Cardio Before or After Lifting?

Which should you do first in a single workout, cardio or strength training? Unfortunately, there's no simple answer to this question that accurately applies to everyone. Some of my clients like to do cardio first and yet others like to lift weights first and finish with cardio, which. one is right or could they all be right based on their individual needs and goals?

An ACE-commissioned study found that placing cardio exercise after strength created a heart-rate response that was 12 beats per minute higher for the exact same workout intensity and duration. This would seem to present clear evidence that warrants doing cardio first due to the increase in perceived effort from this shift in heart rate and a potential shifting of the intensity from “moderate” to “vigorous” with no modifications to external intensity. In fact, these were the general conclusions of the study. Read more