New rules of lifting for women...

FitFi74
FitFi74 Posts: 129 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, I'm thinking of starting this, but I admit to feeling a bit nervous about cutting the amount of cardio I do and the calorie burn that goes with it - anyone got any success stories to keep me motivated?

Replies

  • droogievesch
    droogievesch Posts: 202
    Bump! I want to do this as well, but am terrified of the extra calories
  • tlucas69
    tlucas69 Posts: 74 Member
    Bump......cuz i wanna know too!
  • zealousmissjj_wechange
    zealousmissjj_wechange Posts: 445
    Bump :)
  • awdamm
    awdamm Posts: 375 Member
    lifting burns cals too! :)

    do 10 mins at a GOOD MOVING SPEED cardio treadmill/elliptical
    hop off go pump some iron
    go back to treadmill/elliptical do another 10 mins at a good moving speed
    hop off bump some iron
    stretch
    END of workout!

    :)
  • sadiesimp
    sadiesimp Posts: 26 Member
    Check out this group of women who are doing NROL4W for many success stories and even some pictures!
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/102-new-rules-of-lifting-for-women-nrol4w

    This program is AWESOME! I just finished a few weeks ago and while I didn't have any weight lose (I was doing this program to increase strength) many people have continued to lose weight while doing this program. I LOVE the changes in my body--tighter/rounder booty, more visible definition in abs and shoulders for sure.

    Don't let the lack of cardio freak you out. I was skeptical at first as well but my heart rate was up the entire time during each workout and by the end of every workout I was exhausted. The workouts do include interval training which is preferred over steady-state cardio for really burning calories/fat!
  • ElPatoLoco
    ElPatoLoco Posts: 24 Member
    Might I suggest getting a heart monitor to wear during exercise periods if you don't already have one and monitor the amount of calories you burn while doing strength rather than cardio exercises... they're not that expensive these days and you might even be pleasantly surprised...

    Losing weight is a pretty straightforward calculation, less calories in, more calories out = weight loss regardless of what your regime is.

    Don't forget ALL exercise burns calories to some extent and if you're lifting weights the body still has to work harder than normal. Bear in mind though that strength exercise will tone and tighten rather than help you lose weight but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
  • FitFi74
    FitFi74 Posts: 129 Member
    Thanks so much for all the replies - really helpful, I'm pretty much at target with weight loss, but guess I was just scared of moving away from the intense cardio that I'm used to - But I'm gonna give it a shot. If anyone wants to friend request and help keep track of each others progress that would be great too!
  • shiftysheep
    shiftysheep Posts: 44 Member
    Weights are more effective than cardio for a few reasons, you burn calories & spike your heart rate while lifting (so you do burn calories), unlike cardio when you stop lifting you still burn calories, it's called after burn, you'll burn a lot of calories while your body is repairing itself, & at last, but not least, as you gain lean muscle mass your metabolism increases causing you to burn more calories at rest, never mind while working out.
  • ToughTulip
    ToughTulip Posts: 1,118 Member
    Why are you scared to cut back on cardio? Just wondering :) something to think about
  • zombilishious
    zombilishious Posts: 1,250 Member
    I'm in stage 3 of 7. My weight loss has significantly slowed down (largely because I think I was eating too much!) But I've lost 2 full dress sizes since I started. Strength training melts the fat faster than cardio. You can still do cardio, but it's recommended to do it on alternate days, and not the day after you do HIIT at the end of your workout (required in some stages). I try to get 2-30 minute sessions in a week. I recently dropped my calories to 1500, while getting 150g of protein but focusing on keeping my carbs at 100 or less and my scale started moving.

    I highly recommend the program! My strength and endurance have increased so much the past few months it blows my mind. I can pick up my 12 year old now and toss him onto the couch. I can carry a ton of grocery bags into the house at once, and now my husband asks me to open the pickle jar :laugh:
  • FitFi74
    FitFi74 Posts: 129 Member
    [ I can carry a ton of grocery bags into the house at once, and now my husband asks me to open the pickle jar :laugh:
    [/quote]

    Haaah - love this!!
  • SpitfireMcGuire
    SpitfireMcGuire Posts: 2
    Strength training (weight lifting) is great for weight loss! When you diet and ONLY do cardio, you lose weight - but your body will also burn muscle as well as fat. So you'll get to your goal weight and look slim - but you'll be what's called "skinny fat". You're slim, but with no muscle tone or definition. So get in there and lift some weights!
    Weight lifting burns calories, and builds muscle - and the more muscle you have, the more your body burns fat AT REST. So the new muscly you will burn more than the old cardio-bunny you even while doing nothing. You also continue to burn cals after a weight lifting workout.
    But don't get discouraged if you start lifting and don't always see a drop in the scales - check your body measurements cause you're probably putting on muscle (and losing inches off your hips/thighs/bum/waist). Muscle weighs the same amount as fat (that's a myth that "muscle weighs more than fat" - 1 pound of anything weighs 1 pound!) but 1 pound of muscle takes up a SMALLER space than 1 pound of fat - so you can fit more muscle in the space where your fat used to be. So as you put on muscle, you might see no change in the scale - that's why it's important to take your body measurements and focus on how you feel and look.

    And don't worry about 'bulking' up if you lift. You can lift as heavy as you like and you won't bulk - unless you eat a serious body builder diet and take steroids! Women aren't made for bulking like men :)
  • iron_jj
    iron_jj Posts: 446 Member
    I started it in dec 2011, went from 194 to 145 by basically only weightlifting. I adjusted the first 3 stages with my trainer, but at stage 4 I got fed up, it got too complicated and the workouts take forever. I switched to SL 5x5 now. Howwver I liked the routine a lot and had some great results with it. You should give it a try! :wink:
  • AthenaErr
    AthenaErr Posts: 278 Member
    After about 2.5 months on 1500cals with 20 mins of exercise 5 times a week (30 DS or C25K) I got down to a bmi of 25 and stopped losing.

    Started NROL4W and upped cals to 1700-1900. It is tough to up cals - tougher than I expected anyway, as I stopped losing for a month my weight fluctuated. But I looked better, firmer and stronger, despite getting heavier.

    6 weeks later I am now losing again (on higher cals) and steadily getting stronger. I also feel really good. I started heavy lifting 'gently' as I am working out at home and have bad knees. I imagine someone without these issues could see success quicker. But I am very happy I started this.
  • woodsygirl
    woodsygirl Posts: 354 Member
    I'm doing it.

    I wouldn't worry about the cardio portion. I use a HR monitor and I find that my HR is 160 when I do things like lounges and step-ups but when I do cardio i'm killing myself to get it above 140. For me, lifting weights is MORE of a cardiovascular workout than cardio ;)
  • AMG629
    AMG629 Posts: 5
    I just read the book also and am ready to try it.. I have weight to lose but just dieting or cardio has been a dead end road for me. I don't even care (too much) how the scale moves, but if I drop inches and have more definition I will be ecstatic! Anyone wanting to start and keep each other going, let me know!

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