Run then lift or lift then run?

I had a really good trainer for awhile.  She trained women (mainly) for fitness/figure competitions. 

For fat loss, she would have me do cardio (run) 10 minutes to get my heart rate up, lift for 45 - 60 min and then do another 35-45 min of cardio (running).  And then she would have me do intervals running as well at another time of the day.  I lifted weights six days a week back then.

She was very knowledgeable about her "sport",  but I had to drop her when she didn't "get" my distance running and need for carbs. 

No.

It really just depends on what your goals are.  Weightlifting is definitely more effective for burning fat than cardio alone.  If you are training for an endurance sport you may want to put your cardio first because weightlifting will leave your glycogen stores low and leave very little for the cardio portion.  However, if you are wanting to lift simply to burn fat and get lean, then you should put the weightlifting first, this will deplete your muscle glycogen and if you have the proper diet (ie. plenty of protein intake), will force your body to use fat as a form of energy.

The common confusion is the same with most bodybuilders, they want to get lean and bulk up at the same time....it doesn't work that way, they are counterproductive.  So, ask yourself, am I wanting to train for endurance or get lean.  They can be done simultaneously, but have to be done carefully.  I would suggest hiring a trainer to help you find the perfect balance.

As for me, I always lift first... but then again, I only strength train 3 days a week and only on the days that I swim, not run or bike because running and biking take so much more out of me.

When I had my trainer, I got very lean and very muscular in a short period of time.  I ate minimal carbs.  Every race I ran after that, I surprized myself with how fast I had become. 

My point is that you can try to lose bodyfat during your winter training without compromizing your endurance.  I did this in the early spring last year with a lot of success.  But when you increase the length of your cycling/running/swimming in the spring to go back to focusing on the endurance and change up your plan to meet your goals.  If you drop weight, you should get faster. 

How so?  This is myth.  Any exercise will burn fat.  Weightlifting is akin to doing higher intensity "cardio" work.

Weight lifting will create muscle that will increase the amount of calories burned at rest (increasing metabolism/basal metabolic rate).  I think that is what was meant...But cardio is definitely a huge part...and let's not forget diet.  That is the hardest part for me. 

Yes, lean muscle mass will lift your metabolism.  But that doesn't (by itself) necessarily make weightlifting "more effective" than cardio which is a leap that many people seem to try to make with it.  How much of each?  How intense?  etc...

If your goal is to lose weight, then you're right that calories in less than calories out is the only thing that matters.  Weights or cardio can both help on the 'calories out' side of the equation.

But for the OP, the order does not matter for 'fat burned' if the work done is the same.

That's weird, because one of the Men's Health videos specifically says if your trying to burn fat, save your cardio session for after lifting weights. Which I think makes more sense, because you expend a lot during the lift and when you transition into cardio, your body has to utilize the stored energy (fat) to keep you going. Plus your further exhausting your muscles after ripping and tearing the fibers - so I guess it makes more sense to me, but like everyone else is saying, it depends on your goals. 

I don't lift a lot, but when I would do my lower body with weights, I would run first.. We (back in my Army days) were always told that starting out running when you just finished lifting could lead to more injuries since your legs were pretty much shot before you started..  Then again this was way back in the mid 80's and our leg lifting workout made it hard to just stand up afterwards...

Oh I know, and don't you just love how they introduce every little fact with a vague, foreign introduction like "Swedish scientist claim that:" or "Some Australian researchers may a have found that:". Im loosing faith in a lot of my MH readings.   

Neither one makes any sense!  You do the same amount of work at the same intensity, you burn the same amount of fat.  It doesn't matter what order you do it in.

Generally some kind of warm up should be done prior to any lifting.   Whether or not you should do your full cardio workout before resistance training depends of the type of training.

If you will be doing heavy lifting, plyometrics, etc. then it is best to warm up and then immediately do you your lifting.  This ensures that your motor skills remain sharp and that you are not too fatigued to meet the demands of a heavy program.  If you are looking at doing some moderate strength training then it shouldn't really matter if you do your cardio first.   You will be nice and warmed up.  Also, if you use a shorter rest period between sets (using moderate weight) you can keep the cardio and calorie burning benefits maximized while you lift.  No lolligagging/chatting.

You can often find, in the same issue, a magazine article telling you one thing and another article telling you the opposite. The best answer is to try it both ways and track your progress. The data should tell you which is better, and if they are equal, you do what you enjoy more. If you don't enjoy the training almost as much as the competition itself, you've got the wrong hobby. 

Lately, to fit weight training in, I have been doing weight circuits. I run for ten minutes or so (treadmill), then do two to three circuits of 6-8 exercises. I throw in quarter and half-mile runs in between circuits, and run up and down the stairs a few times during each circuit. It has added some variety to my training and definitely keeps the heart rate up up up.  It's also great for rainy days when I don't feel like running in wet shoes. 

If I am targeting different muscle groups with weights, I always do it after my cardio. My body doesn't tolerate food well during cardio, and I definitely like to have some raw materials in my system when I am doing weight training. I can't run with a belly full of chocolate milk or a protein bar bouncing around my stomach, but I can easily do 40 minutes of lifting. Tearing down the muscle fibers (lifting) without giving your body the materials (amino acids) to build them back up is counterproductive.