Should I Do Cardio Or Weights First At The Gym?

This is a frequently asked question by many fitness newbies. So what’s the correct order?

Cardiovascular exercises are essential to heart health and endurance, whereas lifting weights is great for bone density and metabolism. Both are important for overall health. Truth is, the order of which should go first is all based on personal goals.

For those who are trying to lose weight, cardio should come first. If gaining muscle mass is the goal, then hitting up the weight room should be the priority. But why?

Doing cardio first will induce fatigue in muscles that can affect technique in weight lifting and possibly increase the risk of injury. After an exhausting run, you not only up the risk of injuries, you’ll also have less energy to put into a really good weight training session. But since the goal is to lose weight, doing a light weight segment after cardio would still be okay. Keep in mind that high intensity interval training is best for fat loss. Just don’t skimp on weight training after because weights are equally important for fat burning.

Should I Do Cardio Or Weights First At The Gym?  was originally published on elev8.com