Should I do cardio before or after weight training? – GOOD SHAPE

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When we talk about physical exercise, it is not uncommon to divide it into two types: strength training (or resistance) and cardiorespiratory activities… And then, the question arises: which one to do first?

What is cardio?

Cardiorespiratory (or aerobic) exercise is nothing more, nothing less, than any practice of physical activity that increases our heart rate continuously for a certain period of time. Good examples are walking, running, swimming, jumping rope, cycling, among others.

This type of stimulus is especially important for those people who seek weight loss. That’s because in addition to working on your cardiovascular health, the aerobics ensures high caloric expenditure – which consequently forces our body to use fat as a source of energy.

But which one to do first: cardio or bodybuilding?

Carol Borba, a physical educator with more than 4 million followers on Instagram, says the response varies. “I particularly like to do it in separate periods: weight training in the morning and cardio in the evening.”

But if you don’t have enough time to do the same, no problem, you can do both together. You just need to prioritize the activity that brings the most results according to your goal. “If you are looking for hypertrophy in the legs, for example, and do the cardio beforehand, it can interfere with bodybuilding because you will be tired”, says the personal.

The opposite is also valid. If you want to burn a lot of calories, doing weight training first can leave you without enough energy to make the most of cardio. So bet on the activity that makes the most sense for your goal!