Notes from the Lake

Fitness Director Sharon Rekieta would love to answer your fitness questions in her Fitness Friday blog! If you have a question, e-mail info@lakeaustin.com!

Q: Can cardio and strength training be done on the same day, or should they be alternated and done on different days? Is it better to do cardio before or after strength training?

A: That’s a great and very common question and the answers vary depending on your objectives.

If you are training for an event such as a 10K run, you would schedule your cardio training before your weight work so your muscles will be fresh.

If you’re training for an endurance event, such as a half or full marathon, you would definitely want to weight train on different days than your cardio endurance sessions.

If you are new to weight training, you would schedule your weight work before your cardio session so your muscles will be fresh but also for safety purposes. When you’re fatigued and your muscles have not had enough practice learning their limits, the potential for injury is higher.

If you’re a fairly experienced exerciser who is interested in losing weight, recent research suggests that intense weight work prior to cardio will help your body burn calories and fat faster and easier.

If you’re interested in overall fitness, it really doesn’t matter which activity comes first or if you do them on the same day.

Typically time constraints might affect if you do cardio and weights on the same day. If your time is limited, an interval workout routine that includes alternating segments of cardio and weight work is a great and effective plan.

Remember that all muscles need recovery time! When working with weights, muscles need at least one day of rest (from weight work) in between workouts. Most people are comfortable with daily cardio sessions; however, beginners should ease into a daily routine.