ST and Cardio: Which Should Be First?

Bold statement.  Want to back that up with any kind of why?

I would do the ST first then the cardio to make sure I'm lifting with proper form especially if I'm progressively increasing weight every two to three weeks.  Doing cardio while tired may/will hurt your form. 

Doing ST while tired could = strains, tears, broken bones if you have poor form with too much weight.  Drop the weight that you're lifting on yourself in an awkward manner etc.  I think t's more of a risk to do ST, even with basic lifts while tired than to do cardio while tired. 

I think you're making assumptions about the type of ST program that is being done.  Plus, if there is the type of risk you describe associated with a lift, then you need a spotter.  Lastly, if you haven't established good technique with light weights, you shouldn't be lifting heavy.

I get this question a lot from clients.  My answer varies depending on their goals.  Generally speaking, do the one with the higher priority for you first.  For an endurance athlete such as a runner or triathlete, I usually advise cardio first.  For a client trying to get stronger or gain size, it's only a very short general warm up on a piece of cardio equipment before starting the ST session.

Totally agree here.  If you're the type of person that is going to prioritize cardio over ST than you probably shouldn't be lifting heavy enough to hurt yourself.  If you do have the random workout that fits the description then flip it for the day.

This may seem contradictory but I generally agree with the two of you.  Trimybest, you're correct about the assumptions.My answer was based on the assumption that the person may not have proper technique for the lifts and may or may not have someone spotting them that knows what they're doing as well (In which case I should've suggested getting a PT)Since you have credible PT certs, most people at the gym don't know what they're doing.  I know that I cringe every time I watch someone use a kettlebell incorrectly, or uses poor technique with too much weight for curls, squats, etc. 

Also for some reason I had freak accidents in mind while I was posting.  For example, a gentleman about 10 years ago that blew out his gi tract while trying to break his 1rm for squats.  An nfl running back that crushed his trachea while doing bench presses etc and shouldn't have taken those into account. 

Thanks for pointing out that I had made assumptions  

There is a simple answer to your question.  Before ST do a light 10 min. warm up on the treadmill and save your energy for ST.  ST is about hitting it hard getting stronger…Duh!.   I’m sure you have full schedule of endurance training, so there is no sense in comprising your ST training for the sake of 20 more intense minutes on the treadmill.  Save that fuel for the iron!

ST is not always about getting stronger.  It could be about aesthetics, it could be about losing weight, it could be about muscular endurance, or injury avoidance, or bone density issues, etc.  You're missing the point here.  For the most part ST in a traditional sense does not have a ton of carry over to s/b/r so if you are crunched for time than prioritizing is needed.  20 intense treadmill minutes 3 times a week could make a bigger impact on your race performance than extra weight on a squat set.

You've just described all the benefits of ST, which also includes strength.  Nobody calls it "bone density training" or "aesthetics training" for a reason.  If the OP wants ST that will have a bigger impact on s/b/r, with a similar energy expenditure of the 30 mins. of intense treadmill, he can simply lower the rest time between sets and maybe lower the weights/resistance a little.   Thats all I'm sayin...too many complicated anwsers for a simple question.  I was simply stating imo intense cardio should be done after ST.   Cardio before ST should be a short warmup. That has been my personal experience and has been recommended to me many times. Just my opinion. 

If you're saying that 30 minutes of ST at low weight/high rep/short rest interval of the same muscles that are used for s/b/r will get better results than 30 minutes of intense running, then the bolded part is incorrect.  The specificity principle is king when it comes to athletic training.  You cannot replace 30 minutes of running with 30 minutes of traditional ST and expect to run better than if you had stuck with the ST.  (For the sake of this discussion, I'm ignoring special situations such as injury rehab or muscle imbalance corrections, and am only referring to the concept that traditional ST can provide physiological adaptations to running muscles better than running will)

The benefits are the reason people do ST, not what it's called, and everyone focuses on different benefits.  Different training regimens provide those benefits in different ratios.  That's why the person's goals are what will determine which is done first, and the answer is still that it depends on the OP's primary goals.  Do whichever is the higher priority first to ensure it's a high quality workout.  There is never only 1 answer to these sorts of questions.

You've probably been told to do ST first, because you were talking to people who's highest priority is ST, not racing fast.

I'm with most of the guys here, it all depends on your goal.  As a power lifter I would do my cardio after, but do a short (real short) warmup cardio before.  Why?  Because doing cardio before strength training burns some, if not all of the glycogen stores you will need to lift (depending on duration).  My goal was to lift very heavy weight in good form so I needed as much of that glycogen as possible. 

NOW, that my emphasis is endurance, I have switched to doing cardio before my lifting.  Usually I will go swim before I lift, do my lifts with moderate to light weight in the 6 - 10 rep range, and then do some more running or biking on the machines.  I can definitely tell some of my muscle mass has left me, along with some of the related strength.  But that is not a bad thing, since my goals are now increasing my disances.  Lifting has become anciliary.  Yes, I have converted.

lol

It's funny that depending on what circles of athletes you're running in this phrase has drastically different meanings.