exercise time of day

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Are there any real differences between the following cardio and weight training scenarios:

1. Cardio before Breakfast, weight training after dinner (typically does not fit my schedule)

2. Cardio mid morning, weight training mid afternoon (at least 4 hour separation, usually 5-6 hours)

3. Cardio after weight training mid afternoon (5-10 min separation).

Personally, I have found that cardio mid morning and weight training mid afternoon with light cardio after weight training works the best for me. If I try to do intense cardio after training, I sometimes get cramps in the legs or lack the energy to complete it.

What have you found works for you if wanting to do both cardio and training on same day?

[Ginger Snaps 1,323]

You are such a planner! lol

I find it's best for me to get whatever workout I'm going to do for the day in as early as possible in the day. My schedule is pretty full in the evenings. I also find I eat much better during the day if I've already done my workout... don't want to waste all that hard work by eating poorly during the day.

I usually alternate days for weights and cardio. Or, if I do weights in the morning I may do something cardio later in the evening if the schedule works out. I haven't been able to mix cardio and weights (even pre-surgery) because one just wears me out for the other one.

Ginger

[Ava324 413]

I wish I could do either of those before breakfast and work. I have energy and strength issues in the morning, and the most I can manage is a walk with brief intermittent sprinting. Can't really call that cardio. If I try weights in the morning, I'll get queasy.

That leaves after work. I do weights at the gym at 5pm, and I'll do C25K at 7:30pm.

[tomdelo 120]

Never too early for me, but one question. I am very tight after working out, it takes two hours after before i can even get food down, does anyone else have this problem....

[enjoyinglife 313]

Anytime of day or night works for me. I have to admit, I started working out at 430am, because the gym is a lot less crowded.

[aroundhky 1,174]

If I do them in the same day, I try to make sure I get my resistance training in first (usually midday) since my muscles are rested and I want to be able to train with full power. As for cardio, I'm just looking to get my heart rate up and not so much for performance or getting stronger, so I'll save that for last. I can do it right after my resistance training or later in the day. Just makes sense for me and my goals, but necessarily for others. Guess it depends on their goals and body's response to exercise.

[lisacaron 5,075]

So I will tell you what my personal trainer told me about cardio. Fasting cardio is the best cardio work out to do to burn fat. Fasting cardio is done prior to eating usually first thing in the morning. Since there is no readily available food to burn off the body will naturally choose to tap into the fat stores for energy and continue to burn from this store through out the day.

Here is a good article on the subject.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/assessing-fasted-cardio-training.html

Now for me personally, I agree with what he told me and what the article says. I have tried this for a few days...and my issue is I really am not a morning person..but I have seen the difference that week to this one. So I am working on getting my butt up earlier and getting in that morning sprint.

[Bandista 7,466]

I wish I had your brain chemistry and maybe one day I will wake up craving exercise. For now I do it and am happy after but I definitely have to do it first thing or it's too convenient to not end up getting around to it. You are an inspiration!

[Bandista 7,466]

PS I do now wake up planning exercise (instead of planning eating, lol) but my goal is that feeling of craving exercise -- like I can't wait to do it. I think this will come in time. Hope so! Meanwhile, I do it and love it after I've done it. Need a toggle switch in my brain so next day I can't wait......

[Miss Mac 6,262]

Last week I came across a thread from bodybuilding .com dated 4//23/2007 that addressed this same issue. A poster on that thread, PeteB claims from a previous article on bodybuilding.com he read "that 10 minutes of moderate cardio will purge about 50% of the accumulated lactic acid, and another ten minutes will purge 25% more." This was apparently suggested with the expectation that light easy cardio for a cool down will be sufficient - nothing aggressive.

So....I went back and did not see a link to articles, and the science may have changed in seven years.......but food for thought and further investigation.

[mi75 1,235]

here's my plan: get it done before the day is over!

seriously- i don't plan. i DO try to make sure that i have some Protein available for after, but with my crazy days, sometimes it's at 9am, sometimes at 2pm, sometimes at 1030pm with the streetlights on!

[Dragonsmate 107]

I try and hit the gym right after work-I work nights so I get to the gym around 9:30 am. I will space out my resistance training every other day (3 times a week) with a brief 30 min cardio work-out after lifting. On my non-lift days, I do a long cardio work-out. This time works for me because the gym is on the way home, and I seem to be able to stick to the routine at that time verses going before work. As an incidental benefit, it actually helps me work off the caffeine so after my shower, I can get to bed and actually sleep.

[RNBSN786 206]

I work out after work sometime around 7-8pm. Prefer mornings but with work, it's hard to get up at 4am to work out. But I also walk a lot through out the day. We have no choice but to walk in NYC. I will walk blocks after blocks to get where I need to go. I will only take a cab or the train when it's necessary. I do need to step on the weight training and core exercises. My only issue is that I am low in Iron so I get tired very quickly.

[Forsythia 882]

There is no way in the shining depths of hell that I am going to wake up in the morning before 5 am to get to the gym before work. I'm just crabby.. no, I'm angry. I'd probably cut my own mother. I just can't. So I go after work. And on at least two days a week I do 45 to 60 or so minutes of cardio followed by about 30 to 45 minutes of weight training. Typically of the slow/heavy variety. I don't feel that working on the treadmill impinges upon my ability to lift or squat.

[katesuccess 990]

Wow - some of you are like power-machines! I'm impressed. I hope to be stronger and more fit as this process goes along, and for now I'm delighted to be getting there a step at a time. Usually I work out in the evenings after work, be it cardio walk/jogging around town or strength training in the gym. Last week was a busy week and I found myself resenting every evening finding me working or working out into the later hours, with little time for other pursuits, so I tried to abandon my 'all or nothing' mindset and opted to try getting up early once or twice to workout and see how it was. Well, it's been twice now, and I find I really don't mind it. It's not a big joy or anything (yet) but i could grow to liking it. So far i've only done it on my walk/jog days where I stand stumble into clothes and out the door with the dog, but eventually i'll try it on a gym day and see. Anyway, good thread fiddleman (as usual!) and I look forward to reading more of people's posts about this.