Running vs. Gym: Which Comes First in Your Workout for Your Goals?

Is it better to run or gym first?

The optimal sequencing of running and resistance training within a single workout session largely depends on your primary fitness goals, as each approach presents distinct physiological advantages and potential trade-offs.

Understanding the Physiological Demands

To make an informed decision, it's crucial to understand the unique demands each exercise type places on your body:

• Resistance Training (Gym): This involves lifting weights or using bodyweight to build muscle strength, power, and size (hypertrophy). It primarily relies on anaerobic energy systems, utilizing glycogen stores for short, intense bursts of effort. Maximal performance requires peak neural drive and muscle fiber recruitment.
• Cardiovascular Training (Running): This involves continuous, rhythmic activity that elevates heart rate and breathing. It primarily relies on aerobic energy systems, improving cardiovascular endurance, stamina, and fat utilization. Performance is often limited by oxygen delivery and metabolic efficiency.

When these two distinct forms of exercise are combined in a single session, they can interact in ways that either enhance or hinder specific adaptations, a phenomenon often referred to as "concurrent training."

The Case for Gym First (Resistance Training Precedes Cardio)

For many fitness goals, particularly those centered around strength and muscle development, starting with resistance training offers several key advantages:

• Optimizing Strength and Power Performance: Your muscles are freshest at the beginning of your workout. Performing resistance training first ensures you have maximal energy stores (glycogen) and neurological readiness to lift heavier weights, perform more repetitions, and maintain proper form. Fatigue from prior cardiovascular exercise can compromise these factors, leading to reduced lifting volume, intensity, and potentially increased injury risk.
• Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: To stimulate muscle growth, it's essential to create sufficient mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress. Starting with resistance training allows you to achieve these stimuli more effectively, as your muscles are not pre-fatigued by endurance work.
• Enhanced Focus and Form: Heavy lifting requires significant concentration and precise technique. A mentally and physically fresh state allows for better proprioception and control, reducing the likelihood of compensatory movements and improper form.
• Prioritizing Anaerobic Systems: Resistance training heavily relies on anaerobic pathways. By performing it first, you ensure these systems are fully primed and not depleted by aerobic activity.

The Case for Running First (Cardio Precedes Resistance Training)

While often less common for strength-focused individuals, there are valid reasons to begin your workout with running:

• Primary Goal is Endurance: If your main objective is to improve your running performance, cardiovascular fitness, or prepare for an endurance event, prioritizing running makes sense. You'll be able to perform your run at your desired intensity and duration without the fatigue of prior resistance training.
• Effective Warm-up: A light to moderate intensity run can serve as an excellent general warm-up, increasing core body temperature, blood flow to muscles, and joint mobility, preparing the body for the subsequent resistance training.
• Fat Loss Considerations: Some research suggests that performing cardio in a glycogen-depleted state (e.g., after an overnight fast or after an intense resistance session) may increase fat oxidation. However, the overall impact on long-term fat loss is often debated and less significant than total calorie deficit. If the goal is to maximize the calorie burn during the cardio portion, doing it first might allow for a higher sustained effort.
• Mental Preference/Adherence: For some, getting the "hardest" or "least enjoyable" part of their workout done first can improve adherence and motivation for the rest of the session.

The Interference Effect: A Scientific Perspective

The concept of the "interference effect" describes how concurrent training (performing both cardio and resistance training) can potentially blunt adaptations to one or both types of exercise.

• Molecular Pathways: Endurance training activates the AMPK pathway, which can inhibit the mTOR pathway, crucial for muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy stimulated by resistance training. This means that prolonged or intense cardio immediately before or after resistance training could theoretically reduce gains in strength and muscle mass.
• Fatigue: Acute fatigue from one mode of exercise can impair performance in the subsequent mode. For instance, running a long distance can deplete glycogen stores and cause central nervous system fatigue, negatively impacting a heavy lifting session.
• Adaptation Specificity: The body adapts specifically to the demands placed upon it. If you constantly send mixed signals (e.g., trying to maximize both endurance and strength simultaneously in the same session), the adaptations might be compromised compared to focusing on one at a time.

It's important to note that the interference effect is most pronounced with high-intensity, high-volume concurrent training and less so with moderate intensities or when sessions are adequately separated.

Practical Recommendations for Sequencing Your Workout

The "better" choice is highly individualized. Consider these factors:

1. Identify Your Primary Fitness Goal:

   • Strength/Hypertrophy: If your main goal is to build strength or muscle mass, perform resistance training first.
   • Endurance: If your main goal is to improve your running performance or cardiovascular fitness, perform running first.
   • General Fitness/Health: If your goal is overall health and fitness without a strong emphasis on maximizing either, the order is less critical, but consider the intensity.

2. Separate Sessions When Possible: The ideal scenario to minimize the interference effect and maximize adaptations for both strength and endurance is to perform them on separate days or at least separate them by 6-8 hours on the same day. This allows the body to fully recover and for distinct molecular signaling pathways to operate without competition.

3. If Combining in One Session:

   • Intensity Matters: If you choose to run first, keep the intensity and duration moderate if resistance training is your priority. A 10-15 minute easy jog as a warm-up is fine; a 45-minute high-intensity interval run is not.
   • Recovery Between: Allow for a brief recovery period (e.g., 10-15 minutes) between the two modalities if you're transitioning from one to the other, especially if both are intense.

4. Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how you feel. If you consistently find your lifting performance suffers after running, or your runs feel sluggish after lifting, adjust your sequence or split.

The Importance of Warm-up and Cool-down

Regardless of your chosen sequence, always incorporate a proper warm-up and cool-down:

• Warm-up: Begin with 5-10 minutes of light cardiovascular activity (e.g., jogging, cycling) followed by dynamic stretches specific to the exercises you're about to perform.
• Cool-down: Conclude your workout with 5-10 minutes of low-intensity cardio followed by static stretching to improve flexibility and aid recovery.

Conclusion: Tailoring to Your Goals

There is no universally "better" answer to whether you should run or gym first. The most effective approach is one that aligns with your specific fitness objectives, respects the physiological demands of each exercise type, and is sustainable for you. For those prioritizing strength and muscle gain, lifting first is generally recommended. For endurance athletes, running first is often preferred. Understanding your goals and the science behind concurrent training empowers you to make an informed decision for your training regimen.