Do I need both weights and cardio?
Do you have any opinion on weights and cardio as a package deal? How about if I did my cardio before swinging off a barbell for an hour?
I admit frequently that I don’t spend a lot of time in specific cardio activity. In those years when training with Arnold, Zane and Columbo, no one did any, period. I achieve my heart and lung activity through the tough training on the floor with the weights and save the aerobic for getting in particularly good, lean shape or when injured or slightly sick or backing off intentionally. In brief, aerobic exercise was on hold — on the sidelines — always.
Squatting, deadlifting, supersetting and continual forward motion and intensity in my training provide plenty of lung and heart work. I save my time, energy and spirits for the iron.
As cardio is part of your training scheme (meets your needs — good), do it first to warm and rev you up. The bad boys are right. Feed yourself after your hard iron work and slow down. Don’t do energy consuming activity. Logic tells me it intrudes upon muscle recuperation and repair.
Due to recent heart concerns, my favorite philosophy has taken a back seat, alas… carry on. DD
Dave Draper - Dave Draper Posted on October 30th, 2007 in Heart Health, Weight Training by Dave Draper