The benefits of cardiovascular exercise are numerous. When you engage in cardio exercise, you strengthen your heart and lungs, increase your metabolism and burn fat. If you're looking to incorporate strength training and abdominal conditioning with your cardio, however, which exercises you do first may enhance the effects of training.
The Role of Lactic Acid
Lactic acid is produced in your bloodstream when oxygen supplies are limited. Thus, if you are engaging in strenuous cardiovascular activity, your body will produce lactic acid in order to deliver more energy to your muscles. When you lift heavy weights, your body works anaerobically, or without oxygen. In other words, your body is relying on lactic acid production for energy when you lift heavy weights. To perform at your maximum potential, you should lift heavy weights before doing cardio to save those lactic acid stores. However, the order at which you perform cardio and ab exercises or the lifting of lighter weights is likely insignificant, as you won't be needing lactic acid for energy. Moreover, if your cardio routine is primarily aerobic, you can also get away with lifting weights and doing abdominal work after your cardio session.
Cardio Exercises
Running, jumping rope and kickboxing are a few examples of high intensity workouts that will get your heart pumping after you lift weights. If you are looking for low-impact cardio exercise that will also spike your heart rate, try indoor cycling, swimming or speed walking. After you lift weights or do your ab workout, these exercises will give you the cardio benefit without the impact on your joints.
Strength Training Exercises
Resistance training can be performed with weights or dumbbells, resistance bands, kettlebells or your own body weight. If you use weights, dumbbells or kettlebells, you can choose to pick up heavier weights and do less repetitions, or go with lighter weights and do more repetitions until your muscles fatigue. Resistance bands come in several sizes -- thicker bands offer more resistance. Using your own body weight with such exercises as pushups or tricep dips are convenient when you are at home or traveling and don't have access to gym equipment. If you are planning to do 60 minutes of intense cardio after your weight routine, perform no more than 30 minutes of weight or ab training.
Abdominal Exercises
Although crunches are a popular exercise in strengthening the abdominal muscles, there are a number of other options that target the part of your abdomen that is responsible for deep core strength and back support. Traditional Pilates exercises will strengthen the deepest part of your abdominal wall, the transversus abdominus. Abdominal exercises such as the Plank, Double-leg Stretch, and Teaser are effective in targeting the transversus. In order to get the most benefit out of these exercises, incorporate them before your cardio regimen and spend around 10 to 15 minutes with your abdominal workout.
References
- The American Sports Medicine Institute: "Anaerobic Training";
- "The Pilates Body: The Ultimate At-Home Guide to Strengthening, Lengthening, and Toning Your Body--Without Machines"; Brooke Siler; 2000
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