Female weight lifters

ThineOwnselfBTrue

I've lost 50+ lbs mainly by dieting...I HATE cardio. I joined a gym yesterday because...well...I'm flabby. I want to look good at the pool, in cute clothes and overall feel good about how I look. I'm glad I lost the weight but have a ways to go still.
My questions:
1) I know muscle weighs more than fat. How does one not get discouraged if/when the scale goes up instead of down?
2) What should I be eating to encourage fat loss but increase muscle mass? I know muscle burns fat. I don't aspire to be a female body builder - I do want definition and my butt to be cute
3) Is it true I should lift one day and "rest" or not lift the next? I can handle the elipitcal

Any advice, encouragement or wisdom is appreciated.
Thanks,

JoRocka

1.) muscle does not weigh more than fat.

It is more DENSE than fat.

2.) putting on appreciable muscle requires a calorie surplus and years of work- especially as a female. You will mostly see retention of water the first few weeks- contributing to maybe 2-3 lbs. If you are seeing more than that- you are over eating.

3.) make sure you are still getting your protein- hit your macro's

4.) learn how to compound lift- starting strength, strong lifts, new rules of lifting, strong curves- all great places to start.

5.) yes-ish- it mostly depends on how heavy you are going and what you are doing
Rest is critical to muscle repair- which leads to strength gains.

6.) Educate yourself- go in with a plan- do your research- learn form- these are key- don't rush yourself- learn the form- then start getting on board with progressive loading.

hope that helps get you started- ask away if you need more input.

<edit- b/c jo can't spell>

Fullsterkur_woman

Seconded.

It's really not possible to build a ton of muscle while losing a ton of fat. I lost a few pounds of fat and gained a few pounds of muscle (about 3) between August 2013 and February 2014, lifting big several times a week with some cardio and yoga once a week each. The scale didn't really budge at all, nor did the tape measure. Whereever I got smaller because of getting denser was not where measurements are taken.

I eat 180 grams of protein a day, which is higher than most people will eat, but it works for me, clearly.

I still see the water fluctuations due to heavy lifting workouts on a weekly basis, even though I've been back to heavy lifting for over a year now. But I'm about twice (or more) as strong, so it's definitely worth it.

teamstanish

I've lost 50+ lbs mainly by dieting...I HATE cardio. I joined a gym yesterday because...well...I'm flabby. I want to look good at the pool, in cute clothes and overall feel good about how I look. I'm glad I lost the weight but have a ways to go still.
My questions:
1) I know muscle weighs more than fat. How does one not get discouraged if/when the scale goes up instead of down?
2) What should I be eating to encourage fat loss but increase muscle mass? I know muscle burns fat. I don't aspire to be a female body builder - I do want definition and my butt to be cute
3) Is it true I should lift one day and "rest" or not lift the next? I can handle the elipitcal

Any advice, encouragement or wisdom is appreciated.
Thanks,

1. Like pp said, it's not HEAVIER it's DENSER. The best thing to do is forget the scale and focus on body fat % and measurements.

2. Focus on whole foods, protein rich food, veggies, and good carbs.

3. If you are new to lifting I suggest following a program there are some great free ones at bodybuilding.com, Jamie Eason's Livefit Trainer is good for beginners. As far as the results you want, usually the 12-15 rep range is more for lean muscle when you start going below 10 reps with heavier weight you are typically focusing on muscle mass but it varies. Don't believe the lie that girls who lift are "bulk" it's just not true.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

+3 to what Jo and Full replied.

b_ray_73

Exactly what's been said, and definitely seconding the protein. I loosely aim for about 100-160g/protein a day depending on what my workout is or if it's a rest day. I don't always see the scale go down so I gauge my progress by how my pants fit and whether my lifts are going up at my goal rate. Starting Strength is definitely a good place to start.

crystalfisher89

1) You won't gain weight usually unless you are eating at a surplus... however if you are weight lifting, be ready for your weight loss to stall because you are correct- muscle weighs more than fat- replacing that fat with lean muscle will probably stall weight loss for a bit. HOWEVER, I'd take measurements and do so now. Measure calves, thighs, hips, waist, arms... anything else you'd like to and write down the date. I measure on Friday mornings and record any changes. If you are replacing fat with lean mass, you will loss inches, but may not see any loss on the scale.

2)Protein Protein and more protein. You have to eat a surplus once again to gain from eating a lot of protein. I set my macros as 40c/30p/30f I usually aim for 80-110 grams of protein a day and doing full fat stuff is still good for you. Fat is not bad as long as you do not overeat it. I use Isopure unflavored whey and mix it with orange juice or chocolate milk to drink after my workouts. I also add it in other smoothies to give it a protein kick. I stalled my weight loss, but I upped my calories from 1800 to going around from 1800 up to 2300 and sometimes even 2500 + on a cheat day after doing a killer workout that morning. Since upping my calories- it took about a month and I've not suddenly dropped 4lbs in the last few weeks. I haven't budged this week, but I've close to my goal weight so it will come off slower.

3) Yes you need to rest the day after doing weights. You're creating little microscopic tears in your muscles so they will rebuild stronger when you lift. Also don't be afraid to lift heavy- aim for 8-10 reps- and make sure you're working hard for those last few reps- that will have the best toning results. I also do a Body Pump class in which is resistance training- endurance lifting essentially. - it's good stuff, you should give it a shot if you have it. I'd aim for 2-3 days of weight lifting and the remaining days cardio. Elliptical will do just fine.

Fullsterkur_woman

Also don't be afraid to lift heavy- aim for 8-10 reps- and make sure you're working hard for those last few reps- that will have the best toning results.

I actually disagree with you a little bit here. "Toning", assuming you mean "visible muscular definition" is a function of body fat percentage, not anything you do with weights. And 8-10 reps would be in what they call "hypertrophic" range, so if you were trying to build muscle in a surplus. For me, lifting heavy usually means working in the 1-5 range (which, of course, is for maximal strength). 8+ would be more like what I'd do with warmup weights.

I'm now curious about this rep range thing. If you're eating at a deficit, would working in the hypertrophy range be like having the car in gear but not giving it any gas? Like, you maintain but can't increase because you're sending the stimulus that you need to be increasing? I don't know, because my goals are maximal strength, but I still wonder.