Cardio Before Or After Your Lift?

You'll hear this response a lot "it depends." When trying to incorporate cardio into your training, you should first determine your training goal!

Do you want to build strength or improve endurance? When strength is your priority, do cardio after. When endurance is your priority, do cardio first.

Here's why…

IF YOUR PRIORITY IS STRENGTH

your focus should be on getting your strength exercises done safely. High-volume cardio before a lift can negatively impact your form and elicit muscle fatigue much faster. Focus on getting through your strength volume with proper form and avoiding injury.

Now, let's make sense of this.  I'm not saying you should never do cardio if strength is your goal. It also doesn't mean your treadmill warm-up will completely derail your gains. I'm simply telling you to prioritize. Don't go out running a half marathon, then head to the gym expecting to hit a new Squat PR. It just doesn't work that way. #science

IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO IMPROVE ENDURANCE

If you're looking to improve endurance, I recommend cardio first. The same rules apply. Max strength sessions before your long runs can lead to fatigue, increased risk of injury, and less than optimal mechanics.  Again, let's put this into context. I'm saying, if endurance is your goal,  your routine should revolve around keeping your legs fresh and optimizing your cardio routines.

TRAINING FOR GENERAL HEALTH & FITNESS

Now, if you are training for general health and fitness, there is a way that strength training and endurance training can coexist. This is known as concurrent training or sometimes hybrid training. Combining the two requires specific methods to maximize both strength and endurance adaptations.

When deciding if you should do cardio before or after your lifts, consider the focus of that specific workout. Is it strength and hypertrophy or conditioning/endurance? Consider what is going to set you up for success on that particular day. In the long term, keep in mind, you can't be an elite marathon runner and an elite powerlifter at the same time.