Many followers ask me, What do I start with first? Weightlifting or cardio?

It is one of the most important and deepest questions asked by the followers of the world of health and fitness.

Questions accumulate above your tired head, with each party claiming the validity of its claims, “The weights first or you will spend your whole life weak” and one of the propositions, “The heart first or your heart will explode” is a second proposition that shocks you strongly, but for a moment what does science tell you? lets take alook.

First: The difference between cardio and resistance exercises:

Do not despair of this expression “cardio”, which may seem strange to you. In short, cardio exercises are one of the most important exercises that are practiced frequently. on a large scale, These are exercises that require great effort and agility. It raises the heart rate for quite a long time. Therefore, it is considered one of the favorite exercises for your body. Cardio exercises depend mainly on burning oxygen and blood sugar in the body to produce energy. Therefore, it is one of the most important exercises to burn fat and lose weight.

We now move on to defining resistance exercises, also known as weight exercises. It is one of the exercises that improve muscle strength and endurance. Which is done by moving the muscles of the body against the resistance or resistance provided by gravity against the weight of the body, and any weights used for this purpose, In addition to some types of sports training devices.

Any exercise in which the body is moved against a specific resistance or resistance can be considered a resistance exercise. We go back to saying that resistance or resistance exercises are any force that makes moving the body more difficult. so that the muscles contract against this resistance, Which leads to an increase in muscle strength and energy and an increase in mass and endurance.

Benefits of cardio and body resistance

Each cardio exercise has special benefits for your body. So you have to choose the right exercise for your priorities, In general, cardio exercise aims to drain energy and blood sugar, and then burn fat. This is the most important goal of cardio or aerobic exercise.

On the other hand, resistance exercises or weights aim to destroy and tear muscle fibers. In order for the body to rebuild it later, to be larger in size and higher in strength, Therefore, resistance exercises may help increase the size and strength of your muscles. In addition to burning fat and increasing endurance.

Sarapopfit says “One of the most common questions I receive as a fitness professional is: “If I’m going to do cardio and strength training on the same day, whichever comes first”

Experts are divided on this issue.

Most fitness experts will advise you to do cardio exercises after weight training. Because if you do cardio first, It consumes a lot of energy sources for your anaerobic work (strength training) and fatigues the muscles before they perform their maximum activity, This same view holds that strength training first will deplete the carbohydrates stored in the muscles. (glycogen or sugar), Thus it will enhance fat burning during a cardio workout due to the lack of available sugar for fuel.

Thus it will enhance fat burning during a cardio workout due to the lack of available sugar for fuel. Advice recommended by the American Council on Exercise:

1. If your goal is endurance, do cardio before weights.

2. If your goal is to burn fat and lose weight, do cardio exercises after weights.

3. If you want to increase your strength, Cardio exercises should be performed after weights.

4. When you train your upper body, You can do either of these first. With the aim of increasing strength.

5. On the days of lower body training, do cardio exercises after weights.

6. If your goal is general fitness, you can choose either of them. But it is better to start with the exercise that you like less.

How often should you train?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, All adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio activity or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio activity each week.

This may sound like a lot, but if you break it down into 30-minute chunks, This means that you should exercise about five to six times each week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends that adults strength train two or more days per week to ensure all major muscle groups in the body get a workout.

It is said that “it is better to do some exercise, every day” and perhaps it’s better for us with age, do more exercise, In order for the stimulus to last for a longer period of time, To maintain our muscle size and strength.

An exercise routine should be done every other day in order to target the larger muscles and avoid injury due to unusual exercises.

for endurance, It’s really important that we go faster than we want to, It’s okay to do your exercises in a comfortable way, But speed is better for preserving heart and brain function, So the goal should be 6 days each week.

Your heart beats with every beat of it, Take care of your health, but do not forget your muscle strength and agility, so that you remain the focus of admiration for yourself and in the eyes of your partner. Stay healthy and well, my dear.

Written by: Siba Babi

Sources:

military

womenshealthmag