Cardio Before Or After Weight Training?

For anyone who has been going to the gym or working out for awhile, you know this is a fairly common topic and many people have different views on it. You hear some people swear that you should always do weight training first, then cardio at the end, and other people believe the correct formula is vise versa. 

In reality there is no correct answer for this question. You need to determine what routine works best for you and your goals. If your main goals from working out are to gain muscle, or powerlifting, you should perform weight training first, then cardio after. The reason for this is if your main goals are surrounded by muscle growth, you should focus on that type of training while your body has the most energy. If you are a runner, or an athlete who wants to focus more on shaving time off of your runs, or enhance your cardiovascular endurance, you should perform cardio first then follow with weight training if desired. The same concept applies here. If your goals are to improve your cardio, you should focus on that aspect while your body is fresh and full of energy.

If your main fitness goals are to promote muscle growth and you decide to perform cardio first, you may notice fatigue or a decrease in strength from this because your body uses a lot of its energy that it normally would from weights, and exerts plenty of it from the cardio. Once again the same concept can be flipped. If your main goals are to become faster or improve your cardio, performing weight training before cardio is going to utilize lots of your bodies energy, then when you go to perform cardio you will similarly notice fatigue setting in more or earlier on in your workouts. 

If you are new to training and know what your goals are but are still unsure how to approach the two different training styles, there is nothing wrong with experimenting to see what works best for your body. As mentioned above, there is no correct formula for everyone to follow. It is on an individualized level and is what works best for you. However, it makes most sense to prioritize the type of training first that aligns with your goals in order to get the best results. If this topic interest you but still are unsure about how to approach it, all of my custom programs include individualized routines that will exactly match your goals in terms of strength and cardio!