Cardio and lifting: how to do both without losing gains

Sensible cardio does not stop you building muscle or strength. Here is what the research shows and how to fit it around your lifting.

"Cardio kills gains" is one of the oldest lines in the gym. There is a grain of truth in it, but the research shows the effect is smaller and more manageable than the slogan suggests. For most lifters, some cardio is good for health, helps work capacity and can support a cut, without costing muscle or strength.

How much activity is recommended?

The World Health Organization recommends that adults do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, or an equivalent amount of vigorous activity ^[4]. At the lower end, that means at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a mix of both ^[5]. WHO also advises muscle-strengthening work for the major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week ^[5]. Most lifters already cover the strength part. The aerobic part is where many fall short.

The interference effect: what the research says

The "interference effect" is the idea that endurance training blunts the gains you would get from lifting alone. Three meta-analyses are worth knowing.

Wilson and colleagues (2012) pooled 21 studies ^[1]. Lifting alone produced slightly bigger gains in muscle size, strength and power than lifting plus cardio ^[1]. The interference depended on the type, frequency and duration of cardio: more frequent and longer sessions were linked to smaller gains, and running alongside lifting reduced muscle and strength gains while cycling did not ^[1].

Schumann and colleagues (2022) updated the picture with 43 studies ^[2]. They found that combined training did not compromise muscle growth or maximal strength compared with lifting alone ^[2]. Explosive strength, such as jumping and sprinting ability, was modestly blunted, especially when cardio and lifting were done in the same session rather than at least 3 hours apart ^[2]. In this analysis, cycling versus running, training frequency and training status did not change the results ^[2].

Sabag and colleagues (2018) looked at high-intensity interval training (HIIT) combined with lifting ^[3]. Muscle growth and upper-body strength were similar to lifting alone, but lower-body strength gains were slightly smaller ^[3]. Here cycling intervals, not running, showed a trend towards more interference, and longer rest between the two types of training looked protective ^[3].

The findings on running versus cycling disagree between reviews, so do not read too much into the mode. The more consistent messages are:

• Moderate amounts of cardio do not stop you building muscle or getting stronger ^[2].
• Lots of long, frequent cardio sessions are where interference starts to show ^[1].
• Power and lower-body strength are the qualities most at risk ^{[2, 3]}.
• Separating the sessions helps ^{[2, 3]}.

How to combine them in practice

These follow from the evidence above:

1. Separate them where you can. Do cardio on different days, or at least a few hours away from lifting. If you must do both in one session, lift first when strength is your priority.
2. Keep hard leg work and hard cardio apart. Avoid hard intervals the day before a heavy squat or deadlift session.
3. Choose low-impact modes. Cycling, rowing, incline walking and the cross-trainer are easier on the joints and legs than lots of running, which also means less soreness to recover from.
4. Build up gradually. Add cardio in small steps and watch whether your lifts and recovery hold up. If they slip, cut back on volume or intensity before cutting cardio entirely.
5. Make most of it easy. Plenty of moderate work with a little hard work is easier to recover from than frequent all-out sessions.

If you are dieting, cardio can help create the deficit, but recovery gets harder at the same time. Keep an eye on sleep and how your lifts are moving (see cutting and bulking and sleep and recovery).

Heart-rate zones, briefly

Heart-rate zones are a simple way to judge intensity. The American Heart Association describes moderate intensity as about 50 to 70% of maximum heart rate and vigorous intensity as about 70 to 85% ^[6]. Maximum heart rate is roughly estimated as 220 minus your age ^[6]. These are averages, and some medicines lower your heart rate, so treat them as a rough guide ^[6]. If you take medication that affects heart rate or have a heart condition, ask your doctor what range suits you ^[6].

A practical check for moderate intensity: you can talk but not sing. Vigorous means you can only say a few words before needing a breath.

When to stop and get help

Stop and seek medical help if you get chest pain, unusual breathlessness, dizziness or palpitations during exercise. These are not normal training discomfort. If you have a heart condition or high blood pressure, check with your doctor before starting hard interval work, and see blood pressure for lifters.

Tracking it in ETS

ETS logs cardio and runs alongside your lifting, with time in heart-rate zones, so you can see your weekly aerobic minutes next to your sets. Programmes lay out your heavy days, which makes it easier to place cardio away from them, and the weekly report and personal bests show whether your strength is holding up as you add cardio.

Sources

1. Wilson JM, Marin PJ, Rhea MR, Wilson SMC, Loenneke JP, Anderson JC. Concurrent training: a meta-analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2012. PEDro record
2. Schumann M, Feuerbacher JF, Sünkeler M, Freitag N, Rønnestad BR, Doma K, Lundberg TR. Compatibility of concurrent aerobic and strength training for skeletal muscle size and function: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 2022. JCU repository
3. Sabag A, Najafi A, Michael S, Esgin T, Halaki M, Hackett D. The compatibility of concurrent high intensity interval training and resistance training for muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 2018. Western Sydney University
4. World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour: at a glance. WHO, 2020. who.int
5. World Health Organization. Physical activity. Be healthy initiative, WHO. who.int
6. American Heart Association. Target heart rates chart. AHA. heart.org

More on recovery

Last reviewed 7 October 2026. General information, not medical advice. Found a mistake? Email [email protected].