Should I Do Cardio Before or After Lifting?

Short answer: Yes, you can do both.

Long answer: It depends on your goals, timing, and program design.

Hybrid athletes stack workouts every day and order matters if you want to train smart.

Match Order to Your Focus

If endurance is your top priority (like training for a race or building your aerobic base), do cardio first. This preserves glycogen, improves efficiency, and helps you push hard on runs (Paoli et al., 2009; Wilson et al., 2012).

If strength or hypertrophy is your main goal, do lifting first. Starting fresh helps maximize power output and strength gains (Gentil et al., 2017; Schärer et al., 2023).

If your goal is overall hybrid performance, both approaches can work. Many hybrid athletes split sessions—running in the morning or evening, lifting during lunch, or spacing sessions a few hours apart to recover between efforts.

This structure supports high-quality effort in both disciplines and is one of the best ways to train strength and cardio on the same day without sacrificing performance.

What Research Says

Strength and hypertrophy are less affected by order

Meta-analyses show muscle growth outcomes don’t differ much, but strength gains are better when you lift first (Gentil, Fisher, & Steele, 2017; Wilson et al., 2012).

Power performance depends on sequence

Doing cardio immediately before explosive strength work can reduce force and speed (Wilson et al., 2012; Drummond et al., 2005).

Endurance training is more flexible

A recent review (Schärer et al., 2023) found minimal impact on VO₂max or endurance adaptations based on whether cardio came before or after lifting.

Spacing sessions improves results

Even a few hours between sessions helps preserve adaptations in both modalities (Azócar-Gallardo et al., 2024).

Practical Guidelines for Same-Day Training

Lift before cardio on strength-focused days

Cardio before lifting on endurance-focused days

Split sessions across morning, midday, and evening for optimal recovery

Fuel between sessions with carbs and protein (Thomas et al., 2023)

Recover hard—same-day training increases total stress

Class 5 Performance: Gear for the Double Grind

You lift. You run. You repeat. Your gear should support the pace.

Shop apparel built for hybrid athletes who train smart.

References

Azócar-Gallardo, J., Ojeda-Aravena, A., Báez-San Martín, E., Herrera-Valenzuela, T., Tuesta, M., González-Rojas, L., Calvo-Rico, B., & García-García, J. M. (2024). Effect of a concurrent training program with and without metformin treatment on metabolic markers and cardiorespiratory fitness in individuals with insulin resistance: A retrospective analysis. Biomolecules, 14(11), 1470. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14111470

Drummond, M. J., et al. (2005). Aerobic and resistance exercise sequence affects excess postexercise oxygen consumption. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 19(2), 332–337.

Gentil, P., Fisher, J., & Steele, J. (2017). What influence does resistance exercise order have on muscular strength gains and muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Sport Science, 17(9), 1132–1141.

Paoli, A., et al. (2009). Effects of exercise order on endocrinological responses: Cardio first versus weights first. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(9), 2605–2611.

Schärer, M., Gmelin, J., & Weber, A. (2023). Concurrent training: Should I do cardio or strength first? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine.

Thomas, D. T., Erdman, K. A., & Burke, L. M. (2023). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 55(1), 73–104.

Wilson, J. M., Marin, P. J., Rhea, M. R., Wilson, S. M., Loenneke, J. P., & Anderson, J. C. (2012). Concurrent training: A meta-analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(8), 2293–2307.