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Should you do cardio on leg day – All you need to know!

Staying fit is an important part of anyone’s life, and to make sure we stay fit, we have to exercise daily. This can mean different things to different people, but for the most part, going to the gym is the best way to stay in shape, and do various types of exercise. Most gyms are cheap and have everything you need to keep you in shape. Now, many people like to break down exercises into multiple days and focus on specific body parts as they go about their schedule.

Now, should you do cardio on leg day? This is a question asked by many beginners, and the answer isn’t all that complicated.

Finding a local gym isn’t that hard anymore, and you can simply check out gyms in your area through any maps application.

You can read user reviews about the place as well, and for the most part, it is an easy process.

Should you do cardio on leg day

Should you do cardio on leg day? – Yes and no!

So, to get it out of the way, should you do cardio on leg day? And the answer in most cases is, no. The thing is, both cardio and leg exercises have a goal to strengthen your body, and improve the cardiovascular activities of your heart, ultimately. The thing about leg exercises is that these take a lot out of you, and can be very draining. Most leg exercises are considered hard, and when you are building muscle, it is generally recommended that on leg day, you only focus on your legs.

Now, if your goal is to lose weight instead of just building muscle, it is a different story. Now, if your trainer has assigned a specific day for you to work on your legs, then you can actually do some light cardio on the same day you are working on your legs.

Ideally, it should be just light cardio, which means straining your body for a shorter period of time instead of working too much.

Should you do cardio when your legs are sore? – A little!

Should you do cardio on leg day

It is a common question that many new gym users ask, and that is should you do cardio when your legs are sore from a workout? And the answer depends on how sore your legs are. Let’s say you have done an intense workout, and it included a lot of work on your legs. You may feel a little soreness in your legs and may wonder if it is a good time to do some cardio.

If the soreness isn’t that high, you can actually do a bit of cardio, and it will actually lessen the soreness in your legs. Cardio is a good way to regulate blood flow and helps wear off that soreness in your legs. You will end up feeling a lot better if you do some light cardio after a workout. You can ask your trainer what kind of exercises you should do if you have soreness from a workout, and for how long. Most trainers will recommend a light exercise, but if the soreness is more than you expected, they might offer a different solution.

Now, something to keep in mind is that if the level of soreness is far more than you can handle, it is better to just call it a day.

If you are too sore, then that means that the body has had enough exercise, and doing cardio on top of that could potentially cause an internal or even external injury. Don’t push yourself beyond your limit, and work out safely, and within the limits of your body.

As you work out more, you will notice that the level of soreness isn’t as bad as when you were starting out. This allows you to do handle multiple exercises, and cardio in a single session, and you will notice how your body is improving physically.

There is still a lot more to do when you are at the gym, and the legs are just part of your daily schedule. However, assigning a certain day to your legs helps in the long run, and keep in mind that soreness is part of the process and something you shouldn’t worry about.

Best cardio after leg day – What to do?

Now, you may be wondering what the best cardio after leg day is, and the answer is a bit complicated. Firstly, you need to realize that a leg day can be really straining, and is one of the hardest days in a gym week.

Your body will be worn out, and you might need at least a day to recover from the intense workout during your leg day. It is therefore recommended that you take a day off after leg day, and relax. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t do light exercises, but keep that to a minimum anyway. When around 24 hours have passed, you can resume cardio, and go about your gym routine as usual. There is no harm in this, and for the most part, your body will be aching to get back to the gym.

Should you do cardio on leg day Conclusion

So, should you do cardio on leg day? Well, as we have discussed above, for the most part, cardio is actually beneficial on a workday, and allows gym-goers to maintain their body’s strength, and reduce soreness caused by the intense leg day workout.

There are instances where an intense work out might lead to too much soreness, and thus doing cardio on top of that can actually lead to internal or external injuries depending on how much soreness there is. It is always recommended that you consult your trainer in the gym, and they offer useful advice as to what exercise, and how much cardio your body can handle.

Apart from this, you should normally take a day off after a leg day and allow your body to recover from the soreness you will undoubtedly get from an intense work out session.

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