Should You Do Cardio Before Or After Weights?
Finding time during your week to exercise can be enough of a challenge at times, let alone getting the right balance between cardio and strength training. On those days when you want to squeeze in a great workout but suddenly realise how little time you have, it`s normal to wonder - should I do cardio or weights first?
Can you combine cardio with weights?
Absolutely! A combination of cardio and strength training makes for a challenging cross-training workout, which often falls into the category of HIIT (high-intensity interval training) or HIRT (high-intensity resistance training).
If you`re not familiar with what cardio and strength training means, cardio refers to cardiovascular exercise or aerobic training that elevates your breathing and heart rate, such as running, power-walking, dancing, hiking, cycling, or interval training. Strength training refers to exercises that aim to increase the strength and/or size of your muscles by working against resistance - whether that be the resistance of your bodyweight or added resistance of equipment and gym machines. Both have their unique benefits, are fantastic for your health and should be included in a well-rounded exercise routine.
Can you do cardio and weights on the same day?
If you`re doing cardio and strength training sessions separately, then yes, you can complete them on the same day, but there are a few things you`ll want to take into consideration to ensure you`re looking after yourself and getting the most benefit from your workouts. These may include your goals, energy levels, exercise schedule, rest days.
Cardio or weights first? How to decide
For the most part, deciding whether you do cardio before or after weights should come down to your fitness goals, as the order of activity can have an impact on your performance and results.
If your main goal is to build your cardio fitness-
Start with cardio. If you start with resistance training, chances are you`ll fatigue your muscles and have minimal muscular power and energy left in the tank for cardio. Following a cardio workout, you could do some strength training with light weights and high reps if you feel up to it, as working on your muscular endurance will complement your cardio goals.
If your main goal is to gain muscular strength or size-
Start with your weights session to ensure you have maximum energy and muscular power. One 2016 study found average power and velocity were both significantly reduced when resistance exercise followed aerobic endurance exercise, indicating that muscular performance is compromised after cardio. Aerobic exercise before strength exercises impairs your strength performance.
If you only want to do a short period of cardio or have limited time-
Make cardio the focus of your warm-up before strength training! A good warm-up is essential to increase blood flow to your muscles and prepare your body for the workout to come, so why not squeeze in your cardio with 5-10 minutes of walking, jogging, rowing, cycling or jumping rope?
