Is Cardio before weights killing your gains?
Cardio before or after weights?
Remember when as a kid, your parents made you stay up late to finish homework even though you were terribly disinterested and honestly would rather skip it all together even though deep inside, you know it was the right thing to do? Well, that's my view of cardio in a nutshell.
If your goal is not necessarily a number on the scale, but to de-list from the big back community, develop some visible muscle definition all over and ensure your feet are fully visible while standing without sucking in your tummy, then muscle building should be the priority.
Let me give you 2 reasons;
- With more muscle mass, comes an even greater metabolic rate, such that even while at rest, your body's fat burning mechanism is running high key in the background. See picture evidence for weights before cardio.
- More lean muscle mass reduces your risk of injuries, supports bone health, reduces your risk of diseases, reduces stress and improves your overall quality of life, making you a total badass.
Now of course, if you're starting out your fitness journey a bit overweight, it would be more practical to first become nimble enough to weight train efficiently. In this scenario, cardio before weights could be more beneficial in losing some excess fat calories.
The science behind it all:
When you begin cardio training, the body first taps into the glucose (carbs) reserves in the body; these are the easiest to access for energy. Once glucose is depleted enough, the body switches its energy source to stored fats. So, yes, over a period of consistent cardio training, you can accomplish your overall weight loss goal. But why not choose the superior path by prioritizing muscle building and unleash your body's fat burning engine house?