Should You Do Cardio Before or After Lifting Weights?

Cardio and strength training are key components of any fitness program , whether you’re trying to stay healthy, lose weight, or excel in a sporting event. But how to combine these two things? That’s the question we’re grappling with today, and I’m sorry to say the answer is, “It depends.”

Is it possible to train strength and cardio together?

For most people, it doesn’t really matter whether you train strength and cardio in the same workout, in different sessions on the same day, or on different days of the week. If you have a daily routine that fits your life, you are better than someone who keeps trying and failing at doing the “optimal” things. As I wrote earlier , optimality is not mandatory.

But I will give you some general advice:

• If you’re trying to get good at one type of fitness , your most important workouts should be given dedicated time.

• Strength training and cardio can interfere slightly with each other if you do them in the same session . If you have a budget for two workouts per day, you may want to do one workout in the morning and another in the evening, rather than trying to do both workouts at the same time.

• If you’re trying to get good at a form of fitness that combines strength and cardio (like CrossFit or many team sports), in most cases you can combine the two . You may still want to do some targeted strength training or just cardio training.

• If you’re just trying to stay healthy or lose weight , exercise whenever you can. If you don’t end up gaining the same strength as an elite powerlifter, I think you’ll be fine with that.

Why You Might Try Strength Training First

You will be ready for strength work.

To get the most out of strength training, you need to be prepared to put in some serious work. For the same reason we rest a few minutes between sets , we also don’t want to show up to a strength training session already tired from a long session on the stationary bike.

If you’re fatigued at the start of a strength training session, you won’t be able to lift as much weight. You may also find yourself bored or tired and say “screw it” and go home. Starting your strength training from scratch will help you achieve the best strength and/or muscle gains for your efforts.

Light cardio doesn’t suffer (much) at the end of the workout

You might think that the freshness argument applies to all workouts, but that’s actually not the case. Most of your cardio should be at a fairly low intensity ( that “zone 2” you keep hearing about ), and there’s nothing wrong with doing zone 2 work when you’re already fatigued.

Let’s say you’re not ready for good running performance after doing five sets of heavy squats. So what? You can go for a light jog or even a brisk walk and still get a great zone 2 cardio workout.

If you are a strength athlete, you should get straight to the point.

I hate long warm-ups, and maybe you do too. If you’re more of a strength-training person, you might be better off treating cardio as an afterthought, something that’s done after your actual work for the day. Instead of getting on your bike and wondering how much of a difference cardio can make to your day’s workout, you can get on your bike after you’ve done your day’s squats and pedal mindlessly without worrying about performance.

Why You Might Do Cardio First

You have a tough workout that you want to be fresh for.

While your light cardio sessions can take place anywhere, most cardio-focused athletes have key workouts that deserve their full attention and effort. If you’re doing weight training on the same day as interval training or a long run, you’ll definitely want the weights to be last.

You get used to a new cardio workout.

New runners know that running can be difficult at first; the same can be said for any other form of cardio you’ve just started doing. If you appear tired, these workouts won’t be any more fun. It’s better to start with an easy run and then do a quick strength workout than to do the opposite and end up frustrated because you need to take more walking breaks than usual.

Strength work is really an afterthought for you.

If you enjoy running (or cycling, etc.) and don’t care much about lifting weights, the time after your cardio workout may be the best time to start your workout. You just went for a run, you’ve warmed up well, and—let’s be honest—you probably aren’t going to the gym just for a strength workout.

This doesn’t describe everyone, but be honest with yourself if this sounds familiar. If you leave strength work for last, you risk skipping it completely. But if you need to budget time somewhere , ask yourself if you can commit to strength training after cardio twice a week or so.

How to Decide Whether Cardio First or Exercise First Makes Sense for You

The easiest way to choose is to do the most important workout first . Runners usually have to run first, powerlifters usually have to lift weights first, and so on.

If you can’t pick a side, another good rule of thumb is to do your hardest workout first . For example, a day of deadlifting followed by an easy 20 minutes on the bike; or an evening of 400-meter reps on the treadmill followed by several sets of lunges and push-ups.

If you really can’t decide and want me to flip you a coin: Most people should try weighing first . It’s hard to get the benefits of strength training without putting in the effort, and it’s hard to put in the effort when you’re tired.

Is it bad to do cardio to warm up before lifting?

A warm-up of 10 minutes or so is a great way to prepare for a lift, especially if it’s mostly low-intensity work (in other words, it’s similar to a warm-up) and it’s relatively short. I wouldn’t count it as a full cardio workout, but I would count it toward your total cardio minutes or miles for the week.

What should I do if I am very tired after my first workout?

You should only combine workouts if you can put in enough effort for the second one. If your first workout left you tired, it might not be the best day for a whole second workout. Consider doing a different workout on a different day or even later in the day.

However, try snacking between your first and second workouts—even a sports drink or candy bar will help. Carbohydrates (including sugar) provide an excellent energy boost during long workouts . If your first workout is long (60-90 minutes or more), carbohydrates will likely help. If your first workout is short but very intense (like 20 minutes), you may just need to rest for a while before diving into the next chapter. However, carbohydrates in this case will not harm .

Should I always do the workouts in the same order?

No, you don’t have to! It’s completely okay to change the order as needed. For example, a weightlifter might start cardio after training most days, but then have a day dedicated to cardio after which he might use some lifting equipment.

And if you have a set routine but something is disrupting it—you need to finish early to take the kid to an event or something—feel free to move things around as needed so you can get as much important work done as possible. .

How much time should I go between workouts?

You can jump straight off the leg press machine and head onto the elliptical, so there’s no minimum time requirement. But if you’re planning individual workouts, the rule of thumb is that 6 hours gives you decent recovery time. If possible, eat a good meal with plenty of carbohydrates after your first workout – this will replenish your glycogen stores and you’ll have more energy for your second workout.

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