An Expert-Approved Strength Training and Cardio Routine That Will Get You Fit

If you’re wondering whether you should prioritize lifting weights or cardio, you don’t have to worry about choosing between them. It all depends on your goal: improve your overall health, gain muscle or lose weight.

To better understand how to best combine your cardio and strength training sessions to help you lose weight or build strength, we spoke to a personal trainer. Here is their description of what the ideal cardio and strength training program looks like.

What are your fitness goals?

When it comes to deciding whether to do cardio or weights first during your workouts, it’s a good idea to start with your goals. Do you want to lose weight or gain muscle tone? Maybe you want to improve your endurance or build bigger muscles.

A common misconception is that cardio is the most important exercise for lose weightbut cardio and strength training are important for this.

Benefits of doing cardio before weights

Cardio is proven to be effective in burning calories. If you lift weights for 30 minutes instead of doing any other cardio activity for the same amount of time, the cardio will burn more calories. With this in mind, you may want to start your workouts with cardio at a consistent intensity to get into the swing of things. heart rate zone what you need to burn fat. You can then move on to weightlifting, which will create an “afterburn” that will help burn calories once the exercise is complete.

You don’t even necessarily need to work your body hard to reap the benefits of a cardio workout. “Lower intensity cardiovascular exercises (in the fat burning zone/aerobic training zone) will help you lose weight. [But] it needs to be maintained for longer periods of time,” said Mollie Millington, a London-based personal trainer.

Lift weights first, especially if you are lift heavy loads By using your whole body, you’ll tire out before moving on to the cardio portion of your workout. This means you might cut your workout short and miss out on the calorie-burning benefits of cardio, especially if you want to burn as many calories as possible in a set amount of time. Try both starting with cardio and starting with strength training to get an idea of ​​what works best for you. If you perform exercises with light weights, it can help increase your heart rate and prepare your body for running, cycling, or other cardio activity.

Finally, if you like running, cycling, or swimming and want to improve your overall speed or endurance, it’s a good idea to choose cardio first because you go into these workouts fresh. This way you start with the most important exercise for your long-term goals and you will progress faster.

Benefits of doing weights before cardio

If your main goal is to improve your strength, be able to lift heavy objects, or build more muscle, it’s best to start by lifting weights. Don’t tire your body by doing cardio first. The less tired you are, the more reps you’ll be able to do with correct form – and good form is crucial to performing resistance training exercises safely and effectively.

Doing weights first can also be helpful for fat loss when combined with cardio, Millington said.

“In theory, doing weights first would put your body into aerobic mode [so] By the time you start running, you will already be in an aerobic/fat-burning state. You can therefore maintain [that aerobic state] longer while running and thus using fat as an energy source,” she said.

It’s better when you lift lighter weights that don’t strain your entire body.

Can you do cardio and weightlifting on the same day?

While the science isn’t very conclusive on whether it’s better to do cardio or strength training first, one thing that’s very clear is that doing both is beneficial. Studies show that doing a combination of the two is better for overall health, increasing muscle mass and reducing body fat.

If you want to do 100% effort cardio and strength training, you can try doing them on different days, allowing your body to recover in between. If you prefer to do both at the same time, see which works best for you.

“I’m a big believer in doing what you love. Exercise can be fun,” Millington said. “If you’re in a rhythm during your warm-up on the treadmill and are having fun, don’t stop to do weights. Continue until you’re ready to move on to weights. Or if you prefer weights to running, start with a shorter run and then ‘treat yourself’ to weights.”