Which way round

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by d0ugbug, Jun 24, 2009.

?

CV & Weights

  1. CV First, Weights Last

    2 vote(s)
    16.7%
  2. Weights First, CV Last

    10 vote(s)
    83.3%
  1. d0ugbug

    d0ugbug learning to smile

    Ok so the local council decided that if you want to use the gym inductions are now a must regardless if you been using it for years you must still spend upto an hour being shown what to do...

    Anyway I got asked how I work and I said weights first then 35min of CV, I was told that it was better to do CV first then weights as doing CV after weights would burn all the newly gained muscle?

    Even though I thought you do weights before CV so you have more energy and in turn are able to lift and push the body more.

    How do you work? I'm not sure I can ask "which way is right or wrong" as it may be down to personal preference?

    I was just a bit miffed that my way of working was knocked down so quickly...
     
  2. Spinmaster

    Spinmaster Valued Member

    Well, my Aikido Coach is a personal trainer, he sets up workouts for us; I know mine and my brother's previous routine had cardio (hitting heavy bag) afterwards.

    My sister does elliptical/treadmill for cardio, and she says that one routine had it afterwards, and another one had it before.
     
  3. Southpaw535

    Southpaw535 Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    When I did both I did weights first just becuase it got me into the mindset better
     
  4. CosmicFish

    CosmicFish Aleprechaunist

    I'd train weights first. Reason being that when you're lifting heavy you want to be able to put every last scrap of energy and effort into it. If you're pre-fatigued then you have less energy to spare on weights.

    However, this advice presupposes that your main goal is to get big, strong and muscular. If your routine is such that you have quite different goals you may want to adjust the order accordingly. E.g. if cardio health and/or overall fitness and conditioning is your main aim, and you don't particularly want to gain muscle, then you might well do better putting the cardio first.

    The argument "doing CV after weights would burn all the newly gained muscle" is rubbish. The muscle isn't built during or even immediately after a lifting session. It's built during the recovery period over the next few days.

    Now it's possible that doing more cardio may cause your body to build less overall muscle than it otherwise would have had you not done it. If you do a lot of cardio the body tends to respond by burning off some muscle. But, IMO, I seriously doubt it make any difference worth worrying about. And in any case, surely I'd be worth trading a few ounces of muscle to be a lot fitter?
     
  5. Stuart H

    Stuart H On the Mandarin bandwagon

    The individual disseminating this bull needs to be given some concrete shoes and thrown into the Thames. Muscle is not "burned" by cardio, nor is it synthesised immediately after weightlifting.

    Back to reality, and allow me to quote Steven Low from over on the Crossfit/Catalyst Athletics board:

     
  6. John Titchen

    John Titchen Still Learning Supporter

    I would always do CV work first, but then my CV work is the warm up. If I was intending to do a proper CV workout, I wouldn't be doing weights unless it was part of that CV workout.
     
  7. Stuart H

    Stuart H On the Mandarin bandwagon

    We're not talking about CV work as a warmup, so to use the two synonymously is just going to confuse everyone.

    If you don't train heavy weights and metcon together, no worries, but then it makes your post rather moot.
     
  8. Knight_Errant

    Knight_Errant Banned Banned

    I'd do the weights first. Don't want to be tired after running with that amount of heavy iron around. Plus, there's some sort of physiological reason i forget. best to run the day after apparently.
     
  9. yoj

    yoj Valued Member

    You don't want to be tired when doing free weights, have accidents on the stationary bike if you must.
     
  10. yoj

    yoj Valued Member

    hehe

    snap.
     
  11. Stuart H

    Stuart H On the Mandarin bandwagon

    See the Steven Low quote in my earlier post.
     
  12. Knight_Errant

    Knight_Errant Banned Banned

    Oh, I see. Fair nuff.
     
  13. Axelator

    Axelator Not called Alex.

    Weights first. If you're lifting large weights using compund lifts you cannot be tired.

    1. When you're tired your technique can get sloppy and that can lead to injury.

    2. When muscles are tired you cannot lift as much, so the workout is less useful.

    The person who told you that running will burn off the newly gained muscle for several reasons.

    1. Muscles don't grow while you're in the gym, they grow while repairing during rest after the workout (which is why you should have 48-72 hours between working out the same muscle group when it comes to strength training).

    2. Muscles will grow just fine if you run after as long as you are consuming a calorie surplus and have adequate ammounts of protein (1g -1.5g per lb of bodyweight).

    So yeah, just nod your head at them then once the "expert" is gone, go back to doing things properly.
     
  14. Frodocious

    Frodocious She who MUST be obeyed! Moderator Supporter

    I'm with those who say weights first if you're doing a combined session (and that the information you were given by the personal trainer is the typical clueless rubbish many of them come out with). I prefer to do cardio and weights in separate sessions on separate days though.
     

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