For my fellow Tracy Anderson Method practicioners, you guys probably already know what MS and DC mean. MS= Muscular Structure work (our version of strength training) and DC is dance cardio.
A question I see a lot of people who begin the method asking is which to do first?
The answer lies in one thing- Your fitness goals.
An answer from one of the TAM team states that if you are someone who is concerned with bulking, do the MS work first and then the DC to release the contractions in your muscles. If you have loose skin (as in excess body fat) you want to do your DC first.
But why? They didn't say, but I decided to do some research on my own- for maximum fat loss, should we do cardio or strength first? The answer surprised me.
I found several websites that wrote that studies done with people doing their CARDIO first lost the most fat.
In these studies, they found that in those who did cardio first, the "afterburn" effect is actually much more effective than if they finished with strength. They are not sure (or at least did not state) why this happens. Also, the people who did cardio first burned more calories total. The reason for this is not a surprise. Doing cardio first means that all your energy is ready to be put into the cardio, therefore being able to perform it at a higher intensity (and burning more calories) than if you just finished tiring yourself out lifting weights.
However, if you want to get muscle and want to become more powerful, etc, do your strength first. Doing cardio first may make you a little more tired during strength training.
The moral of the story- choose your workout order based on your fitness goals. Do whatever pertains to your goal the most first (so you do it better).
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