Strength Training vs. Cardio: What are the Differences, and Which Should I do?

Written by: Chloe Griffiths

It doesn’t have to be one or the other

What’s Cardio?

Cardio, which is also known as aerobic exercise, involves activities that raise your heart rate for an extended period. These workouts make your heart beat faster and often leave you breathing heavier because your body is working hard to deliver oxygen to your muscles. Common forms of cardio include running, brisk walking, cycling, swimming, and rowing. Cardio is especially effective for burning calories because endurance activities require higher levels of oxygen and energy to sustain movement over a longer time period. As exercise physiologist Katie Lawton explains, this increased oxygen demand leads to greater calorie burn during the workout (Lawton, as cited in Cleveland Clinic).

What’s Strength Training?

Strength training, which is also known as anaerobic training, focuses on exercises that use resistance and weight to challenge your muscles and build strength. This can include lifting weights, using resistance bands, or performing bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, squats, and planks. During these strength training workouts, muscle fibers experience small tears. The body then repairs these tears to make the muscles stronger and more resilient. Over time, this repeated process increases muscle mass and strength. Strength training also benefits the body by increasing the body’s resting caloric burn because muscle tissue requires more energy to maintain than other types of tissue, like fat (Cleveland Clinic, 2025). This type of workout is especially beneficial for people looking to manage/lose weight as well as improve their overall metabolic health.

Which Should you do?

When comparing cardio and strength training, it isn’t really about choosing one over the other. Both forms of exercise provide important benefits, and they work best when combined in a balanced routine. Health guidelines generally recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio each week, along with two days of strength training (Cleveland Clinic, 2025). While cardio helps support heart health and calorie burn, strength training improves muscle mass, strength, and metabolism. According to Lawton, the main key takeaway is simple: both are essential for overall fitness and long-term health, and focusing on a combination of the two will help maximize the benefits of your workouts.

Which Should you do First?

Whether you do cardio before or after weights should depend on your fitness goals: if your goal is to build muscle and strength, start with weight training so your muscles have maximum energy, but if your goal is weight loss or improving endurance, beginning with cardio may be more beneficial (McPhillips, 2025).

Works Cited

Cleveland Clinic. (2025, March 12). Cardio or strength training: Which is better? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/cardio-vs-strength-training

McPhillips, K. (2025, October 31). Should you do cardio or weights first? An expert weighs in. Peloton. https://www.onepeloton.com/en-CA/blog/cardio-before-or-after-weights