Is it Better to Do Cardio Before or After Weights?

This is one of the most common questions that you may ask your personal trainer when start to improve your workout. Usually, people start with just cardio or just strength training. But when you combine both types of exercises it may be difficult to determine what to do first. So, don’t worry, we have awesome advice to decide how to organize your workout process correctly.

The benefits of cardio before weight training

Cardio before weight training will be the optimal choice if you desire to increase your endurance. Cardio takes energy from energy stores needed to support aerobic or cardiovascular exercise. Pre-weight cardio enhances cardiovascular endurance. Endurance enhancing is good for long-distance marathon runners because it improves resistance to fatigue and develops the slow-twitch muscle fibers needed for endurance sports. Alternatively, instead of endurance improving, you can perform cardio as a warm-up.

The benefits of cardio after weight training

Cardio workout after weights is perfect if you want to lose fat. Doing cardio after weight training burns more fat in the first 15 minutes of that cardio compared to starting cardio and then lifting. Faster metabolism is promoted by building a muscle mass. If you prioritize weight lifting over cardio, you can focus more on correct lifting technique versus going into a session tired, unable to perform well and risking to fatigue.

The key is to work with your body and both strength training and cardio should make it into your workout routine. So, you can do them both in a single session. Doing cardio before or after weights depend upon your fitness goals.