Should You Do Cardio Prior To Weight Training?

By Russ Howe


There are many questions in the fitness world which cause much confusion. If you were to ask ten fitness instructors for tips on how to lose weight, it's likely you'd get several very conflicting answers. Today's question in focus is this - should you do cardio before or after weights?

The facts behind this question are very clear so today you will discover the answer.

If you were to ask most experienced gym users for their opinion on this matter, you would probably be overwhelmed with the conflicting information in many people's views on the subject. You would also be shocked that despite the fact someone may look good, it appears they may merely be training instinctively and without any real knowledge of why they are doing things a certain way. Most people believe that doing cardio after weighs is superior as it allows you to hit the weights while your energy is peaking.

This particular belief stacks up well from a common sense point of view, but when you look at the latest scientific research available you will be surprised at the findings.

You see, in order to get to the bottom of this popular gym myth we have no choice but to look at things on a scientific level. The body makes several noteworthy changes during your time on the gym floor, some of which are hugely important in answering this question. The first of which is m-TOR release.

You may have seen that name, m-TOR, plastered across the pages of muscle building magazines in the past. That's because it is the enzyme your body releases in increased volume following a tough workout. It is the enzyme which is considered the 'key' to 'turning on' the post workout muscle building recovery phase. So if you are trying to build lean muscle in the gym (and who isn't?) then it makes sense to take increased m-TOR release very, very seriously. Ideally, you want to be in a state of increased m-TOR release for as long as possible after each and every workout.

During aerobic activity, such as a bike or treadmill, the body adapts by releasing an enzyme called AMPK.

Here is the real kicker - AMPK release blunts m-TOR release significantly!

So by jumping on a treadmill after your weights workout and doing half an hour of cardio exercise, you are actually causing your body to release a spike of AMPK and shut down much of the increased m-TOR you caused by working hard on the iron in the first place.

It is also worth noting that several studies have looked into just how much pre workout cardio can zap the muscles of strength, too. One study tested this theory by having subjects do a tough aerobic session followed by a bench press and squat session. The cardio only affected the squats, which prompted the conclusion that you can get around this issue by simply avoiding cardio activity before leg day - this allows you to get the full benefits of cardio without missing out on the full benefits of the spike in m-TOR brought about by a heavy weights session.

Learning how to lose weight can be a confusing path, with many conflicting opinions often causing confusion along the way. The next time somebody asks should you do cardio before or after weights, you can help the with the latest scientific research rather than gym myths.




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