One of the most common mistake I see in the gym is people doing cardio before resistance training. Research is showing that performing resistance training and aerobic training can have a negative impact on each other, so the obvious solution would be to separate cardio and resistance training workouts to get maximal benefit out of both. In the real world, people just don’t have time to hit the gym twice a day, so we need to find a way to combine both forms of exercise for the best results.
On this board I will present research that proves resistance exercise should always be done after strength training. In the study below, the researches concluded “It appears that in training that combines both aerobic and resistance exercises, performing a comparatively higher intensity resistance exercise first would augment fat utilization and energy expenditure during subsequent aerobic exercise”.
My suggestion is to always do resistance training before cardio if both are combined in the same workout, and to also use heavier weights as they burn a lot more calories and elevate anabolic hormones more than lighter exercise. Stay tuned for more research on this topic.
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2009 Sep;107(1):43-50. Epub 2009 Jun 6.
Effect of preceding resistance exercise on metabolism during subsequent aerobic session.
Kang J, Rashti SL, Tranchina CP, Ratamess NA, Faigenbaum AD, Hoffman JR.
Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Health and Exercise Science,
The College of New Jersey, 222 Packer Hall, Ewing, NJ 08628, USA. kang@tcnj.edu
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to evaluate the acute effect of prior resistance training of varying intensities on energy expenditure and substrate utilization during subsequent aerobic exercise. Eleven males and 21 females completed three experimental trials consisting of (1) aerobic exercise only (C), (2) aerobic exercise preceded by a high-intensity resistance training (HI), and (3) aerobic exercise preceded by a low-intensity resistance training (LO). Resistance training produced an equal volume between HI and LO and consisted of six exercises with each performed for three sets of eight repetitions at 90% of 8-RM in HI and three sets of 12 repetitions at 60% of 8-RM in LO. Aerobic exercise was performed on a cycle ergometer at 50% VO(2)peak for 20 min in all trials. Oxygen uptake (VO2), and carbohydrate and fat oxidation were determined throughout each aerobic exercise session. Fat oxidation rate was higher (P < 0.05) in HI than either LO or C in both males and females. VO2 was also higher (P < 0.05) in HI than either LO or C in females. In males, although between-trial differences in VO2 did not reach statistical significance, they were consistent with the trend seen in females. No differences in carbohydrate oxidation rates were observed across the three trials in either gender group. It appears that in training that combines both aerobic and resistance exercises, performing a comparatively higher intensity resistance exercise first would augment fat utilization and energy expenditure during subsequent aerobic exercise.
