Which should you do first, strength training or aerobic exercise? The order and time allocation to maximize fat burning

First, let's understand the difference between muscle training and aerobic exercise!

Strength training is called "anaerobic exercise," while walking and running are called "aerobic exercise," and there are clear differences in the effects you can get from each.
Understanding the benefits of both and how they relate to each other is the first step to an effective training plan.

By properly combining anaerobic and aerobic exercise, you can achieve your goals faster than by doing either alone, creating a synergistic effect.

Muscle training: Uses sugar as an energy source and increases basal metabolism

Strength training is a high-intensity exercise that produces great force in a short period of time, and relies primarily on carbohydrates stored in the body as its main source of energy.
Exercises that strengthen the large muscles in the lower body, such as squats, efficiently increase muscle mass and directly lead to improved basal metabolic rate.

When your basal metabolic rate increases, the amount of calories you burn even when you are at rest and not exercising increases, which in the long term will change your body type to one that is less likely to gain weight and easier to lose weight.

Aerobic exercise: Burns fat for energy

Aerobic exercise uses oxygen during exercise and burns fat in the body as direct energy.
Walking and running are typical exercises that are done primarily to burn calories.

HIIT (high-intensity interval training), which has been gaining attention in recent years, is a type of aerobic exercise that can be expected to have a high fat-burning effect even in a short period of time by increasing your heart rate.

If you want to maximize fat burning, the golden rule is to do strength training first, then aerobic exercise.

The order in which you exercise is key to maximizing the effectiveness of your diet and losing body fat efficiently.

In conclusion, the most effective combination is to do strength training first, followed by aerobic exercise. By following this order, you can greatly improve the efficiency of fat burning and accelerate the speed at which you lose body fat. If you are looking for effective dieting, it is best to follow this order as a rule.

Reason 1: Muscle training releases growth hormone, making it easier to burn fat.

When you exercise, your body releases a lot of growth hormone.
This hormone promotes the breakdown of body fat and converts it into free fatty acids that can be easily used as energy.

By starting aerobic exercise while these physical changes are occurring, the broken down fat will be burned more effectively.
This is the biggest scientific reason why you should do strength training first.

Reason 2: If you do aerobic exercise first, the quality of your strength training will decrease and it will be harder to build muscle.

If you do aerobic exercise first, your body will consume glycogen, which is the main energy source for muscle training, and fatigue will accumulate.
If you try to do strength training in this condition, you will not be able to handle the same weight or repetitions as you should be able to, and the quality of your training will drop significantly.

As a result, this order is not recommended as it will affect muscle growth, i.e. muscle hypertrophy.
To perform quality sets, you should start your workout with full energy.

Does the order change for purposes other than dieting? The best combination for each purpose

If you are not doing it for the purpose of losing weight, the way you combine strength training and aerobic exercise and the priorities you should take will be different.
It is important to carry out training in parallel or simultaneously in an optimal balance to suit each goal, such as muscle hypertrophy or improving endurance.

Depending on your top priority, you will need to be flexible in adjusting the order and training structure, and it is not always the case that "strength training comes first."

If muscle growth or strength gains are your top priority, do strength training alone or on a different day.

If your primary goal is to increase muscle size (muscle hypertrophy) or purely increase muscle strength, aerobic exercise is unnecessary, or it is most effective to do it on a different day from strength training.
Doing both together on the same day can cause an "interference effect" where cardio prevents muscle growth.

To maximize your training effectiveness, a completely separate approach to each training day is recommended.

If you want to improve your endurance, do cardio first.

If your main goal is to improve your endurance, such as completing a marathon or improving your cardiovascular fitness, you should do aerobic exercise first.
By doing main training such as running when you still have plenty of stamina, you can practice at a high quality and improve your endurance efficiently.

If your goal is to maintain your health, it is best to start with aerobic exercise, prioritizing cardiopulmonary function.

Guidelines for time allocation and frequency of strength training and aerobic exercise to maximize effectiveness

For effective training, it is essential to know not only the order of exercises, but also the appropriate time allocation and frequency.
By paying attention to the amount of time you spend training each session, the amount of exercise you do each week, and the balance between strength training and aerobic exercise, you will be able to continue training without straining yourself, leading to steady results.

It's important to create a plan that fits your lifestyle.

Training time: Ideally, 30 minutes of strength training and 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise.

If you are trying to lose weight, it is recommended that you limit your training time to around one hour in total.
Specifically, the ideal schedule is to first do strength training for about 30 minutes, followed by a short interval of 5 to 10 minutes, and then do aerobic exercise for 20 to 30 minutes.

By focusing during this time, you can achieve both fat burning effects and quality of training.

Recommended frequency: 2-3 times a week without straining yourself

We recommend training two to three times per week.
Muscles are damaged by training and then undergo a process called "supercompensation" in which they repair and grow through rest and nutrition.
Therefore, it is more effective to have appropriate rest days than to do it every day.

If you do it two to three times a day, it will be easier to continue without putting too much strain on your body, and you can expect long-term results.

Things to be careful about when combining: Overdoing it can have the opposite effect

When combining strength training with aerobic exercise, it's important to keep a few things in mind.
Beginners, in particular, risk injury or adverse effects if they train continuously without knowing the correct technique.

The basis for safe and effective training is to always warm up before training, stretch afterwards, and take appropriate rest.

Don't do aerobic exercise for too long (to prevent muscle breakdown)

Doing aerobic exercise for too long in an effort to burn fat can be counterproductive.
When your body runs out of energy, it starts breaking down muscle to provide energy.
This can lead to a decrease in your basal metabolic rate.

The key to preventing muscle loss is to do aerobic exercise at the end of your training for no more than 60 minutes, avoid long periods such as two hours, and do it at a low intensity.

On days when you have muscle pain, take a rest and don't push yourself (to promote super recovery)

On days when you have severe muscle pain, it's important to take a break from training and focus on muscle recovery.
This is called "supercompensation" and is an important period in which muscle fibers repair themselves and become stronger and thicker than before.

If you continue training too hard, your body may not be able to recover fast enough, and you may end up overtraining.
Plan your rest periods by alternating training days with rest days.

Avoid training on an empty stomach

Training on an empty stomach, especially strength training, should be avoided.
When you're hungry, your body lacks energy, which means you can't exert enough force and the quality of your training suffers.

It can also lead to a loss of muscle mass, as the body is more likely to break down muscle for energy.
Before training, it is recommended to eat a light meal that is easy to digest and contains carbohydrates, such as a banana or rice ball.

Frequently asked questions about strength training and cardio

Here we answer some common questions about combining strength training and cardio.
We answer many questions, such as training menus for the gym or at home, specific schedule examples, how to use the machines, and how to combine it with other exercises like yoga.

Let's deepen our practical knowledge by also taking into consideration the views of experts such as Yoshinori Yamamoto.

Q. Can I do strength training and aerobic exercise every day?

It is not recommended to do this every day.
Rest is essential for muscle growth, and overdoing it can lead to overtraining.

Aim to do strength training 2-3 times a week, and you can increase the frequency of aerobic exercise by adjusting the intensity, but make sure your body's recovery is your top priority.

Q. Is it effective to do strength training and aerobic exercise on different days?

Yes, it is a very effective method.
Especially if your goal is muscle hypertrophy, splitting your workouts into different days will allow you to focus on each one and improve the quality.

Even if you are trying to lose weight for dieting purposes, breaking it up into smaller sessions is a good option for continuing if you can't find time to train in one session.

Q. When is the best time to drink protein after exercise?

The most effective time is within 30 to 45 minutes after training, known as the "golden time."
Protein is quickly utilized to repair muscle fibers damaged by exercise, so consuming protein during this time will promote efficient muscle recovery and growth.

My Feelings, Then and Now

When combining strength training and aerobic exercise for dieting or body building, the order and balance of these exercises will greatly affect the effectiveness.

If your goal is to burn fat, it is recommended that you do strength training first, followed by aerobic exercise, for a total of one hour per session, two to three times a week.
The best method varies depending on your goals, so it's important to plan your training around your own goals.
If you're thinking about starting training, we recommend a sports club where you can go whenever you want, regardless of the weather!
Since you can do both muscle training and aerobic exercise in the same place, it's time-efficient. Central Sports offers a one-coin trial, so be sure to give the muscle training and aerobic exercise combination introduced in this article a try!