Cardio Before or After Weight Training: What’s Best for You?
When you step into the gym, one of the biggest questions many clients ask is: Should I do cardio before or after weight training?
It may seem like a small decision, but the order of your workout can greatly impact your strength, endurance, fat loss, and overall results. Whether you’re trying to build muscle, burn fat, or boost cardiovascular health, knowing how to structure your workout will help you maximize every minute in the gym.
As Atlanta’s trusted personal training experts at Truth Fitness & Training, we break down the science, benefits, and best practices for cardio timing.
Cardio Before Weights: Great for Endurance Training
Starting your workout with cardio can be beneficial—especially if your primary goal is building stamina and cardiovascular health. A light cardio session also works as a great warm-up, helping increase blood flow, loosen muscles, and prepare your body for more intense exercise.
However, if you push too hard with cardio before lifting, you may notice:
Reduced strength during weight training
Faster muscle fatigue
Difficulty lifting heavy or maintaining form
Best for: Runners, cyclists, and anyone prioritizing endurance or calorie burn over maximum strength.
Weights Before Cardio: Maximizing Strength and Muscle
If your fitness goal is muscle building, strength training, or fat loss, lifting weights first is usually the smarter choice. Why? Because weight training requires the most energy and focus.
When you begin with weights, your glycogen (stored carbs) powers your muscles so you can lift heavier, build strength, and stimulate muscle growth. After lifting, your body naturally turns to fat as an energy source during cardio.
Best for:
Building muscle and strength
Boosting metabolism
Fat loss when paired with post-lifting cardio
Cardio After Weights: A Fat-Burning Advantage
For many clients at our Atlanta personal training studio, we recommend finishing with cardio after resistance training. This combination is especially effective for fat loss:
Weights first: You use up stored glycogen
Cardio after: Your body taps into fat stores for energy.
This strategy not only preserves strength for lifting but also enhances calorie burn during cardio.
Splitting Sessions: The Athlete’s Approach
If you’re advanced or have a flexible schedule, you can separate cardio and weights into different sessions. For example, do cardio in the morning and weights in the evening. This approach allows you to give full energy to both and see well-rounded results.
So, Which Is Best?
The best order depends on your fitness goals:
Strength & muscle growth: Weights before cardio
Endurance & stamina: Cardio before weights
Fat loss: Weights first, cardio after
Athletic performance: Split into separate sessions
No matter your choice, consistency and proper programming will deliver results.
Here’s a results comparison chart showing the effectiveness of cardio before training vs after training across different fitness goals:
Cardio Before Weights: Stronger for endurance, but lowers strength and muscle-building performance.
Cardio After Weights: Better for strength, muscle growth, and fat loss while still supporting calorie burn.
Train Smarter with Truth Fitness & Training in Atlanta
At Truth Fitness & Training LLC, we design structured workout routines that balance strength, cardio, and flexibility to fit your unique goals. Our Atlanta personal trainers create customized fitness plans that:
Burn fat effectively
Build lean muscle
Improve endurance and stamina
Keep workouts exciting and challenging
💪 Ready to take your training to the next level? Contact us today and let our expert trainers help you maximize results with the right workout strategy.
📍 Visit us at: 3621 Vinings Slope SE, Suite 1100, Atlanta, GA 30339
📞 Call: 404-434-9729
📧 Email: Totaltruthfitness@gmail.com
🌐 Website: www.truthfitness.org
