Life is full of choices — do you want to do your workout in the morning or in the evening? Will you head to the gym or exercise at home? Which workout will give you the best gains? And quite possibly the most important question of them all: Should you do your cardio before or after weights?
We tapped certified fitness trainer Britany Williams for tips, advice, and encouragement for your next workout. We’ll dive into the benefits of starting your workout with cardio, as well as the benefits of starting with weight training. By the end of this article, you should have a solid idea of which exercise to lead with that best caters to your fitness goals.
HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING
If your primary goal with your fitness routine is boosting your endurance in addition to your running or cycling speed, you’ll benefit from doing cardio before you hit the weights.
Those who opt to raise their heartrate with cardio before their strength workout may notice that they feel warmed up and ready quickly — this is due to an increase in blood flow that occurs during cardiovascular exercise, readying your muscles and priming you for the rest of your workout. However, the American Council of Exercise (ACE) provides relevant info that adds another perspective to this approach: Doing your cardio during the latter portion of your exercise routine increases your heart rate despite the intensity of the workout. With this in mind, you may perceive the strength training portion of your workout to be more challenging than it actually is if you start things off with cardio.
Williams speaks on a few other benefits of a cardio-first workout: “While strength training goals are wonderful, cardio to supplement your routine is going to help not only strengthen your heart, help your blood flow, but it's also going to help your overall well-being.”
Get things moving in your exercise routine by starting your workout with motion. Whether it’s walking on the treadmill, spinning on the stationary bike, or setting off on an aerobic run, starting your workout with cardio certainly has its advantages.
You don’t need to take on cardiovascular exercises with a one-size-fits-all approach either. While low intensity, steady state workouts like swimming, walking, or running certainly get your blood flowing, Williams points out a few alternatives to keep things fresh: “There's also things like plyometrics or HIIT-based classes where you are doing more jumping. Think squat jumps, split jumps, burpees, anything that's going to get your heart rate up.”
To summarize: Cardio has a crucial place within any well-rounded workout, and it pays to be aware of the benefits and potential disadvantages.
PROS OF CARDIO BEFORE STRENGTH TRAINING
- Warming up, easing into your workout while getting used to the gym or new workout area
- Giving yourself an opportunity to structure the rest of your workout while elevating your heartrate
- Priming muscles
- Increased blood flow
CONS OF CARDIO BEFORE STRENGTH TRAINING
- Increased heart rate which may make strength training feel more challenging
- Exerting energy in quick bursts before weight training could affect the rest of your workout
STARTING WITH STRENGTH
Opting to do some heavy lifting before you take on your cardio for the day? There are advantages to this approach too.
For a weight-first workout, take your level of exertion into consideration. Make sure that you’re not going to be too gassed after your strength routine to complete your cardio and make a mental note that your cardio workout may feel more difficult than it actually is due to your heart doing a considerable amount of work beforehand.
You may want to take your workout as a whole into consideration as well — if you are focusing on strengthening your legs, you may want to keep cardio light. You don’t want to push yourself too hard or risk potential injury by overdoing it. However, if you are planning on completing a quick strength circuit or are focusing on bodyweight exercises, you should have plenty of remaining energy to get that cardio in. By training smart and safe, you’ll be able to maximize your efficiency in the gym in a way that keeps you healthy and strong, enabling you to continue your regiment effectively.
By starting your workout with strength training, you’ll benefit from feeling that your muscles are primed, ready for heavier lifts and ample growth. Additionally, your weight routine will get you nice and ready for the cardio that follows. The National Library of Medicine states that during strength training, your body will naturally release glycogen. This chemical compound allows you to utilize stored energy while burning fat for fuel to complete your cardio exercise. Williams breaks it down further: “If you generally are trying to get stronger, trying to tone up, trying to gain muscle, start with your strength training session and then end with cardio."
In summary: Cardio after strength training can be a great way to round out your workout, but it’s important to be aware of the effects of this approach.
Pros of cardio after strength training:
- Feeling fresh for the (debatably) most challenging part of your workout
- Strength training provides a nice warmup for the cardio that follows
- Releasing glycogen to utilize stored energy while burning fat for fuel
Cons of cardio after strength training:
- Depending on exertion, you may feel tired leading into your cardio
- If you aren’t mindful of how your strength training routine could affect different parts of your body, you may find yourself too tired for cardio afterwards. For instance, if you just completed a killer leg workout, it’d be a good idea to avoid going full out on the treadmill afterwards.
ADDING IN CARDIO AND WEIGHTS TO YOUR WORKOUT
There is no detriment to doing both cardio and strength training in the same workout — find what works best for you. “Instead of being fearful that you have to stay in one bucket, it's more about having a balanced routine that supports you and your goals,” said Williams. She also dispels the myth that cardio workouts detract from your gains in a strength-forward routine: “I understand where the myth comes from that cardio ruins your gains, but at the end of the day it's all about having a balance of the two. If you are lifting heavy enough, if you are progressively overloading in your lifts, you absolutely can still see gains with cardio as a part of your system.”
Now that you’ve got the lowdown on how to best approach your fitness routine, it’s time to test it out. It’s possible that you hate cardio and want to get it out of the way before you start your strength routine, and it’s also possible that you love cardio and want to save the best for last. Maybe you need to alternate your approach to keep things fresh, or maybe you are training for a certain event that requires a cardio or strength- forward approach. In this instance, choose what works best for you and the goals that you are training for.
Looking to take your fitness journey to the next level? Check out our resources like Weight Training for Beginners or Cardio for Beginners. If you’re looking for tips on how to approach blending strength training with cardio, check out our Combining Strength Training and Running article. And if you’re looking for something fresh, invigorating, and satisfying, kick things up a notch with our article, What is HIIT Workout and Why Do It?