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For the past 6 months or so, I’ve been doing my elliptical cardio workouts prior to my weight lifting sessions. I do 15 minutes on the elliptical at a cardio target HR immediately followed by a quick weight lifting session focused on 2 body parts. This is certainly not my ideal workout routine, but I do it to accommodate my work schedule.

Needless to say, I feel somewhat depleted going into my weight training workouts immediately after a high intensity cardio session on the elliptical. It certainly stands to reason because I’ve burned up most of my available glycogen during the cardio portion thus leaving nothing in reserve for the weights. One of the advantages for me by doing cardio prior to the weights is that I get a nice warm up, however it seems to be at the expense of my energy reserves.

So in yet another rework of my training routine, I’ve just begun to do a very short warm up on the stationary bike (of all things) prior to hitting the weights. I’ve immediately noticed the benefits as I now have a lot more energy as well as enthusiasm for my weight workouts.

The other advantage is that my HR is already elevated and it doesn’t take as long to get up to my target HR once on the elliptical. Now, whether or not this is just a momentum effect with little cardio benefit remains to be seen, but I think it will prove to be beneficial to both my weight training and cardio workouts.

Most gyms have members who have been training for many years. This includes both young and more mature members alike. Many of these folks are also more than willing to dispense training advice, both solicited and otherwise. The question I’ve pondered, is just how reliable is this advice from the rank and file?

Perhaps the best evaluation of the quality of such advice is to consider the source. How does this person train? Are they focused and serious or do then spend the bulk of their time in the gym running their yaps in an attempt to talk a good game? A respectable body might be a good sign, but not required in my opinion.

The surprising results from my experience is that a lot of the advice dispensed around my gym is quite knowledgeable. However, when offered such advice, keep in mind if it makes sense for you. Someone may be into strongman type training and swear by kettlebells and the lifting of heavy stones. Sure, it makes for a strong grip and develops coordination, but is it something that makes sense for you and your personal fitness goals?

If someone points out that arching your back when bench pressing more weight than you can lift in good form is not a good idea, you may want to listen. Of course, I’ve seen young guys get very offended when an older member has pointed this out. My policy is to not give advice unless it’s asked for or if someone is in immediate danger of hurting themselves or others.

I’ve found that weight training and cardio advice is considerably more reliable than advice centered around nutrition and supplements. This makes sense since nutrition is a vastly complex subject with loads of unsubstantiated claims both in the medical and fitness communities. Some of the diet and nutrition advice I’ve heard spouted in the gym has made me either chuckle or bite my tongue in horror.

So don’t be afraid to ask questions of people who look like they know what they’re doing, but decide for yourself if you want to apply their advice.

I’ve received some questions about mixing elliptical training and weight training in the same workout session. This is a technique I recommend in my eBook “Getting Started With Elliptical Training”. The idea is to get the best of both worlds — muscle-building along with cardio-conditioning/fat-burning. I really believe that just about everyone should partake in both forms of training.

Of course, having said that, there are times and situations when the cardio training can actually sabotage your goals. Particularly when that goal is to maximize muscular development. This is especially true for those of us who are categorized as “hard-gainers” when it comes to building muscle. You actually can make it very difficult on yourself if you’re trying to lift heavier and with more intensity and you’re still trying to fit in marathon cardio sessions. In this situation, you are better off cutting back on your cardio sessions while maximizing your weight training efforts.

I certainly don’t advise cutting out your cardio workouts altogether during these periods — just cut back a bit. I’m also a firm believer in cycling your training throughout the year. It’s really difficult to go out on any type of training without some kind of break, be it weight lifting or cardio. As you become more advanced in your training you may want to add in 6-week cycles. Go all out with the emphasis on heavy weight lifting and scaling your cardio back to 3 shorter sessions per week. Preferably not during the same workout session as your weight training. Doing cardio right before jumping into a heavy weight lifting session will deplete your stored energy (glycogen) and will leave your energy store depeleted for your weight lfiting. It’s better to do your cardio on your off-days from lifting or during a different time during the day from your weight training. Keep your cardio sessions around 15-20 minutes.

Your diet will also need to vary during these cycles. You’ll want to consume additional calories and also up your protein intake to provide the necessary amino acids for protein synthesis to repair damaged muscle fibers. Your carbohydrate intake will also need to be higher to replenish the glycogen stored in your muscle cells in order to fuel more demanding workouts.

Eight weeks is a general guideline for cycling your workouts. You need to listen to both your mind and your body to really let you know when the time is right to switch to the next phase of your training. It’s always a good idea to take a week off from the gym after a cycle to get the cob webs out and let your body rejuvenate itself. That way, you will be excited to return to the gym with a renewed sense of commitment and energy.

On the flip side, your cardio cycle will put the emphasis on refining the additional musclar bulk your added during the “bulking” cycle. Increase your cardio sessions to 4-5 times a week for between 30-60 minutes per session. Continue to lift, but drop the poundages substantially and increase the reps. This is also a good time to add in some isolation movements to bring out the definition in your muscles.

Like the seasons, your training will also go through the ebb and flow of changing rythms. Embrace the variety and you’ll keep yourself fresh and continually improving.