Should you run before or after strength training?

If aerobic work or fat burning is the goal, always leave running until the end of your strength training session.

We’re all familiar with the philosophical puzzle “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Ask people, and the answers split into two camps. Some say the egg came first, because chickens hatch from eggs. Others say the chicken came first, because eggs are laid by chickens. And so the debate goes. A similar divide often appears when you ask, “Which should you do first, strength training or aerobic training?” The answer depends on two main factors: your priorities and the exercises/activities you have planned for the workout.

Whatever else is in your workout, aerobic activity should always come last. Why? The order of exercise/activity types within a workout should run like this: technique (technical skills), speed and/or coordination, strength, and finally endurance. The central, and at the same time limiting, factor in developing all of the earlier abilities is the state of the central nervous system and muscle fatigue. The central nervous system tires when the body is overloaded with too much stress (heavy weights and/or maximum-speed sprints). A fatigued central nervous system, in turn, is extremely detrimental to learning and acquiring technical skills. For that reason, any exercises aimed at acquiring and refining technical skills should always come first in a workout. That way your nervous system is fresh, and you pick up coordination-heavy skills better.

Translator’s note: at the same time, this doesn’t tire us out too much for the speed training or strength training that follows.

Learning technical skills should be followed by speed development. This presents a real challenge to the central nervous system. In fact, exercises aimed at speed training, along with the optimal, correct execution of plyometric exercises/activities, shouldn’t tire the muscles themselves very much to begin with. High-intensity sprints, reaction drills and plyometric exercises should be done after technique sessions, but before heavy strength training and before prolonged aerobic activity. In the gym, the classic lifts, if they’re planned, should always come before other activities. The classic lifts demand good technique and good speed (acceleration/explosiveness).

Exercises/activities aimed purely at developing strength should follow the speed-focused exercises. Strength exercises also stress the nervous system, but on top of that the muscle component takes a serious load. Even though we know squatting is hard, the squat still doesn’t place the same demand on the nervous system as the speed and coordination exercises mentioned above.

And finally, aerobic activity, or activity aimed at developing endurance, can come last, because speed (explosiveness) or strength is very hard to develop even under slight fatigue. In addition, when endurance-type activity comes at the end of everything else, we get the bonus of depleted glycogen stores and force our body to tap into its fat stores as well.

We know we need protein to build muscle, but we need carbohydrates and fats for energy. Carbohydrates are always the preferred energy source during physical activity. Strength training done before aerobic or endurance-type training needs carbohydrates. A proper strength training session depletes the muscles of carbohydrates quite thoroughly, but not completely. The body can use the carbohydrates left over from strength training during the aerobic session that follows, combined with energy from body fat stores.

Translator’s note: remember, fats burn in the flame of carbohydrates?

All in all, it’s important that you know what the focus of your training is, and that you load it in the right volume and with the right timing. If your training plans include developing different abilities in a single workout, then as a rule aerobic activity or endurance-focused training comes at the very end.

Translator’s note: a very good article, clear and highlighting an important problem. If you were planning a workout that develops absolutely all abilities, with activities of different character and exercises relying on different energy production mechanisms, the order would be as follows:
1. General warm-up
2. Technique training
3. Plyometric jump exercises and/or interval training
4. Classic lifts (snatch, clean)
5. Strength training
6. Aerobic or endurance training

Source: oneresult.com

Translation/editing: Janar Rückenberg

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