Why lifting heavy before biking burns more fat
Effect of preceding resistance exercise on metabolism during subsequent aerobic session
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Heavy lifting before cardio didn’t reduce carb use—it just boosted fat use, meaning the body didn’t 'run out' of fuel.
Most assume pre-cardio lifting depletes glycogen to force fat burning. This study proves fat oxidation increased without any drop in carbs—suggesting a hormonal or metabolic signaling effect, not fuel depletion.
Practical Takeaways
If your goal is fat loss, do a 20-30 min heavy resistance session (90% 8-RM, 3x8) before your 20-min cardio session.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Heavy lifting before cardio didn’t reduce carb use—it just boosted fat use, meaning the body didn’t 'run out' of fuel.
Most assume pre-cardio lifting depletes glycogen to force fat burning. This study proves fat oxidation increased without any drop in carbs—suggesting a hormonal or metabolic signaling effect, not fuel depletion.
Practical Takeaways
If your goal is fat loss, do a 20-30 min heavy resistance session (90% 8-RM, 3x8) before your 20-min cardio session.
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Applied Physiology
Year
2009
Authors
Jie Kang, S. Rashti, Christopher P. Tranchina, N. Ratamess, A. Faigenbaum, J. Hoffman
Related Content
Claims (5)
After a hard weight workout, your body burns more total calories during your next cardio session than if you did light weights or no weights first.
After a tough weight session, women tend to breathe harder during their cardio workout than after an easy weight session or no weights, but men don’t show this difference as clearly.
Both men and women burn more fat after heavy weights before cardio, even though women tend to breathe harder during the cardio than men do.
Doing a tough weight workout before jogging or cycling helps your body burn more fat while you're doing the cardio.
Whether you do heavy or light weights before cycling, your body still burns the same amount of carbs during the bike ride.