{"id":6357,"date":"2022-09-06T10:09:01","date_gmt":"2022-09-06T10:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=6357"},"modified":"2022-09-06T10:15:18","modified_gmt":"2022-09-06T10:15:18","slug":"should-i-do-strength-or-cardio-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/should-i-do-strength-or-cardio-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I do strength or cardio first?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sharing some tips on whether you should do strength or cardio first in your workout routine.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Hi friends! Hope you\u2019re having a great morning and hope you enjoyed the long weekend! I\u2019m already counting down the days until the next school break. Waking up early is not my cup of tea lol.<\/p>\n

For today\u2019s post, I wanted to talk about strength vs.cardio and which one you should do first in your routine.<\/strong> There are so many different types of exercise routines, and they offer different benefits for the body (and mind!). Doing an combination of strength and cardio can help you acheive your body composition and fitness goals, and knowing how to structure these in your routine can help you maximize the benefits. Deciding which one to do first depends on your fitness goals and other factors.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s post, I\u2019m sharing tips on how to decide which one to do first!<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Should I do strength or cardio first?<\/span><\/h2>\n

A balanced fitness plan includes strength and cardio components, as well as mobility and rest. You also want to make sure that you\u2019re alternating workout intensities throughout the week. For example, if you have a really hard cardio day, follow this with an easier day or rest. How much cardio and strength training you do in your weekly routine depends on your current fitness level, goals, unique factors (like age, health issues, injuries, medications, etc.). While I am a certified personal trainer and women\u2019s fitness specialist, please remember that I\u2019m not a doctor. Talk to your doctor before making any fitness changes and honor your body.<\/p>\n

Also, remember that whenever you start something new in your routine, you will likely be sore, so DON\u2019T push it too hard. This is why I usually have beginning training clients start with bodyweight-only or super light weights; they\u2019re going to be sore no matter what.<\/p>\n

Benefits Of Cardio After Weights<\/h3>\n

For body recomposition:<\/h4>\n

I typically recommend cardio after strength training if building muscle is the priority. \u00a0Typically women don\u2019t understand that if you\u2019re looking for a more \u201ctoned\u201d look, you need to put on muscle. For this reason, we\u2019ll emphasize strength training (progressive training and phased programming for optimal results), and sprinkle cardio in, but not too much.<\/p>\n

For hormonal considerations:<\/h4>\n

Also, many of the women I work with are dealing with hormone imbalances, often from years of stress, under-eating, and overexercising. Workouts can be an extra stressor on the body, especially intense cardio. So, we\u2019ll focus more on strength training and stick to daily walks until their energy levels return and inflammation is down.<\/p>\n

Weights first helps to prepare the body for cardio<\/h4>\n

Doing strength first can help the body prepare for more explosive cardio movements, as you\u2019re often working the joints through full range of motion and warming up the muscles. It can be helpful to mimic some of the upcoming cardio movements during your strength training routine.<\/p>\n

Increased metabolism through higher muscle density:<\/h4>\n

Muscle tissue is \u201chungrier\u201d than fat, which means it burns more calories at rest. When you\u2019re focused on muscle-building, you may not see a higher calorie burn during the workout, but you\u2019ll be increasing your body\u2019s energy demand, which increases your metabolism.<\/p>\n

Benefits Of Cardio Before Weights<\/h3>\n

A lever you can pull for fat loss<\/h4>\n

While I think that nutrition and sleep are the most important for fat loss goals, you can use cardio before strength training as a lever. Your overall calorie burn will be higher during the actual workout, and you\u2019ll have more energy to push yourself.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re training for a race or endurance event, cardio first can help performance<\/h4>\n

You\u2019ll have a higher amount of energy for whatever you do first in your workout. If you have specific endurance goals, I recommend warming up and then doing cardio first.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, consistency the most important<\/h3>\n

I wouldn\u2019t fret too much over whether you do cardio or strength first; it what makes sense for your routine that you\u2019re able to do consistently. It also depends on personal preference and what you enjoy. If you enjoy your routine, you\u2019re way more likely to stick with it for the long haul, which will give you the best results.<\/p>\n

So, tell me, friends: do you like to cardio and weights on the same day, or separate days?<\/p>\n

Which one do you like to do first?<\/p>\n

xoxo<\/p>\n

Gina<\/p>\n

Need help? Here\u2019s how to set up a workout plan<\/a> and how to determine your strength training split<\/a>. If you\u2019re looking for 1:1 nutrition or fitness coaching, you can apply here.<\/a> <3<\/p>\n

The post Should I do strength or cardio first?<\/a> appeared first on The Fitnessista<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sharing some tips on whether you should do strength or cardio first in your workout routine.\u00a0 Hi friends! Hope you\u2019re having a great morning and hope you enjoyed the long weekend! I\u2019m already counting down the days until the next school break. Waking up early is not my cup of tea lol. For today\u2019s post,\u2026
\nThe post Should I do strength or cardio first? appeared first on The Fitnessista.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":""},"categories":[20,1,21,22,19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6357"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6357"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6360,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6357\/revisions\/6360"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}