Lifting Heavy is considered what?

SharonCMach

I want to start lifting weights to tone. Im still need to lose alot of weight. Im 161 now and want to get down to 125-121. I always thought cardio was the way to shed pounds, now being on MFP for over two weeks I know that is not the case. I hear alot about lifting heavy. Heavy Lifting is considered what? Would it be lifting a barbell with weights or the machines that have the adjustable weights? Please help...I need to lose weight and tone. Thanks

JDHINAZ

bump.

SharonCMach

Forgot to add that Im eating heathier and watching my calorie intake as well.

erinsueburns

In general when people talk about "lifting heavy" they are talking about free weights, barbells and dumbbells.

Start by reading New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women. I wouldn't necessarily follow their plan because it is overly complicated, but it gives you alot of good information. The look at Starting Strength or Strong lifts for a plan.

tartsul

lifting with free weights is WAY better, if you ask me. lifting heavy with weights rather than machines uses more muscles all at once so you get more bang for your buck. i recommend reading the book New Rules of Lifting for Women. they give you a great breakdown of the benefits of lifting free weights vs using machines. it gave me a TON of information that i am still processing and wrapping my mind around, but i am loving the lifting program they have in the book! there's a support group on here and on facebook. check it out! i got mine on amazon for like $5.

oh, and the definition of "heavy" lifting depends on the person. you need to lift what is heavy for YOU. once you gain strength, you will need in increase your weights and continue challenging yourself. but don't start out with those little 3 lb weights. that's not lifting heavy. a gallon of milk weighs more than that. :flowerforyou:

jstout365

Diet to lose weight. Exercise for health and body composition. Heavy lifting is generally lifting in the 1-5 rep range (strength). Popular starter programs are Stronglifts 5x5 and Starting Strength.

Strength training helps with body composition (ie. fat loss). Cardio helps increase calorie burn and create a larger calorie deficit. Personally I feel that both have their place, in tandem, within a weight loss plan. Strength training during weight loss will help to preserve lean muscle mass.

Now ready for all the comments about the word "tone"....GO

Iron_Lotus

lifting with free weights is WAY better, if you ask me. lifting heavy with weights rather than machines uses more muscles all at once so you get more bang for your buck. i recommend reading the book New Rules of Lifting for Women. they give you a great breakdown of the benefits of lifting free weights vs using machines. it gave me a TON of information that i am still processing and wrapping my mind around, but i am loving the lifting program they have in the book! there's a support group on here and on facebook. check it out! i got mine on amazon for like $5.

oh, and the definition of "heavy" lifting depends on the person. you need to lift what is heavy for YOU. once you gain strength, you will need in increase your weights and continue challenging yourself. but don't start out with those little 3 lb weights. that's not lifting heavy. a gallon of milk weighs more than that. :flowerforyou:

Wonderful explanation.

cwolfman13

"Lifting Heavy" is generally synonymous with "strength" training...not to be confused with hypertrophy training or muscular endurance training. "Strength" training is generally done in the 3-5 sets of 3-5 rep range with the last rep being close to or at failure. This is done with free weights and involves the big compound lifts; some heavy lifting/strength programs incorporate assistance and isolation work as well, particularly as you become a more advanced lifter and you need those assistance lifts to "assist" your primary lifts.

Lifting Heavy is also relative...it doesn't mean XXLbs...what's heavy to you may be a breeze for me...what's heavy to me is going to be a breeze for someone else. Most strength/heavy programs don't start you off heavy...they start you off very light so you can focus on form and you slowly add weight...so in a matter of months you're pushing and pulling some pretty heavy weight and doing so with proper form.

SharonCMach

So should I continue to do cardio to shed more weight and then start lifting heavy to tone? Or can I just start working on lifting heavy to lose weight and tone at the same time? Will I get faster results if I start lifting heavy? Im scared to walk into the lifting weight area at my gym, its all men. I don't know where to begin. Iv always done cardio to lose weight, this heavy lifting is all new to me. But if heavy lifting will help me get faster results and tone my body then Im all for it!!

Iron_Lotus

So should I continue to do cardio to shed more weight and then start lifting heavy to tone? Or can I just start working on lifting heavy to lose weight and tone at the same time? Will I get faster results if I start lifting heavy? Im scared to walk into the lifting weight area at my gym, its all men. I don't know where to begin. Iv always done cardio to lose weight, this heavy lifting is all new to me. But if heavy lifting will help me get faster results and tone my body then Im all for it!!

Start lifting now

SharonCMach

I did find Bodybuilding.com yesterday and started looking at that. The only thing that scares me about it is it tells you to eat more, which is the total opposite to what Iv always done when trying to lose weight.

RGv2

So should I continue to do cardio to shed more weight and then start lifting heavy to tone? Or can I just start working on lifting heavy to lose weight and tone at the same time? Will I get faster results if I start lifting heavy? Im scared to walk into the lifting weight area at my gym, its all men. I don't know where to begin. Iv always done cardio to lose weight, this heavy lifting is all new to me. But if heavy lifting will help me get faster results and tone my body then Im all for it!!

Lifting will help you maintain your muscle mass as you lose weight. If you do cardio without the weight training you can lose both muscle mass and fat, so if you're not maintaining muscle mass you'll have to work that much harder and eat that much more to put it back on.

1113cw

So should I continue to do cardio to shed more weight and then start lifting heavy to tone? Or can I just start working on lifting heavy to lose weight and tone at the same time? Will I get faster results if I start lifting heavy? Im scared to walk into the lifting weight area at my gym, its all men. I don't know where to begin. Iv always done cardio to lose weight, this heavy lifting is all new to me. But if heavy lifting will help me get faster results and tone my body then Im all for it!!

BUMP

I'm looking forward to the suggestions and information and advice to this. I'm clueless about the seemingly male weight area of my gym. No idea what to do or how to do it, LOL.

ironanimal

If you can lift it more than 8 times, it's not heavy enough.

tartsul

So should I continue to do cardio to shed more weight and then start lifting heavy to tone? Or can I just start working on lifting heavy to lose weight and tone at the same time? Will I get faster results if I start lifting heavy? Im scared to walk into the lifting weight area at my gym, its all men. I don't know where to begin. Iv always done cardio to lose weight, this heavy lifting is all new to me. But if heavy lifting will help me get faster results and tone my body then Im all for it!!

don't be scared. just do it. act like you belong there, because you DO belong there. and yes, definitely start lifting now. you will be glad you did.

as i said before, i started with The New Rules of Lifting for Women book. the first few times i went, i asked my husband to come with me to help me with form and stuff. it was really helpful! if that works for you, do that, or you could also hire a trainer for a few sessions to show you the ropes on the basic lifts. i didn't know where to start either, so i just went with what the book said to do. it was tough for me to give up cardio since i loved burning all those calories, and i put on about 6 pounds when i started the program! i was discouraged at first, but i had to learn to ignore my scale and pay attention to how i looked, felt, and how my clothes were fitting. although my weight has increased, my clothes fit me just fine and my body looks better and more lean. i think it's alright to do lifting in combination with SOME cardio, but don't kill yourself with the cardio. make sure to give yourself adequate time to rest and recover from the lifting. your muscles need time to repair after you work them.

it also helped me to watch youtube videos of the exercises in the book. i have stopped in the middle of my workout to look something up on my phone if i was feeling confused on the form as i was doing it. if you don't have good form, you won't get all the benefits of lifting and you could injure yourself.

you also have to remember that a big part of fat loss is diet. just keep making better food choices and this combined with the lifting will give you results.

Yogi_Carl

You can exercise with bodyweight only and be "lifting heavy", providing you keep the intensity of the movements up in the range where you can only do say three sets of 5 - 8. That way, you don't even need a gym or any weights.

Even if you do go down the gym and weights route, don't rule out some really good bodyweight exrciss like dips, pull-ups, chin-ups, pistol squats etc and all the easier bodyweight movements that you will do to get there.

Caged_Heat

If you can lift it more than 8 times, it's not heavy enough.

^^^ Quoted for Truth. Always be aware of this. IMHO, the last couple of reps should be difficult. If they become easy, increase the weight.

kbauman09

Check out "Lift Like a Girl" on Facebook! She has some great workouts!

erinsueburns

There is absolutely no reason not to do both cardio and lifting. And yes, it will typically give you the results you want fast, if by faster you mean more how you look than the numbers on the scale.

Yogi_Carl

If, instead of going up to the next weight, you slowed down the movement so you are intensifying the exercise would this have the same effect? That way you are cutting out any momentum which might mean you are not really lifting the weight through the full range of movement.