Overview:
- For overall fitness, it’s not either/or – do both. They train different things: cardio builds your heart, lungs and endurance; lifting builds muscle, strength and bone.
- Doing both beats doing just one – that’s backed by research, and it’s been true in my own training.
- Lean by your goal: heart & stamina → more cardio; strength & shape → more lifting; just feeling capable day-to-day → roughly even.
- Simple baseline: about 150 minutes of moderate cardio a week + strength training on 2 days.
- Me, in practice: a moderate 5K (5.01 km in 28:26) a few times a week, plus two lifting sessions.
Want the why and my real numbers? Keep reading.
Here’s a debate that never seems to die on the fitness corners of the internet: should you do less cardio and lift heavier? Or just commit to both, instead of overloading one?
The lifting crowd swears bigger muscles mean a stronger heart and better bones. The cardio crowd points to their endurance and cardiovascular health and rests their case. Both sides are convinced the other is wasting their time.
Me? I’ve stopped picking a side. I do both and I want to show you exactly what that looks like in practice, with my own numbers, not a theory I read somewhere.
My Run This Morning (The Real Data)
This isn’t hypothetical, so here’s the actual proof from my watch:
- Distance: 5.01 km
- Time: 28:26
- Average pace: 5’40” /km
- Average cadence: 178 spm
- Effort: Moderate
- Date: 4 June 2026
That’s a steady, moderate run not a race, not a crawl. The kind of effort I can hold a (breathless) conversation through. And here’s the thing a few hours either side of that run, I’ll also be lifting. That combination, not one or the other, is the whole point.
Why I Refuse to Pick a Side
When I was younger I bounced between camps a few months obsessed with running, then a phase of only lifting. Each time, something felt missing. All-cardio left me lean but weak I’d be winded-fit but couldn’t carry the shopping up three flights without my arms complaining. All-lifting left me strong but gassed strong enough to move furniture, too out of breath to enjoy a hike afterward.
Doing both fixed that gap, and the reasoning holds up beyond just my experience. The two simply do different jobs:
- A run like the one above trains my heart, lungs and endurance the stuff that keeps me from flagging halfway through a busy day.
- Lifting builds the muscle, strength and bone density that running alone never gave me and the everyday version of strength: carrying, lifting, not feeling fragile.
Neither replaces the other. Asking which is “better for overall fitness” is a bit like asking whether it’s better to have a strong heart or strong legs. Why are we choosing?
What I’ve Actually Noticed Doing Both
A few honest observations from living this way, not promises:
- My runs got better once I started lifting. Stronger legs and a more stable core made a moderate pace like my 5’40″/km feel easier to hold.
- My lifting got better once I kept running. Better conditioning meant I recovered faster between sets and wasn’t blowing up on the bigger lifts.
- The everyday stuff is where I feel it most. Stairs, long walks, lifting heavy things, long days on my feet doing both is what makes all of it feel unremarkable instead of a struggle.
I’m not claiming this is a magic formula or that my numbers are impressive. They’re just mine, and they’re honest.
If You Asked Me Where to Start
I’d Say: don’t burn energy on the “either/or” argument build a week with room for both, then tilt it toward whatever you personally care about.
- Mostly want a healthy heart and stamina? Lean toward runs like mine, but keep two lifting days in.
- Mostly want strength and shape? Lean toward lifting, keep a couple of easy runs for your heart and recovery.
- Just want to feel good and capable day to day? Roughly even is the sweet spot which is more or less where I’ve landed.
The widely recommended baseline backs this up too: aim for something like 150 minutes of moderate cardio a week plus strength work on two days. My moderate 5K a few times a week plus a couple of lifting sessions lands right in that zone without taking over my life.
The Honest Bottom Line
The “weightlifting vs cardio” framing was always a bit of a trap. For overall fitness the kind that shows up in real life, not just in the mirror the answer for me has been both, consistently, for years. My run data this morning is just one half of that week. The other half is under a barbell.
So if you’re stuck choosing: Don’t. Pick the balance that fits your goals, stay consistent, and let the two cover each other’s blind spots.
This reflects my own experience and general fitness principles it isn't medical or personal-training advice. If you're new to exercise, returning from injury, or managing a health condition, check with a qualified professional before diving in.
