Gym Talk - Whose feeding you bullshit

I was at my local gym last night and overheard a conversation about which activity one should do first in order to lose weight. One of the males in the conversation was overweight and short, he mentioned that it is critical to do your weights first and then your cardiovascular so that your not tired by the time you step on the treadmill. (When he said "tired", he was talking about the depletion of muscle glycogen) The other gentleman was a young adult, probably in his mid 20's. He stated that one should not perform both activities on the same day since it would hinder their performance.

I'm sure you've ran into debates with gym rats about "cardio vs. resistance training". As a fitness professional, I'll be the first to tell you that everyone is focusing on the wrong factor. If weight loss is your goal then weight loss is your focus.

First you must see if the individual has the endurance to last in both cardiovascular and resistance training. If they do not, then it is critical to perform one activity per day until their endurance and stamina has built up. By not doing so, it could increase the likelihood of injury.

If the individual is already conditioned then for optimal weight loss, combine the activities "back to back" format.

• 15reps @40% Max Barbell Flat Bench Press
• 15reps @40% Max Dumbbell Jump Squat
• 15reps @40% Max Burpees
  
• 15reps @40% Max Dumbbell Seated Arnold Press
  
• 2 min Jog Treadmill @50%Max
• 15reps @40% Max Barbell Flat Bench Press
• 15reps @40% Max Dumbbell Jump Squat
• 15reps @40% Max Burpees
  
• 15reps @40% Max Dumbbell Seated Arnold Press
• 1 min Sprint Treadmill @70%Max
• 15reps @40% Max Barbell Flat Bench Press
• 15reps @40% Max Dumbbell Jump Squat
• 15reps @40% Max Burpees
  
• 15reps @40% Max Dumbbell Seated Arnold Press
• 45sec Sprint Treadmill @80%Max
• 15reps @40% Max Barbell Flat Bench Press
• 15reps @40% Max Dumbbell Jump Squat
• 15reps @40% Max Burpees
  
• 15reps @40% Max Dumbbell Seated Arnold Press
• 30sec Sprint Treadmill @90%Max