Walking into a gym for the first time can feel intimidating enough without wondering whether you’re using the equipment in the “right” order. Some people head straight for the treadmills, while others make a beeline for the weights. If you’ve searched online, you’ve probably found plenty of conflicting advice, with some experts claiming beginners should always start with cardio and others insisting that strength training is the better choice.
The truth is that there isn’t a single answer that suits everyone. The best place to begin depends on your goals, your current fitness level and, perhaps most importantly, what will help you build a routine you genuinely enjoy. Starting with an exercise programme that feels achievable is far more valuable than following someone else’s plan if it leaves you feeling overwhelmed after the first week.
If you’re comparing the two approaches more generally, our complete guide to Strength Training vs Cardio: Which Is Better for Beginners? explains how both forms of exercise contribute to a healthy fitness routine. This article focuses on where beginners should start and why the answer often has less to do with choosing sides than you might expect.
There’s No Universal Starting Point
One of the biggest misconceptions in fitness is that everyone should begin in exactly the same way.
In reality, beginners arrive with completely different experiences. Some have played sport throughout school, while others haven’t exercised regularly for years. Some feel confident using gym equipment, whereas others have never stepped inside a fitness centre before.
These differences matter because the best starting point is the one that helps you develop confidence and consistency. If your first few workouts feel manageable and enjoyable, you’re much more likely to continue exercising than if you immediately try to follow an advanced programme that leaves you exhausted or discouraged.
Instead of looking for the perfect starting exercise, focus on building a routine that you can realistically maintain. Consistency will always have a greater impact than making the “perfect” choice on your first day.
Starting With Cardio
Many beginners naturally begin with cardio because it often feels familiar. Walking, cycling, swimming, jogging or using a cross trainer usually requires less technical knowledge than learning strength exercises, making cardio feel like an accessible first step.
Regular cardiovascular exercise improves your heart and lung health, increases endurance and helps your body become more comfortable with physical activity. It can also boost your confidence because improvements are often noticeable quite quickly. Walking further without becoming out of breath or cycling for longer than you could a few weeks earlier are rewarding signs that your fitness is improving.
Cardio is also highly flexible. You don’t need expensive equipment or a gym membership to become more active. A brisk walk, a bike ride or a game of football with friends all contribute towards improving your cardiovascular fitness.
If you’ve ever wondered whether simple activities are enough to count as cardio, our guide to whether walking counts as cardio explains why one of the simplest forms of exercise can still make a meaningful difference to your health.
Starting With Strength Training
For many beginners, strength training can feel slightly more intimidating. Free weights, resistance machines and unfamiliar exercises often create the impression that you need experience before you can begin.
Fortunately, that isn’t true.
Strength training doesn’t have to start with heavy barbells or complicated lifting techniques. Bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, press-ups and planks are all forms of strength training, and they’re excellent ways to develop confidence before introducing additional resistance.
As your muscles gradually become stronger, you’ll often notice improvements in posture, balance, coordination and everyday physical tasks. Many beginners also enjoy seeing measurable progress as exercises gradually become easier or they’re able to perform more repetitions with good technique.
If you’re wondering why resistance exercise is recommended for people of all ages, our guide to whether you need strength training to be healthy explores the long-term benefits beyond simply building muscle.
Think About Your Main Goal
Rather than asking whether cardio or weights should come first, it’s often more helpful to ask yourself what you’re hoping to achieve.
If your priority is improving your endurance for running, cycling or sport, spending more time doing cardiovascular exercise is perfectly sensible. If your goal is becoming stronger, improving your posture or building muscle, strength training deserves greater attention.
Many teenagers and young adults, however, simply want to become healthier, fitter and more confident. In those situations, there’s rarely any need to choose one type of exercise while completely ignoring the other. Building a balanced routine usually provides broader benefits than focusing exclusively on a single style of training.
If weight loss is one of your goals, our guide to strength training or cardio for weight loss explains how both forms of exercise can contribute to healthy, sustainable progress.
Why Many Beginners Benefit From Doing Both
One of the biggest surprises for many people starting their fitness journey is discovering that they don’t actually have to choose between cardio and strength training. Although they’re often presented as competing approaches, they improve different aspects of your health and work extremely well together.
Strength training develops stronger muscles, supports healthy bones and improves your ability to perform everyday activities. Cardio strengthens your heart and lungs, increases endurance and helps you stay active for longer periods. When combined, they create a more balanced level of fitness than either could achieve on its own.
This doesn’t mean every workout needs to include both. It simply means that, over the course of a week, most beginners benefit from including a mixture of cardiovascular exercise and resistance training instead of relying entirely on one type of activity.
If you’re wondering how to combine both effectively, our guide to combining strength training and cardio explains how the two can work alongside each other as part of the same fitness routine.
Don’t Worry About Being Perfect
Many beginners spend so much time trying to find the “best” workout that they delay getting started altogether.
The reality is that your first exercise routine doesn’t need to be perfect. It simply needs to help you become more active than you were before. As you gain experience, you’ll naturally learn which activities you enjoy most and which areas of fitness you’d like to develop further.
Your confidence will also grow with practice. Exercises that feel unfamiliar during your first week often become second nature after a month or two of regular training. That’s why giving yourself permission to learn is such an important part of building a sustainable fitness habit.
What If You Feel Nervous About the Gym?
It’s completely normal to feel uncertain before your first few gym sessions. Many people worry that they won’t know how to use the equipment or that everyone else will be watching them.
In reality, most people are focused on their own workouts rather than paying attention to what someone else is doing. Every experienced gym member was once a beginner too, and most understand what those first few visits feel like.
If using weights feels intimidating, start with simple bodyweight exercises or resistance machines that provide more guidance. If the cardio equipment feels more comfortable, begin there while gradually introducing strength exercises as your confidence grows.
Remember, building confidence is part of your progress. The aim isn’t to impress anyone else—it’s to become a little more comfortable and capable each time you exercise.
Should You Do Cardio Before or After Weights?
Once beginners decide to include both forms of exercise, another question often follows:
Which one should I do first?
The answer depends largely on your main goal.
If improving strength or learning new lifting techniques is your priority, many people prefer to complete their strength training first while they feel fresh. If endurance is your main focus, you may decide to prioritise your cardio session instead.
The important thing is not to become so focused on finding the perfect order that you lose sight of the bigger picture. Completing both types of exercise consistently is usually far more important than which one happens first.
If you’d like a more detailed explanation, our guide to whether you should do cardio before or after strength training explores the advantages of each approach.
Your Routine Will Probably Change Over Time
The workout routine that’s right for you today may not be the one that’s right for you six months from now.
As your fitness improves, your goals often evolve as well. You might begin by walking several times a week before deciding you’d like to become stronger. Or perhaps you start lifting weights before discovering you enjoy running or cycling.
That’s completely normal.
Fitness isn’t about committing to one style of exercise forever. It’s about building a lifestyle that keeps you active, healthy and motivated as your interests change.
If you’re wondering how to adjust that balance over time, our guide to balancing strength training and cardio explains how your routine can develop alongside your goals.
Bringing Everything Together
If you’re just getting started with fitness, it’s completely understandable to wonder whether cardio or weights should come first. The fitness world often presents them as though you have to choose one side, but that’s rarely how healthy, long-term progress works.
Cardio and strength training each improve different aspects of your fitness. Cardio helps develop your heart, lungs and endurance, making everyday activities feel easier and supporting your overall health. Strength training helps build stronger muscles, supports healthy bones and improves your ability to perform physical tasks with confidence.
For most beginners, the goal isn’t finding the “perfect” starting exercise. It’s developing a routine that feels realistic, enjoyable and sustainable. Once regular physical activity becomes part of your lifestyle, adjusting the balance between cardio and strength training becomes much easier as your confidence and goals develop.
Remember that fitness isn’t about following somebody else’s programme perfectly. It’s about finding activities you enjoy, learning new skills gradually and building healthy habits that support your wellbeing for years to come.