Everyone has a different exercise routine, depending on their fitness goals. In most cases, those looking to gain muscle mass focus on strength training, while anyone looking to shed pounds tends to put more of an emphasis on cardio. Of course, both have a unique set of health benefits. But for those on a weight loss journey, doctors now say that setting up a specific combined workout routine might be the best way to burn fat.

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Is it better to start a workout with cardio or strength training?

Most successful workout routines require some level of planning, whether it’s designating leg days or regularly scheduling cycling classes to hit your weekly goals. But does the order in which you complete your exercises affect how effective they are? A new study published in the Journal of Science and Exercise sought to examine which sequence of combined physical training provided the most benefits.

A team of researchers gathered 45 male participants who were 18 to 30 years old, all of whom had a body mass index (BMI) that classified them as obese. They were then split into different groups (including one control group that didn’t change their exercise or lifestyle habits) and given smartwatches to accurately collect data. They were also instructed to meticulously catalogue their food intake in a journal

For 12 weeks, one group focused on starting their thrice weekly 60-minute workouts with resistance training (or strength training) using free weights to perform exercises such as bench press, squat, bicep curl, and deadlift for 30 minutes before moving into a cardio routine. The other group worked in the opposite order, starting with a cardio routine consisting of 30 minutes on a stationary bike before following it up with a half hour of resistance training.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, results showed that participants in both workout groups saw significant health benefits in body composition (including BMI and bone density measurements), muscle strength, and cardiorespiratory strength compared to the non-exercising control group. In both cases, the groups saw their proportion of body fat drop while witnessing an increase in their lean muscle mass.

However, there was one notable difference when it came to the order of exercises. Results found that the group that began their workouts with resistance training lost much more overall body fat and visceral fat compared to the cardio-starting group.

Smartwatch data showed the resistance training group also saw their daily step count increase more than double compared to the cardio group, jumping 3,500 additional steps versus 1,600. The strength training group participants also saw better improvements in their explosive strength and their enhanced muscular endurance.

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Should you always do resistance training ahead of cardio workouts?

While the researchers in the latest study admit that the self-reported food diary and relatively small sample size are limitations, their findings could come in handy for those who are prioritizing weight loss.

But even if you’re not looking to shed pounds, there are a few reasons to get strength training done off the bat. Namely, beginning with weights allows you to start the exercise with the most strength, which is arguably more necessary than when you’re solely focused on getting your heart rate up, Men’s Health reports. Having your muscles at full strength makes it more likely that you’ll complete your reps with proper form, decreasing the risk of injury and making it more likely you’ll finish your full sets and get the most out of your planned workout.

Worried about optimizing both? The best option might be to stagger your resistance training and cardio workouts on different days altogether, per Men’s Health. Also, if your warmup includes cardio, there’s no reason to omit it entirely.

Other studies have found similar results.

This isn’t the first time a study has found that weight training might be more effective for weight loss than cardio. A 2023 study published in the journal Diabetologia used 186 participants split into three different groups, with each focusing on either strength training (ST), aerobic exercise (AER), or a combination of both approaches (COMB).

After a nine-month training period, the research team measured changes in each participant’s weight, body composition, blood sugar, and more. The results found that of the three groups, the strength training cohort saw the most positive changes of all, losing more weight than the aerobic or combined groups. They also saw a better stabilization of their blood sugar levels. Experts say there’s a reason why this plays out physiologically.

"Strength or resistance training primarily targets muscle growth. The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate becomes," Andrew White, CPT, a certified personal trainer and co-founder of Garage Gym Pro, previously told Best Life. "In simpler terms, you burn more calories even when you're not working out. This process is what makes strength training an ace up your sleeve when it comes to weight loss."

Still, it can be beneficial to combine the two for overall health. "While strength training packs a punch for weight loss, cardio has undeniable heart and lung benefits,” White told Best Life. “For those eyeing weight loss, I'd suggest a 70:30 ratio—70 percent strength training and 30 percent cardio. It's the golden mix of muscle building and heart-pumping action, ensuring you're not just losing weight but also building a healthy, resilient body.”