Most gym-goers have the same question when it comes to losing weight, and that is; Should I do cardio before or after my workout?
It is a decent question, in fact, when you do your cardio may influence energy, muscle building and the efficiency of your body to burn fat.
We shall simplify it in easy terms so that you can make the best decisions regarding your fitness objectives.
Understanding the Role of Cardio in Weight Loss
Cardio can also be abbreviated as cardiovascular exercise and consists of running, cycling, swimming, and brisk walking.
Such exercises raise your heart rate, assist your body to burn calories, and enhance the well-being of your heart. Cardio is particularly beneficial in weight loss since it results in a caloric deficit that is, you are consuming more calories than you are undergoing.
This deficit when performed on a regular basis compels you to use up stored fat to generate energy.
Cardio Before Workout: Pros and Cons
Some people prefer to start their gym session with cardio. Let’s look at why this can be good and when it might not be ideal.
Pros of Doing Cardio Before Weights
Warms Up the Body
Having a brief cardio workout prior to weight lifting can help boost blood flow, stretch out your muscles and get your cardiac muscles pumping. This will help avoid injuries and condition your body to more serious physical exercise.
Improves Endurance
In case your primary objective is to increase your cardiovascular fitness or race, performing cardio at the start of your workout will guarantee that you have sufficient energy to compete successfully.
Cons of Doing Cardio Before Weights
Reduces Strength Performance
Expend too much energy on cardio in the first place, and you may be fatigued during the time you are supposed to be lifting weights. This can decrease your lifting performance, restrict muscle growth and even form.
Not Ideal for Building Muscle
When you train with cardio exercise then do the strength training, then glycogen (your primary source of energy) gets used up. That is to say that you might not be able to spare enough energy to have a productive lifting session.
Can Lead to Overtraining
Performing excessive cardio prior to weights is likely to wear your muscles out, elevate cortisol (stress hormone) and retard recovery; all of which will harm your gains.
Cardio After Workout: Pros and Cons
But can we reverse the sequence now, what would you consider when you do cardio at the end of the workout?
Pros of Doing Cardio After Weights
Maintains Strength and Power
This is because doing weights first will ensure that you have maximum energy to lift and this is important in case you are planning to build or maintain muscle as well as lose fat.
Improves Fat Burning
Glycogen stores in your body are partially exhausted after strength training. Your body can use up more of your stored fat when you do cardio later on, which will assist in fat loss.
Enhances Recovery
Post-lifting cardio at low intensity can be used to clear the lactic acid muscles of the body which will decrease muscle pain and enhance blood flow.
Fits Well with “Afterburn Effect”
Resistance training increases your metabolism several hours following your exercise (a process known as EPOC or afterburn). Cardio after exercise can further increase that burn-out period.
Cons of Doing Cardio After Weights
Can Be Mentally Tough
You may be exhausted after a rigorous workout in the gym and may have less enthusiasm to get on a treadmill.
May Affect Muscle Recovery (If Overdone)
Post-lifting high-intensity cardio is excessive to the body and it can happen when you are not sleeping or eating adequately.
What Does Science Say?
There are conflicting studies, although most studies indicate that the sequence is based on your primary intention:
- Weights first in case you are aiming to gain strength or build muscle.
- In case you want to train endurance or improve your heart, then perform cardio.
- To lose fat, it is usually best to do weights first then cardio second.
- A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research had a better overall fat loss outcome among individuals who performed weights prior to cardio compared to those who performed cardio prior to weights.
This could be due to the fact that weight training exhausts glycogen and the body uses more fat when doing cardio later.
Combining Cardio and Strength Training for Weight Loss
The best method of losing weight is not only about the timing, but also about consistency and balance.
The following is one clever method of organizing your workouts:
Focus on Strength Training
Weight lifting assists in keeping and developing lean muscle mass that raises your metabolism even when you are resting. Muscle tissue utilizes greater calories as compared to fat hence it is important to keep the muscles in order to lose fat in the long run.
Add Cardio for Calorie Burn
- They should include steady-state cardio (such as jogging, cycling, or walking) as well as high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
- Perform steady-state cardio following a lifting session or on rest days.
- HIIT on different days preferably since it is more demanding.
Do Not Forget Rest and Nutrition
- Recovery and diet will be critical to your results.
- Eat balanced diet with plenty of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats/
- Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep at a time.
Sample Weekly Workout Plan for Fat Loss
The following is a simple exercise that will help you to merge both cardio and strength training:
| Day | Focus | Workout Example |
| Monday | Strength + Cardio | 45 min weight training + 20 min treadmill walk |
| Tuesday | Cardio | 30 min HIIT cycling |
| Wednesday | Strength | Full-body weights |
| Thursday | Active Rest | Light yoga or walking |
| Friday | Strength + Cardio | 45 min weights + 15 min stair climber |
| Saturday | Cardio | Outdoor run or swimming |
| Sunday | Rest | Recovery, stretching, or foam rolling |
This type of balance will ensure that your metabolism is active throughout the week and burnout is avoided.
Key Takeaways
In the case of fat loss: Do weights first, cardio secondly, to achieve better results.
In case you are doing it to build stamina: It is best to do cardio when you are full of energy.
The order is not something to worry about, but the most important thing is to remain consistent and have a calorie deficit.