Both weight training and cardiovascular exercise are essential for good health, a functional body, and a long life. Both offer unique benefits, but when it comes to combining them, especially in the same session, a common question arises:
Which should you do first?
For years, there has been a debate about the ideal order for combining strength training and cardiovascular exercise in a single session. However, recent evidence offers clearer insight into which approach can maximize the benefits of both.
When comparing sessions that begin with weights versus those that start with cardio, both options show positive effects on body composition and overall performance. In other words, regardless of the order, those who consistently combine both forms of training tend to gain strength, increase muscle mass, improve their endurance, and reduce body fat.
However, there is a key detail: starting with strength training and saving cardio for the end tends to offer broader benefits, especially in terms of fat loss, muscle gain, and improved bone density, without compromising the effects of cardiovascular exercise in the slightest.
Why is it better to start with weights?
People who perform strength training before cardiovascular exercise achieve comparable cardiovascular improvements to those who start with cardio, but they tend to experience greater benefits in other key areas:
- Greater body fat loss.
- More significant increases in strength and muscle mass.
- Superior increases in bone density.
This pattern suggests that doing cardio before weight training can interfere with performance during the strength session. And that interference becomes even more relevant when the main goal is to gain muscle mass or reduce body fat, since both processes depend on a strong and consistent stimulus from strength training. If that stimulus is compromised by prior fatigue, so are the results.
In contrast, starting with strength training doesn't seem to negatively affect the benefits of cardiovascular exercise. The body is still able to respond efficiently to the aerobic stimulus, allowing for significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness without sacrificing performance or the results achieved with weights.
What does this mean for your training?
If your main goal is to lose body fat, build muscle mass, or improve your strength levels, the most effective approach is to start your session with strength training. This allows you to tackle the strength stimulus with optimal energy and focus, which promotes greater performance, better technique, and a higher workload. By preserving the quality of your strength training, you maximize the muscular and metabolic adaptations needed to achieve those goals, without compromising the cardiovascular improvements you can get from the subsequent aerobic exercise.
If your priority is cardiovascular endurance (for example, training for a race), then you could start with cardio. But even in that case, alternating the order in different sessions can help maintain a good physical balance.
Practical tips for combining cardio and weights
- Don't overdo it: Combining the two can be very demanding, so adjust the duration and intensity.
- Listen to your body: If you feel very fatigued, consider splitting them into different days.
- Prioritize your recovery: Getting enough sleep, eating properly, and respecting rest days is essential.