How bad is it to do cardio immediately after weights? Any big guys do this?

[gilly6993]

cardio....

 

[emo]

I agree with Keep it Beefy. Cardio after lifting is fine so long as you keep it light. After about an hour of hard lifting you've depleted the glycogen in your muscles and start to burn fatty acids. Immediately after working out drink down your creatine and eat a carb loaded meal with lots of protein. Your insulin will spike (insulin is one of the most anabolic substances your body produces) as a result of the carbs. Your body is in its most anabolic state the first two hours after you finish working out, therefore, insulin+gear = good gains. I also recommend taking a cortisol inhibitor (cortistat) before working out as this will inhibit the cortisol produced by your body when you lift (cortisol is catabolic).

In a nutshell, cardio after working out is a great way to lose fat but still make muscle gains.

Emo, 6'4'' , 250 lbs

 

[Zyglamail]

but doens't doing any kind of cardio do that to you? especially if you're doing cardio in the morning on an empty stomach right?

The difference is in the state of your fast twitch muscle fiber. In the morning sure you have just got done fasting but as a general rule of thumb your body isnt going to release energy from a muscle cell into the blood stream to feed the body, thats what fat cells are for, so assuming you ate after a prior days workout, you muscle cells are full and the overnight fast only has a small impact on them since they are not being used. So doing cardio in the morning forces your body to release FFA's from fat cells for energy while you fast titch muscle is largely along for the ride.

When after a vigorous strength training routine you have a depleted fast tiwtch fibers of stored energy and by doing cardio you increase the demands since not only do you slow twitch fibers need juice to fuel the cardio but your fast twitch are starving and looking for food too. Fat burning wise it may have more benefit due to the extra demand "may" cause increased lypolosis, but Im not certian.

On a side note, im not saying a cool down isnt help[ full a nice 5-10 minute light cardio session to help pump out toxins that built and replenish oxygen etc.

 

[gunslinger11]

what about hours later? im a football player but in season i dont wanna drop off in strength or mass, i have late practice so i figured i could go to the gym at 6am. practice starts at 330, so is that enough space between or is this a bad idea. im way too beaten up to lift after practice BTW.

 

[emo]

Practically all of the stored energy in your cells (glycogen = stored glucose) will be depleted regardless of whether or not you do cardio afterwards. That's so long as you lift hard for an hour, making sure to take good long breaks in between your sets (4 to 5 min). So long as you carb up after finishing your workout you will replenish the glycogen. If you want you can drink down a carb shake immediately after you're done lifting and before you do cardio. You definitely get increased lipolysis due to the release of glucagon by your cells in response to the depletion of glycogen. I recommend 30 to 45 min of cardio (very light) following workouts. I know several pros who do this. I do agree that cardio in the morning is a great time to lose fat for the reasons Zyglamail stated.

Emo

 

[emo]

Sorry, I meant epinephrine released from your adrenal glands, not glucagon.
My biochem is a tad rusty.

 

[Magnússon]

If I'm trying to bring out every last ab, Ill do about 15-20 mins uphill walking on the treadmill directly after my workout then have my shake.

Always makes me fell good to be doing cardio all pumped up and vascular with a bunch of sweating fat-asses

 

[bigrand]

I have been hitting the eliptical trainer for 10-15min after lifting about 4-5 times a week. I usually keep it at about 200RPM for the time so i burn about 250 cals (according to the machines readouts). I figure if i keep it short, its better for the muscles, but intense so i keep the HR higher after doing it. Im trying to shed a good 20lbs right now and i do feel better since ive been doing it.

 

[gunslinger11]

BUMP

 

[Superfrk]

There is also an anabolic window that is caused by working out, which will kick in with a GH release at about the 20 to 40 min range. Anything after this time period will cause catabolism to kick in. Take into effect that cardio is catabolic and you can start to see way it will cut into your gains. As far as getting cut and staying that way in the long term. The more muscle you gain the faster your matabolism will be in order to lose the wieght.