One of the most regularly asked questions in the fitness industry is 'Should you do cardio before or after weights for better fat loss and muscle growth?' Lots of people are lost in the subject of how to build muscle so today we'll clear up the science behind this subject for you.
It is not uncommon to hear a different answer each time you ask somebody for advice in the gym. That's because a lot of the health and fitness industry is built upon opinion rather than fact. There are many areas which haven't yet been scientifically researched enough and, until recently, this was one of those areas.
Thankfully, several high profile studies have now been carried out and confirmed the answer to this common gym query.
Contrary to mainstream opinion, you should be performing your cardiovascular workout prior to hitting the weights if you want to get the most out of the gym. This will surprise a few people out there, because one of the most common mistakes is to presume that you'd exhaust the muscles if you did your aerobic activity first.
These recent findings lay to waste one of the oldest theories in fitness. It dates back so long that many people believe it to be fact and still insist on doing it to this very day. However, scientific studies prove that those who put their aerobic activity earlier in their workout enjoyed better fat loss and muscle growth.
What about HIIT? The same results applied here too.
When you workout the body releases 2 enzymes which play a major role in your overall results. They are known as mTOR and AMPK. AMPK is designed to help you adapt to prolonged aerobic activity, so it's released as you do run on a treadmill or cycle.
The second enzyme, mTOR, is the key which turns on the muscle building process after a resistance training session. The bad news is that AMPK kills off mTOR, meaning if you stay in the gym after a training session and perform prolonged cardiovascular exercise you are significantly blunting your own muscle building process. Granted you can still achieve results, but they would be significantly superior if you did things the opposite way around.
The release of mTOR signals the beginning of the muscle building process in the body, meaning this golden window lasting around one hour is a fantastic time to consume quality nutrition to enhance your results further. This period lasts a total of 6 hours, so you ideally don't want to be performing aerobic activity during this time.
This information comes in very handy for those who like to separate their workouts into two separate sessions per day. If you keep six hours between each workout you'll be able to get the full benefits of the muscle repairing process switched on by mTOR enzyme before you release any AMPK during cardiovascular activity.
While discovering how to build muscle can often be confusing and misleading due to the number of myths out there, science is helping every day to make things clearer. If you were previously unsure whether to do cardio before or after weights you now have the research to enhance your results.
It is not uncommon to hear a different answer each time you ask somebody for advice in the gym. That's because a lot of the health and fitness industry is built upon opinion rather than fact. There are many areas which haven't yet been scientifically researched enough and, until recently, this was one of those areas.
Thankfully, several high profile studies have now been carried out and confirmed the answer to this common gym query.
The video today will explain whether you should do cardio before or after weights in the gym.
Contrary to mainstream opinion, you should be performing your cardiovascular workout prior to hitting the weights if you want to get the most out of the gym. This will surprise a few people out there, because one of the most common mistakes is to presume that you'd exhaust the muscles if you did your aerobic activity first.
These recent findings lay to waste one of the oldest theories in fitness. It dates back so long that many people believe it to be fact and still insist on doing it to this very day. However, scientific studies prove that those who put their aerobic activity earlier in their workout enjoyed better fat loss and muscle growth.
What about HIIT? The same results applied here too.
When you workout the body releases 2 enzymes which play a major role in your overall results. They are known as mTOR and AMPK. AMPK is designed to help you adapt to prolonged aerobic activity, so it's released as you do run on a treadmill or cycle.
The second enzyme, mTOR, is the key which turns on the muscle building process after a resistance training session. The bad news is that AMPK kills off mTOR, meaning if you stay in the gym after a training session and perform prolonged cardiovascular exercise you are significantly blunting your own muscle building process. Granted you can still achieve results, but they would be significantly superior if you did things the opposite way around.
The release of mTOR signals the beginning of the muscle building process in the body, meaning this golden window lasting around one hour is a fantastic time to consume quality nutrition to enhance your results further. This period lasts a total of 6 hours, so you ideally don't want to be performing aerobic activity during this time.
This information comes in very handy for those who like to separate their workouts into two separate sessions per day. If you keep six hours between each workout you'll be able to get the full benefits of the muscle repairing process switched on by mTOR enzyme before you release any AMPK during cardiovascular activity.
While discovering how to build muscle can often be confusing and misleading due to the number of myths out there, science is helping every day to make things clearer. If you were previously unsure whether to do cardio before or after weights you now have the research to enhance your results.
About the Author:
On the author: See how to build muscle with easy steps from the UK's leading fitness instructor Russ Howe PTI. Discover whether you should do cardio before or after weights to maximize results with this free video guide.
