What is the order of strength training and cardio? If in doubt, do strength training first｜Y-kana

If you are unsure about the order of strength training and cardio, do strength training first. Adding cardio did not result in any difference in the growth of maximum strength and muscle size compared to strength training alone.

If you are doing both in a single session, the order of strength training followed by cardio is the safest bet.

A 2023 meta-analysis found that the increase in leg strength was slightly greater when strength training was performed first.

There was no difference in maximum oxygen uptake, which is a measure of endurance, regardless of which was performed first.

Furthermore, adding cardio to strength training showed no difference in the growth of maximum strength and muscle size compared to strength training alone.

If you are an experienced trainee, in addition to the order, please also consider whether to take a break between them.

For experienced trainees, the decline in leg strength growth seems to occur when the sessions are continued with less than 20 minutes in between. No difference was observed when a break of more than 2 hours was taken.

This article is part of ‘Living Organized by Research Papers.’ It is based solely on research papers, not internet rumors.

🤔 Which should you do first, strength training or cardio?

If you are unsure, do strength training first. In a 2023 meta-analysis, the increase in leg strength was slightly greater when strength training was done first.

A meta-analysis is a method of aggregating and recalculating studies on the same question to see the overall trend.

The studies collected were randomized controlled trials that only changed the order within the same single training session.

A randomized controlled trial is a study that compares participants by dividing them into groups like drawing lots.

The subjects were men and women aged 19 to 70, the duration was 8 to 24 weeks, and training was 2 to 3 times per week.

The number indicating the magnitude of the difference (SMD) was 0.19. While statistically significant, it is a small difference.

When looked at separately, the difference was clear in studies of elderly people and women. In young people and men, the difference was not clear.

On the other hand, there was no difference in maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) based on the order. 🫁

Even for explosive power like jumping, no difference was found based on the order.

A 2026 umbrella review (a systematic review that further bundles meta-analyses) also stated that no significant difference was found in the order.

Furthermore, it notes that doing strength training first might increase the growth of strength and muscle hypertrophy.

💪 Is it true that doing cardio slows down muscle growth?

For most people, no difference was seen compared to strength training alone.

A 2021 meta-analysis found that adding cardio to strength training resulted in no difference in maximum strength and muscle size gains compared to strength training alone.

The subjects were healthy adults, and the study collected research that lasted for 4 weeks or more under supervision.

However, gains in explosive power, such as jumping, were smaller when cardio was added. 🦘

In another 2021 meta-analysis categorized by exercise history, the only group that showed a difference in maximum leg strength was those who were already trained.

The subjects were healthy people of standard weight aged 20 to 38. This cannot be applied directly to elderly people.

The trained individuals referred to here are athletes or people who had been doing planned training for at least 3 months.

For those who were not exercising, there was no difference even when cardio was added.

Even for those who exercise moderately, there was no statistical difference, but there was a slight downward trend.

🕒 Is it better to take a break rather than doing them consecutively?

It seems better for trained individuals and those who want to improve explosive power to take a break.

The decline in leg strength gains for trained individuals seemed to occur when they were done within less than 20 minutes, and no difference was seen when a break of over 2 hours was taken.

Explosive power showed a similar trend. Gains were smaller when done within 20 minutes, and no difference was seen when a break of 3 hours or more was taken.

Moreover, in this analysis of explosive power, the difference based on which one came first was not confirmed.

The authors of the meta-analysis categorized by exercise history speculate that the order might only matter when there is insufficient recovery time in between.

For trained individuals, look at the interval in addition to the order.

The authors write that even for trained individuals, the decline was moderate, so athletes with limited time can still reasonably increase their maximum leg strength by doing both in the same session. ⏰

🚴 Which is better for cardio, running or cycling?

If you are in a period where you want to increase muscle mass, cycling is worth considering. However, these are preliminary results.

A 2022 meta-analysis showed that when looking at the thickness of individual muscle fibers, the gains tended to be slightly smaller when cardio was added. Statistically, the results are right on the borderline.

For slow-twitch muscle fibers, a decrease was observed with running as the cardio, but not with cycling.

However, the results for running are based on a very small number of studies, and the authors also call for cautious interpretation.

It is also noted that a decrease in muscle fibers does not necessarily translate into a difference in overall muscle size. 🔍

🛠 What you can do at the gym today

The first thing you can do right away. In today’s workout menu, reorder it so that strength training comes first and cardio comes after.

This is because the increase in leg strength was slightly greater when strength training was done first.

The second is for those who are training and are in a period where they want to maximize leg strength: move cardio to a different time. Separate them by more than 2 hours, such as morning and evening.

The third is to try cycling for cardio during periods when you want to build muscle. This is a suggestion based on preliminary results. 📝

📋 A quick reference table and recording sheet to help you continue this practice are compiled in a paid article (500 yen).

→ The paid article will be published today at 12:00 PM. Once published, I will place the link here.

It does not contain any research results not found in this article. Please only purchase if you want to have it on hand in the form of tables and sheets.

🧭 How I interpreted this

I read it as meaning you don’t need to worry too much about the order.

This is because the advantage of doing strength training first was small, with an SMD of 0.19, and maximum oxygen intake did not change based on the order.

Even when cardio was added, there was no difference in the gains in maximum strength and muscle size compared to doing strength training alone.

I considered this to be a major answer to the concern that doing both will cause muscle loss.

However, the story changes for those who are training. I read it as meaning that in addition to the order, you should also consider leaving a gap between them.

The authors write that for those who are not exercising or are at a moderate level, whether to separate strength training and cardio can be decided based on ease of continuation and preference.

⚠️ What is not yet understood

Studies comparing the order have issues with quality, as only 4 out of 19 reported allocation concealment.

The ratio of strength training to cardio volume has not been analyzed. It is unclear which order is better for those whose primary focus is cardio.

In studies lasting 8 weeks or less, some analyses suggest a trend toward doing cardio first. However, there are discrepancies in the figures, so this is not certain.

The decline in trained individuals comes almost entirely from two interventions in a single study, and the authors themselves state that further verification is needed.

Data on highly trained individuals and top athletes remains scarce. I have only been able to confirm the abstract of the 2026 review.🧪

Which one will you do first today?

📄 References

Gao et al. (2023) Frontiers in Physiology. A meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials with 482 participants comparing the order.

doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1072679

Schumann et al. (2021) Sports Medicine. A meta-analysis of 43 studies with 1,090 participants comparing strength training + cardio versus strength training alone.

doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01587-7

Petré et al. (2021) Sports Medicine. A meta-analysis of 27 studies with 750 participants comparing maximum leg strength by exercise history.

doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01426-9

Lundberg et al. (2022) Sports Medicine. A meta-analysis of 15 studies with 300 participants measuring muscle fiber thickness.

doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01688-x

Held et al. (2026) Sports Medicine. An umbrella review (abstract only confirmed) aggregating 17 meta-analyses (144 original studies, 1,492 participants).

doi:10.1007/s40279-026-02401-y

Moving forward, I will continue to decipher life and work concerns one by one based on papers published since 2020.

#ResearchPapers #Evidence #OrganizingLifeWithResearch #HealthHabits #StrengthTraining #ExerciseLog #Cardio