I'm starting up a new exercise routine for May, involving 30 minutes of strength/core training and 30 of cardio. Is it more effective to do that as a solid hour working out (if so, in what order)? Or better to do two workouts every day?

Thanks!

I think it's most effective to do them together in intervals, like 15 minutes of each for an hour, or 10 minutes or 30, and switch the intervals each week. That's what I do and it has been highly effective.

I'm part of an exercise forum and this is one of our most debated topics. Some argue you should do weights first for a better cal burn, some say cardio first to warm up the muscles, or as Jess said do them in circuit.

Bottom line is do what you like and what you feel works for you. Do a week of weights first, then a week of cardio first, try a week of splitting the workouts, and a week of doing them together circuit style. Take notes and see how you feel afterwards, if you have lost weight, gained strength or if you split the workouts, which you like better and enjoy the most with the least dread factor.

Today I did two 45min weight workouts about 2hrs apart. I used heavier weights and enjoyed the second workout more, plus burned an additional 301 cals over the first workout. Was it because I split the workouts or because I just worked harder the second time???

Guess I'll have to try it again to find out.

hope that helps

I worked out with a personal trainer the other day and he suggested that in between sets I do 3 minutes of cardio and 10 minutes at the end of my workout, even though the workout took a little over an hour it went by really fast because I was not sitting idle in-between sets.

My workout looked like this:

squats x 4
3 minutes bike
stiff legged deadlifts x 4
3 minutes bike
leg extensions x 3
3 minutes summit climber
hamstring curls x 3
3 minutes elliptical
shoulder press x 3
3 min bike
lateral raise x 3
10 minutes treadmill 10 minutes

My heart rate stayed in between 150 and 160 for the entire workout and I sweat a lot.

There is no debate. There is only one way that is most effective. All the answers given will work but the following is the best way.

First you warm up. Whether this takes 5 minutes or 15 minutes if you want to injure yourself than don't warm up. If you don't have time to warm up than you don't have time to lift weights.

After you warm up you lift weights. Weight training done the correct way is very intense and doing cardio (outside of warming up) before or during your lifting is going to do one thing and one thing only - make your weight training session less effective.

After you're done weight training you can do the rest of your cardio.

Research has shown that doing 10 minutes of cardio and then 20 minutes later is just as effective as doing 30 minutes concurrently so don't worry about that.

I want to be safe so I always do 30 minutes of cardio first, then 15 minutes weight lifting excersizes, 5 minutes crunches and squats, and then 10 minutes of slow flexing excerizes.

This way I am warm when I lift the weights and super warm when I do the flexing. I do NOT want to tear up my muscles too bad.

I totaly need that daily excerize fix for my depression. Calories will be burned more certainly if you don't risk injury. Because then you'll stay without for a week or so.

Why?