Cardio: before or after lifting?

Goals
1

Hello! This is my first time posting here.

I’m debating if I should do cardio before or after lifting.

I previously worked with a physical therapist for nearly a year, and she recommended that I perform cardio first to get my heart rate into the “fat burning range” before we did anything else, so that’s what I’ve been doing.

I’ve just started going to the gym (along with eating less than or equal to 1200 calories per day and taking medicine), and one of my new friends wondered why I did cardio before working out.
So my question is, as a “semi-beginner,” should I warm up before lifting and then cardio afterwards? Is the format I’m employing suitable for the time being?

My overall goal is to lose weight (obviously) while toning up/building muscle.

For reference, I am a 5’2" girl with a starting weight of 215 pounds. My doctor feels I have PCOS and that I am at risk for heart disease and diabetes.

I would appreciate any feedback!

2

If you want to enhance your cardiac fitness, prioritise cardio above weightlifting. If you want to gain strength, do weights before cardio.

But, honestly, it doesn’t matter if you do both.

3

It depends on your aim and when you choose to execute it.

Personally, I perform 20 minutes of cardio at the start of my gym session. Mainly because cardio at the gym bores me and I want to get it over with. If I left it till the end, I’d probably find an excuse not to complete it and continue with extra weight workouts.

4

Each one zaps the other slightly. If you do cardio first, your lifts will suffer slightly. If you lift first, your cardio performance will decrease. However, if you are just getting started, you will do fine. Don’t overthink this. As a beginner, you can improve your strength and endurance.

There is some interference between the physical growth processes of increasing strength and endurance.

5

Light warm-up, lift, followed by moderate cardio.

I set aside 1-2 days for very modest lifting (mostly core) and then more intense cardio.

6

I’m a big believer of combining resistance training with cardio. I’m not sure what type of cardio you’re doing right now, but as a novice and at your present weight, swimming as your first line of fitness should yield the best results.

7

My trainer advised me the same thing, as my goal was to lose weight. Before I lift weights, I do 10 minutes of stairmaster to raise my heart rate. Lift weights for 40 minutes. Finish with ten minutes on the treadmill. No idea if it’s “optimal” or not. But it’s worked for me.