Fitness expert reveals the fascinating reason why you should do weights BEFORE cardio at the gym
When it comes to the gym, it's easy for most of us to get stuck in our habits.
Maybe you run for half an hour, bike for 20 minutes, and then go to the weight room.
But for some people, the order in which you do your exercises makes a difference to your overall results, according to one fitness professor.
Some studies have shown that doing resistance training first, such as weight lifting, squatting and planking, can increase muscle strength in certain areas and improve mental health.
Meanwhile, other research has shown that elite athletes benefit from starting with strength exercises because cardio can prevent muscles from growing first.
Muscles adapt to cardio exercise, which inhibits their ability to grow and strengthen during resistance training immediately afterward, experts say
According to Randal Claytor, associate professor of kinesiology, nutrition and health at the University of Miami, lifting weights before running can result in a “small increase in lower body muscle strength,” compared to an opposite routine.
This decision 'is without prejudice to any other improvements in health-related physical fitness'.
He explains it further in an article written for The conversation, that the body quickly adapts to the type of exercise it does. During cardio, such as running or cycling, the muscles play a crucial role in producing enough energy to keep you going.
Resistance exercises include weight lifting, squats and planks, and have been proven to provide a host of health benefits
When you stop doing this and start lifting weights, it will take some time for the muscles to return to normal. Therefore, the process of building new proteins is not as effective.
This is what experts call 'the interference effect'.
'If your exercise goals are along the lines of staying generally healthy and enjoying the mental benefits of moving your body, resistance training can provide a little boost at first,' wrote Professor Claytor.
Prof Claytor points to evidence from studies involving elite athletes.
' Considering research findings on concurrent training [doing weights and cardio simultaneously] for top athletes it makes sense to first do resistance exercises,” he says.
Or, he adds, “Train first on the type of exercise that is most important to your performance goals.”
But the most important thing, says Prof. Claytor, is that you do both types of exercises. This offers numerous benefits for cardiovascular health – and is more practical for people who have little time in the day to exercise.
Resistance exercises improve muscle strength, endurance, power and size. It also lowers blood pressure and reduces spikes in blood sugar levels.
Aerobic exercise, or cardio, is linked to a reduced risk of several diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.
Prof Claytor adds that those who train competitively should wait at least three hours between sessions of different types of activities to reduce the impact of the interference effect.