Garbage bag while working out? Is this really bad?

Mizz1993
Mizz1993 Posts: 10
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay so sometimes when i work out i like to wear a trash bag, it makes you sweat and heat up a lot faster.
But i hear that its dangerous, i feel that it is dangerous if you do it all the time. Does anyone know if it actually helps burn fat faster?
«134

Replies

  • NSQuintana
    NSQuintana Posts: 207
    Great question..id like to know as well.
  • Sean_The_IT_Guy
    Sean_The_IT_Guy Posts: 168
    You will lose water quicker, leading to dehydration and temporary weight loss. If you need to make a weight class for a wrestling meet, this can help, but it is dangerous if you aren't careful, and will not lead to faster fat loss, just water loss. Get properly rehydrated, it comes back.
  • jenniferg83
    jenniferg83 Posts: 278 Member
    sounds dangerous honestly.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Makes you sweat, nothing more. In hot weather you increase the risk of dehydration and heat stroke.
  • ATLMel
    ATLMel Posts: 392 Member
    All this does is prohibit your body from using sweat the way it was designed to. The trash bag is keeping it from evaporating and lowering your internal temperature.

    So, unless you've got to make weight for your next boxing match, I'd ditch the trash bag.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    Like others have said, it doesn't do anything except make you sweat more.

    Probably it will make you so hot that you lower the exercise intensity and duration and end up burning fewer calories.
  • saracatherine89
    saracatherine89 Posts: 291 Member
    One of my teachers in HS coached wrestling at one of his teaching positions early in his career. Apparently once, a kid who was supposed to wrestle in a lower weight class wrapped himself in garbage bags and saran wrap in order to lose water weight. The kid ran in the 90 degree heat and a few minutes after he unwrapped himself he was sent to the hospital where he died of extreme dehydration.

    So...really bad.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    wrapping yourself in a garbage bag will do nothing more than facilitate overheating and dehydration, which will show as weight loss on the scale, but only in terms of water weight, and not really relevant to actual weight (fat) loss. Add to that the fact that dehydration can be extremely dangerous and you probably should steer clear of this method.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Does anyone know if it actually helps burn fat faster?

    Absolutely not.

    I would stop this behavior immediately for potential health reasons.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    this is a joke, right?
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
    The good news is you will lose weight by sweating a ton. The bad news is you will gain it all back as soon as you drink some water.

    It is a necessary evil for wrestlers, MMA & boxers trying to make weight for a fight.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
    this is a joke, right?

    I'm afraid not...
  • Jena_72
    Jena_72 Posts: 1,057
    Does anyone know if it actually helps burn fat faster?

    Absolutely not.

    I would stop this behavior immediately for potential health reasons.
    I would pretty much listen to what this very fit six pack says! lol
  • myak623
    myak623 Posts: 615 Member
    Makes you sweat, nothing more. In hot weather you increase the risk of dehydration and heat stroke.

    ^^This, exactly!
  • WhittRak
    WhittRak Posts: 567 Member
    Hilarious. Never heard of such a silly thing to do...lol.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
    Only if you are making a rap video

    vma-missy-elliott.jpg
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
    I hope you're joking but if not- this is a terrible, terrible idea. Wearing a garbage bag doesn't make you burn fat faster; all it makes you do is sweat more, so you lose more water weight and dehydrate. Wrestlers do this when they are trying to make a lower weight category for competition. It is extremely unhealthy, and you will not speed up your results. All that will happen is you will get dehydrated, causing you to have low energy, get headaches and then your workouts will suffer as a result. Don't do it, you are wasting your time and harming your body. Instead, try and focus on things will help you burn more fat, like strength training.
  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
    5f690741dab70019a26879a81a07fade.jpg
  • XxXHillaryXxX
    XxXHillaryXxX Posts: 32 Member
    I have heard of athletes wearing plastic "sweat suits" to make weight but it's only removing water weight and does not help with true weight loss or fat loss. And yes, used in the wrong way could be dangerous. You are essentially dehydrating yourself, you could pass out during a work out and injure yourself. I would consider not doing that in the future.
  • PeachyPlum
    PeachyPlum Posts: 1,243 Member
    It's pretty simple.

    If you want to get hotter and sweat more during a workout, work out harder.
  • nyy03
    nyy03 Posts: 635 Member
    ^^^ LOL
  • Cold_Steel
    Cold_Steel Posts: 897 Member
    Wrestlers and MMA fighters do this for temporary weight loss the night before or the morning of weigh ins in order to drop 5-10 lobs max and it is extremely unhealthy and not a true weight.

    Generally they are sucking down bottles of Gatorade and water the moment they get off the scale and go into the fight or match the next day 5-10 lbs heavier than their fighting weight.

    Usually done by a doctor / trainer / fight nutritionist.

    It is extremely dangerous and can actually generate issues with oxygenation and others that can lead to strokes, heart attacks and other fun stuff..

    It is just another small reason why boxers are mentally retarded by the time they are 40.
  • Yes2HealthyAriel
    Yes2HealthyAriel Posts: 453 Member
    Oh My!!! I can't believe someone would do this thinking that it is a healthy way to lose weight faster. Hell I want to lose weight fast and wish there was a lil magic pill. But there isnt. I am not desperate enough to wrap myself in plastic though. SHEESH talk about dangerous and pointless. You just sweat more and it all the water weight you lose comes back when you rehydrate yourself.
  • DieVixen
    DieVixen Posts: 790 Member
    gimp.gif
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    Is the garbage bag empty or full?
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    I did it when I was in competitive weight class sports. It's very bad for you.

    All you lose is additional water weight. When you're just trying to cut weight for the next 12 hours just to put it back on immediately after (and there are better ways to do that anyway) there's an argument for it. If you're trying to cut fat and keep it off, there is none.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Does anyone know if it actually helps burn fat faster?

    No! Unless perhaps you have a heat stroke, drop into a coma, and are on a feeding tube for a prolonged period of time. You'd probably lose a lot of fat and muscle in that case.
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
    If we all agree that sweating more does not help weight loss, can we all agree that that Hot Yoga (Birkim??) is also no more beneficial than regular yoga?
  • tig_ol_bitties
    tig_ol_bitties Posts: 561 Member
    Just make sure to cut a hole in it for your face. You should probably still be able to breathe.


    :noway: :noway: :noway:
  • NSQuintana
    NSQuintana Posts: 207
    Makes you sweat, nothing more. In hot weather you increase the risk of dehydration and heat stroke.

    I also heard that if you wrap your belly in saran wrap while working out it will shrink your tummy faster. Does that still put you at rise for dehydration and heat stroke? Dying to know! Thanks!

Categories