From weight loss to muscle definition

julesloveland

Hi,

I've been eating clean, in calorie deficit and been doing body pump twice a week, one hour cardio and waking. I am losing lb a week and the inches are going.

I would really like to change my body shape (in as much as anyone can) and drop body fat. I would like visible muscle definition. Do I need to lift heavy weights to do that and up protein or can I get there by adding HIIT to my exercise several times a week and continue with Body Pump?

Thanks!

2011rocket3touring

Weights are always optimal as well as increased protein consumption.

ninerbuff

You cannot change your body shape. It's genetic. You can enhance what you've already got. Body Pump is a "muscle endurance" program and will help with that along with calorie burns. Muscle definition happens with low body fat percentage and you can get low to see if you're happy with how you look. But if you want to try to enhance the muscle you have, Body Pump ain't going to do that.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

julesloveland

So once I have reduced my body fat % it's worth starting to lift heavy to gain some muscle definition? What counts as 'heavy' (i.e. only able to do one rep??). Thanks!

randomtai

julesloveland wrote: »

So once I have reduced my body fat % it's worth starting to lift heavy to gain some muscle definition? What counts as 'heavy' (i.e. only able to do one rep??). Thanks!

When someone says "lift heavy", they usually mean a progressive lifting program like Stronglifts 5X5 or something similar. Google them.

chelsea7162

You can kind of change your body shape with heavy lifting. Want more curves? Heavy deadlifts and squats and maybe some weighted lunges. You'll want to still lift upper body heavy as well. Heavy = as much as you can for around 8-10 or 5 reps. I started off with the strong lifts program and now do that for all my main three lifts and a 8-10 rep range for my other weight exercises.

middlehaitch

On all the progressive compound lifting programmes one starts relatively light to learn form, then progresses to lift what is heavy for them. The weights will go up over time as you get stronger.
No shame in starting with dumbbells or fixed bars.
Look through this forum and read the stickies on top there is a lot of information.

Cheers, h.

MalcolmX1983

randomtai wrote: »

julesloveland wrote: »

So once I have reduced my body fat % it's worth starting to lift heavy to gain some muscle definition? What counts as 'heavy' (i.e. only able to do one rep??). Thanks!

When someone says "lift heavy", they usually mean a progressive lifting program like Stronglifts 5X5 or something similar. Google them.

This.

julesloveland

Great! Thank you all that's really helpful!