Strength training- Does it REALLY make you gain weight?

vallemic

I have lost most of my weight up to this point through diet and light cardio exercises. I now joined a gym and have started doing more vigorous cardio exercises and strength training (weight machines) to help tone and lose those last 10 pounds.

I have been to WW and other weight loss clinics in the past and when someone would complain about not losing weight, others would say "Oh, it's because you're gaining muscle"! This comment has always rubbed me the wrong way because I just didn't believe it! They do lots of strength training on Biggest Loser and they drop crazy numbers! Any thoughts?

ninerbuff

I have lost most of my weight up to this point through diet and light cardio exercises. I now joined a gym and have started doing more vigorous cardio exercises and strength training (weight machines) to help tone and lose those last 10 pounds.

I have been to WW and other weight loss clinics in the past and when someone would complain about not losing weight, others would say "Oh, it's because you're gaining muscle"! This comment has always rubbed me the wrong way because I just didn't believe it! They do lots of strength training on Biggest Loser and they drop crazy numbers! Any thoughts?

The BL contestants are one of the few people who can build muscle while on calorie deficit because they were obese to start. The other 2 types of people who can build muscle on deficit are an athlete returning to lifting after a long lay off and a brand new person to lifting who hasn't done it before. But even then the muscle gain is minimal.
You gain weight when you start lifting because you start to store more water for muscle repair and also to help store more glycogen to fuel your workouts. It's temporary and normally will go away after a couple of weeks.


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jenniejengin

bump

jdstallings

Thanks. Several of Ninerbuff's posts have been very informative. I returned back to crossfit after several months lay off, and stopped losing wieght abruptly- let's hope its a little muscle.

Temple_Fit

bump

Rayman79

Niner is on the money here, you can make some modest gains as a beginner to strength training, but don't expect it to be too much.

Also, the Biggest Loser contestants don't really ever put on a lot of muscle, they just incorporate some strength training to preserve the muscle they have (though they seill lose A LOT because of their really severe caloric defecits (only 1000-1200 cals a day with a huge amount of activity)!! They would all have a decent amount of muscle to start with just to carry around all that weight.

LorinaLynn

A vast majority of the "weight gain" when strength training - or any other new strenuous workout - is just normal fluid retention... inflammation. On the Biggest Loser, they do a lot of "don't try this at home" types of tricks, like dehydrating themselves before a weighin, so inflammation isn't as much of an issue for those individuals... and even THEY have weeks when they scale doesn't budge or goes in the wrong direction.

On the other hand, we shouldn't be afraid of a slight increase on the scale, either, because the scale is a terribly flawed way to judge your progress. For example, I weighed 5 pounds more in February than I did in September. I really don't know if any of that was muscle gain, or fluid retention, or what. Don't care because it doesn't matter. I was in smaller clothes in December, January and February, despite weighing more.

thefuzz1290

Ditto on Niner's post, but you shouldn't be looking at the scale only anyways.

EDIT: On a side note, the Biggest Losers contestants aren't strength training, they're doing circuit weight training...which is more like cardio. Since they're all morbidly obese, with very little muscle (minus the Olympian they had on a few seasons ago), they all got stronger.

runningdiva77

my personal trainer says to focus on the BMI. peaple that weigh less then you can have a higher body fat percentage.

Byrdsong1920

u look great!! I'm working on my #operation2piece now!!! WORK IT!KEEP IT UP

Byrdsong1920

SADLY, You will see the scale holding steady when you lift. Just have to make sure your doing lite weights and more reps to tone vs. going heavy on the weights and building a bunch of muscle like a body builder.

I had to stop weighing because I'm doing weights too and getting irritated not seeing the scale drop as fast as I'd like. I focus on BMI and inches lost and how I feel and look in my clothes. Your food is key too asyou know. You look awesome ! keep it up

thefuzz1290

my personal trainer says to focus on the BMI. peaple that weigh less then you can have a higher body fat percentage.

You shouldn't focus on BMI either. I'm considered overweight with ~25% bodyfat, but if I weighed the same but had 10% bodyfat, I'd still be considered overweight.

There should be no focus on one specific thing. You can use BMI as a reference point, but for me to be "healthy" I'd have no muscle mass. You can use the scale as a reference point, but then you focus on a number and you can end up "skinny fat." The most trust worthy measurement, in my opinion, is body measurements. I've only dropped 10lbs on the scale, but I've dropped 2" on my waist and my arms and legs are getting bigger (muscle).

Rayman79

BMI is BS

70davis

bump

funkycamper

SADLY, You will see the scale holding steady when you lift. Just have to make sure your doing lite weights and more reps to tone vs. going heavy on the weights and building a bunch of muscle like a body builder.

I had to stop weighing because I'm doing weights too and getting irritated not seeing the scale drop as fast as I'd like. I focus on BMI and inches lost and how I feel and look in my clothes. Your food is key too asyou know. You look awesome ! keep it up

Who cares what the scale says? Seriously. It's just one measure of progress and probably the least important one. I incorporated heavy lifting at the end of December. From then until about mid-February, I only lost 1# but I dropped a pant size and all my shirts got looser. Do I care what the scale said? Nope, not a bit.

Friends tell me I've gone from a pear shape to an hourglass. I'll gladly take it.

If you want to retain muscle and be able to reshape your body, lift heavy.

ninerbuff

my personal trainer says to focus on the BMI. peaple that weigh less then you can have a higher body fat percentage.

Actually I would encourage body fat % over BMI because BMI DOESN'T account for muscle on people who may be athletic.
BMI is based on weight/height. Body fat % is based on lean mass vs fat mass.

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ninerbuff

SADLY, You will see the scale holding steady when you lift. Just have to make sure your doing lite weights and more reps to tone vs. going heavy on the weights and building a bunch of muscle like a body builder.

Light weights and more reps to "tone" is a myth. While going heavy (overload) can build muscle, you need a surplus to do it. It's practically impossible to build muscle on a calorie deficit.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

my personal trainer says to focus on the BMI. peaple that weigh less then you can have a higher body fat percentage.

You shouldn't focus on BMI either. I'm considered overweight with ~25% bodyfat, but if I weighed the same but had 10% bodyfat, I'd still be considered overweight.

There should be no focus on one specific thing. You can use BMI as a reference point, but for me to be "healthy" I'd have no muscle mass. You can use the scale as a reference point, but then you focus on a number and you can end up "skinny fat." The most trust worthy measurement, in my opinion, is body measurements. I've only dropped 10lbs on the scale, but I've dropped 2" on my waist and my arms and legs are getting bigger (muscle).

We think a lot alike.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Sytera

I weigh 120 but can't fit into the clothes I wore at 125 back when I was an athlete. I am what was just mentioned as "skinny fat". However, I do have a 6 month old baby. Hopefully I will be back to a healthy size & weight, even if the weight is up from where I am now, in a few months.

kdeaux1959

Sytera, great case in point.

meggerino

I'm the same... I was "skinny fat". When I first started this program back in Feb, I weight 124 lbs... and initially dropped to 121... but now weigh 126/7 which is totally discouraging!! I know it doesn't matter what the scale says... but when you are working your butt off - it is a bit of a downer when you see the scale going up instead of down.