When
it comes to fat loss, one of THE most frequently-asked
questions I get is "to
maximize fat loss, should I do my cardio before
or after my weight training?"
I know there are
times when I like to be kept in suspense…
But I'm not going
to do that to you here…
Physiologically
speaking, if maximum fat loss is your goal and
you want to incorporate cardio into your training
schedule, you're better off doing your cardio
training immediately AFTER your weight training.
Here's why:
1. When you do weight training
first, you have more energy and strength for that
weight training.
I know cardio junkies
won't want to hear this, but intense, QUALITY
weight training is actually MORE effective for
fat loss than cardio training. Why the emphasis
on quality? Well, if you go to the gym and just
flail around with light weights for 30 minutes,
it's not really going to be very effective for
fat loss.
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However, if
you really put some effort into it and train
hard, the metabolic boost you get from weight
training (in terms of not only calories
burned while doing it but the increase in
metabolism after AND the increase in muscle
mass you get from weight training) is greater
than the boost you get from cardio training.
And, when compared to slow, long-duration
cardio training, that boost is MUCH greater.
So by performing
your weight training FIRST, while you're
fresh, you're going to have more energy
to put into it and you're going to be stronger.
This will increase metabolic and muscle
mass stimulation and therefore overall fat
loss. It's a win-win situation!
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That's not to say
you can't do a couple of minutes of cardio as
a general warm-up before starting into the weights...just
don't do an entire cardio session before weight
training. Always keep in mind that the weight
training is the REAL engine behind your fat loss
efforts.
And if THAT isn't
enough to convince you to do cardio after weights,
I've got another reason for you…
2. Performing weight training first
decreases available blood sugar and puts the body
in "fat burning" mode.
When you train with
weights, you're performing short, intense muscle
contractions. Glucose (blood sugar) is the preferred
fuel for driving these intense contractions. As
you go through your workout, your body gradually
uses up its readily-available supply of sugars
and starts mobilizing fat for energy.
Here's the key…mobilizing
bodyfat for energy is a process that takes time.
If you do your cardio first, your body will be
initially working on that blood sugar before getting
started on the bodyfat. By the time you're done
with cardio and move to weights, THAT is when
you're in the optimal fat-burning mode.
But the problem
is, fat is NOT an efficient fuel for weight training.
By doing cardio first, you use up all the "good"
stuff for weight training and force your body
to make do with a less powerful fuel source. Your
weight training workouts will decrease in quality
and your cardio efforts won't be as effective
for achieving fat-burning, which is your primary
goal!
So basically, you're
shooting yourself in the foot TWICE!
Think of your body
as a hybrid gas-electric car. This car uses gas
to provide more power for acceleration and electricity
to provide long-term power for maintaining speed.
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Now think
of blood sugar as gas and weight training
as powerful acceleration. When you press
the pedal (performing weight training),
you're going to get much better acceleration
when you're using the proper fuel (i.e.
gas).
If you try
and power the acceleration with electricity,
you'll go forward but not nearly as quickly
as if you were using gas.
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The bottom line
is this…perform your weight training first
so you use up the "fast" energy first.
Then, by the time you hit the cardio, you're ALREADY
in fat-burning mode and every single second you're
doing that cardio is going to be burning more
fat than if you did it first.
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These two reasons
apply no matter if you're doing slower, long-duration
cardio or high-intensity interval training (which
I recommend). The key thing to keep in mind is
that WEIGHT TRAINING is what's going to help you
change your body FAST…cardio is a useful
tool for improving your results but it's NOT what
drives your fat-loss results.
And that being said,
if you absolutely feel you MUST do your cardio
first, I'm NOT going to tell you it's the worst
thing in the world…the fact that you're doing
SOMETHING trumps doing nothing ANY day of the
week!
But if you're looking
for maximum impact for the time and effort you're
putting your training, DEFINITELY hit the weights
first and cardio after.
If you're interested
in more articles and information on fat-loss,
interval training and programs, check out the
following links:
How
To Lose Fat NOW - A Basic Fat-Loss Program That
You Can Put To Work Today!
BASIC
Nutrition - A Quick, Common-Sense Guide To What
You Should Be Eating to Stay Healthy and Get Results
Right Now
What
Do You Mean Low-Intensity Training Isn't The Best
For Fat Burning?
The
Insider Secrets of Interval Training - Learn How
Now!
8
Week Cardio Interval Training Blast! Get Increased
Fat Loss AND Take Your Cardio Fitness To A Whole
New Level
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