Need some advice

Is it better to go for a light bike ride before hitting the gym, or should I save the cycling strictly for after my workout?

Ashley Parker82 said:Is it better to go for a light bike ride before hitting the gym, or should I save the cycling for after my workout?

A light ride beforehand works great as a gentle warm-up. Once you're done with the weights, you can definitely pick up the pace a bit more.

Ashley Parker82 said:Is it better to go for a light bike ride before hitting the gym, or should I save the cardio for after the workout?

Definitely after.

When you do anaerobic training—lifting weights—you burn through the glycogen stored in your muscle.

If you follow up that lifting session with some aerobic work (like cycling, the elliptical, or a treadmill), your muscles won't have much glycogen left to tap into. Instead, they start pulling from fat stores.

Flip that order around, though? If you do the cardio first and then lift, you run a real risk of heavy muscle catabolism.

Jason Campbell70 said:Definitely after.

If you flip it—meaning, doing cardio first and then hitting the weights—you’re basically just begging for some serious muscle catabolism.

So, how am I supposed to warm up then? Just stand there and stretch my arms or something?
I always start my sessions with a bit of cardio, you know, like hopping on a stationary bike, the StairMaster, or a treadmill...

shadowstag2 said:So how are you supposed to warm up beforehand then? Just some basic stretching, or what?

Did you have PE back in elementary or middle school?😉
So, warming up and stretching. That's the move.

shadowstag2 said:I always kick things off with some cardio before my main session—usually hitting the stationary bike, the StairMaster, or just logging some miles on the treadmill.

I wouldn't recommend it.
What exactly are you planning to burn? Glycogen, not fat. Your body is just going to crash into catabolism later on—both during and after anaerobic training.

Jason Campbell70 said:I would absolutely not recommend this
Because you'll be burning through your glycogen stores instead of fat, leaving your body prone to falling into a catabolic state during and after anaerobic training.

🤣
What nonsense. A mere ten minutes on a stationary bike, a StairMaster, or a treadmill is highly advisable before any workout, provided it is accompanied by proper stretching. You aren't going to trigger some catastrophic catabolic breakdown from that. 😂

@Ashley Parker82/">@@Ashley Parker82
One could ride a bike both before and after a session. If you are actually seeking advice that carries any weight, perhaps you should provide some context? What are your goals? Is your nutrition dialed in? What does your training regimen look like, or what supplements are you taking? You have essentially said nothing at all. It is entirely possible that if your goal is weight loss, a moderate-paced ride or run on an empty stomach in the morning would be appropriate. However, if you are currently in a bulking phase, the approach changes entirely, so...

rapidstag2 said:🤣
What nonsense. A quick 10-minute session on the bike, stepper, or treadmill is highly recommended before you start lifting. Don't forget stretching, too. And don't worry, you won't trigger any serious catabolism. 😂

Actually, it isn't nonsense. If your goal is to burn subcutaneous fat while maintaining lean muscle mass, you should train using an anaerobic system first, followed by aerobic training.☕

rapidstag2 said:You can ride the bike either before or after your workout.

My answer remains the same as above.👍

rapidstag2 said:If you actually want advice that carries some weight, you need to provide more context. Goals? Diet? Current training routine? Supplements? You haven't really said anything at all.

👍

rapidstag2 said:It might be a case where you want to lose weight. In that scenario, you'd do moderate-intensity cycling or running in the morning on an empty stomach. But if you're in a bulking phase then things change again, so...

In any case, nutrition is the most important factor.

Jason Campbell70 said:No, that is hardly what nonsense. If one truly intends to incinerate subcutaneous fat while simultaneously preserving pure muscle mass, the methodology requires a specific sequence: you must engage in anaerobic training first, followed immediately by aerobic exercise.☕

🤣
Jason Campbell70, I must say, I find myself wondering how you can justify such blatant nonsense.
Does ten minutes on a stationary bike, a treadmill, or a stepper really pose any threat of triggering catabolism? Of course not. Naturally, this assumes your nutrition is already dialed in; after all, if your diet isn't on point, even a heavy weightlifting session won't yield much of a result. In truth, you'd be doing far more damage to your physique by jumping straight onto the machines without a proper warm-up.

Pray tell, would you care to elaborate on your methodology? How exactly do you propose to strip away nothing but fat while somehow preserving every ounce of muscle mass?🙏 Is it truly possible to prioritize pure muscle hypertrophy by tackling the weight machines first before transitioning to the treadmill or stationary bike? Or am I simply chasing a phantom goal through flawed sequencing?

rapidstag2 said:🤣
Jason Campbell70, sorry, but you're just talking nonsense.

Are you trolling?👎

rapidstag2 said:Ten minutes on the bike, the track, or the stepper isn't going to trigger catabolism. Not even close. Of course, that assumes your nutrition is on point—because let's be honest, without a solid diet, even heavy lifting won't yield much progress. Besides, wouldn't you say jumping straight onto the machines without warming up does far more damage?

I wouldn't recommend anyone tackling aerobic training before hitting the anaerobic stuff. Why bother?
Is a steady ten-minute, low-intensity workout considered aerobic? It is.
Again, you aren't burning fat; you're burning glycogen.
Once those muscles burn through their glycogen stores, you start hitting high-intensity anaerobic training? The muscle loses its primary fuel source. It essentially starts eating itself. That's catabolism in a nutshell.

rapidstag2 said:Besides, you could do much more damage if you jump onto the machines without warming up first.

A perfect five. But I’m still not going to overlook how crucial a proper warm-up is.

rapidstag2 said:So, give me a little more clarity here. How exactly do you plan on dropping nothing but fat without losing any muscle mass?🙏 So, you mean pure muscle mass by hitting the weight machines first and then finishing off with the treadmill or stationary bike?

Step one: get the diet right. Above all else.👍

Part two—I never said that’s how I train.😉Honestly, I’d recommend that everyone keeps their aerobic and anaerobic training sessions completely separate. Why mix them? It just makes more sense to keep them distinct.

Now, if your objective is weight loss, it is highly advisable to follow up anaerobic sessions with aerobic exercise; it truly is the most efficient method available. I have a bit of a technical question for the group, though: following an anaerobic weight session, do you consume your PWM (protein and glucose) immediately before starting the cardio, or do you wait until the aerobic portion is complete before sipping on your PWM? Let’s assume for the sake of argument that the aerobic portion lasts about thirty minutes. We must also consider that after lifting weights, one should ideally ingest PWM as quickly as possible to mitigate muscle catabolism, yet we know that introducing PWM might inadvertently block fat oxidation. I am genuinely curious how you all navigate this—I certainly have my own routine, but it is always interesting to observe how others attempt to outsmart their own physiology.

The absolute best way to mix aerobic and anaerobic training would be separating the sessions.
I mean, like Jason Campbell70 says, if you hit the cardio first, you’re burning through your glycogen stores, which means your muscle mass takes a much bigger hit during the actual lifting. But then again, there's a catch. If you lift weights and then go straight into a 40-50 minute cardio session instead of grabbing your PWM right away, you're missing out on that immediate window for carbs and protein. You really want those nutrients hitting your system to stop catabolism and kickstart recovery. Honestly, you deal with catabolism during cardio just about as much as you do during weightlifting anyway.

So, there isn't really one perfect formula. As for a 15-minute warm-up before jumping into the heavy stuff? I'd recommend that to anyone. I know from my own experience—if I actually take the time to warm up, I can usually squeeze out 2 or 3 more pull-ups than when I skip it.

James Lewis6 said:Hey, it's definitely recommended to do cardio after anaerobic training if you're looking to drop some weight... it's the fastest way to do it. So, here's a little trick question: after an anaerobic workout with weights, do you drink your PWM (protein + glucose) before the cardio, or do you finish the cardio first and then have the PWM?...

I wouldn't touch PWM right before cardio if I were you. If you do, you're basically telling your body to burn everything else *except* your body fat. I made that mistake once, and it took me about half an hour to realize, "Wait, what nonsense am I doing?"

Roger Richardson61 said:Aerobic training also triggers catabolism to a similar degree as anaerobic training.

I would absolutely advise against taking > before aerobic work, as you are essentially permitting your body to exhaust everything except your fat stores. I made the mistake of doing exactly that once, and it took me about half an hour to realize, "what nonsense am I doing?"

We all recognize that separating the sessions is ideal, but it is certainly less efficient regarding time management. Many people find themselves running for twenty minutes in vain during an aerobic session, whereas others head straight to the track after hitting the weight room simply to save time—effectively getting two workouts done at once. That is precisely why we are discussing this specific combination.

Your assessment is incorrect; aerobic training does not induce muscle catabolism to any degree comparable to anaerobic training—it isn't even close. Where did you get that notion? During light aerobic activity, you primarily burn glycogen at the start, assuming there was no prior training; eventually, the ratio stabilizes and shifts toward a higher percentage of fat oxidation.

Furthermore, I cannot agree with your second point either...
If one were to take > after anaerobic training specifically to combat catabolism—since muscles require protein more urgently then—no issue arises unless we consume excessive glucose, which causes insulin secretion and subsequently blocks fat burning...
Therefore, one should essentially trick the body: consume > to facilitate replenishment, while utilizing aerobic exercise to target fat loss. It is a complex process that seems to contradict certain conventional rules, yet the objective is to manipulate the body's response in the most effective manner possible.
http://forum.teretana.net/viewtopic....r=asc&start=15
I suggest reading the posts by Professor Vedran Jaksic; read them all, as they contain extensive debates explaining the reasoning behind each approach.

This discussion pertains specifically to that combined method, intended for those who have limited time and wish to complete their training in a single session. Those with ample time and motivation can spend all day walking, let alone performing an aerobic session in the morning followed by an anaerobic session in the evening.

James Lewis6 said:You've got it wrong. Aerobic running doesn't cause muscle catabolism nearly as much as anaerobic stuff does—not even close. Where'd you get that idea? With light aerobic work, you burn through glycogen most at the start if you haven't worked out yet, but later on, things level out and you start tapping into fat stores at a higher percentage..

So, aerobic exercise doesn't lead to catabolism? Just look at marathon runners.
With anaerobic training, you deal with catabolism, sure, but you also get muscle growth if your nutrition is on point. With aerobic, you don't really get anything besides catabolism, even if it happens at a lower rate.
That’s why I’m saying if you knock out the aerobic part first and then move to the anaerobic, you can take some PWM to stop that catabolism and feed those muscles some protein.

James Lewis6 said:I don't agree with your second point either...
I’d drink PWM after an anaerobic workout because of the catabolism, right? The muscles need protein urgently. But, there's no issue if we consume too much glucose and insulin gets released, which blocks fat burning...
That's why you have to trick the body. Drink the PWM to use it for refueling, while the aerobic part burns off the fat. It's complicated and goes against a few "rules," but the goal is to trick the body in the smartest way possible..

So, your advice boils down to this:
1) anaerobic training
2) PWM
3) aerobic training

How many grams of carbs would you even put in that PWM?

Maybe just take pure protein after the anaerobic session, and then save the glucose for after the aerobic one?
Because I don't quite get how you plan to trick the body if you're feeding it carbohydrates?

I spent some time digging through that gym forum thread you shared.

Honestly, there's a lot of truth to the idea that hitting your PWM right after anaerobic training is key, especially if you’re careful about not overdoing the glucose. The guy made some really solid points.

So, here’s my new game plan: I’ll start with a quick 15-minute warmup on the stationary bike, move into the heavy lifting, knock back my PWM, and then jump straight onto the bike again for another 35 to 40 minutes.

The one thing I'm still trying to dial in is exactly how much sugar to toss into the PWM. Right now, I usually just mix in one full scoop of whey, which ends up being about 50 grams of dextrose.

Roger Richardson61 said:The only detail I am genuinely interested in is how much sugar you typically add to your PWM. My standard practice involves adding one full scoop of whey, which equates to roughly 50 grams of dextrose.

I haven't been particularly active on this forum lately. If you are following this specific protocol, how much sugar are you incorporating into your PWM? Generally, for two scoops of whey, the recommendation suggests about 100 grams of glucose, which feels like a bit of an overkill; therefore, 50 grams seems reasonable. Since you cannot precisely determine exactly how much will be utilized immediately, you simply decide for yourself what you feel is necessary.

And yet, it seems nobody thought to consult the actual fitness coach—because, let’s be honest, they’re usually the ones who actually know how this all works

goldenfox24 said:Perhaps you neglected to consider the most obvious solution: simply consulting a fitness professional, given that they are supposedly the ultimate authorities on these matters.

Half of this forum consists of fitness trainers.👍 What specifically are you seeking to understand? To be blunt, the vast majority of instructors found in local gyms possess remarkably little actual knowledge. I have observed this since my early days; no matter which "trainer" you approach for guidance at a gym, you are met with nothing but inconsistent and misguided nonsense. It is far more efficient to take matters into your own hands and commit to rigorous self-study. One tends to master a subject quite rapidly when one possesses genuine interest.