lift heavy to lose fat?

MisterZ33

Hey guys...just a couple of questions about lifting...

i eat at around 600-800 caloric deficit per day. i like the eliptical and generally do it every other day and burn around 450 calories. i'm doing another round of power90 on days i dont do the eliptical..

i want to include weight lifting into my routine, but dont know what exercises to do and how heavy i need to lift in order to lose fat / weight.

i have read that in order to lose weight, i need lighter weights, more reps. then i read that i need to light heavy and low reps.

im confused.

thought i would ask you guys who have used weight lifting to lose weight...how do i do it?

I want long and lean muscles. i dont want to be too bulky at the end of my goals...which is to get down to 17-20% body fat...185lbs...

Thanks

MisterZ33

bump?

vismal

Caloric deficit to lose fat. Lift heavy to maintain muscle mass while losing fat. Really any solid beginners lifting program is fine. I prefer the Ice Cream Fitness 5x5, but stronglifts is good as well as starting strength.

Iceprincessk25

Bodybuilding.com has a lot of good programs on their website also.

quellybelly

Stronglifts 5x5 advocate here but basically, what @vismal said ^

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

Iceprincessk25

I like Mike Matthews books too

http://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate-ebook/dp/B006XF5BTG/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411675328&sr=1-3&keywords=mike+matthews

_lyndseybrooke_

In order to get "bulky," you'd need to be eating at a caloric surplus. Weight training while eating at a deficit will not result in huge bulging muscles - it will keep you from losing muscle along with fat. Fat loss comes from eating at a caloric deficit, which you're already doing.

As for where to start, I'd look into programs like StrongLifts 5x5 or Starting Strength. You can start as low as just the bar for main lifts (squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press), but you eventually want to get to where the last 1-2 reps (when doing 4-6 reps per set) is very difficult, but possible. Of course, that number should steadily increase as you build strength.

Walter__

Caloric deficit to lose fat. Lift heavy to maintain muscle mass while losing fat. Really any solid beginners lifting program is fine. I prefer the Ice Cream Fitness 5x5, but stronglifts is good as well as starting strength.

^This.

And you're going to look like crap at 20% bodyfat, no offense. Aim for 15 or lower.

Arleigh7

I've been into weightlifting / body building since High School which is now 25 years ago! Best thing I've ever did was hire a trainer (actually been through several of them as my goals have changed and progressed over the years).

For a beginner a trainer can be a life saver. A good trainer will focus you on the core excercises that build a strong foundation and at the same time make sure you do the right form so you don't hurt yourself (ie. something a book or video can't do). You don't have to do every workout with a trainer and you don't have to hire them for more then say 5 to 10 lessons to start with. But a good trainer can really save you allot of time and help you avoid injuries.

Ultimately losing fat is about controlling your diet. But building muscle and being strong absolutely helps the process.

Good luck!

usmcmp

i eat at around 600-800 caloric deficit per day. i like the eliptical and generally do it every other day and burn around 450 calories. i'm doing another round of power90 on days i dont do the eliptical..

I want long and lean muscles. i dont want to be too bulky at the end of my goals...which is to get down to 17-20% body fat...185lbs...

1. You aren't eating enough.

2. If you keep eating next to nothing you'll end up destroying lean mass (including muscles).

3. You can't build long lean muscles. Your muscle length is already determined.

RoseyDgirl

He's eating 1800-1900 calories.

George_Baileys_Ghost

Caloric deficit to lose fat. Lift heavy to maintain muscle mass while losing fat. Really any solid beginners lifting program is fine. I prefer the Ice Cream Fitness 5x5, but stronglifts is good as well as starting strength.

^This

And there is no making muscles "long and lean". You can lose weight until your BF% is sufficiently low that your muscles are more visible, and then you can lift for size to make them larger, and therefore more visible.

There's no "getting bulky" unless you're specifically eating at a surplus and lifting for bulk. It doesn't happen by accident for anyone.

George_Baileys_Ghost

.

Holly_Roman_Empire

Someone once asked me how I got my long and lean muscles. My muscles look the way they do because I am genetically predisposed to look this way. I have long arms and legs.

Lift heavy while losing fat through a calorie deficit.

jennifer_417

+1 for Stronglifts

I_Will_End_You

Another vote for Stronglifts. It's a good place to start, 5 relatively basic lifts.

SonyaCele

heavy lifting isn't a weight loss activity.

benno1978

heavy lifting isn't a weight loss activity.

[img]http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140907073929/thefutureofeuropes/images/5/53/U_WOT_M8.jpg [/quote][/img]

SonyaCele

huh

jasonctyler

I'd recommend lifting heavy, and will support the Starting Strength program or SS. Stronglifts/ICF are both derived from it, but in my opinion they are kind of watered down into unnecessary additional regimen for otherwise no real improvement versus increased session length and greater risk of injury.

I personally believe you'd get the same results from the predecessor program SS versus doing ICF 5x5 first, which can be a bit much, especially for a beginner. Focus on the "Big 3" (Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Presses) and their variations. They are great core exercises to gain strength.

http://www.workout-calculator.com/2011/04/starting-strength-by-mark-rippetoe-workout-calculator/

Will help you get a program set up based on your current strength. Do this for 12 weeks. If you see marked improvement, and you will... then try something like Stronglifts or ICF 5x5 with their increased volumes.

There is also dynamic effort training, also called dynamic set training. This type of workout regimen can help you break through plateaus, get bigger, tone up, and lose weight / fat. It is not for the feint of heart though, and I'd recommend again... going with SS first. It's a great core program to increase strength that will set you up to accomplish whatever weight lifting oriented goals you have.

/two cents.

natecooper75

While I agree with the majority of respondents that you would be best served by a beginner strength program like Starting Strength, Stronglifts, or Ice Cream Fitness, I'm going to take a different angle that I don't see discussed on here very often.

If you have the time and money to potentially join a gym with a coach that can teach you Olympic lifting, you might want to give that a try. Seems like a lot of people are very averse to wanting to do beginner strength programs for whatever reason. Pursuing Olympic lifting may fit what you want do more. I have never tried it myself but it is a great sport that will give you a different way to get strong.

Like I said, this is just a different perspective that we don't see very often. I personally base my training around being more in tune with powerlifting, but there are other ways to get strong that are sometimes neglected.

Word of advice, only pursue this if you have an experienced person to teach you these lifts. They are fairly complicated and can lead to injury if you don't know what you are doing.