Questions for you lifters (women and men)

ShoeloverPearl
ShoeloverPearl Posts: 48
in Fitness and Exercise
As of this morning I hired a personal trainer, and will be having my very first weight training session after work this evening. Up until 2 weeks ago, I had never set foot inside of a gym or made any effort whatsoever to work out (aside from dancing). I have very little body strength and am basically working from the ground up. At the recommendation of a new MFP friend, I just started reading "New Rules of lifting for women" to get a better understanding of how things work, as I am completely clueless. It's a bit intimidating of just how much I have to learn.

My trainer wants to start me on a regimen of lifting heavy 3x a week with low reps (i.e. 4 sets of 8 reps with 100 pound squats), and a meal plan full of good fats, low carbs, high protein, berries, and fish oil.


My question for you lovely lifters is how important is a high protein diet to your routine? I'd like to lean out a bit while building muscle and strength, is this possible to do while eating in deficit? Also, how much cardio should I incorporate into my routine and how often?

I don't know if this is helpful to know or not but my current stats are as follows:

H: 5'1"
W: 120lbs
BF: 23%

Any advice, suggestions, links to websites etc...is much appreciated. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

:flowerforyou:

Replies

  • MrDelts
    MrDelts Posts: 209 Member
    You're supposed to be paying your trainer to answer all these questions.. lol.. Thought I'd bust your chops a bit ;)
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    You can gain strength in a deficit. This is because you are stronger than you think you are.
    Hopefully your trainer set you on a progressive program. IE, 100lb squat today, 105 squat next time, 110, 115...
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    As a general rule, yes, a higher protein diet is important if your goals are to increase size and add muscle.

    It doesn't have to be HIGH protein though, just enough...the recommended amount is 1-1.5 grams of protein for every pound of lean muscle or if you don't know the lean muscle you have then just go with 1lb per pound of body weight. So you'd want around 120 grams per day.
  • decenag
    decenag Posts: 9 Member
    I have been lifting weights for 3 or 4 years now (long story). I think your personal trainer is doing the right thing. That lifting is just for beginner lifters so your body can get used to the weights. You will be very sore for a few weeks! At this point a high protein diet doesnt matter so much. If I were you I would be thinking of recovery supplements for now, well at least for the first 30 days. After the body gets used to weights, then you can worry about a higher protein diets as well as more reps, shorter rest time, faster reps, muscle confusion and a lot of sweating to tone out.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    From the information your provided, it sounds like you have a good trainer, you should consider yourself lucky.

    Protein intake is absolutely crucial when you lifting in a deficit, shoot for 120g a day, at least.

    As far as cardio, I'm a fan of an "as needed" approach, but listen to your trainer.
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
    Protein is very important.

    Cardio is optional for body composition. Needed for increasing cardiovascular endurance.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    From the information your provided, it sounds like you have a good trainer, you should consider yourself lucky.

    Protein intake is absolutely crucial when you lifting in a deficit, shoot for 120g a day, at least.

    As far as cardio, I'm a fan of an "as needed" approach, but listen to your trainer.

    Pretty much this. I'd add that you should take small steps though. Completely revamping your diet all at once can be brutal. Instead of trying to change everything whole hog, take small steps. Track your intake, and see ways that you can increase your protein and dietary fat intake while maintaining a deficit. Build up to it, and see how you're feeling with the changes.
  • Polparrot
    Polparrot Posts: 54 Member
    Sorry, no advice for you but am very impressed with having a personal trainer etc, good luck to ya x
  • Plates559
    Plates559 Posts: 869 Member
    Listen to your trainer.

    Protein is what muscles crave

    Find a cardio you like to do and do it as much as you feel like/ as much as your goals allow

    Do us weight lifters proud!
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    Protein is very important if you're strength training, and especially while you're in a deficit. It helps to repair your muscles, and you're less likely to lose muscle as you lose weight.

    You can definitely gain strength while eating in a deficit.

    It's unlikely you'll gain much, if any, actual muscle tissue while in a deficit though. You may look like you have though as you lower your body fat and reveal the muscle you already have.

    Do the cardio amount you feel comfortable with, and that isn't going to hinder your progress (too much can have a negative effect on strength and lifting) It's very useful for overall fitness, but not necessary for losing weight.
  • FatgutBgone
    FatgutBgone Posts: 73 Member
    I agree that protein is most important for building muscle. I drink a protein shake every morning that has low carbs. As long as you eat lean protein like fish chicken and lean meats and stick to high fiber carbs, you will build muscle and lose fat without losing much weight. This is what I have been doing for about 4 months now. I have only lost about 5 lbs., but I have almost doubled my strength. So don't worry about the scale as much as the body measurements and increased strength.

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