Cardio during weight training?

amicold

Member
I hate cardio, so I've been sprinting all out for one minute between sets of weights, anyone else do this? Possibly beneficial?
 
15 minutes high intensity after weights works well for me. Not between sets though, would be too tired to lift.
 
amicold said:
I don't seem to have energy problems yet, though it is mentally tough to push through it.
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Then you're not lifting heavy enough :)
but that's just me talking, hopfully some other opinions will float in here.
 
Haha, I must not be manly enough. I don't know, I might just be a genetic freak, mentally lazy, physically tough.
 
fair enough.
 
If you can do an "all out sprint" for an entire minute, like 50 yard dash intensity, but for 15-20 times the duration of a 50 yard sprint ANNNND get into some lifting, either you're T3 come back to save Sarah Conner and John Smith from world annihilation, or you're not lifting enough.
 
Not 50 yard dash speed, but it's challenging as all hell for me. I guess you're all right, I'm a pussy. :sad:
 
I'm not calling you a pussy, I'm just saying if you can sprint between sets then you can't be lifting that much weight. However, if weight loss is your primary concern, then I think what you're doing is fine in theory, but if musculature and size is your primary concern, then the in between set sprints are sabotaging your efforts. If you want size and strength, do your lifts first and whatever energy you have left, do your sprints. But if you're trying to lean down, then heavier weights aren't so high on the priority list and I suppose if you're able to sprint between sets, then keep it up.
 
It's okay if it is beneficial to your goals, which you never stated.

IMO...

If shooting for strength, this is a def. no-no. If going for size, depleting muscle glycogen may not be a bad thing. If wanting to lose fat, I think this is a good way to get in some extra calorie burning... I used to do something similar, but not sprints... I used to get on the elliptical for 100 cal. at a moderate speed between exercises. It's easy to burn an extra 600-700 calories this way.
 
I'd say keep them separate. You won't be recovering enough in between sets with the sprinting, and as a result you won't be able to push yourself as hard for the reps. In the end you will get in fewer/weaker reps which will cause less hypertrophy.

If your goal is muscle gain drop the sprints and go full-out on the weights. If you're goal is fat loss, still go all out on the weights but throw in cardio right after your workout.
 
ShakesAllDay said:
Please elaborate.

Pre-exhaustion and drop-sets all move towards fewer/weaker reps... yet bodybuilders use these techniques all the time.
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Drop-sets and pre-exhaustion caused by exercises targetting the same muscle (i.e. bench press then flyes) I don't mind because you're really focusing on the chest. But if you do bench and then tire your body out on sprints and then try and do bench again, personally I've found that I can't get in a decent 2nd/3rd set.

Again this is just personal experience and I only tried it twice, and both times I was extremely unhappy with doing sprints in between working sets. Supersetting/drop sets on the other hands I'm all for, and see their function.
 
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