Weight Training for Fat Loss - Best Way?

tonyt_1982

Hi all,

First post...just hoping I can garner some advice from others based on the research i've been doing online.

I believe right now I am about 30-40 lbs overweight from where I want to be. Most of this is due to junk food and excessive eating which I am working on right now as well. However outside of diet changes I also want to get back to doing weights but am not sure if it will help with my fat loss.

My main goal is to lose the weight but also look leaner. I would like to work on my obliques as well. I'm not looking to bulk up but wouldn't mind if my biceps got a bit bigger. I feel like with family life, work, etc that I have about 4-5 45 minute windows to work out.

So my questions are:
1 - Is there an efficient way to use weight training to lose fat and be leaner? (i.e. supersets, more reps, or what)
2 - I've read things like "abs are made in the kitchen". Should I be adding ab exercises to help with obliques or are they more a waste of time?
3 - Should I be doing any cardio or can I reach my goals with weight training and a better diet?

Thanks all,
Tony

jemhh

With 30-40 lbs to lose, fat loss should be your primary goal. That requires you to eat in a caloric deficit, which means ingesting fewer calories than you burn. Do that by eating less, moving more, or a combination of the two. All physical activity burns calories so do whatever exercise you enjoy, cardio or resistance or something else.

Resistance training will help you retain muscle as you lose, which makes for a better physique in the end. You'll also get stronger and can build some muscle in a moderate deficit, though it will be less than if you ate at maintenance or above. If you want to lift, pick a good established program. There's a list in the gaining weight section and I have several listed on my profile page.

Cardio is good for your heart and lungs. I'm a fan of doing both cardio and strength training.

Visible abs require muscle to show and being very lean. You can train them if you like but won't see them until you get much leaner.

trigden1991

tonyt_1982 wrote: »

So my questions are:
1 - Is there an efficient way to use weight training to lose fat and be leaner? (i.e. supersets, more reps, or what)
2 - I've read things like "abs are made in the kitchen". Should I be adding ab exercises to help with obliques or are they more a waste of time?
3 - Should I be doing any cardio or can I reach my goals with weight training and a better diet?

1- Not really but a well structured lifting program will help maintain muscle mass
2 - Direct abdominal training is not required
3 - You need to create a calorie deficit through exercise and diet. I would advise focusing on the diet aspect first.