ML Coaching
You're standing in the gym, have little time and ask yourself: strength or endurance first? A question many people ask and to which there's no blanket answer.
What's decisive is which goal you're pursuing. Do you want to build muscle, improve your endurance or simply stay fit? In this article we look at what studies say about it, what advantages and disadvantages there are and how to structure your training optimally.
What does science say: strength or endurance first?
Several studies have looked at the question "strength or endurance first". A widely cited investigation by Sabag et al. (2018) concluded that the training order has an influence on performance development, depending on the training goal.
- Anyone who wants to build strength should do the strength session before the endurance.
- Anyone who wants to improve endurance should do the endurance training first.
The reason is simple: the session trained first benefits from a fresh, rested nervous system. If it's put at the end, the quality suffers, and with it the progress.
Strength training first: advantages and application
Anyone interested in muscle growth or strength gains should train strength first. Why?
- More performance: you can move more weight because you're not yet fatigued.
- Better technique: clean execution is easier to achieve.
- More effective stimuli: muscle failure isn't reached prematurely through a lack of energy and concentration.
It also makes sense from a hormonal point of view: strength training briefly increases testosterone levels, an important factor for muscle growth. If you train endurance first, this effect is diminished.
Endurance first: when it makes sense
There are also good reasons to put endurance training first, for example if you're training for a marathon or triathlon. You should then invest your energy in the session that corresponds to your main goal.
- Improving aerobic capacity: essential for runners or endurance athletes.
- Focus on cardiovascular fitness: anyone training for health reasons can benefit from endurance first.
- Increased calorie consumption: with a reduced focus on muscle growth, for example in diet phases.
But be careful: heavy squats right after a long run? Not a good idea. The risk of injury rises when your legs are already completely exhausted.
What happens in the body during mixed training?
Combined training of strength and endurance is called concurrent training in technical language. Studies show that an interference effect can occur here. That means: if you train both in one session, one can have a negative effect on the other, especially if you don't define a clear goal.
According to a review study by Wilson et al. (2012), endurance training that's too intense within a session reduces muscle growth, especially when it's done too long or too close to the strength training.
Recommendation: how to structure your training correctly
Here's a simple overview of how to sensibly build your training depending on your goal:
- Goal: muscle growth or strength
Strength first, endurance afterwards (light, a maximum of 20 minutes of moderate cardio) - Goal: endurance performance
Endurance first, strength afterwards (not too intense) - Goal: body fat reduction
Strength training followed by interval training (e.g. HIIT)
Ideally you separate the two sessions in time, for example strength in the morning, endurance in the evening, or even on different days. This ensures better recovery and clearer progress.
What I personally recommend
I work with many clients who have little time but want to get the maximum out of their training. For entrepreneurs, managers or busy people I clearly recommend: full-body strength sessions 2 to 3 times a week, each with a short, targeted endurance component at the end.
This ensures:
- Stable muscle mass
- Improved cardiovascular health
- Time efficiency without sacrificing progress
What's important isn't only what you train first, but that you train at all. The best order is the one you can implement permanently.
Conclusion: strength or endurance first? Your goal decides
The question "strength or endurance first" can't be answered across the board. Your goal, your training level and your recovery play a big role. If you structure your sessions wisely, you benefit from both worlds, without them getting in each other's way.
I'm Marco Laterza, personal trainer in Zurich. If you want to bring clarity into your training and plan your progress in a targeted way, I'm happy to guide you. Without gimmicks. Just results.