How much strength training to help with excessive skin?

Julbella78

I would like to work on strength training throughout my journey so that I can help eliminate some of the extra skin (I know no matter what I will have some left over). My arms are my biggest worry. I can cover my stomach but I want to wear sleeveless outfits without looking like I'm going to fly away from my "wings". Anyway, how often should I incorporate it into my workout? How much should I be lifting? Start small and then just increasing to feel the burn? Thanks in advance!!!

JackieBea

Hi there! I definitely have some experience here! My arms and legs weren't terribly large in comparison to my belly/back before I lost weight. I've gone from a size 22/24 to a size 10/12 and I didn't start strength training until after I'd lost the weight. (I think this was a mistake, so good job to you for starting now!) I had to have a tummy tuck and a back lift for the skin on my torso (although I would love to get a thigh lift and a bra-line backlift now to get the rest of the saggy skin, but as for my arms, they really don't look bad and that's due to the weights. When I got to my lowest size (size 8), they kinda looked like sticks with skin hanging on them, so I started lifting heavy to build up the muscle in the arms and give them some shape and definition - it was more a matter of filling up the skin than trying to get it to shrink back. (But also keep in mind that skin elasticity also has a lot to do with how long you've held the extra weight and how many times you've gained/lost - mine was not elastic at all because I'd been 80 - 100 lbs overweight since I was 13 and had lost and regained the weight, as well).

I've put on about 20 lbs since my lowest and I've stayed at that weight for two years, but I had to get some muscle on my body to make myself look better. As for the weight to use, you should lift heavy. If you start small, it will only serve to burn calories (and not very many at that!) and it won't fatigue the muscle enough to cause muscle growth. And you don't have to worry about getting too bulky, because you are female and don't have the testosterone levels to support that kind of growth. Just make sure you eat properly to support muscle growth. There are some great books and magazines out there to help with that. "Body for Life" is a bit extreme for me, but it has some good tips on carb/protein/fat ratios. Also, I find Oxygen magazine pretty inspiring and they have some great recipes to support muscle growth and strength. Good luck on your journey!

JackieBea

One more thing - make sure you are using the correct form when you are lifting! I say you should lift heavy, but you should only lift as heavy as you can maintain proper form! Good luck again! :-)

Julbella78

Thanks for the advice! How many reps do you do? Like 3 sets of 12 per exercise? Like you, I want to fill out the skin not become some master body builder but I should look into the amount of protein I will need to help aid in the process. Thanks!

shimacrema

Thanks for the advice! How many reps do you do? Like 3 sets of 12 per exercise? Like you, I want to fill out the skin not become some master body builder but I should look into the amount of protein I will need to help aid in the process. Thanks!

Hi Julbella78

Your reps should be between 10-12. If you can go past 12 you arent lifting heavy enough. Most importantly keep good form. Go slow so you feel every fiber in your muscle working. I recommend getting ChaLEAN Extreme. It will give you exactly what you are looking for. It will also help you with releasing excess weight while building muscle. Hope that helped.
Shima

Julbella78

Thank you so much! I'll look into it. So should I only do one set? I don't know anything.

JackieBea

Personally, I do 10 reps, then increase weight so I can only do 8, then for my last set, I make the weight high enough that I I can only get 4-6. Good luck and keep us posted!