WHEN YOU’RE SHOWING up consistently, lifting heavy, and throwing in some cardio for good measure, it can be confusing to know what to do first. While it’s long been understood that we should lift first for strength goals, a new study further confirms this – and also highlights the positive effects it can have on fat loss.
The study
The study published in the Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, aimed to assess how the order of concurrent training — resistance training followed by endurance training, or vice versa — impacts physical activity levels, body composition, bone density, fitness and muscular strength in obese young men. It also explored whether physical activity levels during the study influenced reductions in body fat percentage.
The methods
The 12-week study involved:
- 45 obese male participants aged 18-30.
- They were split into three groups: CRE (resistance before endurance), CER (endurance before resistance), control (no exercise).
- They trained three times a week for an hour.
- Physical activity was monitored using fitness trackers, and body composition was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
- Other metrics included VO2max and muscular strength.
- Diet was self-reported.
The results
Both groups improved significantly in physical activity levels, body composition, bone density, VO2max, and strength.
The group that did resistance training first showed superior outcomes – particularly in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, fat reduction, muscular endurance, and explosive strength. The cardio-first group also improved, but to a lesser extent, while the control group saw no significant changes. Physical activity during the intervention influenced fat loss, with the resistance-first group’s results especially linked to increased effort.
The conclusion
Concurrent training improved health markers especially when resistance training came before endurance training. This order better enhanced daily physical activity, strength, and body composition. Importantly, changes in physical activity levels affected the training’s effectiveness at reducing body fat.
What does this mean for us?
According to the study, taking part in a training programme that combines resistance training first, before cardio, can increase fitness, our daily physical activity, and therefore reduce body fat more efficiently than doing cardio first. These findings suggest that we should tailor our programme to suit our needs, and they also highlight the importance of training order. There are some limitations to the study, like the self reported food diary maybe not being 100% reliable, and the relatively small sample size, but it isn’t the only study that researched training order.
Similarly, another study published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, found that completing cardio before strength training hindered results. In the study, men who completed high-intensity cardio before a strength session had their strength endurance performance compromised.
Therefore, based on the results from both studies, it’s recommended to avoid strength training immediately after cardio, and instead lift first to reap the rewards of more benefits.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.
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