Weight lifting... New friends...

TattedInStilettos

Hey guys, so I just got into weight lifting to help me cut my fat because I am overweight... I'm looking for advice/tips on doing this... I would like to increase the weight of my weights as I go on but still look feminine... Make new friends along the my journey...

AnnPT77

You don't need to worry much about still looking feminine: We women don't suddenly get big muscles overnight. It's a slow process. You'll have plenty of time to monitor your progress and switch to a maintenance lifting routine when you reach the look you like.

Moreover, in order for our muscles to show, we need to be at pretty low body fat - lower than many women would prefer as a good routine body fat level. (Not all, obviously.) As women, we tend to have a bit more of an all-over-the-body thin layer of subcutaneous fat, and that smooths out the appearance of muscles, especially when not pumped from a recent workout. (Obviously, there are individual differences in fat distribution among women, too - that's just a generality.) For sure, we can have some muscle that won't show when we're still overweight: That was absolutely true for me.

You might want to take a look at this thread, see if you find it reassuring:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/977538/halp-heavy-lifting-made-me-supah-bulky/p1

That thread started a really long time ago, so it may make most sense to jump straight to the most recent page (currently page 136!) and browse backwards from there.

People other than I will be better suited to give you advice about programs. I only lift seasonally, and then kind of idiosyncratically - we have different goals, and I don't have good experience or advice about yours.

Best wishes for success!

pandoragreen21

You can feel free to add me! Progressive overload is what you’re looking for. You can follow a structured program with that built-in or you can track your progress in an app and account for progress that way.

I’ve been lifting for years now, but only recently have found my results propel forward with both progressive overload and training close to failure with 1-2 reps in reserve. This is a lot of info for someone starting out…so I encourage a structured program to help you with your goals.

slade51

I just want to add, don’t expect to drop a lot of weight by lifting alone. Diet is the main factor.

I dropped most of my weight with a combination of diet and cardio (especially outdoor biking/running). But lifting will shape up your body.

Chieflrg

AnnPT77 wrote: »

You don't need to worry much about still looking feminine: We women don't suddenly get big muscles overnight. It's a slow process.

It's a misconception that women experience hypertrophy responses at a lesser rate then men. Evidence suggests that women experience hypertrophy at the exact same rate percentage wise as men under the same conditions. Men having more muscle mass to start with is the major difference when speaking of hypertrophy and will gain more absolute size because they are generally bigger to start yet the percentage of growth rate is the same relative to the individual's size.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3173042/

Chieflrg

TattedInStilettos wrote: »

Hey guys, so I just got into weight lifting to help me cut my fat because I am overweight... I'm looking for advice/tips on doing this... I would like to increase the weight of my weights as I go on but still look feminine... Make new friends along the my journey...

Resistance training will help you maintain the muscle you have while you lose weight through a caloric deficit.
Increasing the weight as you go, is considered strength training and/or improved technique and can be had in a caloric deficit under intelligent programming and the right conditions. I would suggest something with auto regulation built in the programming which is useful in dosing the appropriate useful stress.

Looking feminine is relative to the individual's thoughts & we haven't a clue what isn't considered feminine to you as a individual. If you are losing weight, I wouldn't be concerned at all of any significant muscle gain as it will be minimum if at all.

AnnPT77

Chieflrg wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

You don't need to worry much about still looking feminine: We women don't suddenly get big muscles overnight. It's a slow process.

It's a misconception that women experience hypertrophy responses at a lesser rate then men. Evidence suggests that women experience hypertrophy at the exact same rate percentage wise as men under the same conditions. Men having more muscle mass to start with is the major difference when speaking of hypertrophy and will gain more absolute size because they are generally bigger to start yet the percentage of growth rate is the same relative to the individual's size.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3173042/

Chief, I hear what you're saying. Nowhere in there did I say it happened at a lesser rate. But it still doesn't happen overnight. OP is worried about still looking feminine. She doesn't need to worry. If at any point she thinks she's getting the appearance she wants, doesn't want to look any more muscular than that - if that ever happens - she will have time to adjust. The same would be true for a man, but men don't usually worry about that in the same way.

Chieflrg

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Chieflrg wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

You don't need to worry much about still looking feminine: We women don't suddenly get big muscles overnight. It's a slow process.

It's a misconception that women experience hypertrophy responses at a lesser rate then men. Evidence suggests that women experience hypertrophy at the exact same rate percentage wise as men under the same conditions. Men having more muscle mass to start with is the major difference when speaking of hypertrophy and will gain more absolute size because they are generally bigger to start yet the percentage of growth rate is the same relative to the individual's size.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3173042/

Chief, I hear what you're saying. Nowhere in there did I say it happened at a lesser rate. But it still doesn't happen overnight. OP is worried about still looking feminine. She doesn't need to worry. If at any point she thinks she's getting the appearance she wants, doesn't want to look any more muscular than that - if that ever happens - she will have time to adjust. The same would be true for a man, but men don't usually worry about that in the same way.

I see your point of view but you stated "We women don't get muscles overnight". This wording can alley interpretation that women respond differently then men under the same conditions. If I read "lifters don't grow muscles overnight", I hazard it would translate better for all that are exposed to this topic respectfully.

hellybelle88

Hi @TattedInStilettos I’m so glad you’re looking to increase weights lifted to cut fat instead of cutting calories.
First steps I would concentrate on your protein intake (aim for 1g per lb of body weight) and consistency of weight training first, to build as much muscle as possible. (2x a week whole body, with 2 sets of body weight per day off)

Do not weigh yourself! just notice how you feel instead. Trust me.

I’m 6 months into this process and had great results even though life is busy. Wanna be friends and do this process together?

cupcakesandproteinshakes

OP if you ever start to look not feminine, then you can just stop weight training. Or dial back the training. It’s not likely to happen though.