Should I do HIIT cardio and weights on the same day?
Robert Guerrero
Updated on March 11, 2026
In this regard, should you do HIIT before or after weights?
In order to burn fat at both an efficient and an increased rate, do your cardio routine post-weights. Going back to glycogen, when you train with weights first, you use those glycogen stores as energy, leaving them depleted.
Beside above, is it OK to run and do HIIT on the same day? When to perform a HIIT workout
Beginners should start by doing running and HIIT on different days. This allows you to keep proper form and alignment during each workout without being too exhausted. Intermediate runners can do one HIIT workout after an easier run, and the second HIIT workout on a separate day.
Also know, why is it bad to do cardio and weights in the same day?
The researchers believe that splitting the cardio and lifting into separate days likely causes an increase in overall calorie burn, leading to a greater decrease in fat mass.
Can I combine HIIT with weight training?
Yes, HIIT can be done with weights, and combining them is one of the most effective ways to maximize fat burn and improve heart health.
Related Question Answers
How much HIIT should I do after weights?
Aim to do HIIT no more than two to four times per week with at least 24-48 hours between the exercise sessions. This is because it helps replenish energy stores and repairs muscles. If you're going to exercise the day after a HIIT session, aim for low to moderate intensity and use different muscle groups or movements.Is HIIT considered cardio?
HIIT is a combination of brief, very-high intensity bursts of cardio exercise followed by equal or longer periods of rest. Think 30 seconds to a minute of sprinting, followed by a minute or two of walking or slow jogging. Other research finds that HIIT may outperform traditional cardio when it comes to fat loss.How long before you see results from HIIT?
In just one month, you should be able to see the beginnings of some stellar results. After one month or 30 days of regular HIIT workouts your endurance will improve dramatically. You'll be able to complete the workouts with much greater ease, and the extra energy will likely carry over into your regular life.Is it better to do HIIT in the morning or evening?
Exercising is mentally easierWaking up and doing a high intensity workout right away is tough, whether you're a morning type or an evening type. Working out later in the day usually results in less mental resistance to starting the workout, and makes it more likely that you will do it.
Is HIIT bad for muscle gain?
After a HIIT workout, your metabolism will be ramped up long after leaving the gym. The increase in resting metabolism not only burns fat, it also boosts hypertrophy or muscle growth. In simple terms, HIIT works to build muscle because the workout requires the body to use more of its muscle tissue to perform.Can I skip cardio and just lift weights?
And while it's true that doing steady state cardio probably will help with weight loss, experts say it's totally unnecessary if your main goal is fat loss. In fact, you can lose weight just by lifting weights. However, that doesn't mean you should never do cardio.Can you lose belly fat by just lifting weights?
Weight and Resistance TrainingWeight training is also an important component of burning off belly fat. Since muscles burn off more calories than fat does when the body is at rest, having more muscle tone can help you to burn off more fat.
How do you break up cardio and weight training?
If you are more of a cardio junkie and you want to start including weightlifting on a more regular basis, make sure, if you can, to take breaks during your cardio. So run or bike or be on the elliptical for about 10 or 15 minutes, and then take a five minute break and do some squats, do some stretching.Is it OK to do cardio in the morning and weights at night?
Cardio exercises are preferred in the morning over stern exercises like weight lifting. This is because of the way our internal body clock works. When you wake up in the morning after resting for 7-8 hours then cardio seems better as it is less strenuous as compared to weight lifting.How long should I wait between cardio and weights?
The researchers who performed this study also stated that daily training without a recovery period between sessions (or training twice a day) is not optimal for neuromuscular and aerobic improvements. So ideally, if you want to get stronger, you should separate your cardio and strength workouts by more than six hours.Is it OK to mix cardio and strength training?
Combining cardio and strength training can also complement each other, even when done on the same day. That is, studies show that strength training does not negate the gains of endurance training when done on the same day. Likewise, cardio will not negate the growth of muscles when done on the same day.Is Upper Lower split good for fat loss?
The body part split workout approachWhile split training can still benefit a fat loss program (it has its time and place, too), there simply isn't going to be quite the same caloric expenditure in a body part specific workout as there would be if you were working your entire body.
Can I alternate cardio and weight days?
You can safely do some type of cardio every day of the week, but if you are also weight training then you are better off alternating days instead of trying to do cardio and weight training on the same day. Even if your muscles are sore from weight training they will not hinder your aerobic routine.Is it OK to do cardio everyday?
There is no recommended upper limit on the amount of cardio exercise you should do on a daily or weekly basis. However, if you push yourself hard with every workout, then skipping a day or two each week to rest may help you avoid injury and burnout.Is a 20 minute HIIT workout enough to lose weight?
There's no doubt that interval training can be a time-efficient way to burn calories. Researchers have repeatedly shown that people can burn comparable amounts of calories in HIIT routines lasting, say, 20 minutes, compared to longer continuous exercise routines lasting, say, 50 minutes.Why is HIIT bad?
"Too much intensity can eventually lead to burnout and demotivation to exercise," Jay points out. If you overdo HIIT, you may find yourself dreading your workouts and ultimately skipping them, at which point you're not getting any of the health benefits of exercise.Can I alternate HIIT and cardio?
HIIT involves alternating short but intense bursts of heart-pumping exercise with longer periods of rest, or very low-level work that allows your heart rate and breathing to return to normal in time for the next round of a high-level push.Is a 20 minute HIIT workout enough?
If your workout lasts any more than 30-minutes, you're probably not working hard enough to optimize the benefits of HIIT. But if the question is, what is the optimal duration for a HIIT workout to be the most effective, I would say 20-30 minutes.Is HIIT better than cardio?
HIIT is definitely better at burning calories and helping you shed unwanted pounds. The biggest reason is the anaerobic form of exercise. It burns more calories than cardio both during and after exercising. It basically means that your body continues to burn calories hours after your high-intensity workout is over.Is 10 minute HIIT enough for lose weight?
You can get just as good a work out (maybe even better) with just 10 minutes. This does not mean it'll be easy. In fact, you'll need to work extra hard the entire 10 minutes, but it will be worth it. Studies show that short, intense workouts help boost calorie burning long after you're finished working out.Is it OK to do HIIT on an empty stomach?
Training on an empty stomach will help you lose weight via burning fat quicker and more easily. You can reach your fitness goals faster by using energy already stored in your body. If you have not put any calories in, your body will automatically resort to burning body fat.What are the disadvantages of HIIT training?
Cons of HIITIt's a highly demanding form of training and can put strain on the body if you don't have a reasonable training base behind you. If a progressive training program is not followed overuse of HIIT can lead to over training and increased injury risk.