What should I do first at the gym – strength training or cardio?

I prefer to start off with a five minute warm up to get the heart rate up this can include jump rope, jumping jacks, running in place, burpees etc., then a two to five minute stretch (ideally stretching the muscles you will be using during the workout) this is also a way to get focused on the workout ahead. If your doing two to three resistance days every week with split sets (alternating lower body to upper body), then a cardio day in between, you can do just resistance on resistance days. When I say resistance I mean training with resistance devises (bands, weights, kettle bells). If your doing two to three workouts a week with no cardio days in between, then I would suggest breaking the workout into two parts, 1/2 hour resistance training, 1/2 hour cardio training, in that order. In most cases cardio training is easier than resistance training when it comes to form, and form is the most important aspect of the workout to prevent injury. If you spend the first half of your workout on a treadmill and get your heart rate up to 55% – 85% of your max, and keep it up for at least twenty minutes this will fatigue your muscles, making good form during the resistance training harder to maintain. Therefore I like to start with resistance when you have your full energy available, so form stays in tact, then finish with cardio.

And in response to the last blog. Strength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. Basically, strength training and resistance training are often used interchangeably.