An exercise scientist reveals the best time to do a cardio workout

Shawn Arent, the director of the Center for Health and Human Performance at Rutgers University and an American College of Sports Medicine Fellow, talks about whether you should do cardio before or after lifting and how it affects your workout. Following is a transcript of the video.

Cardio before or after weights, which one's better?

Well ideally you would actually separate the two if you were gonna do both in the same day. So for example, we know that there's some research that suggests that doing cardio in the morning and then your resistance training in the afternoon may produce the best results.

Now, if you do have to do them in the same session, which one's better? The best bet would be to do your resistance training first and your cardiovascular exercise second. One of the main reasons is because of the types of fuels you can use. Do the resistance training while you're fresh, you have more muscle glycogen. And then do aerobic exercise after where you can rely a little bit more on fat for fuel in order to do it.

When all is said and done, it probably doesn't matter a lot, and we've even done a study in our lab where we actually show that before or after weights with a previously untrained population didn't make a big difference. So if you had to pick, best bet would be to do them separately. But if you have to put them in the same session, ideally put the resistance training first and the aerobic second. Unless you just don't want to, in which case it's not going to make a big difference.

[Ininity]

whos got time to do cardio in the morning then weights in the afternoon.. ever heard of a thing called job?

[Delosian]

Back at university my flatmate and I would run to the gym every afternoon after classes and then run on a treadmill for a further 10 minutes. We would then do weights, one day top half, the next day the bottom half. Starting with our non-dominant arm, we would do reps until we couldn't do any more; if we got to 15 we increased the weight. We drank black coffee before the gym, protein shakes and Creatine afterwards and a whole chicken for dinner with a few roast veges or boiled frozen mixed veges with almost no carbs in our diet. We were bench pressing around 120kg (265 pounds) by the time we graduated university, but now we're both working all day we don't have the time for the gym. I go every Saturday or Sunday, sometimes both days, but that's about it. The great thing about university was that they had a gym on campus so it was nice and close, and it was free.

[Nicro]

The best time is when I feel like it and that's fucking never.

[DavePark]

I prefer cardio before weight-lifting just to warm up! But then again, I haven't been to the gym in ages heh

[Yonkage]

Cardio in the morning, sure.

I can barely roll the fuck out of my bed in the morning.

[aarya]

"It probably doesnt matter a lot" well that sums it up

[xlWillyWonkalx]

I do a jog then stretch before lifting, I do want to vice Vera's but ever since my coach told me it's bad to stretch cold muscles I always get a warm up in of something before I start lifting

[FelFree]

Vary necessary Information. .. I sincerely Appreciate it. Great Vid. thanks.

[atrioxfulminare]

What about warming your muscles up before lifting to prevent injury?
Injury has shown to occur a lot more for people who don't do cardio before lifting.

[dianar.]

Glad that it doesn't make a big difference. I prefer to do cardio first and then strength training.

[kariiiinaxoxo]

I thought this was gonna tell me the actual time

[NJCProductions]

So, basically, they spent money did a study and told us do whatever the fuck we want alongside a recommended, but you don't have to follow suggestion. Cool!

[Toph.Beifong.]

I've been doing cardio first then weight training, been decent gain

[giagiorgadze]

I do boxing! And without running and bicycle my legs don't work properly! It's about your physiology! When i do cardio first it ''opens'' me well!

[alexisorozco]

im starting to lift in summer and ill like to know how many miles should i run before lifting and will running effect my gains?

[oboy]

what are the nikes the guy is wearing?

[aym_chefboyyarde]

Paintball. There's my cardio for the morning, stress reliever and exercise.

[alicronaldohitman]

that's what I do. weight lifting first then I do cardio for about 20 mins

[Ella-ysnm]

I'm doing cardio right now and am dying. The good kind of dying...
you'll only know what I mean if you've ever taken a long ass weight loss journey

[imkindahungry]

Won't make a big difference if you do one before the other but it WILL make a big difference if you do them both at the same time 😏