Should You Do Cardio Before or After Weights? (A Personal Trainer's Answer)
As a certified personal trainer, one of the most common questions clients ask me is whether or not they should do cardio before or after weights. The answer to this question is pretty straightforward with respect to fitness goals oriented around improving body composition, strength, and overall wellness. There is far more benefit to doing cardio after weight training than doing cardio before weight training.
That's not to say there are no instances where doing some form of cardio before weight training would be beneficial; however, if someone's goal is to maximize the benefits they receive from participating in a strength training regimen, cardio should be done after weight training.
In this article, we'll break these concepts down so you can make an educated and empowered choice when planning a fitness routine and decide whether or not you should incorporate cardio after lifting weights.
Please note that as a certified fitness expert, I am not a medical professional, and you should always consult with your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen. The topics discussed in this article are meant to be informative and not considered advice/recommendations.
Let's get to it!
Benefits of Weight Training
Weight training offers a myriad of benefits to both body and mind. By engaging in regular weight training, individuals can significantly increase muscle strength and volume, which improves physical performance with everyday activities and also enhances metabolism. This form of exercise is also particularly beneficial for improving bone density, thereby reducing the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life. Furthermore, strength training improves functional fitness, making everyday tasks easier and enhancing overall quality of life.
Weight training supports effective weight management, making it easier to achieve and maintain a healthy body composition. Additionally, the mental health benefits are not to be overlooked, as weight training can alleviate stress and anxiety, boosting mood and mental resilience. Incorporating weight training into your fitness routine can lead to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle, enabling individuals to tackle life's challenges with strength and resilience.
Heavy Mettle Fitness offers top tier personal training services to clients in Austin, Texas. Our clients learn how to safely and effectively lift weights to achieve their fitness goals!
Benefits of Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise is a fantastic tool for boosting overall health and well-being. Participating in routine cardiovascular workouts can significantly enhance heart health by strengthening the heart muscle and improving circulation, which can lower the risk of heart disease. Cardio also improves endurance, making it easier to perform daily activities without fatigue.
Perhaps the most praised benefits of cardio pertain to its ability to burn calories effectively, aid in weight loss, and help maintain a healthy body weight. Beyond the physical perks, cardio positively impacts mental health by releasing endorphins, which elevate mood and reduce stress. Regular cardio exercise can also lower the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, making it an essential component of a balanced fitness regimen.
Is it Better to Do Cardio Before or After Weights?
For anyone adhering to a weight training regimen and wondering whether they should incorporate cardio before or after weights, the answer is somewhat straightforward: it is typically more beneficial to do cardio after weights.
Should You Do Cardio Before or After Weights to Lose Weight?
As detailed above, whether someone is targeting muscle gain or even weight loss, if weight training is a component of your fitness regimen, it is typically far more beneficial to perform cardio after weight training. More details are provided below!
Why You Should Do Cardio After Weight Training
The main reason why it is more beneficial to do cardio after weight training is due to energy preservation. Suppose someone does a substantial amount of cardiovascular exercise a short time before engaging in a strength training workout. In that case, they're likely to feel less strong and deplete their energy reserves much faster than they would have if they completed their weight training session before their cardio routine.
This training principle and strategy isn't solely reserved for those who are aiming to build the best possible physique. Anyone who wants to maximize their return on investment with respect to weight training will see far greater benefits (muscle volume, strength, and even injury prevention) from completing their weight training session before their cardio session.
Intensive cardio sessions will also deplete stores of glycogen within muscles, which is the primary energy source for anaerobic exercise (short burst of high intensity/output). Strength training would fall into this category of exercise.
Maximizing the amount of weight someone can lift during each weight training session will result in greater strength and muscle gains. These benefits aren't only enjoyed by those who want to gain size; those looking to improve performance and functionality with everyday activities will also benefit from these enhancements.
Even those looking to lose body fat will greatly benefit from enhanced muscle volume. Increasing muscle mass on one's frame will enhance one's body composition and metabolism, aiding in one's ability to achieve and maintain a leaner and healthier body fat percentage. For these reasons, performing cardio after weights for weight loss oriented goals is typically a superior approach.
Energy preservation and prioritization are concepts that should also be applied to the weight training regimen itself. When planning a workout, the participant should plan to start their session by completing the more exhaustive exercises before the smaller and more "accessory" movements.
For example, a Barbell Bench Press should be prioritized over Dumbbell Flys when planning for energy prioritization. Another good example would be prioritizing Barbell Deadlifts over Machine Hamstring Curls and so on.
How to Incorporate Cardio After Weights
Incorporating cardiovascular exercise after weights is a great way to burn some extra calories without sacrificing strength and energy throughout a strength training workout.
When speaking with our clients at Heavy Mettle Fitness, we typically advise them to complete anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes of cardio after a 45 to 60-minute weight training session. The amount of cardio one should do post-workout will depend on their goals, current fitness status, and potential injury status.
In a gym setting, cardio after weights can usually be completed on a variety of machines. These cardio machines typically include a treadmill, row machine, stair climber/master, elliptical, and stationary bike. I usually opt for a low-impact option as this is often better for joint and back health. My personal favorite is the row machine!
Incorporating cardiovascular exercise after weights is a great way to burn some extra calories without sacrificing strength and energy throughout a strength training workout.
Cardio as a Warmup Before Weights
As we briefly mentioned earlier, there are some instances in which cardio can be beneficial if done before weight training. That is to say, if someone wants to complete an effective warmup prior to weight training, a short and moderately challenging walk on a treadmill can be sufficient. So, while a five to 10 minute walk on a treadmill may not be considered a "cardio session" to most people, this is an instance where a form of cardiovascular exercise can be beneficial to perform before strength training.
Performing cardio in this manner is a great way to increase blood flow and prepare the nervous system for more intensive forms of exercise like resistance training, ultimately reducing the risk of injury.
As a certified personal trainer with the American Council on Exercise (ACE), I typically recommend to my clients that they perform about five minutes of moderately intense (5/10 difficulty) cardio on either a treadmill, elliptical, or other cardio machine of their preference before lifting weights.
Even after performing a short cardio bout as described above, I also instruct them to incorporate forms of dynamic stretching and utilize lighter weights for their first few sets to complete a well-rounded warmup prior to more intense weight training.
What if I Have Endurance Goals?
Suppose someone is preparing and training for an athletic event like a marathon or triathalon, and they're wondering how to incorporate or balance strength training and cardio in their regimen. Some sources may suggest that someone in this situation would benefit from doing cardio before weights. This isn't necessarily true.
This individual would likely benefit from prioritizing cardio over weights by planning to do more endurance forms of training throughout the week compared to weight training. However, if they are planning to incorporate weight training in their regimen, they would still find more benefit in waiting to do a cardio session after their weight training session on this particular day). If the intention is to incorporate weight training to support an endurance-related event, then why not approach each weight training session with the intent of getting maximal benefit from it?
Cardio After Lifting Weights
Prioritizing weight training before cardio can result in far more effective strength training sessions and significantly enhance physical results. Optimizing strength and muscle mass as a result of weight training sessions demands substantial energy reserves so participants are able to maximize the amount of weight they can lift throughout a workout.
Those considering cardiovascular exercise as a means to burn more calories can enjoy this same benefit when they plan to do cardio after lifting weights without sacrificing their potential for maximal benefits resulting from strength and resistance training.
The body's cardiovascular systems can still benefit from cardio sessions that are performed after a strength training workout as well. For these reasons, it's often difficult to justify or advocate for a scenario in which weight training should be performed after cardio.
Prioritizing strength and energy reserves for weight training sessions by performing cardio after weights also tends to promote more positive feelings toward weight training as participants find they're able to sustain energy for longer periods throughout strength training workouts. As a result, incorporating cardio after lifting weights can result in higher levels of motivation.
Please note that I am not a medical professional, and you should always consult with your doctor before beginning a resistance training regimen.