Should Cardio Come Before or After Weight Lifting? Here’s What Fitness Experts Say (Credit – Freepik)
So what’s the best way to structure your workouts? Don’t fret—fitness experts have some excellent recommendations for you.
- For improved stamina, opt for cardio before hitting the weights.
- To focus on fat loss and shedding pounds, engage in cardio post-weightlifting.
- To gain muscle strength, complete your cardio session after your weightlifting routine.
- If you’re concentrating on upper-body strength training, the order is flexible.
- On lower-body training days, prioritize weights before cardio.
- For overall fitness, you can start with either, but consider beginning with the one you enjoy less.
Armed with these fundamental guidelines, keep reading to dive deeper into how to effectively combine cardio and strength training for optimal results, as per expert advice.
What is the Ideal Frequency for Cardio and Strength Training Workouts?
Personal trainer Eric Bowling from Ultimate Performance in Los Angeles advocates for a bit more when it comes to strength training. He suggests aiming for weight training sessions three times a week. He explains that this frequency has proven effective for both muscle growth and fat reduction. As for cardio, Bowling states that low-intensity exercises can be done daily, but the frequency should be reduced if you’re engaging in high-intensity cardio.
In terms of organizing a weekly fitness schedule, it could be structured as follows:
– Weight training:Anywhere from 2 to 4 times a week
– Low-intensity cardio: As frequent as 5 to 7 times a week
– Moderate-intensity cardio: Around 3 to 4 times a week
– High-intensity cardio: Between 1 to 3 times a week
The duration of your cardio sessions will also vary based on your specific fitness objectives. Mandeep Ghuman, MD, who is the director of Dignity Health Medical Group’s Sports Medicine Program in Northridge, California, suggests that if you’re focused on building strength, a short cardio warm-up of 10 to 15 minutes may suffice. On the other hand, if your aim is general fitness and well-being, the duration can be more flexible, constrained only by your own physical capability and time availability. Just ensure you’re staying within the recommended exercise guidelines to avoid overtraining.
Is it Possible to do Both Cardio and Weight Training in One Day?
Traditional fitness advice often recommends alternating workout types—perhaps cardio one day and weight training the next. However, according to Dr Ghuman, there’s no hard and fast rule that says you can’t combine both in a single workout session or even divide them into two separate sessions on the same day.
High-intensity workouts, like at-home tabata routines or sessions at Barry’s Bootcamp, are designed to combine strength and cardiovascular training. According to research published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, this approach doesn’t have a negative physiological impact. In fact, it could be a more efficient use of your limited time.
Here’s an Example of a High-Intensity Workout You Can Try at Home
If you’re planning to engage in two distinct workout sessions in a single day, it’s important to allow enough time for recovery in between. Bowling recommends leaving roughly eight hours between high-intensity cardio and weight lifting. Keep in mind that your body only starts to physiologically adapt—such as becoming stronger, faster, or gaining more endurance—after the workout has concluded. Continual exercise without adequate rest could actually hinder your progress.
How to Integrate Cardio and Strength Training Based on Your Fitness Goals
For Strength Building, Opt for Cardio After Lifting Weights The rationale behind this approach is straightforward: Weightlifting is demanding, both physically and mentally, and you’ll want to reserve as much energy as possible to execute your lifts with proper form to avoid injury.
Bowling suggests that if your primary focus is on weight training, then putting your mental energy into proper lifting techniques is crucial. Doing so helps you avoid starting your lifting session already exhausted and out of breath, which increases your risk of mistakes due to fatigue.
When it comes to pairing cardio with your weight training, low-intensity cardio is often the best match.
Research Supports the Strategy
Studies published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research have shown that doing cardio before weight training can limit the number of repetitions you can perform when lifting. One study found that participants who ran or cycled before weightlifting could not complete as many reps as those who only strength trained. Additionally, another study in the same journal noted that muscle power was reduced when individuals ran on a treadmill prior to lifting weights. The participants also experienced increased heart rates and reported higher rates of perceived exertion during their workouts.
According to research published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, you’re more likely to burn fat during the initial 15 minutes of cardio if you do it after weightlifting, as compared to starting with cardio and then moving on to weights.
If your primary objective is improving heart health, incorporating both cardio and weight training is beneficial. While cardio is widely recognized for its heart-boosting capabilities, a 2019 study published in JAMA Cardiology found that resistance training had a more significant impact on reducing a specific type of heart fat associated with cardiovascular disease.
Boosting Cardiovascular Endurance
To enhance your cardiovascular endurance, it’s advisable to do cardio before engaging in weight training. The reasoning is similar to why strength training should come first if you’re focusing on building muscle. Engaging in intense weight training before a cardio session may cause muscle fatigue, potentially leading to improper form and increased risk of injury during the cardio workout, according to Dr Merrill.
Furthermore, if you’re preparing for a running event, lifting weights before cardio could actually hinder your endurance. A study published in the journal Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism found that individuals who did strength training before running had reduced running performance compared to those who ran first.
