Cardio or Weights - Which Comes First?

We all know that both strength training and cardio each play a pivotal role in a well rounded exercise routine, but on days when you are squeezing both into the same sweat session, do you know which should come first? 

Photo courtesy of Google Image search

When I was working in a gym,  this was definitely one of the more common topics of debate, which really got me thinking.  Then I started asking around my circle of friends which they thought should come first, and again, there didn't seem to be a consensus. So, I decided to do some actual research into the subject, and the answer is.....(drum-roll please).....

there is no right answer!

Ideally, strength training and cardio should be done on different days, or one in the morning, and the other at night.  This allows you to give your maximum effort to each.  However, if that's not an option, whether you do strength training or cardio first depends on your goals.

If your goal is to gain muscle mass: your best bet is to do some light* cardio prior to lifting. The reason behind this is that in order to build muscle, you want your body to go into an anabolic state, or a "rebuild/repair" state, immediately after your strength routine.  If you were to do cardio after lifting, you would be delaying this process.  Also, depending on the duration of your cardio session, your body may be forced to rely on fats and amino acids from muscle protein for energy - and if gaining muscle is your goal, you would want to preserve as much muscle protein as possible. 

If your goal is to lose body fat or maintain: cardio after strength is a-OK! After about 60 minutes of physical activity, the percentage of calories being burned from fat stores goes way up. So your body will be in "fat burning" mode during your cardio routine if it comes after an hour-long strength session.  However, keep in mind that fat doesn't allow for much intensity to be expended, so the less calories you will be able to burn during that cardio session (don't depend on the number of calories burned displayed on the machine!) 

If your goal is to increase your cardiovascular endurance: obviously cardio should come first.  If this is your goal, more than likely the strength training you are doing is mostly to maintain tone to prevent injury.  In this scenario, your cardio endurance is your number one priority, so giving it a majority of your efforts would make sense.  Just be sure you are still doing a strength routine, and not neglecting your muscles entirely. 

*Conversely,  it's not safe to do a strenuous strength workout after you’ve already tired yourself out with intense cardio...think dumbbell-meets-toe and you'll get why...

Information from the National Council of Certified Personal Trainers S.M.A.R.T. Fitness textbook as well as "Timing is Everything: Why the Duration and Order of Your Excercise Matters" found at http://www.umich.edu 

Healthy Treats to Beat the Heat

Hi All!  I know I have been pretty dormant lately but I totally have a good excuse!  OK, so maybe I don't, but the important thing is I'm back and excited about getting started writing again.

So since my last post, I have made the move back home to good ol' Las Vegas...and boy is it hot! To keep cool, I've have been posted by the pool with a jug of water by my side at all times (hydration, hydration, hydration!) I've also noticed that since I've been back in the desert, the call of ice cream and popsicles from the freezer has turned more into a scream - I now understand the song "We All Scream for Ice Cream".  This got me thinking of some ways to keep cool and fulfill that craving for a frozen treat, all the while sticking to a healthful diet.  Below are some of my favorites:

Frozen Sour Grapes
Alright, it can't get easier than this guys.  Two ingredients: seedless grapes (green OR red...I prefer green)

and sugar-free Jell-O mix (again, flavor of your preference).  The first step is to remove all the grapes from the vine.  Next, rinse them off in a colander, but don't dry them off. Lastly, you're going to coat the damp grapes in the Jell-O mix.  You can either do this by pouring the powder in a large zip-lock bag and utilizing the "shake-n-bake" method, or you can put the powder on a plate and using a fork roll the grapes around in the mix.  Now, put your freshly coated grapes in the freezer for a couple of hour to freeze up, and enjoy!

The variation I've made (and actually remembered to take photos of!) was using green grapes and lime Jell-O. However, I've heard red grapes and cherry Jell-O is also a good combination. 


Banana "Ice Cream"
LOVE this one!  This is truly one of the best  fake-out recipes I've had.  This so-called "ice cream" is (almost) entirely from frozen ripe bananas, yet has the exact texture of soft serve - picky eaters both young and old will never know the difference. Now, the only down-side of this recipe is that it does take a bit of forethought, because

Photo courtesy of theKitchn because I always forget to photograph my food

you have to have the frozen bananas on hand.  So whenever I notice my 'nanners getting a little too ripe, I'll slice them up and pop them in a container I keep in the freezer specifically for this purpose, this way I always have some on hand.  

To make your "soft serve", toss some of your frozen banana slices into a blender or food processor and blend, blend, blend!  I've found the blending goes a little smoother if I let the bananas thaw just slightly.  Now, get creative with your mix-ins!  Walnuts and cinnamon are a good addition, as is peanut butter and chocolate chips, but my favorite is a little bit of unsweetened cocoa powder (a little bit goes a long way) and Stevia.  Eat immediately after blending for more of a soft serve ice cream, or store in the freezer for more of an ice cream consistency. 

Whole-Fruit Popsicles
This treat follows more of a traditional recipe, but you can always get creative with the types of fruits you use. Before beginning these, I suggest buying a popsicle mold and swiping a handful of tongue depressors from your next doctor's appointment (just kidding...kind of...). 

Photo courtesy of The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

After you have your hardware on hand, begin by pureeing 3 cups of any type of melon you prefer, but watermelon is particularly nice for this, just remember to remove the seeds (3 cups will make roughly 12 pops). Next, fill your popsicle molds with any fresh fruit of your choice; blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, mango, peaches...the world is your oyster.  Now, pour the melon puree over the fruit, and place a tongue depressor stick down the center of each mold.  If your mold does not come with a lid to keep the tongue depressors sticks straight, using tin foil works just as nicely. Freeze 6-8 hours before serving.