Will:
I get this question all the time, but since I witness so many people getting it wrong, I feel obligated to answer it again.

Just yesterday as I finished weight lifting and began to start my cardio session, I made note of several people working very hard. There were some on the elliptical machine, and others were running on the treadmill. As soon as they finished, they went into the back of the gym and began lifting weights. This is a classic mistake.

I know what you’re thinking: Maybe these people were doing a light warmup before they started their workouts. Not a chance. They were doing hardcore cardiovascular sessions before they had a chance to lift weights. Don’t get me wrong: They were working hard, but it’s a shame they won’t get the results they deserve. Their bodies were tired before they ever started the meat and potatoes of their workout.

OK - before I answer your question, I think you need a little history lesson. Since teaching eighth-grade U.S. history is my first profession, I’ll try to make it interesting. In the mid-1970s people began to make the connection between weight loss and cardiovascular training. They started to realize that running was a great way to burn calories. The more calories they burned, the more weight they lost. Since running was the order of the day, people began to engage in it all over the United States. At about the same time, most people frowned upon weightlifting. It was considered a freak show. As high school coaches across the country put it, “It will bulk you up and slow you down.”

In the past 30 years, the opinions of weight training have come full circle. We now know weight training is extremely beneficial to athletes as well as the average person. Weight lifting is part of just about every high school and college sports program that can afford to pay for the proper equipment. Doctors often prescribe weight training to help prevent medical problems such as osteoporosis and obesity. And yes, the average person is now using it as a great way to get in shape. Weightlifting is now regarded as an essential part of any fitness program. However, some people still confuse its placement in the workout. People are still stuck in the old mind-set of cardio as king.

Now let me answer your question. If you are planning on doing your cardiovascular training and your weight training in the same workout, always do your weight training first. Your metabolism is only active during your cardiovascular workout. As soon as you step off the treadmill, your metabolism will return to normal.

Unlike cardio, lifting weights causes your body to burn fat throughout the entire day. Remember: Bigger muscles require more calories for fuel, so it only makes sense to do your weight training first while your body has the energy to fuel you through an intense workout. Do your cardiovascular training second, while your energy stores are low and ready to burn fat for fuel. By no means am I suggesting cardio is not important. However, it is much more effective if it is done after weight training.