Overtraining is a common yet painfully avoidable mistake many fitness enthusiasts make. You may think that the only way to overtrain is by working out daily without rest, but it can also happen within a single workout session (1).
When you’re hitting the same muscle group too hard, you’re putting yourself at risk for injury and potentially limiting your progress. That’s why it’s essential to have a well-balanced workout routine that includes strength training, cardio, and recovery exercises.
This brings us to leg day. You’re going through your leg workout, feeling the burn, and pushing past your limits, but then you see the treadmill or stationary bike calling your name. Should you hop on for a quick cardio session?
The answer is not a simple yes or no and it ultimately depends on your fitness goals and current level of training.
Should You Do Cardio on Leg Day?
It depends; how intense is your leg day routine? What cardio do you want to do on leg day? How intense will your cardio session be? Most importantly, what are your fitness goals?
Let’s contemplate some scenarios in order to better understand when it’s appropriate to do cardio on leg day:
How Intense Is Your Leg Day Routine?
Too much of anything, even a good thing, can become harmful. The same goes for a leg day and cardio combination. If your leg workout is already intense with heavy weights and compound exercises, adding more strain through cardio may not be the best idea.
However, if you’re doing a moderate or light leg day routine, incorporating some cardio at the beginning or end can be beneficial for improving endurance and burning additional calories.
What counts as intense varies for each individual. For a beginner, a simple squat session can be intense, while for an experienced weightlifter, it may not be as challenging. It’s important to listen to your body and understand its limits.
We recommend erring on the side of caution; if you’re unsure whether adding cardio to your leg day is a good idea, start with low-intensity and gradually increase as you build endurance.
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Which Cardio Do You Want to Do on Leg Day?
The type of cardio you choose for leg day can also make a difference. Low-impact exercises, such as cycling, walking, or using an elliptical machine, may be suitable for combining with leg day as they typically don’t put too much stress on your legs.
However, high-impact activities such as running, jumping rope, or the stair stepper may not be the best choice to do after an intense leg workout. These exercises require significant lower-body strength and fatigue from lifting weights can increase the risk of injury.
Remember, not all cardio is overly reliant on your lower body. Activities such as rowing, boxing, or swimming can be great alternatives for incorporating cardio on leg day without overworking your already fatigued legs.
How Intense Will Your Cardio Session Be?
The intensity of your cardio session also plays a role in deciding whether or not to do it on leg day (2). If you’re planning on going all out and pushing yourself to the limit, it’s best to save it for another day and not combine it with leg training.
However, if your cardio session will be light to moderate, it may be suitable to add to your leg day routine. Just remember not to push yourself too hard as you don’t want to compromise proper form and increase your risk of injury.
What Are Your Fitness Goals?
This is probably a huge factor when deciding whether to do cardio on leg day. If your main goal is to build muscle and increase strength, adding excessive cardio may not be in alignment with those goals. Intense cardio is catabolic, which means that it breaks down muscle tissue and can hinder muscle growth (3).
On the other hand, if your goal is fat loss or improved endurance, incorporating cardio with leg day may help you achieve these goals. You’ll get away with doing moderate to high-intensity cardio without risking muscle loss, as long as your diet and overall training plan support it.
Your fitness goals also determine whether you should do cardio before or after your leg workout. If muscle building is your priority, doing cardio after leg training may be the better option as your legs will have more energy to lift weights.
However, if improving endurance is your main goal, starting with cardio before you lift can help you push through a more challenging weightlifting session.
What Cardio Should You Do on Leg Day?
It’s best to choose low-impact, less stressful cardio exercises for leg day. Some suitable options include:
- Swimming: This is a low-impact, full-body workout that will give your legs a break from weight-bearing exercises.
- Cycling: Biking can help improve endurance and cardiovascular health without putting too much stress on your legs. You can also adjust the resistance to make it more challenging if necessary.
- Elliptical Machine: Similar to cycling, an elliptical machine provides a low-impact option to incorporate cardio on leg day.
- Rowing: Rowing works both your upper and lower body and is an excellent alternative for high-intensity cardio without relying solely on your legs.
- Boxing: This high-intensity cardio and full-body workout can help improve endurance without putting too much strain on your legs.
- Walking: If your leg day workout was particularly intense, a simple walk can be an excellent way to get some low-intensity cardio without overworking your muscles.
It’s best to avoid high-impact exercises such as running or jumping rope on leg day as they can put too much strain on your legs and increase your risk of injury.
Read more: Cardio Calisthenics: Why & How To Combine These Two Forms Of Exercise
How Much Cardio Should You Do on Leg Day?
It’s best to keep your cardio session on leg day short and moderate in intensity. Depending on your fitness goals, you should aim for 15-30 minutes of low- to moderate-intensity cardio. If you’re incorporating high-intensity interval training (HIIT), keep the sessions shorter, around 10-20 minutes, to avoid overworking your legs and risking injury.
Remember to listen to your body and adjust the intensity and duration of your cardio sessions accordingly. If you feel excessively fatigued or are experiencing pain, it’s important to take a break and rest.
Some signs that you may be doing too much cardio on leg day include:
- Feeling excessively fatigued and sore after your workout
- Difficulty completing your leg day exercises with proper form
- Constantly feeling drained and unable to recover properly between workouts
- Decreased strength and muscle mass in your legs
If you notice any of these signs, it may be time to reevaluate your cardio routine on leg day and make adjustments for a more balanced and effective workout.
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FAQs
Does cardio build muscle in the legs?
Cardio can complement your muscle-building efforts by improving overall fitness and helping with calorie burning (4). However, focusing on targeted strength training exercises will be more effective for building muscle mass in your legs.
What should you pair with leg day?
You can pair leg day with stretching and mobility exercises to help improve flexibility and prevent injury (5). Other suitable activities to combine with leg day include core work, upper-body strength training, or low-impact cardio such as rowing or swimming.
Is 20 minutes of cardio after weights enough?
20 minutes of cardio after weightlifting can be enough, depending on your goals. It’s just enough time to get benefits without overworking your muscles and risking injury. However, if fat loss is your main goal, you may want to aim for longer cardio sessions or incorporate additional cardio on non-leg days.
The Bottom Line
Whether or not you should do cardio on leg day is dependent on various factors such as the intensity of your leg day routine, type and intensity of cardio, fitness goals, and overall training plan. You should choose low-impact exercises and keep your cardio sessions short and moderate in intensity to avoid overworking your legs and compromising proper form.
Remember to listen to your body, and if you’re unsure, start with low-intensity cardio and gradually increase as you build endurance. With the correct approach, incorporating cardio on leg day can be a beneficial addition to your fitness routine.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.
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You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.
SOURCES:
- ing Syndrome (2012, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Your Ultimate Guide to Leg-Day Workouts (2020, livestrong.com)
- Anabolism vs. Catabolism: The Role They Play in Your Metabolism (2021, health.clevelandclinic.org)
- Aerobic exercise: Top 10 reasons to get physical (2023, mayoclinic.org)
- Stretching: Focus on flexibility (2023, mayoclinic.org)
