Cardio or Strength Training

Which Should You Do First?

by Team FitRx

There’s been an ongoing debate as to whether it’s better to do cardio before resistance training in the same workout session, or to do resistance training before cardio if you’re looking to build a lean and muscular physique. This article will tell you everything you need to know (and nothing you don’t) about how different sequences of concurrent training (i.e., resistance + cardio in the same workout) affect cardiorespiratory and muscular adaptations, and also settle the debate as to which sequence is best to use for the goal of maximizing physique development.

Cardio Training Before Resistance Training

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that although both orders of training produced significant improvements in VO₂ max— which is the highest rate of oxygen consumption attainable during maximal or exhaustive exercise— the improvement was greater in the group that did the cardio training first, as opposed to the group that did resistance training first.
A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that the aerobic-first sequence was more effective in increasing excess post-exercise oxygen consumption(EPOC, informally called “the afterburn”), which is a measurably increased rate of oxygen intake following a bout of exercise that’s associated with an elevation in metabolism.

Resistance Training Before Cardio Training

A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology demonstrated that fat oxidation and calorie burning were increased during the aerobic exercise component when it was done after resistance exercise. This increased metabolic effect was even more pronounced when the resistance exercise that preceded it was performed at a higher intensity. This is important to note because several studies have shown that performing cardio first in the workout can compromise the performance of subsequent resistance training exercises due to residual fatigue, therefore reducing the tension developed during the strength training portion of the sessions, which interferes with the strength and muscle gains.
Also, a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise also found that the resistance exercise first sequence seems to increase the metabolic effects of the subsequent aerobic session.

What’s Your Training Goal?

Put simply, since there are benefits and limitations to each training sequence, the “best” sequence is relative to the specific training goal, because different training goals require different training approaches, as summarized by a 2014 paper published in the ACSM’S Health & Fitness Journal:
“Performing aerobic exercise first may be a preferred choice for developing maximal aerobic power. On the other hand, resistance exercise first seems more favorable for developing strength, power, and muscle hypertrophy. Resistance exercise first also can yield some metabolic benefits, and the high-intensity nature of resistance exercise can potentiate energy expenditure and create a metabolic environment that favors fat utilization during a subsequent aerobic session.”

Resistance Before Cardio for Building Your Best Body

As you’ve just learned, both cardio before resistance training and resistance training before cardio offer metabolic (i.e., fat-burning) benefits. That said, when looking to build your best-looking body,you don’t just want a “lean” physique— you want a lean, strong and athletic-looking physique. In order to achieve the “strong and muscular” part, you’ve got to focus on maximizing the results of resistance training. And, the research clearly shows that doing resistance training before cardio (in the same workout session) is the way to go when looking to maximize strength and muscle, whereas doing cardio first is best reserved for those who are maybe training for an endurance event such as a marathon.

Muscle: Metabolically Active Tissue

Another reason it’s smartest to do resistance training first in the workout for the goal of maximizing physique development, is because muscle is metabolically active tissue, as fat is sent into the muscle to be burned. This is why strength training first, which gives you a better ability to build and maintain muscle, is critical for fat loss.
In other words, muscle is the physical location in your body where stored body fat is burned (i.e., used as energy). More muscle requires more energy, so the more muscle you have, the more calories and fat you’ll burn over a 24-hour period of time, even while you sleep!
Put simply, humans are just like cars. If you put a bigger motor in your car (i.e., add muscle mass), you’ll burn more fuel (i.e., calories) while driving (i.e., doing activities) than you did before. You want to be opposite of your car in that you want to become fuel inefficient, because the more fuel you can burn to perform a given activity, the better!

Women and Weight Training: You WON’T Get “Bulky”

Many women seem to get uncomfortable with training to gain muscle because they’re under the impression that they’ll get “bulky.” This is just plain silly, since women have significantly less testosterone than men.
When you talk about “shaping” certain areas of your body, what you’re really talking about is muscle. Put simply, muscle creates the shape of your body, and therefore more muscle equals more muscle tone. You can’t build a perkier, rounder or sexier anything without building muscle. And, being “toned” just means that you are lean enough to show off that shape, which comes from fat loss, which, as you’ve just learned, muscle plays a most important role in.

The Strength Before Cardio Workout Structure

The strength-training portion of your workouts should alternate sets and rep ranges. By alternating set/rep schemes, it ensures you hit your muscles in a different manner, which has been shown in research to be a more effective method of improving muscle than using the same old rep every workout. Plus, changing the sets and reps keeps your workouts more interesting and varied.
Each time you do your resistance-training portion of the workout (before doing cardio), alternate each workout between the following set/rep schemes for each exercise:
Set/Rep Scheme 1: 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps
Set/Rep Scheme 2: 4-5 sets of 6-8 reps

The Cardio Workout Structure

Not only should you alternate between the two set/rep ranges that I provided, you should also alternate between two different types of cardio workouts: short duration/high-intensity training, and longer duration/medium-intensity training, as follows:
Cardio Workout 1: 30-40 minutes at approximately 70% of your max HR
Cardio Workout 2: 10-15 minutes go as hard as you can,* or use intervals where you alternate intense bursts of work with medium-intensity active recovery periods.
*If you’re running on treadmill or on a bike, go as far as you can (rack up the most miles) in the time frame. Try to beat your previous time each workout.

Putting Your Workouts Together

On the workout days where you use the higher set range (e.g., 4-5 sets of 6-8 reps), you’re weight training will take longer, so you’ll follow it by performing the short duration/high-intensity training (e.g., 10-15 minutes. Go as hard as you can or do intervals).
On the workout days you use the lower set range, you’re weight training will take less time, so you’ll follow it by performing the longer duration/steady-state training.
Nick Tumminello is the owner of Performance University fitness training and education in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He’s the author of the “Core Training: Facts, Fallacies & Top Techniques” 3-DVD set. Nick also writes a popular training blog at www.PerformanceU.net.

References:

1. Chtara M, Chamari K, Chaouachi M, Chaouachi A, Koubaa D, Feki Y, Millet GP, Amri M . Effects of intra-session concurrent endurance and strength training sequence on aerobic performance and capacity. Br J Sports Med. 2005; 39:(8): 555–60.
2. Drummond MJ, Vehrs PR, Schaalje GB, Parcell AC . Aerobic and resistance exercise sequence affects excess postexercise oxygen consumption. J Strength Cond Res. 2005; 19:(2): 332–7.
3. Kang J, Rashti SL, Tranchina CP, Ratamess NA, Faigenbaum AD, Hoffman JR . Effect of preceding resistance exercise on metabolism during subsequent aerobic session. Eur J Apple Physiol. 2009; 107:(1): 43–50.
4. Goto K, Ishii N, Sugihara S, Yoshioka T, Takamatsu K . Effects of resistance exercise on lipolysis during subsequent submaximal exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007; 39:(2): 308–15.
5. Dudley GA, Djamil R . Incompatibility of endurance- and strength-training modes of exercise. J Appl Physiol. 1985; 59:(5): 1446–51.
6. Kraemer WJ, Patton JF, Gordon SE, Harman EA, Deschenes MR, Reynolds K, Newton RU, Triplett NT, Dziados JE . Compatibility of high-intensity strength and endurance training on hormonal and skeletal muscle adaptations. J Appl Physiol. 1995; 78:(3): 976–89.
7. Leveritt M, Abernethy PJ . Acute effects of high intensity endurance exercise on subsequent resistance activity. J Strength Cond Res. 1999; 13:(1): 47–51.
8. Sporer BC, Wenger HA . Effects of aerobic exercise on strength performance following various periods of recovery. J Strength Cond Res. 2003; 17:(4): 638–44.
9. Kang, Jie, Ratamess, Nicholas. Which Comes First? Resistance Before Aerobic Exercise or Vice Versa?. ACSM Health & Fitness Journal
January/February 2014
Vol. 18 – Issue 1: p 9-14
10. Simão R, et al. Comparison between nonlinear and linear periodized resistance training: hypertrophic and strength effects. J Strength Cond Res. 2012 May;26(5):1389-95.

Low carb problems...?

Your intake of carbohydrates can make or break your diet. Too many of the wrong types of carbohydrates can make it impossible to lose fat, while not enough good carbohydrates can leave you sluggish.
And if you are like me, figuring it all out can be very confusing…
Luckily a friend named Tim Ferris figured out a great rule that I now live by:
Trick One: “Don’t Eat Any Carbohydrate That Are, Or Can Be White”
This easy to remember rule means bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, tortillas, fried foods with breading, bleached flour, or simple sugars. These white carbohydrates can cause insulin spikes that make weight loss difficult.
Trick Two: Do Not Drink Your Carbohydrates
This trick will save you a lot of unnecessary calories… Stay away from sugary sodas, sugar in your coffee/tea, and fruit juices. Fruit juices in particular fool a lot of people because they seem healthy. But without the natural fiber contained in fruits, fruit juices are really just sugar bombs in disguise.
Trick Three: Limit Your Fruit Intake
Speaking of fruit, just because fruit has health benefits… it does not mean you can eat unlimited amounts. Most fruits are still loaded with sugars… and can cause insulin spikes. I recommend that you stick with fruits low in fructose like cherries, berries, and apples. And at the most eat 2-3 servings a day.

All your life you have been told to eat your fruits and vegetables and I am not going to tell you otherwise. I am, however, going to show you that the idea that you can eat all the fruit you want is not necessarily correct. I am even going to recommend you limit fruit intake if you are overweight.

How Fruit Can Make You Fat

First a little science; fruit contains a high proportion of a sugar called fructose. More specifically, there are two basic kinds of sugar your body can use: fructose and glucose.
You probably have also heard of sucrose known as table sugar (which is broken down by the gut into 50% glucose and 50% fructose).
Here is where this becomes relevant…

Surprising Research

Surprising research performed at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center revealed that fructose turns to fat much more easily than glucose.
In this study, researchers fed healthy people breakfast drinks containing three different “sugar combinations” over the course of several weeks, followed by a carefully controlled lunch.
In one test, the breakfast drink contained 100% glucose; in the second 50% glucose, 50% fructose (which is what you’d find in ordinary sugar); and in the third, 25% glucose and 75% fructose.
The researchers were interested in two things, both of which are important:
First, they wanted to measure how fast the sugars in the drink turned to fat in the liver.
Second, they wanted to see how the morning sugar-meal influenced how people metabolized foods eaten later in the day (for example, lunch).

The Findings: Fructose Makes Us Fat

The findings were disturbing. First, the researchers found that fructose got “made” into fat more quickly than other sugars.
And secondly, they found that when fructose was eaten with fat (for example in any junk food snack you can name) the fat was much more likely to be stored rather than burned.
“Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose”, said lead researcher Elizabeth Parks, PhD.
“The carbohydrates came into the body as sugars, the liver took the molecules apart like tinker toys, and put them back together to build fats. All this happened within four hours after the fructose drink. As a result, when the next meal was eaten, the lunch fat was more likely to be stored than burned.”
Even more concerning, Dr. Parks noted that the study likely underestimated the fat-building effect of fructose because the study subjects were lean and healthy. In overweight people, the effect may be amplified.

Why Fructose Makes Us Fat

It turns out that glucose can be used by the body immediately for energy when sugar levels are low. If it is not needed for immediate energy it can be converted to glycogen in the liver or muscles.
If the glycogen stores are full… only then does the excess glucose get converted by the liver into body fat.
Fructose, on the other hand, is not used by the muscles to create glycogen… and is not the preferred source of energy. So any excess fructose is far more likely to be turned into fat by the liver.
“It’s a less-controlled movement of fructose through these pathways that causes it to contribute to greater triglyceride synthesis,” Dr. Parks said.

Can We Eat Fruit at All

This is a good question. Some good sources I know say to stay away from fruit 6 days a week. Some, like me, say to just limit your intake to 3 servings a day (but whole fruits only).
However, if you are having weight problems, you may already be insulin resistant… which means you might be very sensitive to fructose.
Staying off fruit and other simple sugars can help magnify this effect and maximize your weight loss results.
So if you are finding that you are still “stuck”, try reducing your fruit intake gradually and see if this helps. For many people, this can make a huge difference.
And don’t worry; you can still get all the healthy nutrients you need from the other foods you will be eating.

Fructose Traps

Obviously you want to stay away from processed sugars like high fructose corn syrup. This contains 55% fructose and 45% glucose.
However, certain natural health advocates seem to imply that you are safe with agave nectar and honey.
Be careful… agave can contain as much as 90% fructose and honey can contain up to 70% fructose, so these are definitely not safe bets!
Fruit juices, smoothies, and dried fruits can also be fructose traps. So even though you might think you are being healthy, these are things to stay away from.
When I go to my favorite “juice bar” down the street, I get vegetable juice instead of fruit smoothies and they make me feel vibrant and alert all day.
One last thing, bananas and some other fruits, such as strawberries, become richer in fructose as they ripen and some of the starch is converted to sugar.

How Much Fructose Can We Eat?

There is some debate, but if you are overweight you probably do have some level of insulin resistance… so while in your fast weight loss phase it might be anywhere from 15 to 25 grams a day for six days a week. (This amount will sneak in through the small levels of fructose contained in complex carbohydrates like beans).
Below you will see a chart that shows you the complete sugar profile of some popular fruits, sugars and candies. Please pay attention to the Tot. Met. Fructose (Total Metabolic Fructose) column. This number number combines the direct fructose content with the amount of fructose contained in its sucrose content. Also keep in mind that Glucose, Fructose and Sucrose do not always add up to Total Sugars since there are some other sugars not shown in the chart (such as galactose, lactose and maltose).

Sugar Profile of Fruits, Sugars and Candies
(in Grams of Sugar per 100 Grams)

	Total Sugars	Glucose	Fructose	Sucrose	Tot. Met. Fructose
Fresh Fruit
Apples	13.3	2.3	7.6	3.3	9.3
Apricots	9.3	1.6	0.7	5.2	3.3
Avocado, California	0.9	0.5	0.2	0.1	0.3
Avocado, Florida	0.9	0.5	0.2	0.1	0.3
Banana	15.6	4.2	2.7	6.5	6.0
Blackberries	8.1	3.1	4.1	0.4	4.3
Blueberries	7.3	3.5	3.6	0.2	3.7
Cantaloupe	8.7	1.2	1.8	5.4	4.5
Cherries, sweet	14.6	8.1	6.2	0.2	6.3
Cherries, sour	8.1	4.2	3.3	0.5	3.6
Figs	6.9	3.7	2.8	0.4	3.0
Grapefruit, pink	6.2	1.3	1.2	3.4	2.9
Grapefruit, white	6.2	1.3	1.2	3.4	2.9
Grapes	18.1	6.5	7.6	-	7.6
Guava	6.0	1.2	1.9	1.0	2.4
Guava, strawberry	6.0	1.2	1.9	1.0	2.4
Jackfruit	8.4	1.4	1.4	5.4	4.1
Kiwi fruit	10.5	5.0	4.3	1.1	4.9
Lemon	2.5	1.0	0.8	0.6	1.1
Lime	0.4	0.2	0.2	-	0.2
Mamey Apple	6.5	1.1	3.7	1.6	4.5
Mango	14.8	0.7	2.9	9.9	7.9
Nectarine	8.5	1.2	-	6.2	3.1
Orange	9.2	2.2	2.5	4.2	4.6
Papaya	5.9	1.4	2.7	1.8	3.6
Peach	8.7	1.2	1.3	5.6	4.1
Pear	10.5	1.9	6.4	1.8	7.3
Pear, Bosc	10.5	1.9	6.4	1.8	7.3
Pear, D’Anjou	10.5	1.9	6.4	1.8	7.3
Pineapple	11.9	2.9	2.1	3.1	3.7
Plum	7.5	2.7	1.8	3.0	3.3
Pomegranate	10.1	5.0	4.7	0.4	4.9
Purple Passion Fruit or Granadilla	11.2	4.0	3.1	3.3	4.8
Raspberries	9.5	3.5	3.2	2.8	4.6
Starfruit	7.1	3.1	3.2	0.8	3.6
Strawberries	5.8	2.2	2.5	1.0	3.0
Tomato	2.8	1.1	1.4	-	1.4
Watermelon	9.0	1.6	3.3	3.6	5.1
Dried Fruit
Dates	64.2	-	-	44.6	22.3
Dried apricots	38.9	20.3	12.2	6.4	15.4
Dried figs	62.3	26.9	24.4	6.1	27.5
Dried peaches	44.6	15.8	15.6	13.2	22.2
Dried prunes	44.0	28.7	14.8	0.5	15.1
Raisins	65.0	31.2	33.8	-	33.8
Raisins, Golden	70.6	32.7	37.1	0.8	37.5
Zante currants	70.6	32.7	37.1	0.8	37.5
Pure Sugars
Sucrose (table sugar)	97.0	-	-	97.0	48.5
Maple sugar	85.2	4.3	4.3	75.0	41.8
Honey	81.9	33.8	42.4	1.5	43.2
High fructose corn syrup (42%)	71.0	36.9	29.8	-	29.8
High fructose corn syrup (55%)	77.0	30.8	42.4	-	42.4
High fructose corn syrup (90%)	80.0	7.2	72.0	-	72.0
Molasses	60.0	11.2	12.9	34.7	30.3
Brown sugar	89.7	5.2	-	84.1	42.1
Candy
M & M chocolate candy	64.7	-	-	-	-
Lifesavers	66.5	-	-	-	-
Hard candy	62.3	-	-	-	-
Bit O Honey	42.4	-	-	-	-
Almond Joy	44.9	-	-	-	-
Baby Ruth	42.0	-	-	-	-
Butterfinger	48.8	-	-	-	-
Caramello Candy Bar	54.2	-	-	-	-
Nestles Crunch Candy Bar	52.4	-	-	-	-
Nestles 100 Grand Candy Bar	63.5	-	-	-	-
Nestles Raisinets	62.5	-	-	-	-
Reeses Pieces	50.0	-	-	-	-
Skittles	76.4	-	-	-	-
Nestles Plain Milk Chocolate Candy Bar	51.0	-	-	-	-
Hershey’s Kisses	50.0	-	-	-	-
Sugar babies	72.9	-	-	-	-
Milk Duds	50.0	-	-	-	-
Junior Mints	82.2	-	-	-	-

Boot Camp Fitness Class

 

Our boot camp classes are tough but...they work!!

Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings~~6am

 

 

Pound class

POUND, the rockout workout!!

This Saturday, 9/20 at NOON, we are having a SPECIAL EVENT with Danielle O'Reilly leading us in this amazing fitness class. $10.00 POUND workout at Fit n Lean X-ercise. 

WHY POUND?

POUND is a full-body cardio jam session, combining light resistance with constant simulated drumming. The workout fuses cardio, Pilates, isometric movements, plyometrics and Isometric poses into a 45-minute series. Burn between 400 and 900+ calories per hour, strengthen and sculpt infrequently used muscles, and drum your way to a leaner, slimmer physique – all while rocking out to your favorite music!!

Then we will have a guest instructor Tuesday evening 7:30pm hosting our first in-house POUND class.  Half price class~~$7.50

Water enhancers...

Thursday, September 4th

The Best & Worst Water Enhancers

Beverage marketers have really outdone themselves this time. They’ve actually been successful at selling us “diet water.”  Think about that for a second.  Yes, you can buy little bottles of colorful liquid to squeeze in your water that say they add B vitamins and other vitamins and minerals, but let’s be clear, most of these flavor squeezers are just artificial chemical concoctions that don’t do anything to enhance the properties of water. Here’s our run down of the best and worst water enhancers (unfortunately there are very few that make the cut!):

DRINK THIS! 

Stur Liquid Water Enhancer
Again, this is not going to make your water healthier, but at least it doesn’t contain some of the more egregious chemicals found in most other drink squeezers. That is, if you don’t mind Stevia extract, which we're still on the fence about.


Skinnygirl Water Enhancer
While there are still more preservatives in here that we would like, at least it doesn’t contain antifreeze and “weighting” agents. It has vegetable juice for color and Stevia Extract and cane sugar for sweetness.


NOT THAT! 

Crystal Light Liquid
With claims like “zero calories” and “no sugar” you’d think this was a harmless drink mix. But when you look at the ingredient list you see 12 ingredients, including the artificial sweetener Sucralose and sucrose acetate isobutyrate, a thickening or “weighting” agent also found in printing inks.


Mio Liquid Water Enhancer
The second ingredient in these little bottles is propylene glycol, a preservative, thickening agent, and stabilizer, also used as antifreeze to de-ice airplanes, as a plasticizer to make polyester resins, and found in electronic cigarettes.


Dasani Drops
Nestled in this 13-ingredient list are the artificial sweetener Sucralose, and ink thickener sucrose acetate isobutyrate.


Propel Zero Sport
This zippy sounding sports drink mix is nothing more than citric acid, salt, and antifreeze (propylene glycol)—mixed with a little artificial coloring and a splash of B vitamins.

24-day Weight Loss Challenge

 

 

 September 8 begins our first 24-day weight loss challenge. FLX is offering a 25% discount on the product package to help support your decision to get rid of that unwanted and unhealthy weight. We have our own Advocare site where you can read important nutritional information, peruse reviews and order additional products. 

The winner of the challenge will receive five 30 minute personal training sessions with FLX to help you continue on your journey to better fitness and health.

Please visit our studio's website and LIKE us on Facebook.  There is a special offer on Facebook for group fitness classes and we are giving away 4 thirty minute personal training sessions for $75.00 when you mention this blog!!