It’s one of the most common fitness questions out there — should you hit the treadmill before or after lifting weights?
The answer depends on your goals, energy levels, and training style.
To help you find what works best, we asked fitness professionals and medical experts to share their preferred workout sequence and why it matters.
Here’s what they said about how exercise order impacts strength, endurance, and recovery:
Start Strong with Strength Training
I typically advise people to begin with strength training before cardio.
When your body is fresh, you have the energy and stability to lift safely and push for real progress.
If you exhaust yourself with cardio first, it’s much more difficult to achieve the same results from your lifts.
Once the strength work is completed, adding cardio at the end is an excellent way to build endurance, elevate your heart rate, and leave feeling like you’ve finished strong.
For me, the order isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about providing people with a structure that makes sense for their lives.
Most of our community members are busy, and when they enter our facility, they want every minute to count. By leading with strength, finishing with cardio, and incorporating recovery, we help them make substantial progress without burning out.
Danielle Beattie, Director of National Marketing, Studio Three
The Boxing Gym Formula for Total-Body Efficiency
My preferred order for combining cardio and strength training in a workout session happens to be the format used at my favorite boxing gym:
- A 5-minute warmup consisting of jumping jacks, air squats, high knees, butt kickers, then shadowboxing
- 20 minutes of boxing combos
- 15 minutes of weight training and core exercises
- A 5-minute cooldown with stretching
I believe this sequence is the most effective (at least for my body type) because it checks all the boxes when it comes to productive exercise.
First, we have a brief warm-up to get our heart rates going and our blood pumping. Secondly, we get to take our frustrations and pent-up stress out on the aqua bags. Following the punches, we get a solid 15 minutes of weight training in, to keep our muscles and our core strong. And to finish it off, a nice cooldown helps us get our breathing under control, and we can stretch out to stay limber long after the class is over.
If I were selected to teach a fitness class to a group of people, this 4-step format is how I would structure each session for a good sweat and ultimate calorie-burning!
Stefanee Clontz, Director of Operations, Hydra+
Strength First Boosts Energy and Performance
I have been actively working out for a year now, and my preferred order is strength training first, followed by cardio.
I prefer this sequence because strength training boosts my energy, better preparing me for cardio sessions.
Initially, I had no specific pattern, and starting with cardio left me feeling unable to do much, as if my body hadn’t fully awakened.
However, when I began with strength training, I felt much better and could do more with improved stamina.
Austin Anadu, Medical Doctor, AlynMD
Why Physicians Recommend Strength Before Cardio
From a physician’s perspective, the preferred order of combining cardio and strength training depends on the patient’s primary health goals.
However, I mostly recommend starting with strength training before cardio.
Typically, resistance work demands greater neuromuscular precision and energy, so focusing on strength first allows patients to train with greater energy levels to encourage proper form and reduce the risk of injury.
If cardio is performed first, especially at moderate-to-high intensity, fatigue may compromise strength performance, form, and biomechanics.
Starting your workout with strength training before cardio is also effective for metabolic health. By engaging large muscle groups early, glycogen stores are tapped more efficiently, and following with cardio helps further utilize these energy substrates, improving cardiovascular conditioning and fat metabolism.
For patients whose primary goal is cardiovascular endurance, cardio can be done before strength training. However, for most people, especially those looking for balanced fitness, improved bone density, weight management, or metabolic disease prevention, strength training before cardio tends to offer the most inclusive and sustainable benefit.
Edmond Hakimi, Medical Director, Wellbridge
Conclusion: The Right Order Is the One You’ll Stick With
So, should you do cardio before or after strength training?
For most people, starting with strength makes sense — it preserves form, builds muscle efficiently, and leaves room to finish with heart-pumping cardio.
But as each expert noted, the “best” order is ultimately the one that fits your body, goals, and routine.
Consistency always wins over perfection.
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