Strength Training While Losing Weight??

FaithfuLEEfit

Do you think that it is better to strength train while trying to lose weight -OR- do you think that it is better to lose the desired amount of weight before trying to tone the body?

quiksylver296

I've heard numerous people on here say "I wish I'd started lifting sooner."

I've never heard anyone say "I wish I'd started lifting later."

sardelsa

Definitely start lifting as you lose. 100%. It will help preserve the muscle you have and improve your body composition as you get to goal.

CSARdiver

It depends on your personal goals.

At 275 all I wanted to do was lose the weight - it was my highest priority at that time.

Looking back I wished I had started with a more serious progressive resistance program, but hindsight is always 20/20.

I think it's more important to establish goals and ensure you develop habit and behaviors to meet these goals. Your priorities and goals may change over time, but once you nail down this process your potential is unlimited.

cwolfman13

FaithfuLEEfit wrote: »

Do you think that it is better to strength train while trying to lose weight -OR- do you think that it is better to lose the desired amount of weight before trying to tone the body?

When you diet you lose both muscle and fat...in the absence of resistance training you will lose a higher ratio of muscle than need be. Resistance training mitigates the loss of muscle. It's a hell of a lot easier to preserve the muscle you have than it is to build it back later.

FaithfuLEEfit

Ahh that makes sense. When I started my weight loss journey, I was doing both cardio and strength training. However, I recently watched a YouTube video in which the YouTuber stated that you should lose weight first and then strength train. I had never heard that before, so I decided to come over and ask the real pros what they thought.

kami3006

FaithfuLEEfit wrote: »

Ahh that makes sense. When I started my weight loss journey, I was doing both cardio and strength training. However, I recently watched a YouTube video in which the YouTuber stated that you should lose weight first and then strength train. I had never heard that before, so I decided to come over and ask the real pros what they thought.

Lifting while I lost weight was one of the best choices I ever made. Preserving muscle and having some curves when you're done losing is fantastic.

steveko89

quiksylver296 wrote: »

I've heard numerous people on here say "I wish I'd started lifting sooner."

I've never heard anyone say "I wish I'd started lifting later."

QFT

estherdragonbat

Here's the thing: you lose fat in a calorie deficit. You build muscle in a calorie surplus. So, I'm sure that there are people out there thinking, "Why should I strength train while losing weight? The two goals sound like they'll just cancel each other out!"

But that doesn't take two things into account.

1. With the exception of those people who are bedridden/quadriplegic/or otherwise unable to move around under their own steam, most of us HAVE built up a significant amount of muscle from having to haul our excess poundage around. I'm currently lifting a pair of 30lb dumbbells and it takes some decent effort. I've shed around 108lbs. Which means that at my heaviest, I was carrying about 3.5 30lb dumbbells with me every time I took a step. Trust me, under my flab, muscle happened.
2. Strength-training while losing weight lets you preserve more of that muscle than you would through cutting calories and cardio alone. It's a case of "if you don't use it, you lose it". And when your body realizes it's not getting the same level of calories it used to, it starts looking at 'non-essential operations' it can cut. If you're strength-training and working your muscles, your body goes, "hang on, we need those!" (Caveat: run too aggressive a deficit, and you do risk greater muscle loss, but even in a modest deficit, without strength-training, more muscle will be shed.)

As my weight has come off, I've discovered some pretty well-defined arms, legs, and shoulders. Hoping to eventually see some definition in my mid-section as I lose the last 10-15lbs or so, but thanks to my genetics, that seems to be the area that holds onto fat the longest. But when I had surgery last year and was able to sit up in recovery unaided, the nurse complimented me on my trunk muscles... so while they might be hiding under my belly fat, I know they're there!

FaithfuLEEfit

@kami3006 yes! I'm definitely looking forward to keeping some of my curves.

FaithfuLEEfit

@estherdragonbat that's exactly what the video's reasoning was. I'm so glad to hear that I can work on my muscles while losing weight. It makes wayyy more sense to strength train now as oppose to waiting and struggling to rebuild muscle after I lose weight.

StargazerB

Definitely start lifting now! I lost all my weight and I wasn't lifting (I didn't know I should), I was just doing cardio and light weight circuit training. My results were that I lost weight but I was skinny fat. Once I started lifting I saw major changes in my composition. So I'm one of those that says "I wish I would've started lifting sooner".

JBanx256

FaithfuLEEfit wrote: »

I recently watched a YouTube video in which the YouTuber stated that you should lose weight first and then strength train..

Whatever YouTuber said this, never watch anything else they post. Lifting while cutting is definitely beneficial.

Sapphire1812

Definitely start strength training as soon as you can if you're losing weight, as it most definitely will help counteract the risk of losing muscle as you lose fat.

FitFamilyGuy

FaithfuLEEfit wrote: »

Do you think that it is better to strength train while trying to lose weight -OR- do you think that it is better to lose the desired amount of weight before trying to tone the body?

Shhhhh... Don't tell anyone about my secret weapon to melt body fat.... Muscle.

Muscle is the friend of my metabolism and the enemy of my fat. Why not direct those calories to work, grow and keep muscle instead of shuttling those calories off to storage? Why would I want to melt away my body and lose my secret weapon muscle?

Ultimately the calorie deficit is what burns the fat but the muscle helps tilt the body fat percentage towards less fat and more muscle. The more muscle I grow the easier that process gets. I build myself up to get lean, I don't deprive and strip myself down.... at least at the age of 41 that is what I have learned from the past 26 years of doing just that.

Vailara

To be honest, I think that particularly in my demographic (older women), strength/resistance training is good regardless of whether you're losing, gaining or maintaining. We are naturally losing muscle as we age, and it's very difficult to gain it, so the strength training is fighting against that. I can't see a reason not to do it!

Phirrgus

Another vote for training while losing. The only thing I would add is that it's highly recommended to follow a vetted program. The great news is that there's lots to choose from, depending on what you enjoy and your goals. Here's a great thread just for that.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

Chieflrg

Regardless if you're losing, maintaining, or gaining weight it is more beneficial to train than not to period.

Train.

kjm3579

Definitely start lifting. You will tone up while losing weight.

mmapags

FitFamilyGuy wrote: »

FaithfuLEEfit wrote: »

Do you think that it is better to strength train while trying to lose weight -OR- do you think that it is better to lose the desired amount of weight before trying to tone the body?

Shhhhh... Don't tell anyone about my secret weapon to melt body fat.... Muscle.

Muscle is the friend of my metabolism and the enemy of my fat. Why not direct those calories to work, grow and keep muscle instead of shuttling those calories off to storage? Why would I want to melt away my body and lose my secret weapon muscle?

Ultimately the calorie deficit is what burns the fat but the muscle helps tilt the body fat percentage towards less fat and more muscle. The more muscle I grow the easier that process gets. I build myself up to get lean, I don't deprive and strip myself down.... at least at the age of 41 that is what I have learned from the past 26 years of doing just that.

Every lb of muscle you add burns 6 to 8 calories per day more. And let's not forget that fat is metabolically active at about 4 calories per lb. The net gain in calories burned is not exactly a game changer. There are lots of reasons to weight train but increased metabolism is not one of the best ones.

FitFamilyGuy

mmapags wrote: »

FitFamilyGuy wrote: »

FaithfuLEEfit wrote: »

Do you think that it is better to strength train while trying to lose weight -OR- do you think that it is better to lose the desired amount of weight before trying to tone the body?

Shhhhh... Don't tell anyone about my secret weapon to melt body fat.... Muscle.

Muscle is the friend of my metabolism and the enemy of my fat. Why not direct those calories to work, grow and keep muscle instead of shuttling those calories off to storage? Why would I want to melt away my body and lose my secret weapon muscle?

Ultimately the calorie deficit is what burns the fat but the muscle helps tilt the body fat percentage towards less fat and more muscle. The more muscle I grow the easier that process gets. I build myself up to get lean, I don't deprive and strip myself down.... at least at the age of 41 that is what I have learned from the past 26 years of doing just that.

Every lb of muscle you add burns 6 to 8 calories per day more. And let's not forget that fat is metabolically active at about 4 calories per lb. The net gain in calories burned is not exactly a game changer. There are lots of reasons to weight train but increased metabolism is not one of the best ones.

I am aware of this but let's not think of it in terms of "Simple Interest", let's think of it in terms of "Compound Interest":
a) Just working the muscle itself uses calories.
b) Growing the new muscle uses calories.
c) Keeping the new muscle uses calories.
d) Working the muscle floods the body with youthful anabolic hormones.
e) Having muscle helps a person feel strong, confident and capable of more activity.
f) Muscle provides shape, fills out lose skin, creates curves etc.

The "toning" everybody wants is just more muscle and less fat. Not including the "muscle" part of this equation will probably not result in that "toned" goal. I would rather have a body with an extra 30 lbs of muscle craving calories to survive than 30 lbs of body fat craving calories to survive.

In extreme cases, bodybuilders can eat 5000 calories and have very little body fat. An average joe, non drug user, 175lb middle aged man like me can eat 2700 calories and have a six pack? Why? It isn't because I am starving myself and shrinking my body to be smaller. I have to eat 2700 calories to build myself up to support my muscle or else I will shrink. I know that it is my muscle that keeps me at 175 lbs and the second I stop lifting weights I will get smaller (less muscle), softer (less muscle), I'll lose my six pack (less muscle), I'll be weaker (less muscle)... I will probably look older (less muscle) and I will probably turn 'skinny fat'. In my world, my muscle and metabolism are part of the equation to burn fat and stay lean. It is tough to argue with that kind of real world result.