Should you do cardio before or after weight lifting? Modern research may finally have an answer

Fitness enthusiasts have debated this question for decades: is it better to perform cardio before or after weight lifting? Until recently, the answer was largely preference – some enjoy jogg to balmy up before hitting the weights, while others think that lifting the first is better for burning fat.

But New study Perhaps it finally responded to such long issues.

According to the study, the order of your training significantly affects how much fat you lose. Participants who performed strength training before Cardio lost much more fat and became more physically lively throughout the day compared to those who first made cardio.

Scientists recruited 45 teenage men aged 18-30 who were classified as obese. Scientists divided the participants into three groups into 12 weeks. One group was a control group. This meant that they kept their ordinary lifestyle habits and did not make any changes in their exercise system.

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The other two groups practiced for 60 minutes three times a week. Participants also received sports watches to objectively track everyday movement. This helped scientists avoid relying in reporting their own, which can often be incorrect.

Both groups of exercise used identical training programs, they only differ in the exercise sequence. Strength training covered real weights, and participants performed exercises such as an impression on the bench, deadlift, biceps and squats. Cardio sessions covered 30 minutes of a stationary bike.

Participants of both groups experienced an improvement in cardiovascular efficiency, muscle strength and body composition – in particular they lost the mass of fat, while obtaining lean muscle mass. Interestingly, the improvement of cardiovascular efficiency was similar regardless of the sequence – echo Recent arrangements The ban on exercise has a constrained impact on cardiovascular adaptations.

But real differences appeared when it comes to fat loss and muscle efficiency. Participants who raised the weights for the first time experienced a much greater reduction in general fat and visceral fat – the strongest type of fat related to the risk of cardiovascular disease.

They also increased their daily number of steps by about 3500 steps compared to only 1600 steps for the Kardio group. In addition, the weights approach improved muscle strength and explosive strength.

Why practice the sequence matters

The reason for these discoveries is associated with how your body uses energy.

Resistance training exhausts muscle glycogen magazines -Cukier, which is stored in muscles that acts as a fuel of quick access to your body. Imagine glycogen as gasoline in the car fuel tank. When you first raise weights, you effectively drain this fuel tank, forcing the body to change energy sources.

With glycogen warehouses, after going to Cardio, your body must be more Energy fat reserves. It is similar to a hybrid car switching to battery supply when the gasoline is low. This metabolic change helps explain the greater loss of fat observed in the first weight group.

The results of recent research are in line with wider research. Intricate Systematic review Published in 2022, it was found that resistance training itself could significantly reduce fat and vaulisType combined with chronic diseases. The muscles are metabolically lively tissues, constantly burning calories even at rest, which strengthens these effects.

And vice versa, cardio can first threaten your effectiveness of strength training. Cardio consumes glycogen stores, leaving the muscles partially exhausted before you raised the weight. It also induces fatigue and can reduce muscle ability produce explosive power and strength.

The latest systematic review regarding Contemporary training (Practice of combining both resistance and aerobic exercises under the same program) confirms this – emphasizing that the raise in explosive can decrease if aerobic and strength training occurs in the same session, especially if cardio is first done.

These discoveries comply with other research on simultaneous training. AND Systematic review and meta -analysis Studying the effects of the exercise sequence showed that primary resistance protocols produced a much better improvement in strength compared to the training of first strength.

American Heart Association 2023 Declaration of retaining training Confirmed retaining exercises significantly improves lean body weight and reduces fat, especially in combination with other types of exercises. However, the resistance training itself turned out to be less effective in improving cardiovascular health. This emphasizes the importance of incorporating cardio in the exercise routine.

However, it is worth paying attention to the restrictions on the test. Because this only applied to obese teenage men, it means that we do not know how the results will apply to women, older adults or people with various body compositions. AND 2024 review It suggests adaptation depending on gender, which indicates the need for further research on various populations.

The 12-week duration may also not capture long-term changes. The results also apply only to co -creating training – performing both exercises in the same session.

In addition, the study was not included in nutritional consumption, sleep patterns or stress levels, all of which can significantly affect the results of the body composition. Future research should contain these factors to provide even more comprehensive tips.

Training sequence

Regardless of whether you prefer to do cardio before or after weight lifting, the message is clear: both will improve overall health. The only difference is that strength training before cardio ensures the advantages of fat loss, reduction of abdominal fat and increased daily physical activity.

Interestingly, resistance training increases self -confidence and energy levelsNaturally, encouraging more movement during the day, additionally helping in fat loss.

If your main goal is cardiovascular efficiency, the sequence is less vital, because in both ways they also raise aerobic efficiency. However, if fat loss and optimization of daily activity are your main goals, the evidence definitely confirms the placement of retaining training.