Cardio: Before Strength Or After?

So you've got an hour in the gym and need to kill two birds with one stone. Should you do cardio before weights, or do weights before cardio?

Generally, you will hear people come down on one side or the other like it's a matter of unquestionable certainty but I believe there are instances where cardio is best done first and instances where strength training is best done first. We could end it all here with one simple question: which one are you most likely to ditch? Get that one out of the way first.

Here's a more well-rounded response. As with all aspects of your fitness routine, your goals should really determine how you organize your workouts.

Consider which of the following groups you fall into:

Are you:

an endurance athlete
training for a cardiovascular endurance event (race, hiking event, etc.)
in recovery from cardiovascular disease or another respiratory illness
asthmatic
a smoker
someone who just hates doing cardio?

If you fall into the above category, I recommend you do your cardiovascular work first, while you have the most energy and willpower, and save the strength training for last.

Or are you:

training for a sport
trying to increase muscle tone, strength or size
trying to burn fat/change your body composition
recovering from an injury
new to strength training in general or starting a new program
someone who just hates lifting weights?

If you fall into this category, I recommend you do your strength training first and leave your cardiovascular work for the end. Most people fall into this category. Because strength training requires focus and coordination that cardiovascular training generally does not, it is often best done at the beginning of the workout when your muscles and brain are rarin' to go

Another, more scientific argument for performing your strength training first... A recent study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research confirms previous studies that show cardio before your strength workout actually lowers testosterone and growth hormone, limiting your ability to react properly to the resistance/weightlifting stimulus.

Another strategy is to do cardio and strength training on alternate days. I always ensure my clients take at least one rest day per week. For optimal health, it is important to do cardio three times per week and strength training twice per week (minimally, mummies—you can definitely strength train more frequently and get even better, faster results). If you can squeeze in 5 workouts per week, alternate between cardio & strength and you'll not only get both of your weekly quotas in but shorten each day's workout by focusing only on one aspect per day.

Whichever you choose and whatever order you do it in, don't forget to warm-up for 5-10 minutes at a moderate pace beforehand and cool down and stretch for 5-10 minutes before hitting the shower. If you are having a shower. I, as of this moment, have gone 3 hours since my workout and still no shower...

Good thing they haven't yet invented smellovision.