Cardio exercise and strength training are two parts of the spectrum of fitness. The common adage is that if you want to build muscles then you should just do strength training but if you’re trying to lose weight then you should opt for cardio. This misconception prevents many individuals from reaching their dream physique and improving their health.
Ideally, a perfect workout plan will combine cardio and strength training according to individual goals and targets. When it comes to combining the two, determining which has to be done first can become difficult. With so much misinformation about fitness, it’s hard to know which advice to listen to.
Cardio, or aerobic exercise, targets one’s cardiovascular and respiratory systems and results in burning more calories. On the other hand, strength training is a resistance activity that is designed to increase the strength and endurance of a body.
What happens when you perform cardio before strength training?
While doing 5-15 minutes of low-intensity cardio in order to warm up before a workout is recommended, most experts suggest leaving higher-intensity bouts of cardio and longer sessions to a different time. This is because these higher-intensity sessions consume a lot of energy and are taxing on the body, which can result in hampered performance during the strength training portion of the workout. With the body already tapped out from cardio, it is nearly impossible to properly do strength training. If you are training for endurance then it is a better idea to do cardio before strength training sessions and keep the strength training session light. This ensures that the body is not overworked.
What happens when you perform cardio after strength training?
Some selective studies have shown that doing cardio after weight training can result in burning more fat. Once again individuals need to ensure that they are not pushing their bodies to the brink. As cardio puts a strain on the body, excessive cardio after strength training can reduce the speed of recovery. Most people can manage to do between 20 and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity of cardio at the end of their workout. Cardio exercises that have a lower ‘impact’ are also better when performed after strength training.
Hence, cardio after strength training can become a great finisher for a training session. Ensuring that cardio and strength training do not interfere with each other is the best way to combine the two in your workout schedules.
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