Aerobics and lifting

[speakeasy]

I take mixed martial arts about 3-4 times a week. Classes are 1 hour and as you can imagine, the aerobic work out from the training and sparring is intense. I'm not doing it for the aerobics but because I want fight skills primarily.

I also want to put on muscle. I don't care about trying to be super strong or look like the Terminator. I just want some more bulk and definition so that I look sexy to the ladies when I take my shirt off at the beach. I admit my only reasons here are purely for vanity.

Now here's the question with regards to mixing heavy aerobic work with weight training. Is it best to lift weights before or after aerobics? I don't think most people do them together. I know my caloric surplus is getting used up by the martial arts so it's difficult for me to gain weight. But is it bad for your muscles to have these things going on the same day? For example doing my martial arts class then going to the gym to lift afterwards? Or is it best to alternate with only martial arts say on mon, wed, fri and weights on tues, thr, sat?

[JoeBlack]

Generally it's best to seperate out aerobic and anerobic exercise in my opinion.

I imagine MMA is very intense on the muscles so I would definately seperate that from any weight training.

I think it's fine to do a bit of a treadmill warm up before weights, and to finish off with a bit of cardio after the weights.. but on the whole I like to hit the weights fresh, take a good post workout shake and then relax.

Weight train on non mma days or at least at different parts of the day. Also plan your weights routine careful. Do a routine that supports your MMA, focusing on explosive movements and one thats will help you for your MMA.

[blackbelt2k]

just put some hours between the work outs... i do mma mwf, and sometimes sat.. but its usually 2 hour class, and 1 hour open mat.. just so it happens, my lifting days are mwf .. so i just lift in the morning and train from 6-9.. you put on weight SLOWLY, but u also get more muscle exhaustion and somewhat better strenght gains.

[mrRuckus]

but u also get more muscle exhaustion


This is a plus?

and somewhat better strenght gains.

As compared to what?

[blackbelt2k]

well by the end of the night your muscles have been pretty much pushed to complete failure, but with a healthy diet, I feel they are made stronger, quicker. The strenght gains aren't noticed in the gym except in the compound movements, but more so when u can pick up a 200lb guy that has you in a triangle and repeatedly slam the **** out of him