Calorie deficit vs strength training

Moniqua1
Moniqua1 Posts: 195 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Is it more effective to lose the fat and then work on developing muscle our to work on the muscle and then worry about the fat (calorie deficit) our should you do a bit of both. I do mostly cardio with a calorie deficit because I want to lose fat, but I also want to be toned but you aren't supposed to do the calorie deficit thing to get muscle...ugh.

Replies

  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
    I am about the same size as you and do too much cardio......got so when I saw myself in the mirror my legs were starting to look too skinny, I raised my calories to maintain and started doing more lifting and am trying to do a little less cardio. I think to lose more fat I'm going to have to build more muscle and I'm not going to be able to do that eating at a deficit . Good Luck
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    You will still get stronger and reap metabolic benefit, even if you don't pack on muscle mass. DO it.
  • petes2872
    petes2872 Posts: 2
    Why can't your strength training also be your cardio?

    CIRCUIT TRAINING
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    From what I understand, if you do strength training while on a calorie deficit you won't add muscles but you can reduce the potential for muscle loss.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Keep the deficit
    Continue the cardio
    Add the strength training
    Reap the benefits of all the above
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    Is it more effective to lose the fat and then work on developing muscle our to work on the muscle and then worry about the fat (calorie deficit) our should you do a bit of both. I do mostly cardio with a calorie deficit because I want to lose fat, but I also want to be toned but you aren't supposed to do the calorie deficit thing to get muscle...ugh.

    There is really quite a bit of biochemical and physiological nuance from person to person. For instance, some obese people and untrained people have shown an ability to both gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

    After doing a statistical analysis on myself, I found that I lost the most weight when I did lots of cardio, but too much of that weight loss was coming from muscle. By comparison, when I did strength training only and skipped the cardio, I lost slightly less weight but nearly all of it came from fat.
  • Moniqua1
    Moniqua1 Posts: 195 Member
    Why can't your strength training also be your cardio?

    CIRCUIT TRAINING


    I know that's a term most people understand, but I don't. I'll have to google it. Lol. I've been going to the gym for four months and haven't learned everything. They don't really have people there to instruct your workouts and I can't afford someone who does. LOL
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
    Funny you posted this because I hadn't seen "the question" before but wondered. In the material I have read my opinion now is it is better to minimize the chance of ever losing lean, muscle mass. I do see that most sources say if a person is heavier, they can eat way less(under recommended minimum of 1200 some say) and lose mostly fat for a time. One source said that the more fat on a persons body the more chance that it will be used as fuel before the lean muscle. I don't know any of this to be actual truth, I'm just reading "stuff" like others. So I guess they are saying the less fat you have the easier it becomes for the body to sort of "protect" itself by consuming lean muscle as well as fat(when the body doesn't get the nutrition it needs to build muscle or at least maintain it). Again though, I am not scientist or doctor.

    denise:drinker: :drinker:
    Is it more effective to lose the fat and then work on developing muscle our to work on the muscle and then worry about the fat (calorie deficit) our should you do a bit of both. I do mostly cardio with a calorie deficit because I want to lose fat, but I also want to be toned but you aren't supposed to do the calorie deficit thing to get muscle...ugh.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    From what I understand, if you do strength training while on a calorie deficit you won't add muscles but you can reduce the potential for muscle loss.

    Yep. You will also get a bit of size gain, mostly due to improved\increased nutrient and water storage, and a good bit of strength gain, highly due to central nervous system adaptation. You will eventually stall (around 3-4 months) until\unless you continue to lift in a caloric surplus. At that point if you still have fat to lose, just keep lifting as heavy as you can until your fat is gone and then if you like switch to surplus to gain more muscle size and strength, or eat at maintenance to maintain.
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
    Doing a bunch of pushups all at once(not sets of 3 for example)does get your heart rate up. I use an HRM so I know. Going from one machine to the next without breaks I think is what circuit training means. This would get your heart rate up I believe, so yes, cardio as well as strength.

    denise:drinker: :drinker:
    Why can't your strength training also be your cardio?

    CIRCUIT TRAINING


    I know that's a term most people understand, but I don't. I'll have to google it. Lol. I've been going to the gym for four months and haven't learned everything. They don't really have people there to instruct your workouts and I can't afford someone who does. LOL
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    If you do strength training while on a calorie deficit you will retain your muscles so that when you do lose weight, it will all mostly come from your fat. You will look better when you reach your goal weight because you wont have lost all your muscles. Plus you will get stronger.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    Strictly speaking it is better to have a goal body fay percentage vs a goal weight. You can estimate what weight that would put you at, but it's just an estimate.
  • Flutterguy
    Flutterguy Posts: 4
    i am trying to lose fat and gain muscle what i have found works best is cutting out most of my carbs and eating a lot of protein as well as milk but it is pretty difficult to gain muscle on a diet but it is possible if you get enough calories to put on muscle but also the right amount were you are still loosing weight i also take omega 3 (fish oil) which helps keeping muscle wile on a diet
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    If you only have 12 pounds to lose, then I would suggest both. Maybe a 50/50 split.
  • Moniqua1
    Moniqua1 Posts: 195 Member
    Lol I only have 2 lbs to go to be at 115, probably want to only get down to 108 for an absolute low, but before setting that.as my goal, i need to see what my body looks like week to week. 108 is still healthy for my height, but not sure if it will be right for me, yet.
  • Roadie2000
    Roadie2000 Posts: 1,801 Member
    Is it more effective to lose the fat and then work on developing muscle our to work on the muscle and then worry about the fat (calorie deficit) our should you do a bit of both. I do mostly cardio with a calorie deficit because I want to lose fat, but I also want to be toned but you aren't supposed to do the calorie deficit thing to get muscle...ugh.

    There is really quite a bit of biochemical and physiological nuance from person to person. For instance, some obese people and untrained people have shown an ability to both gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

    After doing a statistical analysis on myself, I found that I lost the most weight when I did lots of cardio, but too much of that weight loss was coming from muscle. By comparison, when I did strength training only and skipped the cardio, I lost slightly less weight but nearly all of it came from fat.

    First of all, go green!

    I agree with this though, I also lost some weight doing mostly cardio and I think I lost too much muscle. Now I mainly just strength train, and I feel like I look better but find it more difficult to lose weight, but mainly just because of my diet. Some days it's actually easier for me to burn 500 calories than to eat 500 less calories.

    My theory (and it's just a theory) is that if you strength train and your weight says about the same (meaning eating about what you would to maintain) you should still burn some fat and build muscle. Mainly because you're not always eating EXACTLY your maintenance calories, so some days you are bulking a little, and some days you are cutting a little. Doesn't seem to be working very well though, because I haven't lost any inches off my gut, even though my chest is bigger and my weight is the same.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    Why can't your strength training also be your cardio?

    CIRCUIT TRAINING


    I know that's a term most people understand, but I don't. I'll have to google it. Lol. I've been going to the gym for four months and haven't learned everything. They don't really have people there to instruct your workouts and I can't afford someone who does. LOL

    here are some good examples of circuit training routines

    http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/screw_cardio_four_complexes_for_a_shredded_physique

    i especially like the tumminello complex (i use a 25 pound weight plate) and the cosgrove complex with 55 pound barbell.

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