Is it easier to first do aerobic or strength training?

You know by now that you can't stick to the treadmill or elliptical alone if you want to develop a lean, healthy body. In order to get the solid and chiseled physique, it takes some hard lifting. In reality, you do need to integrate strength training into your routine, even if you want to be a better runner. But if you're strapped for time, and you need to cram your cardio and weights into a single sweat session, what do you have to deal with first? Training in intensity, according to the new study and fitness pros. Here's the reason.

Why Weights Need Not to Wait

Researchers pinned three exercise techniques against each other in a recent study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: strength training alone, running then power, and cycling followed by strength. They found that whether they had just run or cycled, exercisers did less weight lifting reps. However doing strength training beforehand with no cardio resulted in more reps.

In my experience, I found that when they first engage in resistance training, most exercisers feel stronger'," says Robert Confessore, PhD, clinical exercise physiologist at the Summit Medical Fitness Center in Kalispell, MT. Many scientific studies also show that when performed before lifting, aerobic training can negatively affect strength development (whereas research lacks on the lifting)." This is due to the muscles' physiological changes that make you move. Before you do resistance exercises, when you use those fibers to fatigue, your shape and drive will possibly suffer.

And that can have a noticeable effect. If you want the muscle-building benefits of strength training, it's best to start with those workouts, according to Lacey Stone, a LA-based celebrity trainer. "Before your cardio workouts, it is vital that you lift because you will have the most power and the most strength to lift heavier loads, which will make you stronger in turn," she says.

When the most Cardio Matters

Both resistance training and anaerobic workouts are crucial in terms of fighting off fat. It increases your metabolic rate as you gain muscle, which helps you lose fat faster," Stone explains." And according to reports, performing both strength and cardio substantially reduces body fat more than each technique alone. So you should probably stick to the same above-mentioned formula, but keep this caveat in mind: the same study found that while fat mass and waist circumference decrease, lifting alone does not make you drop pounds when you do a combination of the two techniques or only aerobic exercise.

So you need to turn up the cardio if you want to slim down, even if that means missing any weights while you're short of time. Stone says, "Just remember this: strength training changes your shape and cardio changes your size."

If you're after better aerobic ability, Stone says there are mixed reviews on what to tackle first. And if you want to be a better runner or a better biker, it's always wise to power train. In fact, one study found that resistance exercises improved the efficiency, muscle power and economy of endurance athletes. With cross-training days scattered around, you can only need longer and more regular cardio moves (some of which are stand-alone aerobic sessions).

Seeking your success recipe

Of course, each person has different ideas about what they want to get out of their gym time, so tailor yours to your objectives. I recommend playing with the order of the two styles of training within the same workout for the recreational exerciser, then gauge the works better for you," says Confessore." If you are still unsure about what to do, Confessore recommends preparing on separate days for these two forms of workouts, so you don't have to think about one impacting the other.

The bottom line... Do what works for your body, but if you need to start with a place: tackle power, then cardio.

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Originally, this post appeared on Life by DailyBurn.