If I include cardio after weight training, when should I drink my post workout shake? After the weight training and before the cardio, or after both?
Or, should I do the cardio before the weight training? Or should I stand on my head and cluck like a chicken?
Short answers for this one, unless you’re in need of an explanation.
PWO meal after you’ve completed both weights and cardio.
Always do your cardio after weight training. Never, outside of a possible general warmup, before.
Is it at all possible for you to seperate the cardio and strength training, because that would be ideal.
Thunder,
Very good points. I am currently doing my 40mins cardio before my wieghts, I feel like this really pushes me to be fit first. I know, I know that I need to do it after. For me, it says something to run 40mins of instense cardio and then be able to bust out 225x3x8 on flat bench.
Having said that; once I get my BF where I need it, I will rotate this workout to focus more on the wight training and only 3 - 4 days of cardio.
Just my 2 cents.
Thanks guys.
I was going to say, I dont’ think that my weight training would be up to par if I did high intensity cardio beforehand.
AtlantaMatt- Maybe you’d feel even better about yourself if you busted out 245x3x8 before your cardio.
Ok. Related question–
Does it matter how fast you drink your PWO shake? Or any shake for that matter.
AtlantaMatt, switch it up. Perform your weight training first. Trust me, it is more conducive to your goals.
I lift at night, and I try to stick with a Gatorade/Protien Shake right after I lift. I eat another meal an hour later with chicken breasts and either oatmeal or white bread. I lift at night, so this second meal usually comes at about 8pm. Is this too late to be eating carbs when worrying about dropping body fat? Also, is the white bread or the oatmeal a better choice for the PWO meal?
No it really doesn’t matter what time you eat your PWO meals. As long as you’ve trained hard, the carbs and protein will work to help to stop catabolism, put you into recovery, replenish glycogen stores, etc.
Good reply, Hogan.
Dan “Props!” McVicker
Drink timing depends on what you’re doing the cardio for. If it’s for cardiovascular fitness, then drink after weights. If you’re going for fat loss, then drink after cardio (which then gets a little more complicated).
I agree that you should experiment with switching your cardio/weight sequence, but completely disagree with the idea that you need to do weights first. Do what you enjoy doing first, whatever that is. If you’re 100% dedicated to gaining muscle then it’s a good idea to do cardio last, but how many of those people are there. Besides, if muscle growth is the lone goal, cardio in general in contraindicated.
I tried switching one client to weights first and he absolutely despised it! We can’t apply the same rules to everyone.
I’d like to think that the above suggestions are just that; suggestions. But I hear them presented in such a dogmatic way, so often, that I’m inclined to think otherwise.
Down with dogma!
Thunder,
What if my goals are to not gain anything. Just Kidding. For me, Cardio is the hardest thing to stay on top of and since I am now getting back into the gym HARD I am trying to establish a consistant cardio regime. I plan to keep doing the cardio 1st thing for two more weeks then switch it over. Thanks for all the input.
Matt
David–
My PWO shake has a ton of carbs. Wouldn’t this cause a spike in insulin and a decline in fat burning?
bump