![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/\/138a50ac-ec00-4386-baaf-0300eab37090.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFat jabs aside, losing body fat requires concerted effort. Exercise alone will not shift excess pounds \u2014 a diet and workout combination has the greatest effect \u2014 but there are ways in which we can maximise fat-burning at the gym. Tiny tweaks to exercise and fuel intake can make a small but meaningful difference over time and the latest strategy is to switch the order of your workouts to burn more fat.<\/p>\n
Personal trainers have debated for decades whether it\u2019s best to hop on the treadmill, rowing machine or cross trainer for cardio before or after lifting weights. Now a study by exercise scientists in China, published in the latest issue of the journal of Exercise Science and Fitness, provides evidence that may settle the argument for good.<\/p>\n
Dr Zhixiong Zhou, a researcher at the Capital University of Physical Education and Sports in Beijing, and his colleagues recruited 45 overweight men aged 18-30 and asked them to follow one of three approaches for 12 weeks. Two groups were given fitness trackers to monitor their daily steps and were prescribed three 60-minute workouts a week, the only difference being the order in which they completed their gym session. One group of men did the 30-minute indoor cycling part of their training session prior to the strength training \u2014 a mix of weighted bench press, deadlifts, biceps curls and squats \u2014 while the other group performed the same workout the other way around. A third control group stuck to their usual daily habits.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The cardio-before-weights group did not lose as much risky visceral fat as the weights-before-cardio group<\/p>\n
GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n
After three months, results predictably showed that all exercisers lost weight and gained some lean muscle tissue. But while the sequence of the workouts made no difference to improvements in aerobic fitness, Zhou found there were significant advantages to lifting weights first when it came to fat loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur findings suggest that resistance training optimises fat loss when conducted prior to aerobic exercise,\u201d Zhou says. \u201cThe sequence of exercise is therefore a pivotal factor in the process of fat loss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not only did the weights-first group lose more body fat overall, they also lost more of the risky visceral fat that settles around the body\u2019s major organs.<\/p>\n
\u2022 How to lose inches with the only strength workout you need<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cVisceral fat is widely regarded as the type of adipose tissue most strongly linked to cardiovascular diseases, with its excessive accumulation being strongly correlated with numerous health issues, including hypertension, atherosclerosis and heart disease,\u201d Zhou says. \u201cOur findings indicated that the reduction in visceral fat was more pronounced in the resistance training-first group, implying that resistance training first may effectively reduce visceral fat.\u201d<\/p>\n There are significant advantages to lifting weights first when it comes to fat loss<\/p>\n GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n Why this happens boils down to the way our bodies use energy when we work out. Intense exercise, such as resistance training, reduces the muscles\u2019 stores of glycogen, their primary fuel source, forcing the body to rely more heavily on fat for fuel if you then move on to cardiovascular activity.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you do cardio first, your muscles will be less depleted of glycogen unless it is a very intense session,\u201d says Jack McNamara, a senior lecturer in clinical exercise physiology at the University of East London. \u201cBut the cardio first will also induce a level of fatigue that means you are probably not able to impart maximal effort when it comes to resistance training later on.\u201d <\/p>\n To get the most out of resistance exercise, McNamara says that you want to be as fresh as possible to exert maximum power, lift the heaviest weights you can and complete the repetitions required.<\/p>\n Interestingly the weights-before-cardio group displayed other fitness advantages. Their muscular endurance and strength were better by the end of the trial. \u201cOverall, there were improvements in physical fitness when weights preceded cardio, particularly in terms of enhanced muscular and explosive strength,\u201d Zhou says. \u201cIt implies that resistance training, when performed as a warm-up prior to aerobic exercise, offers superior preparation for the body and facilitates a general enhancement in physical fitness over time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 How to lose 6lb in 8 weeks: the science of getting fit fast<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Data from the wrist-worn trackers also showed that daily step count was an average 3,500 steps compared with just 1,600 steps for the cardio-first men. \u201cThis was an interesting aside of the new study,\u201d says Tom Brownlee, associate professor in applied sport sciences at the University of Birmingham. \u201cIt suggests that maybe confidence and energy levels increased with the weights-first sequence and the increased step count would affect energy balance over 12 weeks, helping with fat loss too.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a fitness tweak that\u2019s worth trying. \u201cOur ability to burn fat is important for health,\u201d Brownlee says. \u201cBody fat is linked to a lot of chronic diseases that we are trying to avoid and anything that we can do to increase the positive benefits that come with fat loss is a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Brownlee says it is important to note that even the latest studies show that, performed in either configuration, the exercise routine had huge benefits for health. \u201cAll exercise participants lost weight and some body fat, increased strength and aerobic fitness,\u201d he says. \u201cWhat matters is that you exercise regularly and if you prefer to do it in a different sequence, it\u2019s better than not doing it at all.\u201d <\/p>\n How else might you be able to increase your body\u2019s fat-burning ability? Here the experts give their verdict on some other strategies.<\/p>\n In this and other studies, fasting negatively impacts exercise performance, motivation and enjoyment<\/p>\n GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n Does it help to exercise on an empty stomach?<\/p>\n So called exercise-fasting \u2014 working out on an empty stomach, usually before breakfast \u2014 has attracted plenty of scientific interest and many researchers have found it can help to accelerate fat-burning. One 2022 study at Nottingham Trent University showed that fasted exercise in the evening between 4pm and 8pm \u2014 a popular time for visiting the gym \u2014 helped people to burn about 70 per cent more fat than if they worked out two hours after eating. However, in this and other studies, fasting does negatively impact exercise performance, motivation and enjoyment. In the longer term that may affect your willingness to stick at it.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a flip side in that, because glucose is our preferred fuel, your ability to operate at a high intensity might be inhibited with limited energy supplies,\u201d Brownlee says. \u201cAs a consequence, your training session might not be as high quality as when you eat beforehand so you might want to avoid an intense workout or trying a Parkrun for a fast time in a fasted state.\u201d <\/p>\n![\"There](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/\/32bf2d79-f260-4c87-a3a1-446b1f039193.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"In](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/\/08a85b52-0f4d-416c-bb95-4f98923282af.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Although](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/\/9a46b5b3-9ef2-4931-8865-08e15f373099.jpg\")
<\/p>\n