The Benefits of Cardio vs. Strength Training

Studies have shown the benefits of doing both cardio and strength training. One of cardio’s biggest draws is that it’s good for your heart and lungs, with research showing that people who regularly do cardio have a lower resting heart rate and good lung capacity. A workout routine that includes cardio also lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Strength training has perks, too. In addition to the obvious benefit of helping you get stronger, strength training builds lean muscle mass that can boost your metabolism. It can also limit bone loss as you age and lower your risk of developing obesity.

If you’re pressed for time, it’s understandable to want to get the most out of your workout. But Gozo says you don’t need to choose between cardio and strength training. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle-strengthening activity.

Ultimately, the right workout routine offers a mix of cardio and strength training, giving you the best of both worlds.

Gozo says it’s “absolutely” OK to do cardio every day while you’re strength training unless you’re training for a weightlifting competition or are completely fatigued from your lifting session. “The average person isn’t training hard enough to not be able to do cardio—if they want to—but it is certainly not required,” she says.

Gozo recommends getting in your strength training before your cardio workout. After that, gauge how you feel before incorporating cardio.

It’s difficult to give blanket recommendations, given that everyone is different. “I don’t ever believe in a one size fits all, but I do advocate for everyone to get at least some form of strength or resistance training at least three times a week for 20 to 30 minutes,” Gozo says. “Specifically, any sort of weight-bearing exercises that feel a level of seven or more out of 10—10 being the hardest.”

For cardio, Gozo says that “everyone should be moving more,” especially if you sit at a desk at work. “If you have a sedentary job, I recommend doing some form of cardio for an additional two or three days out of the week, in addition to your strength training,” Gozo says. “That could be as simple as a 30-minute walk outside.” However, if you want to lose weight, Gozo suggests aiming for four or five days of strength training with two or three days of cardio.

Adding both gives you a more well-rounded approach to wellness, addressing everything from metabolism to cardiovascular health. “Strength training is so you can feel strong to do all the things you need to do in life,” Gozo says. “Cardio is so that you can keep up with all the activities without feeling fatigued.”

The right workout routine is one that you’ll follow. But Gozo recommends focusing on three different strength workouts—lower-, upper-, and total body-focused—with cardio in between.

That can include upper body pulls and lower body hinges, upper body hinges and lower body squats and lunges—staggering cardio in between. Here’s a sample HIIT workout from Gozo to get you started: Try a HIIT workout with circuits that include three rounds of three exercises for 30 seconds each, like high knee runs, drop squats and lateral shuffles. For a lower body-focused workout, do three rounds of 10 to 12 reps of Romanian deadlifts, goblet squats and lateral lunges. For the upper body, aim for three rounds of 10 to 12 reps of bent rows, chest presses, and curl to overhead presses.

Finally, for total body days, do three rounds of 10 to 12 reps of dumbbell low to highs, squats to overhead presses, and plank rows.

This Nike gear can help support you during your cardio and strength-training workouts.

Words by Korin Miller