The CDC's physical activity guidelines recommend adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week — for example, 30 minutes, five days a week — or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, alongside muscle-strengthening work covering all major muscle groups at least two days a week. Notably, the guidelines list both as separate, necessary components — not a choice between one or the other.
What cardio does that lifting doesn't
The American Heart Association echoes the same 150-minutes-a-week benchmark specifically for cardiovascular health — lowering blood pressure, improving cholesterol profiles, and reducing long-term risk of heart disease. Resistance training builds strength and muscle, but it isn't a substitute for the cardiovascular conditioning that aerobic exercise provides.
Will cardio hurt your gains?
In sensible doses, no. The concern lifters usually raise is the "interference effect" — the idea that endurance work blunts strength and hypertrophy adaptations. The effect is real at high volumes of intense endurance training, but for most people doing a normal amount of moderate cardio (the CDC's 150-minute benchmark), it isn't enough to meaningfully compete with a structured lifting program. The practical risk is usually under-recovering from doing too much of everything at once, not cardio specifically canceling out your lifts.
How to fit both into a week
Most lifters can comfortably hit the CDC's aerobic target with 2–3 moderate cardio sessions of 20–30 minutes, placed on non-lifting days or after a lifting session rather than before it, so leg strength isn't compromised for a heavy squat or deadlift day. If you're following one of our training splits, a Full Body or Upper/Lower split leaves more open days for cardio than a 5–6 day Push/Pull/Legs split — plan accordingly rather than trying to force both in on the same days every time.
The takeaway
Strength training and cardio aren't competing priorities — national guidelines treat them as two separate boxes to check every week. At moderate volumes, cardio supports recovery and cardiovascular health without meaningfully taking away from your lifting progress.