Should i run then lift weights

Glycogen is made from carbohydrates that your body breaks down into fuel. When your body converts glycogen into energy it becomes adenosine triphosphate , otherwise known as ATP. Interestingly enough, your body uses glycogen as fuel during higher-intensity exercise like lifting weights, and create these byproducts which can actually be used as fuel for lower-intensity activities like steady-state cardio , he says.

Cool, right? As mentioned, if you're training for a big endurance event such as a triathlon or marathon, you generally want to use your energy for your cardio efforts and do them first. Even if you're not focusing on a cardio-specific goal, there are some instances when squeezing in some cardio before strength work can be beneficial—namely, as a warm-up.

Eric Sternlicht , Ph. If you have a specific strength-related goal, like deadlifting a certain amount of weight or learning a specific technique such as an Olympic lift or kettlebell move , keeping it low-intensity is key. You should steer clear of HIIT and instead opt for steady-state cardio to limit the risk of fatigue affecting the strength workouts, says McCall. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that when exercisers did a low -intensity warm-up for 15 minutes, they were able to lift more weight in a one-rep max test on the leg press machine than those who did no warm-up, only warmed up for 5 minutes, or did a moderate -intensity warm-up of any length.

However, if you're just strength training for general fitness, you can go a little harder with your pre-weight lifting cardio.

When it comes to weight loss, it doesn't really matter which you do first—but strength trumps cardio, in terms of general importance, says Strenlicht. Most people will focus on doing more cardio when they're trying to lose weight because it burns more calories, but it's far better to do strength training two to three days a week, he says.

Strength training helps you increase or maintain lean body mass, which will burn more calories in the long run. ICYDK, the more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate the minimum amount of calories your body needs to perform normal bodily functions , explains Sternlicht.

See: The Science of Building Muscle and Burning Fat And when you do heavy weight training with shorter rest intervals, you produce greater excess post-exercise oxygen consumption aka EPOC , which are the calories you burn long after your workout. That's because it demands more on the anaerobic oxygenless energy pathways during exercise , which increases the need for oxygen post-workout.

So the more intense your lifts are—and the less rest you take between sets—the more EPOC you'll produce. That said, you shouldn't skip cardio altogether. For that reason, Gozo recommends doing hybrid strength-cardio workouts instead of steady-state cardio: "Each week, I recommend doing two total-body strength workouts with higher reps and lower weight and some interval training in between like an Orangetheory or Barry's Bootcamp class , plus two or three heavy strength workouts instead," she says.

If you want to lose weight, it's also important to increase your non-exercise activity thermogenesis NEAT —aka any movement or physical activity you do outside the gym, says Sternlicht. Want more? This guide can help you design your own workout plan for weight loss. By starting off with a weightlifting workout, your body's glycogen stores are depleted at a much faster rate.

Remember, the anaerobic system uses 1 molecule of glycogen to produce 3 ATPs, while the aerobic system produces 32 ATPs with the same amount of glycogen. Since glycogen stores must be depleted before your body begins to burn fat. A person who is lifting weights will reach the point where glycogen is depleted before a person who is jogging for example. If losing weight tends to be a struggle for you, it only makes sense that you would want to start burning fat as soon as possible when you get to the gym.

While it is important that you spend as much time as you can learning how to get the most out of your workouts, reading a bunch of articles isn't going to get you your dream body, now is it? You still need to come up with a workout routine that's perfect for you, come up with a nutritional plan that ensures you're getting all the essential nutrients and vitamins that you need, and, most importantly, you need to go to the gym and work your backside off consistently.

Do whatever you can that makes it easier for you to stick to your schedule. Hire a personal trainer if you feel lost in a gym or just need someone to push you to work harder, and workout when it's most convenient for you so you're less likely to miss a session.

If you do end up missing a session, make sure you make up for it when you can. At the end of the day, your attitude towards working out is more important than whether you decide to do cardio or weightlifting first. Workout Dilemma: Cardio or Weights First? Read more on how the human body works Now, let's go over what happens to your body when you decide to do cardio before lifting weights and vice versa. Cardio first Cardio before lifting weights isn't a bad idea if your goal is to be in shape with a decent amount of muscle to turn heads with.

Weightlifting first When you go right to the weights, you have all the energy you need to lift as hard as you want. That means you start burning fat a lot earlier when it's time for an aerobic exercise. Scenario 1: Male looking to gain muscle If you're a male looking to gain muscle mass, you'd be better off starting your workout with weight lifting, then finishing up with some cardio to burn off any fat your body has accumulated.

Scenario 2: Male looking to be fit and build muscle This scenario is where most fitness-minded males find themselves. Scenario 4: Female looking to lose weight and burn fat If your top priority when you walk inside a gym is to lose weight and burn fat, you're better off starting off with the weightlifting portion of your workout, then moving over to a low-intensity cardiovascular exercise.

What fuels the human body? Energy creation systems in the human body There are three main energy systems that power the human body. Anaerobic system : Also known as the lactic acid system, it works by breaking down glycogen stores into ATP via a complex chemical reaction, leaving lactic acid as a byproduct. That's where the burning sensation you feel while lifting weights comes from. This system is typically activated during high intensity short exercises.

That's why you have a harder time breathing during cardio workouts since your body needs more oxygen to create ATP. The aerobic system turns on after minutes of light or moderate exercise. It's the reason why jogging — or any other similar low intensity activity — feels easier after the first 10 minutes. Conclusion At the end of the day, the most important thing when it comes to figuring out whether you should be doing your cardio or weightlifting first is making sure you're getting the right amount of both in the first place.

There are three main body types: endomorph, ectomorph, and mesomorph. Endomorphs Endomorphs are people who are often pear-shaped, with large amounts of body fat. Ectomorphs Ectomorphs tend to be on the long and lean side. Mesomorphs Mesomorphs are the people who find themselves in-between the two groups above. Dedication trumps all While it is important that you spend as much time as you can learning how to get the most out of your workouts, reading a bunch of articles isn't going to get you your dream body, now is it?

One common misconception is that cardio is the most important exercise for losing weight , but both cardio and strength training are important for this. Cardio is well-documented to be effective at burning calories. If you lift weights for 30 minutes versus doing any other cardio activity for the same amount of time, cardio will burn more calories. With that in mind, you may want to start your workouts with cardio at a steady intensity to get into the heart rate zone you need for burning fat.

You can then transition into weight lifting, which will create an " afterburn ," that helps burns calories after you're done exercising. You don't even necessarily need to work your body hard to reap the benefits of a cardio workout. Lifting weights first, especially if you are lifting heavy using your entire body, will tire you out before you make it to the cardio portion of your workout.

That means you might cut your workout short and not reap the calorie-burning benefit of cardio -- especially if you want to burn as many calories you can in a set amount of time. That said, try both starting with cardio and starting with weight lifting to get a sense of what works best for you. If you are performing exercises with light weights, that can help get your heart rate up and get your body ready for running, biking or another cardio activity.

Lastly, if you like to run, bike or swim and want to improve your speed or overall endurance, then choosing cardio first is smart because you're going into those workouts fresh. This way you are starting with the most important exercise for your long-term goals and will make progress more quickly.

Lifting weights and performing strength training exercises is the most effective way to build muscle. If your main goal is to improve your strength, be able to lift heavy things or build more muscle, then lifting weights first is best.

Don't tire out your body by doing cardio first. The less tired you are, the more repetitions you'll be able to do with correct form -- and good form is crucial for performing strength training exercises safely and effectively. Doing weights first may also be helpful for fat loss when combined with cardio, according to Millington.