein shake. My goal was to get rid of all the flab, because I weigh about 184 lbs and I'm over 6' so I was told by a nutritionist that I shouldn't lose any more weight, that I was alright between 180-190lbs. The thing is I used to weigh 245lbs, but during the last couple of months of school last year and the first couple of months of school this year, I had terrible eating habits, so I pretty much underate, which is why I think that even though at one point I was at 180 lbs, I looked terrible and had all this flab even though I did cardio. According to the nutritionist I should be eating around 2400-2600 calories on my active days and about 2200 on my sedentary days (which are sundays only). I don't really count how much I eat, but I do eat A LOT compared to what I used to eat before, and I eat about every 3-4 hours a meal, 3 of these meals are decent meals, and the others are about as large as a snack. One thing, though, maybe I"m not getting enough carbs? I try to stay away from those, because not only do I not know with 100% (I do eat lots of fruits and veggies, and sometimes whole grains, but not that many because I don't have THAT much access to them) cetainty which ones are good for me, sometimes I think that they are the one thing that fattens me the most.

 

Well, I'll try doing weights after the cardio, and right before the weights eat the energy bar and protein shake? Or is it okay if I just eat the energy bar, do weights, do cardio for 30 minutes and then drink the protein shake?

[sddeaston]

I do cardio in the mornings. And after work I lift weights. That gives me both of my workouts, and an extended rest in between both activities providing my muscles time to rest and re-gain their full strength.

 

It is not a matter of whether you do it before or after unless you do it RIGHT before you lift, because as others have said it tires your muscles and you can not give full effort to the weights.

 

If you run and don't lift, your upper body will lose muscle mass. If you lift and don't run, your body will gain strength, and slowly will store fat around those muscles as a protective layer....naturallly. If you combine the two, in any fashion, you will have both bases covered.

 

It does not have to be back to back, your body will respond the same.

[Stinkweed]

It does not have to be back to back, your body will respond the same.

 

It's just that I only have time during the morning. I study and have class for the rest of the day, basically... So, I think I'll try doing the weights first, when I'm at full strenght, and then do the cardio. I mean, sure the weights tire you, but I doubt it'll get me too tired, tired enough to slow my cardio down... On the other hand, doing cardio first might be slowing my lifting down by tiring me out? I dunno, I guess I'm going to try this other way.