Is it better to do cardio before or after weight training?

When to Add Cardio to Your Exercise Routine?

The answer to this question depends on every individual’s fitness goals and preferences.

According to some experts —

• If you are aiming to increase endurance, then do cardio before weights.

• If you want to achieve muscular strength, then do cardio after weights.

• If you want to focus on your overall fitness, you can do cardio before or after weights.

Benefits of doing Cardio Before Weight Training

The following are the advantages of doing cardio before lifting weights:

• It will help warm up your muscles

• It reduces the chance of injury while lifting weights.

• It prepares your body to perform difficult workout regime by making your heart pump more blood.

• Another major benefit is it helps in boosting endurance, which further increases energy and allows you to give your best efforts during the cardio session.

Benefits of doing Cardio After Weight Training

The following are the pros of doing cardio after weightlifting:

• The major advantage of doing cardio after weightlifting is building strength, specifically in lower-body muscles.

• The primary fuel needed for weight lifting is glycogen (a sugar stored in muscles). You will have sufficient glycogen to perform weightlifting if you do cardio after weights. If you plan to do cardio first, you will not have a good amount of glycogen in your body; hence, it will be challenging to do cardio before weights.

• Cardio after weights will help you stay energised, feel less tired, and perform better during workouts, and there will be minimal risk of injury to your muscles.