lundi 18 février 2013

Should You Do Cardio Before Weights Or After?

By Russ Howe


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.

Thanks to the ongoing scientific research being performed in the health and fitness industry, many of the old myths and theories which were used for years have now been either confirmed as fact or condemned to ancient myth. This area is the latest to go under the microscope.

Thankfully, several high profile studies have now been carried out and confirmed the answer to this common gym query.

The most common misconception in this particular area is that you'll pre-exhaust your muscles by hitting cardiovascular equipment before a heavy resistance workout. This couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, you'll greatly enhance your gains if you do your aerobic activity first, so the old theory that cardiovascular exercise should be done after you've finished with the weights is not true.

Up until recently that theory made a lot of sense. However, when scientists carried out tests they found that those who performed aerobic activity prior to lifting weights actually enjoyed superior lean muscle growth as well as superior fat loss!

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.

When you finish a resistance workout, however, the body responds by increasing the release of an enzyme known as mTOR. This turns on the recovery process and helps you to build more lean muscle. The 2 enzymes don't work together well. In fact, having AMPK in your system will switch off the release of mTOR. So, by staying on a treadmill after your finish your weight training you'll significantly turn down your release of mTOR.

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.

If you are one of the many people who like to perform two separate sessions in order to keep resistance training and aerobic workouts away from each other, that last piece of information will stand out as particularly groundbreaking. By separating your sessions with a six hour period you'll allow yourself to get the absolute full benefits from mTOR release before you blast fat with your HIIT session or aerobic workout.

When you are trying to lean how to build muscle in the gym, you'll encounter many areas which are shrouded in mystery and doubt, often coming down to little more than personal opinion. Thanks to ongoing scientific research, however, the question 'Should you do cardio before or after weights?' is no longer something which falls into this category.




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