Halle Berry's Trainer's Tip on Cardio or Strength First
This Is Why Halle Berry's Trainer Wants You to Do Cardio Before You Hit the Weights
One of the most-asked fitness questions is whether you start with cardio or strength training in a workout. Ask a group of trainers and you'll probably receive a variety of answers, with different reasons based on your physical abilities and fitness goals.
Halle Berry and her trainer Peter Lee Thomas did a PhitTalk, during which they they answer follower questions for her Fitness Friday posts on Instagram. One fan asked: "Should I complete my cardio before weightlifting, or the other way around?" Peter replied, "Having cardio as a warm up; the first 10, 15, 20 minutes even — do that first before you do your weight training." According to the trainer, "That's a really, really smart way of integrating your cardio into your weight training, therefore you will get a killer warm-up and you're not going to get hurt or injured."
Peter acknowledged that some people prefer to do the strength portion of their workout first, followed by a cardio burnout, but he suggests starting with cardio "and then gradually moving into your weight training."
If you typically feel stiff and tight when you start a strength session, begin with a dynamic warmup followed by some light cardio to ease your body into more intense movements. At the end of the day, we recommend doing what feels the best on your body or working with a personal trainer who can give your more guidance and instruction on how to program a quality workout.
