Hello, welcome to Fitness At Home.
Today we will talk about one of the big questions: "What should be done first, Cardio or Workout".
So let's get started.
So, you decide to double dip and do cardio and lifting on the same day. Now, you’re wondering, “Which one should I do first?”
You’ve already heard the unexciting advice of “first do the one that fits your goal the most" or “do whichever first you prefer”.
In fairness, that’s true. Nothing beats planning your routines with preferences and goals in mind. But, if we look past such simple answers and dive into the science, the enzymes, and the physiology, then we will find that, ultimately,you want to lift FIRST and then cardio.
Here’s a few reasons why. Let’s first look at glycogen, (the stored form of the quickly metabolized energy source glucose). When you need more glucose, go to your glycogen stores. Cardio and lifting needs it, and if either of them have too little, performance suffers. And, even though lifting uses only about a third of the stores, it’ll take the biggest beating if there’s not enough, seeing that it demands quick bursts of energy provided primarily by glucose.
Cardio, though, is slow and steady, which is better suited with the slow and steady breakdown of fat for energy. Glycogen is still important, but you CAN train the body to adapt to doing cardio with lower glycogen levels. Some evidence even suggests that you can still improve performance as well. Another lift first theory is from the impact of the enzymes mTOR and AMPK.
mTOR is uber important for muscle growth and elevated significantly after resistance training. AMPK is believed to be activated from lower intensity exercises like cardio and promotes fat breakdown. Unfortunately, is also inhibits mTOR signaling,which in theory, means, if you do cardio first, muscle growth diminishes. But, it’s still currently just a theory and the AMPK effects only last roughly 15 minutes after cardio and sometimes not atall. mTOR, in contrast, can be elevated for as long as 48 hours after training.
But fatigue is the most important factor. The goal of many resistance training plans is to progressively overload, aka gradually increase resistance from exercise to exercise. To achieve this, you will need to be able to perform at your fittest. In case, if you finish a cardio session just before lifting, it can be a residual muscle fatigue which may compromise muscle force production.
Your heart will be taxed as well, which can affect energy transportation. You might also be mentally fatigued, which can dampen focus and motivation. Simply, you just won’t perform well. That’s not to say that lifting first won't impact your cardio. It’s just that cardio doesn’t demand as much as lifting, especially steady state cardio. Plus, by the time you go from your lifting to cardio, the type 1 fibers needed for cardio should be recovered enough to last you a while.
Now, with the suggested evidence, does that mean you should always lift first and then cardio? Well, that’s only if you have to. If you can split your workouts to different days or even different times of the day, that will allow more recovery and overall better performance for both. Just don’t overdo it. And yes, if you still prefer doing cardio before your lifting because it makes you feel better or that you feel it does help with your lifting after, then by all means go for it.
Either way, share your thoughts down below. And if you learn something from these articles and appreciate my efforts in providing you with well-researched and generally unbiased information.
So, in essence, I’m helping you with your goals as much as I can.
As always, thank you for reading and remember,it depends!
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