Editor’s note: Fitness Matters is a new column in the Tribune written each week by various professionals in the health and fitness industry. Today, Sindy Dickey kicks off the series.

Question: Is it better to do cardio first and then lift, or the other way around?

Answer: The fact of the matter is different people do different things. Some might say that you should do cardio first because it’s a nice way to warm up your muscles before a weight training session. Others would argue that doing this will cause too much fatigue, which might lower your workout intensity and make lifting with proper form more difficult.

There really isn’t a right or wrong answer. The best advice is to pay attention to your goals. If you’re focused a bit more on the endurance side of the equation, try to do your cardio first, when you’ll have the most energy. If your goal is to pack on some muscle mass, hit the weights first, before getting some heart-healthy cardio into your workout.

And if you’re really looking to push yourself in a particular area of fitness, make sure to break up your cardio and lifting sessions, so you feel energized during each and every workout.

Q: I keep hearing about the benefits of HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Can you tell me specifically what it is and the benefits of doing it?

A: High-intensity interval training is a fantastic way to work out, and it offers many of the same advantages of more traditional training programs in much less time. The idea is to pick an activity that you like to do, and then fluctuate between periods of high-intensity, sprint-type work and less intense, active recovery periods.

This type of pattern is repeated several times until you’ve completed 15-20 minutes of exercise, not counting your warm-up and cool-down. The specific ratio you choose will depend primarily on your fitness level, but the goal is to finish the entire workout in about 30 minutes.

Numerous studies have touted the benefits of this type of training, including improvements in VO2max, resting metabolic rate post-exercise, and overall endurance performance.

Researchers also found significant improvements in whole body and skeletal muscle fat oxidation, meaning the body became more efficient at using fat as a fuel source.

Despite these results, HIIT isn’t for everyone. If you’re new to exercise, make sure to improve your base fitness level first, before moving on to more advanced training programs. As always, if you have questions, contact a personal trainer in your area.

Q: I would do almost anything to get a nice six pack. Can you give me some tips and hints?

A: Absolutely! Not everyone has this particular goal, but the ones that do seem to be very passionate about it.

First of all, you have to do some serious core work, focusing on the abdominals, obliques and low back area. In doing this, most people make one of two mistakes. The first mistake is working these muscles too many days of the week. Some think you need to do abs almost every day, but you wouldn’t do this for chest, back, and legs, so why would you do it for your abdominals?

The other common problem is that people don’t push themselves when doing core work. I’ve seen plenty of people stop their set right when they start to feel the “burn.” Others may only use their bodyweight, never thinking that weights might actually challenge them even more. Remember, the harder you work your abdominals, the less you’ll have to do them — and you’ll get better results.

Aside from strength training, the other key components to getting a firm, lean mid-section include cardiovascular exercise and, of course, proper diet. You should try to do cardio five or six days per week, especially if you have some extra flab to lose, and try to follow a well-balanced, calorie-controlled diet.

If you have more specific questions, be sure to schedule a meeting with a fitness trainer.

Sindy Dickey is the manager at Anytime Fitness in Albert Lea. To submit a question for future articles, please contact the author at albertlea@anytimefitness.com.