For Maximum Results, This Is The Right Order For Cardio And Weightlifting

Illustration of cardio. (Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)

JAKARTA - Cardio exercises and weightlifting are often a debate about which one should be done first. There is an assumption that someone must do a cardio first to 'heat' the body to be more prepared to lift the load.

However, on the other hand, there are also those who say that cardio, especially light cardio, should be done after lifting the load to become part of the cool down or cooling. So, which one is more appropriate?

Quoted from the Cleveland Clinic, on Monday, September 8, 2025, the two assumptions are nothing wrong. Doing cardio first then strength training such as lifting weights and vice versa can both be done.

For most of us, there is no difference between what to do first. If you run on a treadmill and still have a lot of energy for strength training, do it. Vice versa," said sports psychologist Katie Lawton, MEd.

Sports psychologist and Exercise Science program coordinator at the New York Institute of Technology, Alex Total, EdD, MS, CSCS, also said the same thing. Choosing cardio exercises first then lifting weights, or vice versa, is the preferences and abilities of each individual body.

It's mostly about preference issues. The difference is so small that I wouldn't argue that one is better than the other," said God.

The first cardio or weightlifting first depends on the goals of your sport. These two types of sports train the body in different ways, but at a fundamental level.

Cardio can increase heart rate and often make breathing heavier. While strength training such as lifting weight focuses on bursts of singly energy, which activate and test muscles using some form of resistance.

If you exercise for certain purposes such as focusing on body resistance, then do a cardio first. If you want to build muscles or strength, do weightlifting first.