This study explored how concurrent training - combining resistance and cardiovascular exercise — affects physical activity, fitness, body composition, and bone density in obese young men. The results showed clear benefits across the board, with some added benefits when lifting was performed first. Read on to find out why, and whether other studies back this up.
Overview
- What did they test? The researchers recruited 45 overweight young men (body fat percentage over 25%) to take part in a 12-week training study. Participants were randomly assigned in equal numbers to one of three groups: concurrent training with resistance training first (CRE), concurrent training with endurance training first (CER), or a non-exercising control group (CON). Both training groups trained three times per week, combining resistance and endurance work in the same session. Before and after the intervention, the researchers assessed physical activity, body composition, bone density, muscular strength, and aerobic fitness.
- What did they find? Concurrent training improved physical activity levels, body composition, bone density, muscular strength, and aerobic fitness. These changes were not seen in the control group. The group that performed resistance training before endurance training also saw greater improvements than the endurance-first group in several outcomes, including maximum strength, explosive strength, moderate to vigorous physical activity, and reductions in fat mass.
- What does it mean for you? If your goal is to improve body composition along with strength and power, it may be beneficial to do resistance training before endurance work. While the program in this study wasn’t designed purely for strength or hypertrophy, the principle still applies. If strength training is your priority, placing it first in your session also helps ensure you can bring the most focus and intensity to it.
What’s The Problem?
Concurrent training — combining resistance and endurance work — has often been considered potentially detrimental for building maximal strength or hypertrophy. The old saying that “cardio kills your gains” still gets thrown around, but recent research shows this concern is largely overstated and not relevant for most people. That said, if you're aiming to avoid any interference effect entirely, or you're a high-level lifter, then separating your strength and endurance training sessions by several hours is probably the smartest approach 1.
In many real-world cases though, training sessions can't be split up. When that happens, the order of training can potentially influence your results. A strength-first approach has been shown to lead to better outcomes for strength and power, while endurance performance is largely unaffected by the sequence of training 2 3. In the study we’re reviewing today, the focus is more on how exercise order might affect individuals focused on health and physical activity outcomes, but we’ll spend some time digging into the performance and hypertrophy angle too when we get to the discussion.
So, does exercise order impact health and performance outcomes? Let’s find out.
Purpose
The authors aimed to compare how the order of resistance and endurance training within a concurrent program affected physical activity, body composition, and performance outcomes in young obese males.
Hypothesis
The authors did not state a hypothesis.
What Did They Test and How?
Participants
Forty-five young males volunteered for the study and were randomly assigned in equal numbers to one of three groups. Overall and group-specific participant characteristics are reported in Table 1.
