Cardio Before Or After Weights?

Before you tell me what you’ve always done, ask yourself if you’re happy with the way your body looks?

Are you happy with the way your body performs in the gym?

If the answer is no then telling me what you’ve always done is not going to change my mind.

In most cases, my answer would be “It depends.”

This isn't most cases.

For the majority of people in America, fat loss is the goal.

Fat loss depends entirely on diet. How much is entirely? About 80-85% which means the majority.

What you do for movement will enhance strength and to a degree, aesthetics.

It's not the fact that you want to lose weight, it's that you want to lose weight and look good naked.

For that purpose, lifting weights should be the priority and cardio is supplemental as well as optional.

Do you have to choose either or? No

However, I believe in doing the least amount of work to get the most amount of benefits.

Contrary to popular belief, I spend about one hour a day, 3 to 4 times a week working out.

The days of me working out for 3 to 4 hours are long gone.

The more literature I read, the more people I train, the more I learn about how the body works and how to pair that with what people want.

If you like spending 2+ hours in the gym, be my guest.

If you like being efficient in the gym, less is more meaning pick 1-3 exercises per muscle group and lift heavy.

If you want to add cardio to your workout, only do so when your calories are in check and you don’t want to decrease your calorie intake further.

Another reason to do cardio after your workout is if you actually like it. 

Here’s another reason why I suggest cardio after weights.

Strength training builds muscle.

Cardio builds aerobic capacity aka conditioning.

It’s harder to strength train when you’re fatigued from cardio.

It’s easier to do cardio even when you’re fatigued from strength training.

You’re also more likely to injure yourself in a fatigued-state lifting weights versus doing cardio.

So to answer the question about cardio before or after weights... Weights first, cardio after IF YOU WANT.

The only scenario I can think of where you would do cardio before weights is if you're training for a cardio-based event.

Training for a marathon?

Training for a swim?

Training for cycling?

Cardio first.

However, there are numerous amounts of literature that explains how strength training improves cardiovascular ability…

But that's a different conversation for a different day.