Usually, bodybuilding fans do not worship cardio too much after strength training, considering it a necessary tedious routine. After all, his goal is only to maintain the percentage of fat at the required low level. Many people wonder - do you need cardio after strength training? Do such activities have any real sense? Why should cardio after strength training generally be done, and how to achieve the correct combination of one with the other so that the effect is maximized?
What is cardio?
Under it, everyone knows the well-known endurance exercises and strengthening the heart and blood vessels. They are performed both in the gym and in nature. Classical examples of cardio can be jogging and walking, swimming or cycling. In this case, we do not mean short-term 10-minute runs before the main training (i.e. warm-up), but continuous classes from 20 minutes to an hour.
So, we will try to consider the issue of their need, duration and competent combination with the main ones. Is it possible to do cardio after strength training, or is it better before it? Absolutely unequivocal answer to the question of the ideal method does not exist. Cardio is allowed to be done in the mornings before or after weight training, as well as in the evening or at any time when you have the energy and free time. What hour of the day to choose, decide for yourself, depending on the goal (and it can come down to muscle growth or weight loss).
When exactly do we lose weight
It is believed that cardio in the morning stimulates metabolism and sets its elevated level throughout the next day. That is, regardless of daytime and evening activity (even if it is zero), you burn more calories during the day.
The most common form of such training is low-intensity cardio. It consists in running or cycling, but with a small and stable speed. Energy in this case is extracted from the body’s fat reserves, and not carbohydrates received during the day from food. This will happen if the morning low-intensity cardio will be performed on an empty stomach (the so-called hungry cardio) or this cardio after strength training, when the energy reserve in the body is minimal.
How to organize it
Here are a few options for combining cardio with power: if your goal is to destroy as much fat as possible, try:
- Perform cardio before training or immediately after it.
- Do it on the same day as the power, but dividing by an interval of 6 hours or more.
- Reserve a separate day for cardio when you do not have power (for example, alternate them with each other).
Cardio after strength training: the pros and cons
If your goal is to increase muscle mass or maintain it, then you should not do cardio before the main training. We repeat - we are not talking about a ten-minute cardio workout, which is always necessary. This is due to the fact that for the main lesson you will need a good supply of energy, spending that on a full lesson, you will negate the power effect.
But is cardio better before or after weight training? The conducted studies have confirmed the fact that among athletes with an equal level of skill, those who did not previously spend energy on cardio could gain more weight.
In this case, such exercises are not too welcome in the immediate aftermath of power exercises. There is a risk of muscle loss. Ultimately, cardio fanatics, preoccupied with muscular texture, don't really need cardio. After all, it takes those reserves that the muscles require for their own growth and the ability to fully recover.
Optimal option
For those whose goal is neat, harmonious looking muscles and as little fat as possible, cardio after strength training is allowed, but with the correct load. The amount of glycogen, that is, energy at the end of the main lesson is minimal, and the pace of cardio should be moderate for 30-45 minutes. In this case, energy will be taken mainly from fat reserves.
Morning cardio exercises with a similar purpose should be carried out 20-minute and separately or with a large interval in relation to the strength - to preserve the muscles.
As you know, to build muscle, you need training with a good power load, as well as a large amount of high-calorie food. In addition, time for a good rest and recovery. If the percentage of fat does not bother you too much, you can refuse cardio with a light heart.
Cardio after weight training for weight loss: the principle of alternation
If you are concerned about the high fat percentage of cardio, you still need to. Perhaps the ideal mode would be to hold them on rest days between power days (that is, every other day). In total, it will be typed from 3 to 4 days during the week, and everything should be done on an empty stomach in the morning or taking a protein. It is recommended that you take a couple of days out of these four at a low intensity pace.
Since cardio after strength training requires additional free time, which not everyone has, they have to resort to a compromise. It is important to determine the priorities - if at the head of all the muscles are pumped up, the number of strength training should be at least three per week, but the rest should be possible.
To save time on street jogging or cycling, do not waste money on an elliptical trainer or treadmill. We remind you once again that it is not advisable to engage in them together with the power (that is, during the same day).
Do not overeat
If you want to lose weight, keep an eye on nutrition. Not a single cardio, on any scale, will help to get rid of fat in case of excessive calorie intake (simply speaking, overeating). After all, “swallowing” a hundred or two is easy, but spending it is much more difficult.
For example, an average-intensity run for half an hour will save you only three hundred kilocalories, which in kind is half a chocolate bar or 3-4 pieces of bread. Having had lunch at a fast food establishment and received "extra" kilocalories in an amount from a thousand to one and a half, you can get rid of them by running at least two or two and a half hours.
And do not starve
The other side of the coin - a large number of workouts in combination with a "hungry" regime will lead to a lack of muscle growth. The conclusion is that you should not limit yourself too much, but at the same time, food should be correct, fats should be healthy, proteins should be full, and carbohydrates should be classified as slow. A “good” meal with the same amount will give you fewer calories.
If we talk about low-intensity cardio, then someone recommends performing it exclusively on an empty stomach, while others are categorically against such an approach. Arguments of supporters - in this case, the body begins to immediately extract energy from its own fat reserves. That is, having consumed a portion of carbohydrates immediately before class, you will not consume them, but keep them intact. And the point is not that it is forbidden to use them before cardio. Their task is the subsequent provision of the body with energy reserves for the remainder of the day.
Which is better?
Those who oppose “hungry” cardio cite the results of studies claiming that fats that break down in the class require for their transportation energy derived exclusively from carbohydrates. That is why breakfast is required before class.
There is, perhaps, no final and unambiguous opinion on this subject. All that remains to be advised is to try experimenting in both directions, paying attention to the result and the level of your own comfort.
It is believed that a snack of a protein-carbohydrate nature half an hour or an hour before the morning workout in any case does not hurt. It can consist, for example, of a small (50 grams) serving of oatmeal and a cup of protein whey. Energy in the body during such a training comes, as with power, from carbohydrates. If cardio is not a low-intensity one, then it will take a lot at once, which fat reserves are not good for - from there it is "extracted" rather slowly.
Keep track of calories
As already mentioned, the goal of morning cardio training is not to burn maximum energy. The task here is different - "acceleration" of metabolism and its activation with the expectation of the coming day. Having achieved this goal, you will spend more calories later, even resting or doing sedentary work.
In this regard, morning cardiotraining has some similarities with strength training, and that is why strictly on an empty stomach it is still not recommended to approach it. But the number of calories planned for such a snack should be included in the total daily calories, and not go to it an additional "plus". After such a training, a serving of a protein shake with a ratio of proteins to carbohydrates one to two does not hurt.
The choice is yours
No one will give you an unambiguous answer to the questions whether cardio is possible after strength training, and which of its types are best and most effective. To achieve significant results, it is recommended that the nature of the training be changed periodically. That is, to alternate interval high-intensity classes in the form of, for example, fast running or cycling, with low-intensity ones.
The conditions and venues do not have fundamental significance. It can be a gym, or just a street where fresh air will be a big plus. But there is a risk of skipping classes in case of bad weather. The choice of simulators is also unlimited. It is more important to monitor the degree of intensity, in particular, performing intervals at a high pace, you apply maximum effort.
That was not boring
When practicing on simulators, do not forget that this requires a separate day from strength training. In order not to get bored, it is important to motivate yourself correctly. To do this, you can try to do different types of cardio - for example, today you "go uphill" along the treadmill at a fairly slow pace, tomorrow - you are intensively engaged in an elliptical trainer.
This alternation diversifies training and eliminates routine. Quick classes should be accompanied by your favorite music, and long and leisurely cardiosessions on simulators can be accompanied by your favorite television series.