My patients often ask me if it matters whether they do aerobic or strength training first in their workout. The answer is yes, it matters, depending on what your goal is.
If you want to lose weight, you should do strength training first, cardiovascular training second. "Why?," you ask.
When you lift weights, you can deplete your glycogen stores. (Glycogen is the storage form of glucose, or sugar, that is stored in the muscle and liver. It is used for high-intensity and short-duration exercise. Liver glycogen gets low after about 20 minutes.) With your glycogen stores depleted, you'll burn more fat during your aerobic workout.
Caveat: You'll need to spend a few minutes warming up and stretching before lifting. Also, if you expend a lot of energy during strength training, you may be too tired to finish your aerobic workout.
If you do your cardio workout first, your muscles will have a good warm-up before weightlifting. You'll save time by combining your warm-up for lifting with your aerobic workout. The down side is that you may be too fatigued to lift with proper form and increase your risk of injury.
It's important to replenish your depleted glycogen stored within 45 minutes after your workout to keep your metabolism elevated. Also, remember to drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout. It is an essential key to fat metabolism.
If you haven't been strength training, hopefully this will motivate you to start.
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