Is It Fine to Lift Weights and Do No Cardio at All?
Lifting weights with no cardio is far better than doing nothing, and it covers the strength half of the UK activity guidelines very well. It does not cover the other half. The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend adults do muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week and also build up to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, across the week. A typical weights session, with long rests between sets, does not keep your heart rate up long enough to count fully towards that. The good news is that the gap is easy to close. Brisk walking, cycling to work or ten minutes on a bike after lifting gets most people there without touching their strength.
The question usually comes from people who enjoy lifting and dislike running, or who have heard that cardio “kills gains”. Both are understandable. Neither is a reason to skip it entirely.
What lifting does give you
Plenty. Regular strength training builds and maintains muscle, which matters more every decade after 30. It supports bone health, improves the way your body handles blood sugar, makes daily tasks easier and reduces the risk of falls later in life. The NHS physical activity guidelines include strength work for good reason: it is the part of the guidance that most adults miss.
Weights sessions also raise your heart rate, sometimes a lot. A hard set of squats leaves most people breathing heavily. But the effort comes in short bursts with rests of a minute or more, so the total time spent at a raised heart rate is modest.
What you miss without any cardio
- Sustained aerobic work. Continuous activity that keeps you breathing faster for ten minutes or more trains the heart and lungs in a way short sets do not.
- Recovery capacity. Lifters with better aerobic fitness often recover between sets faster, which helps longer sessions.
- Everyday stamina. Climbing Highgate Hill, carrying luggage through a station, chasing children: these use the aerobic system more than the strength system.
- A broader health picture. Aerobic fitness is a well-established marker of long-term health. Our article on how to improve VO2 max explains why it gets so much attention.
Does cardio really hurt strength gains?
For most people, no. Very large amounts of endurance training, such as marathon preparation alongside heavy lifting, can slow strength and muscle progress somewhat. A few hours a week of moderate cardio does not do that for the average adult. Our post on whether cardio kills gains goes through the trade-offs in more detail.
The bigger risk is the opposite: people avoid cardio entirely because of a worry that applies to elite athletes, not to someone training three times a week.
The smallest amount worth doing
If you love lifting and want the least disruptive way to meet the aerobic guideline, here is what I suggest to clients:
| Option | How much | Why it works for lifters |
|---|---|---|
| Brisk walking | 20 to 30 minutes, most days | No recovery cost; fits a commute |
| Bike or air bike after lifting | 10 to 15 minutes, steady | Uses the session you are already in |
| Cycling for transport | Two or three journeys a week | Counts without feeling like training |
| Short intervals | One session, 10 to 15 minutes, of vigorous effort | Vigorous minutes count double towards the guideline |
| Circuit-style weights | One session a week with short rests | Keeps heart rate raised while still lifting |
A useful rule: moderate activity means you can talk but not sing. Vigorous means you can only say a few words before needing a breath.
How I fit it into a coached week
For a busy professional training twice a week with me, a common structure is:
- Two strength sessions in the studio, each finishing with eight to twelve minutes on the air bike, sometimes steady, sometimes in short intervals.
- A daily walk of 20 to 30 minutes, which for many clients means walking part of the commute or taking calls on foot.
- One optional longer session at the weekend: a walk on the Heath, a bike ride or a swim.
That covers the guideline with very little strain on recovery. If longer, lower-intensity cardio appeals, our guide to zone 2 cardio explains how to pace it.
When weights only is a reasonable short-term choice
There are times when dropping cardio for a while makes sense: recovering from an injury that makes running painful, a short, focused strength block, or a period where your total time is so limited that two lifting sessions are all you can manage. Lifting alone is a perfectly good starting point. It just should not be the permanent plan if you can avoid it.
Safety
Check with your GP first if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, are pregnant, have been unwell recently, or are starting after a long break. Build up cardio gradually; ten minutes of easy work is a perfectly good beginning.
If you would like a plan that balances strength and cardio around your diary, details and prices for personal training in Highgate are on our training page.
Questions we get asked
Do heavy weights count as cardio?
Partly. They raise your heart rate, but the rest periods mean they do not fully replace sustained aerobic activity. Circuit-style lifting with short rests comes closer.
Is walking enough cardio for a lifter?
For many people, brisk daily walking is a very good base. Our article on whether walking is enough exercise covers where its limits are.
Should I do cardio before or after weights?
If strength is the priority, lift first and do cardio afterwards or on a separate day. A short warm-up on a bike beforehand is fine.
Can I lose fat without cardio?
Yes. Fat loss depends mainly on your overall energy balance. Cardio helps your health and adds to energy use, but it is not required to lose fat. A 1-1 coach can help you plan both.
Book with The Highgate House
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