Cardio and weight training

[crunch76]

Hi all,
Been weightlifting 10 weeks now, and have lost a good amount of fat whilst gaining some noticable definition by combining weight training with cardio.
I run 5-6 minutes non stop on the treadmill to get my heart going/warm up, then hit the weights.

Just wondering what the general consensus is regarding weightlifting and cardio on the same night. Some people say, excersise `before` you lift, as this gets the testosterone going.
Some people say excersise `after` lifting as a warm down. But I have been told this is bad, because it pushes the blood out of your muscles. Personally I would like to hit the treadmill before and after.
Thanks for any advice.

[Off Road]

After

[crunch76]

After

Thanks for your reply. Does this mean the pushing the blood out of your muscles thing is untrue?
Why shouldnt I hit the treadmill before? Is the testosterone pumping part also wrong?

[Off Road]

The more important part for building strength and muscle is the lifting, not the cardio. Don't short your efforts in the lifting by wearing yourself out with cardio beforehand. besides, diet is more important than cardio when trying to lose weight. Use cardio for conditioning and diet for weight loss.

[jAy_Dub]

If you can do it in the morning before you eat anything I highly recommend doing it then.

If not, then afterwards like Off Road said.

[Crimea River]

I've heard that it's better to lift first and I actually tried it the other day, but I didn't really notice that much of a difference -- I didn't necessarily feel much stronger or that I could do, or actually did, much more than I usually do.

What I did definitely notice is that I was pretty well wiped out from the weights and the cardio I was doing was a lot less intense than usual...and time just seemed to draaaaaaaaag onnnnnnnnnnn a lot more.

If it matters, I'll switch, but if not...I'd much prefer to get the cardio out of the way first. And, since I go to the gym directly from work, that time also serves well to clear my head and I also get thru it easier by thinking about what I'm going to do next -- and getting amped up for that.

[greemah]

As I understand, if you go cardio after, your body's primary source of fuel is fat, as your body as burnt off all the glycogen during weigh training. Is this correct?

Best be sure to get a good amount of protein and high-GI carbs right after

[lawndarts]

I'm not basing this on science or sound logic, but I do my cardio before. Nothing super intense- no marathons or 5Ks, but enough to get the blood flowing and the heart pumping. This is the only way I have a good workout. If I skip cardio, then my lifts generally suck.