Cardio Or Weights First? Exercise Order Sometimes Matters

Gina, Maybe, but it probably has more to do with a person's mentality. Some people need  influence of others to work out, so a crowded commercial gym might be the answer. Personally, I don't need or want the distraction (even though I met my wife in a health club). When I decided to put together my own gym, I began buying equipment at online auctions, yard sales, and a store called, 'Play-It Again-Sports' that sells used equipment. In fact, my wife found my Concept-2 ergometer at a yard sale for only $300, what a deal! My gym now includes; dumb-bell sets ranging from 20 lbs to 55 lbs, four different 2-hand bars loaded with iron weights, a dip/pull-up stand, a tricep/lat stand ($50 ebay find), a bench press bench, the concept-2, an exercise bike, a heavy punching bag, and some mats for stretching. I have less than a thousand dollars invested in this gym. The key is too design your workout around your needs and goals. That might be a local gym, or a home gym, or a series of mountainbike trails, or brisk walk route through the neighborhood. 

These people who were quoted in this article should think of who their target audience is in the article: people who may not be in the best shape in the world. So, with that having been said, I would slightly lean toward cardio first. Why? Because people who are deconditioned (out of shape) tend to have all types of muscle imbalances (tight muscles vs weak muscles). Adding load to these muscles without proper corrective stretching tends to make the problem worse. One way to start to create proper balance is through cardio. Have uppercross syndrome (tight chest muscles, serratus anterior, lat dorsi, etc)? Go for a half hour jog, and the motions used in the jogging will help fix the imbalance. Then you will be ready to put load on the muscles and muscle groups. Same with lowercross syndrome, pot belly syndrome, etc. The movement in much cardio will help this problem. Now, if its lower-cross syndrome, I don't think riding a bicycle will be the most effective form of cardio. Me personally, I run very early in the morning, and it sets the tone for the day for me. When I wake up I'm already sort of tight, so a nice jog loosens everything up, and my weight training workout is more effective. Some may not have the stamina to handle that. To each his/her own.

I have also found weight training to be beneficial as I have aged.......definitely has made my workouts and cardio more effective. Wish I had started earlier in my life with weight training.