The order in which you perform cardio and weightlifting depends on your fitness goals and personal preferences. Here are the key considerations for each approach:
Cardio before lifting weights:
- Increased fatigue: Performing cardio before lifting weights can lead to increased fatigue, potentially impacting your strength and performance during lifting sessions.
- Enhanced warm-up: Cardio serves as an effective warm-up, increasing blood flow to muscles and preparing the body for resistance training.
- Fat loss: Some individuals prefer doing cardio before weightlifting to deplete glycogen stores and prioritize fat burning during their lifting session.
Cardio after lifting weights:
- Preservation of energy: Lifting weights before cardio allows you to preserve energy for more intense resistance training exercises.
- Strength and muscle growth: Prioritizing weightlifting ensures you have the energy and strength to lift heavier weights, leading to greater muscle growth and strength gains.
- Post-workout fat burn: Performing cardio after weightlifting can enhance fat burning during the post-exercise recovery period, known as the "afterburn" effect.