Cardio Before or After Weights

A lot of people wonder whether they should do their cardio before or after weights. There really isn't a simple answer to this question. Depending upon your personal situation or fitness goals, there are a couple of variables that will influence the answer of whether you should do cardio before weight training or cardio after weight training. Perhaps the number one, biggest influence in this answer is your individual fitness goals. This will be determined by whether you want to train to gain strength, if you want to lose weight or if you are looking at improving your overall health, all of which will influence whether it is more important to do your cardio before or after weights.

Aside from the goals you want to achieve in your fitness workout regimen, there are other things to consider that will determine which order you should do your cardio and your weight training.

#1 - Intensity - Are you doing an aerobic activity that it HIIT or high intensity interval training, or are you working out at a stead rate of cardio? Beyond that, are you doing heavy lifting, high rep training or low rep training to the point of failure?

#2 - Duration - Are you doing a marathon-style cardio workout or a short and intense workout?

#3 - Conditioning - Think about how your muscles feel after you do weight training and cardio. Which exercise tires your muscles out more?

#4 - Motivation - Do you have a personal preference as to which exercise you want to do first? This could be determined by how focused you are throughout your workout from beginning to end.

In a small study that was conducted by Brigham Young University involving 10 men, it was determined that doing weight training after cardio was the most beneficial method. Here is a rundown of the findings from that study:

* When cardio is done before weights, the body's EPOC or caloric "after burn" effect was at its highest rate.
* It is much more difficult physiologically to do a cardio workout after weight training, than it is to do your cardio work before weights.
* The result of the study was that it is better to do aerobic exercise before weight resistance exercise if you will be combining both workouts into one session.

Unfortunately, this study was only conducted on 10 individuals, so it isn't a hard fast finding by any means. While there are benefits to doing cardio exercise before weight training, there is a lot of doubt raised on whether or not fat truly is burned at a higher rate using this method.

When you think about it, it's very practical to do your cardio exercise after weight training. It is very beneficial for your energy level to be at its highest rate when you are lifting weights. It requires a lot of mental focus and physical coordination to successfully do weight training. A bulk of most cardio workouts involve the legs, making it extremely difficult to be able to do sets of heavy squats following a 45-minute cardio workout. However, the opposite can also be true, as trying to get an aerobic cardio workout after doing sets of heavy squats would be very difficult as well.

In my experience I believe it is best to do cardio after weights or, if possible, split your cardio and weight training into different workout routines, however here are some suggestions to help you determine your own best order:

* To Increase Muscle - It is recommended that you do cardio after weight training so your energy will at peak levels during the weight training portion of your workout.

* To Improve Cardio Endurance - It is recommended that you do a cardio workout before weight training so you can focus your highest energy during the cardio phases and max out your marathon or HIIT workout training.

* To Burn Fat - Six of one, half a dozen of the other! When you are wanting to burn fat there are even more factors to consider, such as burning more calories during a longer cardio routine versus a rigorous weight training routine that might tire you out even faster. However, if you are advanced in your exercise routine, you could do a series of resistance training followed by cardio to help maximize fat burning due to an accelerated release of fatty acids and HGH into the bloodstream. * To Improve Health - If your goal is to improve your overall health, there is no difference in the order that you do your weight training and cardio.

There are so many factors that influence the outcome, which is why there really is no simple answer to the question of doing cardio before or after weights. Doing cardio work before weight training will increase your cardio endurance, however doing cardio work after weight training will help you to bulk up the size and strength of your muscles. This is why it is important to think about your individual goals and make a decision based upon what will help you achieve your goals as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Dave provides no-nonsense "best of the best" diet and exercise tips to lose fat and build lean, defined muscle without spending hours in the gym. There's no point in using a bodybuilder routine to get a fitness model physique. These are Not Your Average Fitness Tips. Read more about performing cardio before or after weights and download a FREE copy of Dave's Fitness in a Flash report to help get a lean, athletic look in no time. http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com

Complications From Exercise and How to Prevent Them

Before we get started on the problems and complications that can arise with an exercise programs, let me make one quick note. Exercise is without a doubt, absolutely necessary to keeping and maintaining a healthy body.

Exercise has proven to help with all sorts of physical complications. Here is just a short list of those that can be treated with a regular exercise regimen: Diabetes 1&2, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Arthritis, Breast & Colon Cancer and Thyroid problems. Regular exercise will also raise metabolism, strengthen tendons and joins, improve intelligence, fight mental disorders and the list goes on.

Now the negative effects that can arise are few, but can be serious or lead to more sever complications. First, we will list and explain each, but then show how to prevent them.

Issue 1, we all know that lifting weights can cause problems like pulled muscles, tendon rips or tears, spinal disc problems and hernias. If our bodies not used to exercises or movements with weights, it becomes very easy for us to workout inappropriately. Without knowledge or professional direction, we will tend to lift in jerky movements in order to complete a rep. By using a quick dynamic movement to complete a set of reps, the chances of serious injury become much, much greater. This is normally where a muscle or tendon is ripped or where a disc in our spine is slipped.

Injuries almost always occur when there is just too much exertion put forth or any big swinging

movements are used.

Rule #1, when it comes to exercise in general, find the proper and save technique for every exercise and follow it in exact manner. Research on the internet, get a weight lifting book or as a personal trainer for the proper instructions.

We tend to push ourselves harder then required to reach specific goals, because we think it will help us reach our goals quicker. Know this; you will get much faster results with the actual recommended weights and reps, but also with the proper technique. Master the technique in order to maximize the results. (Always keep the spine straight or in a neutral position with your level and abs slightly contracted.)

Issue 2, other complications that might arise, is the psychological and physiological effects of over-reaching or over-exertion. The psychological consist of the following: Depressions, Apathy, Low self-esteem, Poor motivation, and Sensitivity to stress. The physiological consist of the following: Chronic fatigue, Sleeplessness, Lack of hunger, Upset stomach, Joint pains, and Headaches.

By exerting to much energy in a workout or working out for too long without a day of rest, our body starts to deplete its nutrients and minerals. Without the proper rest and the proper diet our body will shut down in order to get that recuperation period. Our bodies need time to rebuild muscles. Every time we lift weights we are creating little micro tears in our muscles fibers, but only with rest and recovery can they rebuild and get stronger. This process leads to bigger and stronger muscles.

Rule #2, give yourself at least 48 hours between challenging workouts on a specific muscle group (If Upper body is worked on Monday, then the next upper body day will be Wednesday). Also, eat lots and lots of good foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, calcium-rich foods, and meats and beans. (Check out www.MyPyramid.Gov for a complete list of foods and ways to customize your diet.)

Number 3, a regular exercise regimen "does" actually help with issues of heart disease and high blood pressure, but on occasion, can actually do the opposite. Especially with weight lifting programs, we tend to challenge ourselves and lift real heavy weights. This heavy weight will then cause us to tighten up our abs and core in order to assist with the lift. The problem occurs when the tightening of the core causes us to hold our breath instead of continually breathing pattern. This is very bad for our heart and blood pressure. Holding our breath causes our heart to work overtime to get oxygen into our muscles, organs and brain. This in turn will raise our blood pressure for a short time, but if done continuously on a regular basis, can lead to long term damage to our heart, arteries and blood vessels. Another way we unintentionally raise our blood pressure is by gripping too tightly to the handles of weights or machines. This constricts the blood vessels in our arms, which causes the heart to work too hard.

Rule #3, remember to breath continuously, in through the nose and out through the mouth, while exercising. Use the proper grip pressure to hold onto the handle of free weights or machine weights.

Regular exercise will greatly improve our lives while helping to prevent or eliminate most complications. Just remember to always take the proper precautions and learn how to do each exercise correctly and safely. Knowing how to do something correctly will protect you from loads and loads of unnecessary pain.

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Cardiovascular Exercises For Weight Loss

There are two things that I'm sure of in this life. The first thing is that the natural way is always the best and safest way to do anything and the second thing is that cardio can go a long way in helping you loose weight. I know how it feels to look at the skinny runway models and wonder what happened to the days when you could pass off as a swim suit model. Well I didn't just leave it at wishful thinking. I went and bought all the products you know of that promise to burn your fat sooner than you thought possible.

Some products were simply a waste of my money because the only thing that had grown visibly smaller is the amount of cash in my pockets! The ones that actually did work only had lasting effects for a very short while, before the weight all came back and at times even more than what I had before. I had gone on all those fat burning soups and weight loss diets that have ever been n existence. I bounced from one diet to another and at some point health actually started deteriorating. Let's just say hat there is only that much that your body can do when all it is being given are some herbs and some pills.

I woke up one day and decided that I'm done fighting with my weight issues. I decided that I will embark on a journey to love my body the way I am. However big or small I am. I got a job a coupe of blocks from where I lived but he fact that I didn't have a car meant that I had t walk to work every single morning. I would wake up early and walk for about 20 minutes to where the office was; of cause I had to wake up earlier so because my pace wasn't that fast and it would have taken a healthier person probably less than 10 minutes to get there. The building didn't have an elevator so I had to get to the 7th floor using the stairs.

At first it was hell and I actually thought of quitting the job because of how frustrating it was to go to work. With time my peed increased and I didn't notice any change until about two months down the line my clothes started getting buggy. In actual sense I was getting smaller. About 4 months later I had lost a considerable amount of weight that was visible even to my colleagues. I decided to couple it with a morning jog every morning before going to work. This increased the rate at which I was losing weight.

My progress gave me both hope and motivation to go on. I took a step further and signed up at the local gym. I started lifting weights and using all those shinny looking machines. In just a matter of 14 months I had gone from a size 16 to a size 10 and I maintained that weight.

Dane Fletcher is the world's most prolific bodybuilding and fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for BodybuildingToday.com. If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit http://www.BodybuildingToday.com, the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.

Exercise and Lifting Weights

A lot of men jump into exercise and lifting weights quickly and end up adding on weight too fast. This can be extremely dangerous and can severely damage your body. So it is important that everyone practice healthy exercise for weight lifting. That doesn't mean that you have to forgo gaining large muscles, but it means that you slowly build up rather than jumping into it too quickly.

Before you begin with exercise and lifting weights, you need to consult with a doctor to find out if you have any health problems that would limit what kind of weight lifting you can do. Once you have seen a doctor you need to either meet with a trainer, research information on how to properly do each type of weight lifting exercise, or watch a video that will properly instruct you. If you haven't sought guidance before, you will be surprised how many things you need to keep in mind when doing exercise and lifting weights.

One thing that you always need to keep in mind with exercises for weight lifting is that you also need to be doing cardiovascular workouts. The cardio exercises will help keep your body strong and healthy and will give you the flexibility you need to do lifting weight.

Another thing to recognize is that building up the muscles requires a different type of work out than just toning the muscles. It is recommended that everyone begin with toning before going to building up the muscles. Toning your muscles will strengthen you and get rid of unwanted fat. By doing this first, it will make building up the muscles much easier and will give the muscles a nicer shape.

In doing exercise and lifting weights to tone your muscles you need to focus on a low weight and a high number of reps. This works for any part of the body, whether it be arms, legs, or back. Once you are ready to move onto building up your muscles, you can start to increase weight as you decrease the number of reps. I highly recommend that you look into weight lifting exercises online, in a book, or talk with a trainer to come up with a routine that has a recommended weight, reps, and sets for each exercise.

Another good idea to keep in mind with exercise and lifting weights is that you should always do it with a partner. That way when you are increasing weight you have someone there to spot you. Make sure of course that your partner understands how to properly spot you. Your partner is there to support weight if you take on too much and need to back out, to challenge you, to motivate you, and to let you know when you need a rest.

Exercise and lifting weights is a great way to tone and build up your muscles, but always remember that you need to do it in a safe and healthy way.

Diane Winter share useful information about the benefits of daily exercise. Try visiting also her website to find out the best stretching exercises for your body and to learn more about benefit from fitness walking.

Exercise and Weight Loss For Women - Part 3

Importance of Strength Training

Nowadays, the importance of strength training is not confined to bodybuilder, athletes and fitness buffs. Average women, too, have seen the benefits of engaging in strength training for a variety of purposes, most notable of them for the maintenance of their ideal weights as well as to maintain a toned appearance. So, who says only bodybuilders have the right to sport muscles?

Benefits for Women

Resistance training produces stronger ligaments and tendons, both of which support the body's joints. Thus, you can decrease the likelihood of injuries brought by normal physical activities as well as by exercises in all its forms. Also, strength training dramatically increases bone density, hence, lessening the risks for bone diseases like osteoporosis. Ultimately, you can enjoy a better quality of life with strength training because you are more able to engage in physical activities that, in turn, enhances your self-confidence.

For women trying to lose weight and lessen body fat, the importance of strength training cannot be overemphasized. When it is done consistently and sufficiently, strength training leads to faster weight loss while increasing muscle size. Don't worry about bulking up as most women will not gain muscle mass as fast as men do due to genetics and physiology.

Optimum Technique

You need not engage in complex exercises as even your own bodyweight plus a few simple equipments like dumbbells can be used. You also need not exert more time than you can pour into training as even 20-30 minutes each session is sufficient.

Research has shown that the optimum levels for strength training in women is at 1-3 sets per muscle group, which depends on your current physical condition and fitness goals. Also, the lower and upper body will need a different set of repetitions, hence 8-12 reps for the upper body and 12-15 reps for the lower body.

You can start with light cardio exercises for 5-10 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of strength training using your bodyweight and/or gym equipment, and then end with cool down exercises for 5-10 minutes. You must cool down the same way you warmed up. Also, it is very important to take at least a day of rest between strength training sessions. You want to provide your muscles time to recover from its injuries sustained during training, even if it is of the relatively low-impact, low-intensity type.

If you are engaging in this type of exercise for weight loss, you must combine it with a sensible diet and regular cardio workouts. And it helps to consult a fitness professional to help you map out your weight loss plan.

Problem Areas

Unfortunately, some women may not be able to reap any benefits. Keep in mind that it involves lifting weights of various kinds such that women with pre-existing medical conditions that preclude weightlifting of any kind are highly advised to avoid training with weights. As such, it is very important to consult your doctor before embarking on any kind of fitness program for whatever purpose.

In conclusion, the importance of weight training for women in daily life can only be realized with the proper mindset and the proper guidance.

Brent McNutt enjoys talking about urbane scrubs and landau scrubs and networking with healthcare professionals online.