Weightlifters! I Have A Question (or Two) for You.

_AllieCat_

I've been weightlifting since June of this year. Since then, my weight loss has slowed as far as the scale is concerned. I lift as heavy as I can (5 sets of 5 reps). I am making progress, just much more slowly than I was before I picked up the heavy weights.

Some resources say you CAN gain muscle on a calorie deficit, and others say you can NOT gain muscle on a deficit. I'm not going to blame my slowed pounds loss on gained muscle. I would love to because that is my goal. I eat at or slightly below 120 grams of protein a day because I know you're supposed to eat a gram for every pound of lean body mass daily. For example my weight may stall or even go up but I will lose an inch in my hips and waist. Not sure if that means I'm gaining muscle or not. I eat about 400 calories less than my TDEE and 50 calories above my BMR.

Anyway. My main question for you lovely weight lifters out there is when do you weigh yourself? I know when you are sore after a session your muscles retain water and it shows on the scale. I train my arms/back once a week, and my legs/abs once a week for a total of two sessions per week. It takes me an entire week to heal (the soreness to go away). I am never "not sore" so whenever I hop on the scale I'm going to get an inaccurate reading because of my DOMS and water retention.

How do you deal with it? Or do you use other methods to measure progress?

I am not in a bulking or cutting cycle. I am simply trying to maintain as much muscle mass as possible as I lose the weight so I end up toned and fabulous when I lose the fat.

I take photos monthly to visually prove my progress. I also take measurements. Having a main goal of losing fat, the scale is such an alluring measurement of progress.

meshashesha2012

i weigh myself after every time i lose a pant size now. so once every 4-6 weeks.

clothing is a more alluring measurement of success for me than the scale.

FirefitMike

I'm probably a bad comparison, but I don't pay too much attention to the scale. The mirror and your clothes are a better indicator. My weight has stalled lately but my BF% is dropping. I think your idea of measurements is a good idea...the scale can take away your motivation.

At some point the soreness and DOMS should be reduced or go away altogether. I am rarely sore now.

Clew

I rarely weigh myself. Once a month maybe. I go much more with the tape measure and how things fit. At the very least use both measuring and the scale in tandem. The scale can be so deceptive and defeating! Best wishes :flowerforyou:

_AllieCat_

I'm probably a bad comparison, but I don't pay too much attention to the scale. The mirror and your clothes are a better indicator. My weight has stalled lately but my BF% is dropping. I think your idea of measurements is a good idea...the scale can take away your motivation.

At some point the soreness and DOMS should be reduced or go away altogether. I am rarely sore now.

The DOMS will go away? That's exciting since I hobble everywhere now!
Are you still able to lift heavier as you continue training even though you're soreness has faded?

bahacca

I actually don't weigh often because of the whole "Who the heck knows where that weight came from" business. I take measurements and pictures. I weigh about every 2 weeks on a rest day, first thing in the morning after I pee sans clothing. Scale hasn't moved for me, but I've lost inches. End of the day I could weigh 200 lbs, but if I look and feel HAWT naked, I'm a happy camper.
Also, have you totally cut cardio or not? I would NOT drop cardio. I trained for a 1/2 marathon this summer so was only doing cardio. I changed to lifting for 30min-1 hour and after my lifting, I do about 10 min of HIIT and then 20 min on the treadmill or elliptical.
As for building muscle, if you want to actually gain new muscle tissue, you need a surplus. If your only goal is to get more muscle mass, you need to bulk. If your goal is to LOOK more ripped, then you should be cutting(calorie defecit) and eating a lot of protein. You cannot PREVENT your body from going after lean muscle stores, but you can reduce that by keeping your body fueled with protein to pull from.

Capt_Apollo

i weigh myself once a month, more out of curiosity than anything. the extra holes i have to punch into my belt are much better indicators or my changing body.

you can build muscle on a deficit, but generally it is not a lot, and only in the beginning, say the first 6 months to a year. after that, the newbie gains will be gone.

are you following any type of specific training plan, such as 5x5 or 5/3/1? i personally like 5/3/1, and i am using strstd.com to track my work outs. i find that it is very helpful, and is can be used by beginner and intermediate lifters to see some great progress.

Lady_Bane

Please message me. I can help you better on a day to day basis.

MrGonzo05

Training does cause very slight water retention; two lbs or less for me. But that will not have a large effect long term. Just keep training and the trend will dominate the noise.

HeidiMightyRawr

At the moment (bulking) I weigh once a month roughly. When I was losing, it was every 1-2 weeks. My main measures of progress were NOT the scale - I personally think it's an awful monitor of progress as so many things can make it go up and down. I weigh mainly just to know where I am roughly, so I can know when I hit bodyweight lifting targets.

As I'm trying to keep my bulk as lean as possible I like to monitor progress quite carefully, so I don't go gaining loads!! My main measures of progress are the mirror - I do a weekly blog update on my blog with pictures so that I can see my progress well. I also go by how my clothes fit and how much stronger I'm getting. These ways motivate me so much more than the scale!

Eg: I weighed myself a few days back, not the best time admittedly, and I was 146/147 after 3 weeks of bulking! Weighed myself this morning, before I ate anything and after 2 days off the gym and I showed as 142, which is much more like it, especially as all my clothes are still loose like they were before bulking!!

Sarauk2sf

Just a couple of points:

- Newb gains will only be about 1 - 2lbs of muscle.

- water retention due to muscle repair does not automatically equate to DOMS (i.e. you can have the first without the last)

- its a little unusual to be getting bad DOMS all the time (personal experience only though) - maybe you could try a PWO recovery drink like low fat chocolate milk.

Sarauk2sf

At the moment (bulking) I weigh once a month roughly. When I was losing, it was every 1-2 weeks. My main measures of progress were NOT the scale - I personally think it's an awful monitor of progress as so many things can make it go up and down. I weigh mainly just to know where I am roughly, so I can know when I hit bodyweight lifting targets.

As I'm trying to keep my bulk as lean as possible I like to monitor progress quite carefully, so I don't go gaining loads!! My main measures of progress are the mirror - I do a weekly blog update on my blog with pictures so that I can see my progress well. I also go by how my clothes fit and how much stronger I'm getting. These ways motivate me so much more than the scale!

Eg: I weighed myself a few days back, not the best time admittedly, and I was 146/147 after 3 weeks of bulking! Weighed myself this morning, before I ate anything and after 2 days off the gym and I showed as 142, which is much more like it, especially as all my clothes are still loose like they were before bulking!!

Nothing to add - but your avi is a classic!

_AllieCat_

I actually don't weigh often because of the whole "Who the heck knows where that weight came from" business. I take measurements and pictures. I weigh about every 2 weeks on a rest day, first thing in the morning after I pee sans clothing. Scale hasn't moved for me, but I've lost inches. End of the day I could weigh 200 lbs, but if I look and feel HAWT naked, I'm a happy camper.
Also, have you totally cut cardio or not? I would NOT drop cardio. I trained for a 1/2 marathon this summer so was only doing cardio. I changed to lifting for 30min-1 hour and after my lifting, I do about 10 min of HIIT and then 20 min on the treadmill or elliptical.
As for building muscle, if you want to actually gain new muscle tissue, you need a surplus. If your only goal is to get more muscle mass, you need to bulk. If your goal is to LOOK more ripped, then you should be cutting(calorie defecit) and eating a lot of protein. You cannot PREVENT your body from going after lean muscle stores, but you can reduce that by keeping your body fueled with protein to pull from.

Thank you for your input. I forgot to add I DO preform cardio in addition to weightlifting. I try to get light cardio in as much as possible. I mostly do cardio for fun and stress relief. I hike once a week for a huge shot of cardio, and during the week I sprinkle in 30m of walking, stairmaster, or the elliptical.

patmat

I weigh myself once a week..but I trake my body fat loss and lean muscle mass as well. I don't really worry what the scale reads..I keep track of my muslce mass gains and body fat decrease. I do cardio daily and monitor my nutrition component. I also train in a calorie dficit, but my nutrition Protein is 40%, Carb, 40% and Fat 20%..It works well for me, but each individual should find his or her balance of protein, carb and fat that works for them.
I have more fat to lose, and I am an endomorph, so I tend to need more cardio to keep the metabolism up. I train upper body and loer body on opposite days, 4 days a week. So far it has been working very well and I am having great results.
Best of luck...in good health

FirefitMike

I'm probably a bad comparison, but I don't pay too much attention to the scale. The mirror and your clothes are a better indicator. My weight has stalled lately but my BF% is dropping. I think your idea of measurements is a good idea...the scale can take away your motivation.

At some point the soreness and DOMS should be reduced or go away altogether. I am rarely sore now.

The DOMS will go away? That's exciting since I hobble everywhere now!
Are you still able to lift heavier as you continue training even though you're soreness has faded?

It should...after a heavy leg day I'm sore the next day but never to the point I can't walk. Haven't had the fun experience in a long time. Anyway it went away for me and I've heard it should after you train for some time.

DavPul

I take photos monthly to visually prove my progress. I also take measurements. Having a main goal of losing fat, the scale is such an alluring measurement of progress.

You're already doing exactly the right things. I weigh myself weekly, but I use these other things to get a full measure of the progress (or regression)

HeidiMightyRawr

Nothing to add - but your avi is a classic!

Haha I saw it on Fitocracy and couldn't stop laughing. I've had it up as my main pic for 2 days now and I still look at it and laugh, because it's so true! (for me anyway)

FatgutBgone

Bodybuilders rarely use the scale for tracking. I think the only time they step on the scale is before a contest so they can be put into a class such as heavy weight or light weight. They go by body fat percentage and measurements. I weigh myself mainly to make sure I am not gaining weight too fast. If you gain more than 2 pounds a week while trying to gain muscle, you may be gaining fat. As long as you are not gaining weight and are lifting mostly heavy weights, I would not worry about it. I would stick with the measuring and the old pinch an inch test. Good luck with your goals.

Stay Strong -[][][]

---

[][[][]- to live long.

bobbyandthekid

Everyone has different goals and methods of strength training. I prefer Medicine Balls, Ropes and Chains.

My suggestion if you are new to strength training and want to see maximum weight loss is the following.
Always start your workout with weight training. Hit a different group of muscles every day. Example is: Monday chest and triceps. Tuesday Back and Biceps. Wednesday Legs. Thursday Shoulders. Core every day.
Complete 3 sets of 12 reps with no more than 60 seconds between each set if weight loss is your goal. Less than 60 seconds sets your metabolism into hyper mode! good stuff for shedding pounds.

Right after weight training go straight to Cardio for a 30 minutes. Cardio will flush oxygen to the damaged muscles for quick recovery and flush out the acids and toxins created during weight training. I suggest the stairmaster step mill as it has much less impact on the already stressed joints. Drink tons of water while doing both weights and cardio.

I weigh myself every morning before I shower. The scale never lies. Buy a new scale the moment you notice it becoming inconsistent. Home scales are not exactly a quality item.

Food. Weight training requires constant intake of food. If you starve recovering muscles, your body may go into storage mode. not good.

6am Small breakfast. Oatmeal is best to start the morning fire. Add lots of fruit like raisins and apple, banana, strawberries, blueberries. Sometimes all of the above. haha
9am. Snack. Banana works
12:00 Lunch - Nice low sodium sandwich. I like Roast Beef or Turkey. Lots of veggies. (you need the meat protein)
3pm Snack. APPLE!
6pm Dinner - 4 oz chicken and tons of veggies. (chicken can be replaced by any meat. Keep it lean. You need this protein.)
9PM - (1) glass of red wine and a piece of dark chocolate. Healthy heart! (Piece, not BAR!)

If you stop weight training, remember to cut your food intake or you will yoyo.

teejay2039

The scale never lies.

yeah, right.

californiagirl2012

I've been weightlifting since June of this year. Since then, my weight loss has slowed as far as the scale is concerned. I lift as heavy as I can (5 sets of 5 reps). I am making progress, just much more slowly than I was before I picked up the heavy weights.

Some resources say you CAN gain muscle on a calorie deficit, and others say you can NOT gain muscle on a deficit. I'm not going to blame my slowed pounds loss on gained muscle. I would love to because that is my goal. I eat at or slightly below 120 grams of protein a day because I know you're supposed to eat a gram for every pound of lean body mass daily. For example my weight may stall or even go up but I will lose an inch in my hips and waist. Not sure if that means I'm gaining muscle or not. I eat about 400 calories less than my TDEE and 50 calories above my BMR.

Anyway. My main question for you lovely weight lifters out there is when do you weigh yourself? I know when you are sore after a session your muscles retain water and it shows on the scale. I train my arms/back once a week, and my legs/abs once a week for a total of two sessions per week. It takes me an entire week to heal (the soreness to go away). I am never "not sore" so whenever I hop on the scale I'm going to get an inaccurate reading because of my DOMS and water retention.

How do you deal with it? Or do you use other methods to measure progress?

I am not in a bulking or cutting cycle. I am simply trying to maintain as much muscle mass as possible as I lose the weight so I end up toned and fabulous when I lose the fat.

I take photos monthly to visually prove my progress. I also take measurements. Having a main goal of losing fat, the scale is such an alluring measurement of progress.

I lost fat and was able to lift heavy and run hard while on a calorie deficit and I did not lose lean body mass. My full story here --> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

It's great that you take pictures. That is perfect because the scale is an inferior tool. When I was in the weight loss phase I got on the scale every morning before I drank my 20 oz glass of water and tea or coffee. I had to keep in mind that there are many fluctuations and not freak out. The body keeps and releases water all the time:

Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory

Best of luck to you! -Bobbie

mmapags

You have gotten great advice from others. Water/ glycogen storage impacting weight. Newbie gains. Taking pictures and measurements. The only thing in your original post that I didn't see addressed (maybe it was) is that the scale doesn't really measure "fat" loss. It just measured weight loss. Weight of far down on the heirarchy of what I'm be measureing. There is a great line from Steve Troutman, on of our members and a nutrition and fitness expert that I love and feel puts it in it's proper perspective. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, that he would focus on performance, health and physique and when these are optimized, weight will fall where it should. We are far too scale centric!!

Bakkasan

DOMS wasn't a problem for me after the first month till I really started mixing it up. Clean and jerk tears me up. I am SORE for a few days after.