The Best Workout Order for Fat Loss and Muscle Gains, According to a New Study

This is a secular question for gymnasiums: Which one should come first, cardio or weight?

According to new research, you may want Hit the bodybuilding room before jumping on the treadmill, the bicycle or the elliptical.

The study, published in April Journal of Exemplé Science and Fitnessexamined how the order of cardio and resistance could affect health and fitness measures among a small group of male participants.

The results of the study showed that the participants who did it Strength training before cardio had “Remarkable progress” In physical activity levels, fat loss and muscle strength and endurance compared to those who made cardio before weights and those who did not work at all.

But does that mean resistance training before cardio is still the best option? Here is what experts had to say about the new study, if other research agrees and what it means to maximize gains in your own training routine.

For this study, Beijing researchers recruited 45 young men overweight or obesity to study how simultaneous training—The works that include training in cardio and resistance – would have an impact on various health measures.

The participants were divided into Three groups:

• Group 1 has undergone resistance training before cardio.
• Group two did cardio before resistance training.
• Group three had no kind of structured training plan.

Men of the two exercise groups have engaged Three training sessions of 60 minutes per week in three months.

This is one of the strengths of the study, Nicholas Mortensen, PHD, assistant professor of Kinesiology at Michigan State University, said Health. Researchers were able to control the variables by Having the two groups follow the same training program 30 minutes from cardio and 30 minutes of strength training, just in a different order.

Before, during and after the training intervention, the researchers followed all the participants’ Levels of physical activity, bodily composition, muscle strength, VO2max, diet and bone density.

The results showed that the participants who have undergone simultaneous training, whatever the order, have improved:

• Physical activity levels
• Body composition
• Muscular strength
• VO2max, or cardiorepiratory fitness

But those who made Resistance training first seen even more advantages, especially Percentage of lower body fat and lower fat mass, as well as higher muscle and endurance power.

These results suggest that lifting Cardio before is the best option if you are looking to improve these specific variables, said E. Todd Schroeder, PHD, professor of clinical physiotherapy and director of the research center on the clinical exercise of the University of South California.

“However, it should be noted that the Changes in the Endurance-Première group were still very good and considered beneficial for improving health in this population, “he said Health.

Study results Support similar search results Over the past 30 years, which has also found that resistance training before cardio could be a better way to strengthen strength.

But the comparison of studies can be difficult due to differences in methods, duration, type of training and age and sex of subjects, explained Schroeder.

Because of that, there is No firm response On the fact that it is better to do cardio or weights first.

For example, a 2013 study revealed that men who have raised weights before running had a race performance case the next day, suggesting that Cardio first can be the best option. And the research published in 2021 revealed that people making bodybuilding Better results if they were cardio in advance.

At this point, there is only many that we can take from the latter Journal of Exemplé Science and Fitness study. The researchers studied simultaneous training only in a very small number of young obese men, noted Schroeder, so we cannot necessarily say that the results apply to a larger and more diverse population.

In general, more research on this subject is necessary, especially in women, said Schroeder.

The general consensus is that the order in which you make your cardio and your bodybuilding is important because of how each is fatigue of your body.

Doing cardio first can leave you drained And unable to give your full effort during strength training, said Mortensen. Research supported this; A study revealed that making a high intensity cardio session before weights reduce the force of strength.

By reaching the weights first, “you can probably do your resistance training with your best energy and intention levels, that’s probably why [study’s] The resistance training group spent more time training at higher intensities than the aerobic training group, “said Mortensen.

Maybe he’s Ideal training order for people looking to increase muscles or lose weight, Said Mortensen.

However, performance Cardio before resistance training can also have advantages, Especially if you are looking to Improve cardio endurance and heart and lung health, He added.

“You can devote your best efforts to your cardio sessions, which can be precious if it is something with which you fight regularly,” said Mortensen.

When it comes to planning the order of your training sessions, Consider your goals, Recommended mortensen.

Whether strength or cardio, Start with the one you hope to prioritize And to improve, he said.

Just Make sure you don’t skip one or the other type of training, Since “both modes will help improve your health and physical form and should be highlighted regularly in your exercise routine,” added Mortensen.

In fact, the reduction in your training order from time to time can help the body adapt to new challenges, further improving muscle and cardiovascular adaptations, said Schroeder.

At the end of the day, it is important to remember that Starting with cardio or bodybuilding will help you improve muscle strength, bone density, aerobic endurance and fat loss, he said.

“I tell people that whatever command that they are more likely to do regularly is the one they should do,” he said.

“More and more people prefer to do a resistance training followed by the cardio, and a greater number of studies support the advantages of this sequence,” added Schroeder. “But find what works for you and the health benefits will follow.”