Reprints
A single copy of this article may be reprinted for personal, noncommercial use only.
Weightlifting: Best before or after an aerobic workout?
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weightlifting/AN01664
- With Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Dr. Edward Laskowski is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, including subspecialty certification in sports medicine, and is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He is co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and a professor at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
He has been on the staff of Mayo Clinic since 1990 and specializes in sports medicine, fitness, strength training and stability training. He works with a multidisciplinary team of physical medicine, rehabilitation and orthopedic specialists, physical therapists, and sports psychologists.
Dr. Laskowski is an elite-level skier and an avid hiker, cyclist and climber. He approaches sports medicine from the perspective of a physician and an athlete.
In 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Laskowski to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and he has received a Distinguished Service Award from the Department of Health and Human Services for his contribution to the Council.
Dr. Laskowski was a member of the medical staff of the Olympic Polyclinic at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and has provided medical coverage for the Chicago Marathon. He serves as a consulting physician to the National Hockey League Players' Association and is a featured lecturer at the American College of Sports Medicine's Team Physician Course.
Dr. Laskowski, a Cary, Ill., native, has contributed to Mayo Clinic's CD-ROM on sports, health and fitness, a website guide to self-care, and hundreds of Mayo Clinic articles and booklets in print and online. He is a contributing editor to the "Mayo Clinic Fitness for EveryBody" book, and he has presented lectures throughout the world on health, fitness and sports medicine topics. His teaching expertise has been recognized by his election to the Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame at Mayo Clinic.
"There are many myths and misconceptions about exercise and fitness in general, and also many traditions that don't stand up to scientific scrutiny," he says. "My goal is to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information on sports medicine and fitness topics in a way that you can practically incorporate into your life."
Fitness basics (5)
- Heart rate: What's normal?
- Body fat analyzers: How accurate are they?
- Exercise and illness: Work out with a cold?
- see all in Fitness basics
Stretching and flexibility (1)
- What is hot yoga?
Aerobic exercise (12)
- Kids and exercise: How much activity do they need?
- Ankle weights for fitness walkers: Good idea?
- Walking poles: Good for brisk walking?
- see all in Aerobic exercise
Strength training (9)
- Weight training: Free weights vs. machine weights
- Weightlifting belt: Do I need one?
- Strength training sets: How many for best results?
- see all in Strength training
Sports nutrition (2)
- Brominated vegetable oil: Why is BVO in my drink?
- Energy drinks: Do they really boost energy?
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Weightlifting: Best before or after an aerobic workout?
Is it better to do weightlifting before or after an aerobic workout?
Answer
from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Whether you do weightlifting before or after an aerobic workout is up to you. Research hasn't definitively shown that one way is better than another.
Consider the factors that fuel the debate about when to do weightlifting:
- Weightlifting can deplete the glycogen stores in your muscles. Glycogen stores provide you with energy for short-duration intense activity and longer duration endurance activity. If you do weightlifting first, you may find that you're too tired to complete a more intense aerobic workout.
- An aerobic workout can be a good warm-up for weightlifting. If you do your aerobic workout first, make sure that you're not too tired to lift weights with proper form, as poor weight training technique could increase the risk of injury.
The bottom line about weightlifting first or second? If you want to include both weightlifting and aerobic exercise in the same workout, experiment to find what works best for you. For instance, you could make either your aerobic workout or your weightlifting workout less intense. Or could consider doing your weightlifting and aerobic workouts on different days.
Next questionFitness ball exercises: Good for my abs?
- Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 11, 2011.
- Davis WJ, et al. Concurrent training enhances athletes' strength, muscle endurance, and other measures. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2008;22:1487.
- Drummond MJ, et al. Aerobic and resistance exercise sequence affects excess postexercise oxygen consumption. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2005;19:332.
- Williams MA, et al. Resistance exercise in individuals with and without cardiovascular disease: 2007 update. Circulation. 2007;116:572.
- Garcia Pallars J, et al. Strategies to optimize concurrent training of strength and aerobic fitness for rowing and canoeing. Sports Medicine. 2011;41:329.
Find Mayo Clinic on