Tone up now or wait until weight lost?

tinkstia73

Hiya all, just wanted some advice. I have been on this diet 4wks now and started at the gym, but just wanted to know if i should start on the toning machines now or wait until i have lost the weight or what? Dieted before but never been to the gym so its all new to me! Also any tips on toning tummy as since having children its never been the same! Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks

morganadk2_deleted

bump

Rompa_87

'Toning' is best done with weights and as soon as possible. You can do a circuit of compound bodyweight/weight exercises such as squats, rows, pushus, deadlifts, lunges, benchpress etc. in order to build lean muscle mass.

As muscle uses more energy than fat you will burn fat faster by burning muscle while losing weight than losing weight first. Also you will look much better this way as you will have definition as opposed to being 'skinny fat'

As little as 15-20 minutes of weights 2-3 times a week alongside a little cardio to burn extra calories will help you shape up and reach your goal!

clamour_kid

Yes, I would be interested to hear the replies to this one. I have a feeling it is right at the end of your weight loss, because you will find that it might halt your progress and also might get you to start putting weight back on.

PokenStick

Why wait?

Everyone should be doing some form of weight lifting, no matter where they are in their journey.

amberpaigee

I think you should definitely start toning as well as doing your cardio workouts! You are toning and defining your muscle so you will notice a difference in your body shape much more quickly! I only had 3lbs to lose and started doing body pump on top of cardio - after about a month everyone started commenting on how slim I looked and how much weight I'd lost! (Little did they know I had in fact put on 2lbs!)

In conclusion - start TONING

Amber :flowerforyou:

fit4travels

Start toning now!! Muscle burns loads more calories then fat so although the scales might not be moving as much as they would be if you weren't toning (muscle weighs more than fat) the inches will be dropping off. I've started toning now and have done a lot of research so it definitely is the best way to go!

TavistockToad

get toning! muscle burns more calories than fat, so it'll help your weight loss.

for your stomach, try doing the plank to strengthen the muscles.

CarolynB38

There are so many benefits for adding strength training into your routine. It will not hamper your progress at all. Initially you may find that you don't lose for a couple of weeks but that's just fluid around your muscles while they are getting used to the exercise. You will have lost the fat it just might not show on the scales for a couple of weeks. After a couple of weeks you will probably find that you get a sudden drop of 2 or 3 pounds (or maybe more) as the fluid goes. Having more lean muscle helps boost your calorie burning so in the long run you will lose fat more easily. The more lean muscle you have the slimmer you will look for your weight too as one pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. Go by your measurements as well as weight. If you don't see the scale moving much when you start strength training you will see those inches coming off.

Strength training can also help protect against osteoporosis, especially while losing weight.

Also, as you are losing the weight you will look better if you have some good muscle tone. You will look even more awesome if you are toned, even before you lose the weight :happy:

Hananiah

Toning the muscles will burn calories as well. The routine I follow is alternate days of weight lifting and cardio.

newbeetler

Definatly do the weights/cardio at the same time.

I try to do an hour work out twice a week.

Consists of 10 mins Crosstrainer -Warm up
30 Mins weights - Ab crunches on ball, Chest press, Bicep curl, Ab machine, lateral arm raise and pull down. + once week some work on my legs.
20 Mins cardio - Mix it up. I do 1 week bike, 1 week stepper, 1 week cross trainer.

Been doing it for 2 months and overall I have lost approx 5lbs. But my body fat percentage has come down by nearly 2%. I am also a bit naughty and eating well at work but still have 1-2 take aways a week. Yet my body fat is still falling as the lean muscle is going on. Will drop the take aways and fully diet/calorie count when I am a bit lower and need the boost to get through the plateu.

I also walk to get my lunch and back which is approx 2 miles every lunchtime. Thinking about starting running in the evenings in the next few weeks as well. On my 35th birthday in August I could not even chase my girls around the garden for 5 minutes. Now they get tired before me )

I am also chest pressing twice as much weight now as when I started and my lat pull downs have doubled as well.

I am looking a lot slimmer even though I have not actually lost anywhere near my target weight.

I also feel more confident in myself as my belly does not wobble when I walk it looks firmer.

Gigi_licious

Bump so I can YouTube all these exercises I'm clueless about.

EmBlazes

If you start weights/toning now you will be fitter and stronger and able to do more cardio for longer as you lose weight. Make sure you measure yourself as well as weigh yourself because when you do a lot of exercise there can be big changes in your body that don't necessarily show on the scales straight away.

Good luck :happy:

1horseygirl1

would a band class be as effective as weights? I am having trouble fitting it all in as I am doing the couch to 5k running plan 3times a week.

also, if doing half an hour toning class and half an hour cardio, which should be done first to maximise the fat burning?

newbeetler

Depends who you talk to as with most of these things.

The plan I am following is to do the warm up which help to burn the water.

I have been told 1st 40 minutes of cardio/exercise is water loss. So I tend to do the 10 minutes warm-up then the weights to get to the 40 minute mark.

Then while the muscles are fixing themselves and burning calories I do the cardio so that the cardio is burning the far and not the water.

Seems to be working.

so my recommendation would be tone class first. This will get you into fat burn. Then cardio to burn more fat. Then when your resting and the muscles are healing they continue to burn calories/fat.

Would be interested to hear others input though.

PokenStick

What are you talking about water loss for? That doesn't pertain to anything. Whatever water weight you lose during your workout you just gain back once you re-hydrate.

The key is burning more calories than you take in, thus your body uses fat/muscle for the extra energy needs. It doesn't burn water.

pverbarg

don't wat! you'll look and feel so much better while doing strength training while you lose! I've also found that the inches are dropping must faster than pounds - thus I can wear smaller clothes than I could at the same weight in the past!

tinkstia73

Thanks for all advice will check in later to see if i have anymore replies

Jess22542

You'll see the most weight loss if you have a good balance of cardio and strength training. Weight training will help you burn more calories throughout the day and during your workouts. Plus, it will help keep skin tight as you lose weight. Try to do 2-3 days/week of strength training. I do one day of legs, one day of arms, and one day of core (which has a little bit of everything).

fionarama

if you have never been in a gym before you are in such a GREAT place to get some really fast results from weight training. I would get a really good all round workout with all the basics (bench press/squats/deadlifts etc do 3 x 15 reps so high rep low weight to burn calories.
do weights every second day and 40 mins cardio every second day and try to work out five days a week.
www.bodybuilding.com has some great workouts and a lot of info and you can get the best programme for your age and goals.
And remember its 80% what you eat and for some reason its not just about cutting calories its about clean eating.

newbeetler

Like I say I am only going on what I have heard.

May have mis-understood and they were talking about the calories from Carbs. Something along those lines.

Basically I was told you need to get the body into a Fat Burning mode to benefit the most from your Cardio.

Whatever the effect this seems to be working for me. But the general rule of thumb as I see it is perform both Cardio and Weights and you will benefit the most.