You want to make the most of every workout, so what should you do first — cardiovascular exercise or strength training? There are arguments and research on both sides, leading most experts to conclude that it depends on your goals and personal preferences.

Cardiovascular Endurance

If your goal is to improve cardiovascular endurance, especially if you are training for a distance race, doing cardio exercise first may be the best choice. Starting your cardio with fresh muscles will help you push through your time or distance goals. Glycogen stores (glucose stored in the muscles for energy) are important for longer cardio sessions. Strength training can deplete these stores, making cardio more challenging.

Improving Strength

If improving strength is your top priority, it may be best to start with strength training. Gaining strength requires challenging your muscles near the point of exhaustion. Performing a lengthy cardio session before strength training may reduce your ability to push your muscles as hard as you would if they were well rested. A Finnish study found that when healthy men and women did cardio training first, it initially interfered with strength training performance. However, after 24 weeks of training, this interference was less notable, and both groups had similar gains in muscle size and strength. So if you absolutely love doing cardio first, this likely won’t hinder your ability to gain strength in the long run.

Weight Loss

If weight loss is your goal, recommendations are mixed. Cardiovascular exercises use large muscle groups for longer periods, resulting in greater calorie burn than most strength-training sessions. By doing cardio first, you may have more energy to push harder and exercise longer, which can lead to more calories burned for weight loss. Some experts argue that when you do strength training first, the body relies on fat for energy during the cardio session, making it a better method for weight loss. Ultimately, it’s about choosing the combination you prefer and that you'll maintain over the long term.

Choosing What Is Best for You

The bottom line is that you can structure your workout based on your preferences without negatively affecting your long-term results. Here are a few options to consider when deciding if you should step on the treadmill or pick up the dumbbells the next time you hit the gym:

• Do what's most important to you first. If you're training for a road race, do your cardio while your muscles are fresh. If you're hoping to bulk up, do your strength training first.
• Do what you like the least first. If you love your time on the elliptical but feel less enthusiastic about lifting weights, it may be easy to find an excuse to leave the gym after your cardio. Lift weights first, and you will have it out of the way so you can thoroughly enjoy your cardio session.
• Save time by making cardio your warm-up. All workouts should start with a 5 to 10-minute warm-up to prepare the muscles for activity. If you start with strength training, it’s best to warm up on the treadmill or a bike first. If you do your cardio first, it can serve as your warm-up and save you valuable minutes of exercise time.
• Separate your workouts for safety. Regardless of whether you choose cardio or strength training first, your muscles will be fatigued when you move on to the other exercise. Fatigue can lead to poor form, which can result in injury. If your strength sessions are intense and your cardio sessions lengthy, consider doing these workouts on separate days.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.