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Written by Navneet Kaur, M.Sc. Nutrition & Dietetics
Exercise
When it comes to losing weight, people often get confused about whether to do cardio first or lift weights first, so let’s break it down together.
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Doing cardio before weights can quickly warm up your body, boost your heart rate, and help you burn calories right from the start.
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Starting with weights helps you to use your full strength, build more muscle, and improve your metabolism for long term fat burning.
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Weight training before cardio increases your calorie burn even after the workout, which can be a powerful advantage for fat loss.
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Lifting weights first helps boost your metabolism for hours after the workout, so adding cardio afterwards maximises total calorie burn.
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If your main goal is endurance or running performance, cardio first makes sense, but if your main goal is fat loss and strength, a weight-first approach is better.
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At the end of the day, listen to your body because some people simply perform better when they start with the activity they enjoy most.
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For weight loss, doing both cardio and weight training in a balanced way is important because cardio burns calories and weights help build muscle, which keeps your metabolism high.
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Eating enough protein during strength training or cardio helps protect your muscles, keeps you full longer and boosts fat loss by supporting your metabolism.
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For most people whose goal is to lose weight, doing weights first and cardio after is the smartest choice, but the best routine is always the one you can stick with consistently.
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