Cardio and Lifting: How to Combine Them for Best Results
The Concurrent Training Dilemma
You want to build muscle, but you also want to be heart-healthy and fit. This leads to a common question: how do you effectively combine resistance training and cardiovascular exercise? This is known as 'concurrent training', and how you structure it can make a big difference.
The Interference Effect
The primary concern with concurrent training is the 'interference effect'. In simple terms, the adaptations from endurance exercise (cardio) and resistance exercise (lifting) can sometimes conflict. High volumes of cardio can signal cellular pathways that may blunt the signals for muscle growth stimulated by lifting.
However, for most people (who aren't elite-level powerlifters or marathoners), this effect is often overstated. With smart programming, you can absolutely get the benefits of both.
Structuring Your Week: Best Practices
Here are some evidence-based guidelines for combining cardio and lifting, from most optimal to least optimal.
1. Separate Days (The Best Option)
The ideal scenario is to perform your lifting and cardio sessions on different days. For example:
- Monday: Upper Body Lifting
- Tuesday: Cardio (e.g., 30 mins running)
- Wednesday: Lower Body Lifting
- Thursday: Cardio
- Friday: Full Body Lifting
This completely avoids any acute interference and allows you to be fresh for every session.
2. Same Day, Separated by Hours
If you need to train both on the same day, separating the sessions by at least 6-8 hours is the next best thing. This allows your body to recover from one session before starting the next.
- Morning: Lifting session
- Evening: Cardio session
In this scenario, it is almost always better to lift first. Performing a hard cardio session before lifting can pre-fatigue your muscles and nervous system, reducing your strength and compromising your form, which can limit muscle-building stimulus and increase injury risk.
3. Same Session: Lift First, Then Cardio (The Most Common Option)
If you must do both in one trip to the gym, perform your full weightlifting workout first. Once you're done, finish with your cardio. This prioritizes the muscle- and strength-building stimulus while you're fresh. A short, intense cardio session post-lifting is unlikely to have a significant negative impact on your gains.
4. Same Session: Cardio First (Use with Caution)
The only time you should do cardio before lifting is if it's a very short (5-10 minutes) and low-intensity warm-up. A long or intense cardio session before hitting the weights is the most likely scenario to sabotage your lifting performance.
The Takeaway: Cardio is crucial for health. Don't skip it. But be smart about how you schedule it. Prioritize your primary goal. If your main goal is to build muscle, ensure your cardio isn't compromising the quality of your lifting sessions.