HIIT then Weights or Weights then HIIT?

[fatburner2007]

Recently started doing a HIIT routine and am interested in knowing on days where I am doing HIIT and lifting, which is it better to do first?

[DAdams91982]

Recently started doing a HIIT routine and am interested in knowing on days where I am doing HIIT and lifting, which is it better to do first?

Lift first, then cardio. HIIT is extremly taxing on the CNS, and will hurt your lifting if you perform that first.

Adams

[fatburner2007]

Thanks for the feedback. How does this look for the HIIT routine:

Machine: Cybex ArcTrainer
Duration: 18 mins
60 sec - jog rate at about 120 strides per minute
60 sec - sprint at about 195 strides per minute
Repeat for another 16 mins

Lift first, then cardio. HIIT is extremly taxing on the CNS, and will hurt your lifting if you perform that first.

Adams

[Minus83]

i think i read somewhere (probably BS) that people doing some form of cardio (whether it was HIIT or not i cant rememer) experienced more muscle growth than those who did no cardio before their weight session, or did cardio after.

ive heard every side of it though, no cardio before weights, no cardio after weights, cardio before weights, cardio after weights, no cardio at all on lifting days, theres just too much conflicting arugements.

it cant hurt to try, the only problem ive seen when i do my cardio before i hit the weights is a lack of energy.

id prefer to use whatever energy i have on my weight routine, rather than using some doing HIIT before and then sturggling through my session with the weights.

[fatburner2007]

Agree

I seem to manage to be able to get through my weight routine and then follow it with HIIT; not sure if I could do it the other way around.

id prefer to use whatever energy i have on my weight routine, rather than using some doing HIIT before and then sturggling through my session with the weights.

[Steveoph]

Just bumping this old thread because it always makes me curious. I've read many things, and I often do my HIIT after my weights; My problem is sometimes I don't have any BCAA's and I hate waiting the extra 20-25 minutes to take my shake after working out.

[yosahab]

IMO Definately lift first, then HIIT. I made the mistake of doing it the other way and my workout really suffered. I was able to start off good but towards the end I hit a wall and couldn't lift worth a @#$.

[MakaveliThaDon]

I've played around with both personally. If I'm cutting, I actually do it both, before AND after. Only very shortly before, around 15 minutes, pretty light intensity, not breathing hard or anything, just work up a little sweat, burn some calories, get the heart rate elevated just a bit.

THEN I do my workout, and then I hit the HIIT hard for 30 plus minutes afterwards.

Maybe my workouts suffer a bit, if I had to put a percentage on it then maybe like 10 percent I would say. But you know, when i'm cutting, setting new PR's in lifts isn't really on the agenda.

[Nullifidian]

Personally, I don't like doing cardio with my weight training at all. One big reason is HIIT taxes your body almost the same as weightlifting. So as far as your body is concerned you just lifted twice in a row. Thus you're more likely to strat cranking out some hevay duty cortisol if you piggyback them without some kind of performance enhancers.

It will work better if you split them up. HIIT as a seperate workout that day, or even possibly on your off days. I've been thinking about getting up in the morning a little earlier, eating breakfast then hitting the gym for some HIIT, then lifting later in the evening. That way I'll get an extra GH peak, and I get the endurance increasing benefits of HIIT.

Low intensity cardio however you could probably do whenever.