- Many people face a problem when going to the gym about whether they should do cardio before or after lifting weights. The short answer to this question is that when to do cardio depends a lot on the goal you want to reach.
- For example, if you're training for a marathon or any long-distance race, it's better to do cardio exercises, whatever type they are, before weight training so you can focus on your cardio without worrying about feeling tired. But if your goal is to build muscles, you might want to lift weights first and then do cardio.
- But if you don't have a specific goal and just want to exercise to improve your overall fitness, it's important to combine cardio and weight training properly so you don't fatigue the same muscle groups. Doing cardio then weights back to back doesn't give your body enough time to recover and can lead to exhaustion and poor performance, increasing injury risk. So, think carefully about the kind of exercises you do.
When should you lift weights before doing cardio
If your goal is to increase strength, you should definitely do weight training before cardio. The reason is your muscles act like a rubber band - it needs to be tight enough to hold something wrapped around it. If you pull the band repeatedly, it can't hold things together well anymore. Your muscles work the same way. doing cardio first reduces their ability to contract effectively, making it hard to lift weights with full effort right after cardio.
- Science and studies support this. In 2016, the Strength and Endurance Research Journal tested 11 healthy, fit men. They checked their performance on main weight exercises like squat, bench press, deadlift after doing cardio from 120 to 40 minutes. They found their performance dropped a lot, especially on squats.
- Another study tested 30 men doing workouts two ways: cardio before weights and weights before cardio. Results showed doing cardio first led to weaker weight lifting. It also found lifting weights at max effort and heavy weight for a single rep is much better if you don't do cardio before weights.
When should you do cardio before lifting weights
As we said before, if you're training for a marathon or race, you should use your energy for cardio first. But if you're not focusing on cardio for a specific goal, there are cases where doing cardio before weights is helpful. Doing light cardio for 10 minutes warms your body well before a heavy weight session. Warming up properly before lifting helps you lift heavier weights during your workout.
If your goal is weight loss, it doesn't matter if cardio or weights come first. But most people focus on more cardio when trying to lose weight because it burns more calories. Still, it's best to do weights two or three times a week. Lifting weights helps keep and grow muscle mass, which burns more calories than fat. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism.
How to effectively combine cardio and weight training
Whether you do cardio or weights first, there's a useful word for workouts that combine both in one session: concurrent training. For people interested in exercise to keep a healthy body weight, concurrent training can be effective for burning calories and building muscle without real risks.
A study tested 23 female college students with an eight-week workout program that included two plans: cardio before weights or weights before cardio. The cardio was 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise and the weight training had five or six exercises with 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Researchers found big improvements in performance, strength, and muscle mass regardless of workout order.
To design a good concurrent workout, you should pick what suits your lifestyle and schedule. For example, do cardio before weights one week, then switch the order the next week. This challenges your body and boosts your fitness by changing the routine so your body doesn’t get too used to it.
To avoid stressing the same muscle groups, do high-intensity cardio on days you work upper body weights. On days you train lower body weights, mix in low-intensity cardio. This way, you won't overwork the same muscles.
