Should You Do Cardio Before or After You Lift Weights?

The order in which you do cardio and weight lifting depends on your fitness goals. Both cardio and weightlifting offer unique benefits, but the order in which you do them can impact your results. Let’s break down how to choose the right order and the benefits of both options:

Cardio Before Weights: When to Choose It

Doing cardio before lifting weights can be a good choice if your main goal is improving cardiovascular health or increasing endurance. Cardio helps get your heart rate up, warms up your body, and prepares your muscles for activity.

• Warm-Up for Your Muscles: Cardio can warm up your muscles, which helps reduce the risk of injury during weight lifting. Starting with a gentle jog or cycling session can ease your body into your workout.

• Focus on Endurance: If you’re training for an event, like a race, or want to improve your cardiovascular endurance, doing cardio first ensures you have maximum energy for that activity.

• Mental Readiness: Some people find that doing cardio first clears their mind and gets them into the right mindset for the rest of their workout.

  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  

Cardio After Weights: When to Choose It

For most people who want to build strength or muscle, doing cardio after weight lifting is the better option. When you lift weights first, you can give your muscles the full energy they need to perform at their best.

• Build Strength Effectively :If you’re aiming to build muscle or increase strength, lifting weights first ensures you have the energy to push yourself through challenging sets. Cardio can come after, when you’re more fatigued, and it won’t interfere with your lifting performance.

• Burn More Fat :Doing cardio after weights may help with fat burning. After strength training, your body’s glycogen stores (quick energy) are used up. When you do cardio afterward, your body switches to burning fat as a fuel source, which can be beneficial for fat loss.

• Better Focus on Weight Lifting :Starting with weights means you’ll have more focus and strength to perform at your best. Your muscles are fresh, which helps you lift heavier weights or do more reps.

  
  

If your goal is to build strength and muscle, it’s generally better to lift weights first. However, if improving endurance or cardiovascular health is your focus, doing cardio first might be the right choice for you. Listen to your body and choose the order that works best for your objectives.

Benefits of Doing Cardio After Weight Lifting

Combining cardio and weight lifting in your workout routine can offer great benefits. Doing cardio after weight lifting helps you burn fat, build muscle, and improve overall fitness. This approach allows you to get the best results from both types of exercise.

• Improved Fat Burning Doing cardio after weight lifting helps burn more fat. When you lift weights first, your body uses stored carbohydrates (glycogen) for energy. Afterward, it switches to burning fat for fuel during cardio, which enhances fat loss.

  
  

• Better Muscle Preservation Weight lifting is key for building and maintaining muscle mass. By doing cardio after weight lifting, you avoid using your muscles for energy during cardio. This helps preserve muscle while still benefiting from the fat-burning effects of cardio.

  
  

• Increased Endurance Doing cardio after lifting weights helps improve your stamina. You get the best of both worlds: building strength with weights and boosting cardiovascular endurance with cardio, making you more fit overall.

  
  

• Improved Recovery Light to moderate cardio after weight lifting can help your muscles recover faster. It promotes blood flow, which brings nutrients to muscles and helps remove waste products like lactic acid, reducing soreness and speeding up recovery.

  
  

• More Effective Workouts Cardio after weight training can maximize the efficiency of your workout. You give your body time to focus on strength first and then use cardio to keep burning calories and improving heart health without burning out your energy too quickly.

  
  

• Better Use of Energy Weight lifting uses stored glycogen (energy), and after lifting, your body is more likely to use fat as a source of energy during cardio. This allows you to make the most of both workouts: strength training for muscle and cardio for fat loss.

  
  

• Optimized Hormonal Response Weight lifting triggers the release of anabolic hormones like testosterone, which helps build muscle. Cardio done afterward can promote the release of fat-burning hormones like adrenaline. Combining both boosts your fitness results.

  
  

• Enhanced Heart Health Cardio improves heart health by strengthening the heart and lungs. By doing cardio after weight lifting, you give your body a more effective workout, improving overall cardiovascular fitness without sacrificing strength training.

  
  

• Increased Calorie Burn Cardio after weight lifting boosts your total calorie burn for the day. Weight lifting already burns calories, and cardio adds to that. This can help with weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.

  
  

• Mental Clarity and Focus After a good weight-lifting session, doing cardio can clear your mind. The combination of physical exertion and the rush of endorphins from both activities can leave you feeling energized and mentally focused.

  
  

By following this approach, you can get the most out of both cardio and weight lifting, improving your overall fitness and health.

Should I Do Cardio Before or After Weights?

When it comes to your workout, it’s important to know whether you should do cardio before or after weightlifting. The order you choose can affect your results. Here’s a simple breakdown to help you decide.

Topic	Cardio Before Weights	Weights Before Cardio	Combining Both for Balance
Goal	Improve heart health or endurance	Build muscle or strength	Stay healthy and balanced
Benefits	- Warms up muscles - Increases blood flow - Prepares body for exercise	- Allows you to lift with full strength - Maximizes muscle growth	- Focus on cardio on some days - Focus on weightlifting on others
Drawbacks	Can leave you tired, affecting strength during weightlifting	May reduce energy for cardio, lowering endurance performance	Requires careful planning to avoid overtraining
When to Choose This Option	If endurance or heart health is your main goal	If muscle or strength development is your priority	If you want to incorporate both for overall fitness
Example	20-30 minutes of light jogging followed by weightlifting	Weightlifting followed by 20-30 minutes of moderate cardio	Alternate cardio and weightlifting days throughout the week

The order of cardio and weightlifting depends on your fitness goals. If you want to build strength and muscle, do weightlifting first. If you’re focused on endurance or heart health, start with cardio. Choose what works best for you and your fitness journey.

Why You Need Cardio and Resistance Training?

Cardio and resistance training are two essential components of a balanced fitness routine. Each type of exercise offers distinct benefits that contribute to your overall health, fitness, and well-being. Let's dive into why you should include both in your workout routine.

1. Cardio for Heart Health

Cardio exercises, like running, cycling, or swimming, primarily focus on increasing your heart rate. They improve cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart, enhancing blood circulation, and boosting lung capacity. Regular cardio helps prevent heart disease, reduces the risk of stroke, and lowers high blood pressure.

2. Boosts Metabolism

Cardio workouts increase your metabolism, helping your body burn calories more efficiently. This leads to weight loss and helps maintain a healthy body weight. Over time, your body becomes better at using energy, which helps in controlling blood sugar levels and managing your weight.

3. Improved Mental Health

Cardio exercises release endorphins, the body’s natural mood lifters. These “feel-good” hormones help reduce stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. Engaging in regular cardio workouts can improve your mood and mental clarity, promoting overall mental wellness.

4. Resistance Training for Stronger Muscles

Resistance training, such as lifting weights or using resistance bands, focuses on building and toning muscles. This type of exercise helps increase strength, improve bone density, and enhance endurance. Building muscle also boosts your metabolism, as muscle burns more calories at rest than fat.

5. Enhanced Flexibility and Balance

Resistance exercises improve flexibility and balance by training muscles to perform controlled movements. These benefits can help reduce the risk of falls and injuries, especially as you age. Resistance training also enhances posture, making you feel more confident in your daily activities.

6. Increases Fat Loss and Builds Lean Muscle

While cardio helps burn calories, resistance training specifically targets fat loss while building lean muscle mass. This combination leads to a more toned physique. The more muscle you build, the easier it becomes to maintain a healthy body weight, even at rest.

7. Improved Athletic Performance

Both cardio and resistance training contribute to better overall athletic performance. Cardio improves stamina, endurance, and speed, while resistance training enhances power, strength, and agility. Together, they provide a well-rounded fitness foundation for any sport or physical activity.

8. Boosts Immune System

Regular exercise, including cardio and resistance training, strengthens your immune system. A stronger immune system helps protect your body against illnesses and infections, allowing you to stay healthier and recover faster from minor illnesses.

9. Better Sleep Quality

Exercise has a positive impact on sleep. Regular cardio can help you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep. Resistance training also helps by reducing the symptoms of sleep disorders, such as insomnia.

10. Prevents Chronic Conditions

Incorporating both cardio and resistance training into your fitness routine can help prevent or manage chronic conditions like diabetes, arthritis, and obesity. By maintaining a healthy weight, improving blood circulation, and increasing muscle strength, you significantly reduce the risks associated with these diseases.

Cardio and resistance training offer unique benefits that support your overall health. Cardio strengthens the heart, improves metabolism, and boosts mental well-being, while resistance training builds muscle, enhances bone health, and increases fat loss. Together, they create a balanced fitness routine that helps you stay healthy, strong, and active for the long term. Make sure to include both types of exercise to maximize your health and fitness results.

FAQs

When Your Goal Is to Build Strength ?

If your goal is to build strength, focus on weight training first. This will allow you to lift with maximum strength, which is essential for muscle growth.

Can You Do Cardio and Strength Training On the Same Day?

Yes, you can do both on the same day. Just be mindful of your energy levels and separate them with proper rest.

Is It Better to Do Cardio or Weights First?

If building strength is your goal, do weights first. If improving endurance or heart health is your focus, do cardio first.

What are the benefits of separating cardio and weight lifting? 

Separating cardio and weightlifting allows you to focus fully on each exercise, preventing fatigue and maximizing performance in both areas.

How often should you do weight lifting and cardio?

For most people, 3-4 days of weight lifting and 2-3 days of cardio per week is a good balance.

How do you combine strength training and cardio in one workout? 

You can do strength training first, followed by a shorter, moderate-intensity cardio session, or alternate between both throughout the week.

What to do if you want both?

If you want both, prioritize your primary goal (strength or cardio), and schedule workouts accordingly.

What if you want to do both on different days?

If doing both on different days, alternate between cardio and strength training sessions, ensuring proper recovery between workouts.