Cardio After Weight Training Burns More Body Fat

A 2011 study showed that it is best to do cardio after weight training. In the study, cardio workouts following weight training was compared to just doing cardio workouts alone. The fat burning effects of doing your cardio after weight training is much greater.

I have been doing cardio after resistance training for a while but recently came across this article. It supports what I have already been dong, but I wanted to share this. So my normal routine is to take advantage of the fat burning "window of opportunity" created by weight training...and do 20 to 30 minutes of cardio after each and every lifting session.

Short duration interval sprint training improves aerobic fitness with only 10% of the effort compared to low intensity cardio.


Read the article here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17277595

The he way I do cardio is a bit different than the mainstream doing "killer cardio" bouts of high intensity for 45 minutes or more. I've found that the combo of sprint intervals followed by low intensity cardio covers the fat burning spectrum better than sprint intervals alone. Here's what it looks like:

Stage one: High Intensity Interval Training - Stationary bike (15 minutes)

2 minute warm up - level 3 
60 seconds fast - level 10
60 seconds recovery - level 3
60 seconds fast - level 11
60 seconds recovery - level 4
30 seconds fast - level 12
60 seconds recovery - level 4
30 seconds fast - level 13
60 seconds recovery - level 4 
60 seconds fast - level 14
90 seconds recovery - level 4 
30 seconds fast - level 14 
Cool down - 3 minutes

Stage two: - Walking on the Treadmill
20 minutes of walking - level 3.5

So after my resistance training, and my two-stage cardio workout, I was in and out of the gym in a little over an hour. 

I like the one-two punch of "Strategic Cardio" (intervals followed by low intensity). I used it today after doing my 5x5 upper body workout.

Just make sure to watch out for sign of over training and fatigue. You only need to do high-intensity training a couple time a week. In fact, it has been shown in studies that performing HIIT more than 2-3 times a week can lead to overtraining and possible injury. Many experts suggest doing this for no more than 8 weeks before taking a few weeks off, to make sure you don’t wind up chronically overtrained. Personally, I was doing this type HIIT + Steady State Cardio of 4 times per week, but after 4 weeks of this intensity, I got burned out and needed a break. 

So now, I do my Strategic HIIT + Steady State Cardio 2 to 3 times a week and limit the duration to 30 minutes after lifting.

I learned this Cardio workout routine and many more cardio fitness tips from Rusty Moore's Visual Impact Cardio

Learn More

His "Progressive" Cardio Course is great for eliminating fat loss sticking points.

The views expressed on this site are my opinions and should not be taken as a substitute for qualified medical expertise. I am not a Doctor. I do not give medical advice or make claims to cure any sickness, disease or affliction. I simply share my understanding of health and fitness. Please consult your Doctor or Health Care Practitioner before starting any diet or fitness routine.

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