When to start strength training?

Meloonie
Meloonie Posts: 144 Member
edited November 11 in Fitness and Exercise
I really would like some advice on this subject as I have searched the forums and cant find anything that is similar enough for me to take some tips from. So I hope I don't annoy too many people by asking questions that have been asked hundreds of times before, and if I am I apologise!

I have been losing weight over the last 3 years with a slimming club that does not actively encourage exercise, so I didn't do any up until November last year. I started by doing Zumba on the Wii for 15 mins 3 times a week and now workout for 1 hour to an hour and a half everyday, alternating between Zumba and a workout dvd which incorporates some weights too. I still have about 45lbs (ish) to go until I reach my goal and so I am experiencing that 'loose' feeling - I suppose you could call it wobbly?

Basically I would like everything to ne a little firmer! So how do I go about doing this? I see so much on the forums about strength training etc and to be honest I don't really understand it. Would I be better off joining a gym? Or is there stuff I can do at home to tighten up? or should I do both?

I really have absolutely no clue about this and would honestly appreciate some good advice. I also dont have much of and understanding about all the strength training/calorie defecit stuff so if anyone could explain this in simple terms I would be very grateful!

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • Meloonie
    Meloonie Posts: 144 Member
    By the way, I am now following a low gi diet and no longer attend the slimming club.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    If you are serious about lifting you should join a gym, not only will you be more motivated by others around you but you can do new exercises you see online or in a book and not need to buy additional equipment. Once you start lifting you will find that you will go up in weight really quickly, so the 15lb dumbbells you bought will no longer cut it for you after about 3 wks.

    You could pay a personal trainer from the gym to set up a program for you and show you the routine one time so you are familiar with the exercises.

    You could buy the book " Lift like man", weight lifting for women

    or you could go to bodybuilding.com and look at some of the routines other women are doing.
  • Meloonie
    Meloonie Posts: 144 Member
    This is why I'm confused though, I have lost about 5 and a half stone (77lbs) and need to get to my healthy weight which would be about another 45lbs off. So do I lose more weight and then try and tone up? Do I need to try and lose weight and tone at the same time? and if so, how do I get the balance right?
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
    You could buy the book " Lift like man", weight lifting for women

    I think you mean the book "The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess"

    That is a GREAT place to start!

    Don't wait. Start lifting now!! You can still lose weight and lift. Eat at a calorie deficit, consume adequate protein and lift heavy.

    By not incorporating weight training into your routine now, you are going to lose lean body mass along with the fat. Yes, you can still reach your goal weight, but you're going to end up with basically a smaller version of your fat self.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    This is why I'm confused though, I have lost about 5 and a half stone (77lbs) and need to get to my healthy weight which would be about another 45lbs off. So do I lose more weight and then try and tone up? Do I need to try and lose weight and tone at the same time? and if so, how do I get the balance right?

    As we diet we lose both fat and muscle. Loosing muscle is what produces the loose "skinny-fat" look, so we want to limit this as much as possible. Strength training and adequate protein intake minimizes muscle loss.

    Ditto the suggestion of New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women.
  • chattipatty2
    chattipatty2 Posts: 376 Member
    bump to follow

    I ditto this girl. "No crunches until you lose your belly fat" is what Im hearing around here. Im so confused. I do the eliptical 5-6 days per week and need to incorporate some other stuff, but dont know where to start. So, I joined ZUMBA, starts next week. But to go over to the "other side" where the free weights are would be to set me in a foreign country, with only a small bag (of knowledge).

    So, again, Ill bump to follow
    Patty
  • Meloonie
    Meloonie Posts: 144 Member
    What is meant by calorie defecit? I eat my minimum as advised by MFP, and exercise adds more calories that I could consume and usually dont consume them, or if I do I dont use all of them. Is that right? and how do I know what the right amount of protein is?
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    bump to follow

    I ditto this girl. "No crunches until you lose your belly fat" is what Im hearing around here. Im so confused. I do the eliptical 5-6 days per week and need to incorporate some other stuff, but dont know where to start. So, I joined ZUMBA, starts next week. But to go over to the "other side" where the free weights are would be to set me in a foreign country, with only a small bag (of knowledge).

    So, again, Ill bump to follow
    Patty

    I have plenty of belly fat and I don't regret a single crunch I've ever done. Core strength is so essential for all activities, not just for exercise. My opinion is, it's not healthy to be weak. Personally, I started with a boot camp class, now I do boot camp/circuit training type DVDs (that use light weights), with the long-term plan of hitting the weight room at the gym.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    MFP is designed for you to eat your exercise calories. You are "supposed" to.

    There is nothing "wrong" with crunches at any weight except maybe being a waist of time. If you are far from your goal, you aren't going to see those ab muscle for a long time. If you are doing the big lifts like squats, deadlifts, etc you are working your core then. They don't need extra isolation. I haven't done an ab workout in months.
  • Quickster34
    Quickster34 Posts: 209 Member
    MFP automatically sets you at a defiict depending on how much weight you want to loose so the calorie number they give you already has a deficit in there, and as for protein it varies by your goals, a good rule is 1g/ lb of goal weight, this ranges however from person to person
  • Quickster34
    Quickster34 Posts: 209 Member
    bump to follow

    I ditto this girl. "No crunches until you lose your belly fat" is what Im hearing around here. Im so confused. I do the eliptical 5-6 days per week and need to incorporate some other stuff, but dont know where to start. So, I joined ZUMBA, starts next week. But to go over to the "other side" where the free weights are would be to set me in a foreign country, with only a small bag (of knowledge).

    So, again, Ill bump to follow
    Patty

    I have plenty of belly fat and I don't regret a single crunch I've ever done. Core strength is so essential for all activities, not just for exercise. My opinion is, it's not healthy to be weak. Personally, I started with a boot camp class, now I do boot camp/circuit training type DVDs (that use light weights), with the long-term plan of hitting the weight room at the gym.

    Thank you, finally someone that makes sense about abs, crunches or any core work for that matter is never wasted, just because people can't see their abs doesnt mean they dont need core strength.. no you cant spot train and and burn fat but it doesnt mean you can strengthen the muscles that are there.
  • chattipatty2
    chattipatty2 Posts: 376 Member
    MFP is designed for you to eat your exercise calories. You are "supposed" to.

    There is nothing "wrong" with crunches at any weight except maybe being a waist of time. If you are far from your goal, you aren't going to see those ab muscle for a long time. If you are doing the big lifts like squats, deadlifts, etc you are working your core then. They don't need extra isolation. I haven't done an ab workout in months.

    what are dead lifts?
  • chattipatty2
    chattipatty2 Posts: 376 Member
    What is meant by calorie defecit? I eat my minimum as advised by MFP, and exercise adds more calories that I could consume and usually dont consume them, or if I do I dont use all of them. Is that right? and how do I know what the right amount of protein is?

    ^^this is what ive been doing. But, there are so many opinions on eating back your exercise cals.
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
    What is meant by calorie defecit? I eat my minimum as advised by MFP, and exercise adds more calories that I could consume and usually dont consume them, or if I do I dont use all of them. Is that right? and how do I know what the right amount of protein is?

    A calorie deficit is when you burn more calories than you eat.

    MFP takes your height, weight and age and comes up with an estimated BMR (basal metabolic rate) which is the minimum level of energy required to sustain your basic body functions such as breathing, digestion and circulation. Then it takes your activity factor (sedentary, lightly active, etc) and estimates what your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is. (This would be your BMR plus everything else you do in any given day including things like walking, talking, shopping, working, sitting, brushing your teeth, and even laughing.) Your TDEE is also your maintenance calories-- the amount of calories you need to neither gain nor lose weight.

    So, to lose weight, you must subtract a certain amount off of your TDEE. For example, if your TDEE is 2000 and you are only taking in 1500 calories, you are in a caloric deficit.

    If you are in an appropriate caloric deficit you will lose weight.

    MFP doesn't take exercise into account when it gives you a calorie goal. So you would lose weight even with out exercise. When you exercise, you create an even larger deficit. Very large deficits can be detrimental to your metabolism. That is why it's recommended that you eat back at least most of the calories burned.

    So- if you are going to bust your butt working out just to turn around and eat those calories back, doesn't it make more sense to do something that will actually improve your body composition and maintain you lean body mass, like lifting weights?
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
    MFP is designed for you to eat your exercise calories. You are "supposed" to.

    There is nothing "wrong" with crunches at any weight except maybe being a waist of time. If you are far from your goal, you aren't going to see those ab muscle for a long time. If you are doing the big lifts like squats, deadlifts, etc you are working your core then. They don't need extra isolation. I haven't done an ab workout in months.

    what are dead lifts?

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/barbell-deadlift
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    MFP is designed for you to eat your exercise calories. You are "supposed" to.

    There is nothing "wrong" with crunches at any weight except maybe being a waist of time. If you are far from your goal, you aren't going to see those ab muscle for a long time. If you are doing the big lifts like squats, deadlifts, etc you are working your core then. They don't need extra isolation. I haven't done an ab workout in months.

    what are dead lifts?

    deadlift2-300x298.jpg
  • jarrettd
    jarrettd Posts: 872 Member
    Listen to Carrie. Carrie is wise. Eat, lift heavy, and lose weight. It's a beautiful thing!
  • chattipatty2
    chattipatty2 Posts: 376 Member
    thank you! never did them before, but will check out link and grab one of the trainers to show me. Looks like a total body strength trainer tho, arms, legs, butt....
  • chattipatty2
    chattipatty2 Posts: 376 Member
    What is meant by calorie defecit? I eat my minimum as advised by MFP, and exercise adds more calories that I could consume and usually dont consume them, or if I do I dont use all of them. Is that right? and how do I know what the right amount of protein is?

    A calorie deficit is when you burn more calories than you eat.

    MFP takes your height, weight and age and comes up with an estimated BMR (basal metabolic rate) which is the minimum level of energy required to sustain your basic body functions such as breathing, digestion and circulation. Then it takes your activity factor (sedentary, lightly active, etc) and estimates what your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is. (This would be your BMR plus everything else you do in any given day including things like walking, talking, shopping, working, sitting, brushing your teeth, and even laughing.) Your TDEE is also your maintenance calories-- the amount of calories you need to neither gain nor lose weight.

    So, to lose weight, you must subtract a certain amount off of your TDEE. For example, if your TDEE is 2000 and you are only taking in 1500 calories, you are in a caloric deficit.

    If you are in an appropriate caloric deficit you will lose weight.

    MFP doesn't take exercise into account when it gives you a calorie goal. So you would lose weight even with out exercise. When you exercise, you create an even larger deficit. Very large deficits can be detrimental to your metabolism. That is why it's recommended that you eat back at least most of the calories burned.

    So- if you are going to bust your butt working out just to turn around and eat those calories back, doesn't it make more sense to do something that will actually improve your body composition and maintain you lean body mass, like lifting weights?
    Thanks Carrie
  • Meloonie
    Meloonie Posts: 144 Member
    Thanks very much everyone for posting, and thank you Carrie thats perfect. Now I know what I should be doing. I think! xx
This discussion has been closed.