Cardio before or after weights? Study reveals the best order
What's the story
The age-old debate among fitness enthusiasts about whether to do cardio before or after weightlifting has finally got some clarity.
A new study has revealed that the order of your workout can have a major impact on fat loss.
The research found that participants who did weight training before cardio lost more fat and were more active throughout the day than those who did cardio first.
Research methodology
Study involved 45 obese young men
The study involved 45 obese young men aged between 18-30 years. They were divided into three groups for a duration of 12 weeks.
One group served as a control, sticking to their usual lifestyle habits without any changes in their exercise routine.
The other two groups exercised for an hour three times a week, with their daily movement tracked by sports watches to ensure accurate data collection.
Workout impact
Both groups followed same training programs
The two exercise groups followed identical training programs, with the only difference being the order of exercises.
Strength training included real weights and exercises such as bench press, deadlift, bicep curl, and squat.
Cardio sessions involved 30 minutes of stationary cycling.
Both groups saw improvements in cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and body composition, losing fat mass while gaining lean muscle mass.
However, while cardiovascular fitness improvements were similar, fat loss and muscle performance improvements were greater in the weights-first group.
Fat loss
Weights-first group saw greater fat loss, were more active
Those who lifted weights first saw a significantly greater reduction in overall body fat and visceral fat, the type most closely associated with cardiovascular disease risk.
They also increased their daily step count by about 3,500 steps compared to just 1,600 steps for the cardio-first group.
The weights-first approach also improved muscular endurance and explosive strength.
Energy dynamics
Why the order of your workouts matters
The study's findings are rooted in how the body uses energy.
Resistance training depletes muscle glycogen stores, which is the sugar stored in muscles and serves as quick-access fuel for the body.
When you lift weights first, it depletes these glycogen stores, forcing your body to switch energy sources.This shift makes your body rely more on fat reserves for energy during cardio, explaining the greater fat loss seen in those who lifted weights first.
Research alignment
Findings are in line with previous research
The recent study's findings are consistent with broader research.
A systematic review published in 2022 found that resistance training alone can significantly reduce body fat and visceral fat linked to chronic diseases.
However, doing cardio first may compromise strength training effectiveness as it depletes glycogen stores, leaving muscles partially depleted before lifting weights.
This could lead to fatigue and reduced explosive power/strength in muscles.
Training benefits
More evidence supporting weights-first approach
A systematic review and meta-analysis examining exercise sequence effects found that resistance-first protocols produced significantly superior strength improvements compared to endurance-first training.
The American Heart Association's 2023 statement on resistance training confirmed that it significantly improves lean body mass and reduces fat, especially when combined with other exercise types.
However, resistance training alone was less effective in improving cardiovascular health, highlighting the importance of including cardio in an exercise routine.