Should I lose fat before weight training?
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Don't wait! Everyone I have seen on here that says they waited ended up regretting it! Some people would rather "lose weight," even if they lose muscle in the process. Like one poster said, "Why do twice the work?" If you are planning to begin weight training at some point, then there's no time like the present. Combining a good routine of weights and cardio promotes fat burning while maintaining muscle. Some of the well-respected male bodybuilders on MFP have also stated that beginning lifting when your are obese is actually a unique time to make huge gains in strength and even potentially gain muscle mass *while* burning fat.0
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Also, if I am wanting to gain muscle, how do I do this while on a calorie deficit?
Or do I change this and eat more but workout/lift more?0 -
bump0
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Doing weights help to burn fat faster
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Also, if I am wanting to gain muscle, how do I do this while on a calorie deficit?
Or do I change this and eat more but workout/lift more?
You don't is the short answer. Gaining muscle generally requires a caloric surplus. There are a few exception. You can gain, a couple of pounds tops, of muscle mass if you are new to lifting. Called Newbie gains. Also, if you have a lot to lose, you can go to a very slight deficit, 200 or 300 calories and your body will supply the excess energy needed from fat stores. In both scenarios, adequate protein is key and the window for building muscle is fairly small. Maybe a few months?0 -
You don't is the short answer. Gaining muscle generally requires a caloric surplus. There are a few exception. You can gain, a couple of pounds tops, of muscle mass if you are new to lifting. Called Newbie gains. Also, if you have a lot to lose, you can go to a very slight deficit, 200 or 300 calories and your body will supply the excess energy needed from fat stores. In both scenarios, adequate protein is key and the window for building muscle is fairly small. Maybe a few months?
This is all very confusing for me haha, I hope I catch on soon!
So once I start lifting should I start eating more calories? I only have about a stone to lose and would be doing cardio along with weights anyway.
Hopefully I will get more answers from NROLFW too. Calories and protein still confuse me!0 -
You don't is the short answer. Gaining muscle generally requires a caloric surplus. There are a few exception. You can gain, a couple of pounds tops, of muscle mass if you are new to lifting. Called Newbie gains. Also, if you have a lot to lose, you can go to a very slight deficit, 200 or 300 calories and your body will supply the excess energy needed from fat stores. In both scenarios, adequate protein is key and the window for building muscle is fairly small. Maybe a few months?
This is all very confusing for me haha, I hope I catch on soon!
So once I start lifting should I start eating more calories? I only have about a stone to lose and would be doing cardio along with weights anyway.
Hopefully I will get more answers from NROLFW too. Calories and protein still confuse me!
It's all about your priorities. If adding muscle is a priority, as in causing the muscles to get bigger, then you need to eat at a surplus and you will not lose the rest of the weight while doing that.
If you want to develop and preserve the muscle you have and lose the rest to get to goal, set up to lose 1/2 pound per week, and do your strength training along with whatever cardio you like. The loss will be slow, but you don't have much to go and you will develop the muscle tissue you have quite nicely while slowly losing the last few pounds.
I hope that helps!0 -
When I first started slim in 6 I lost 50 lbs went from size 26 to a size 16 and some pants size 18 I could ware xl shirts! Then I quit and gained it all back I thought I would be a size 26 again but slim in 6 was losing weight and weights and toning it was everything in one I loved it I found muscles and curves I never knew I had so it proves weight training and cardio r best to do now the results will be better in the long run!0
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THANK YOU!Hi, It depends on what you want. I prefer to lose the weight then tone up. I know a lot of people who are overweight and hit the gym- they not only lose weight but gain muscle too. Don't over do the weights - you don't want to look masculine !
This is ridiculous. Women don't have enough testosterone to look "masculine" by lifting weights. Unless you're shooting hormones, this isn't a problem.0 -
Also, if I am wanting to gain muscle, how do I do this while on a calorie deficit?
Or do I change this and eat more but workout/lift more?
You will gain strength and firm your muscles.0 -
Yup, both! Incorporating weights into my cardio regime fairly early on saved me a lot of loose skin, I think.0
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THIS IS A REPLY TO - MMAPAGS - This poor girl wanted advice about going to the GYM!
She should work out - get rid of the weight - then hit weights.
Women should never over do it on the weights, women should always look feminine!0 -
THIS IS A REPLY TO - MMAPAGS - This poor girl wanted advice about going to the GYM!
She should work out - get rid of the weight - then hit weights.
Women should never over do it on the weights, women should always look feminine!
Oh my goodness! This is so ridiculous that there is no response nessesary.0 -
THIS IS A REPLY TO - MMAPAGS - This poor girl wanted advice about going to the GYM!
She should work out - get rid of the weight - then hit weights.
Women should never over do it on the weights, women should always look feminine!
That is absolute drivel.0 -
THIS IS A REPLY TO - MMAPAGS - This poor girl wanted advice about going to the GYM!
She should work out - get rid of the weight - then hit weights.
Women should never over do it on the weights, women should always look feminine!
the best femenine looking sexy bodies in the world.. lift (relatively) heavy weights.0 -
Give it up now dear - you are making yourself look silly
ETA: responses to posts that get removed make the response look like they are insulting the OP - I wish they wouldn't do that! My response was to someone calling women that lifted manly.0 -
OP - start lifting as soon as possible.0
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THIS IS A REPLY TO - MMAPAGS - This poor girl wanted advice about going to the GYM!
She should work out - get rid of the weight - then hit weights.
Women should never over do it on the weights, women should always look feminine!
Whoa, there.
OP said she admires women with muscles. She (and a lot of other people) obviously think women with muscles look feminine. I'm sorry that you do not but that is your opinion.
To the OP, definitely start lifting now. It preserves muscle as you lose weight. You'll end up at a better place than you would if you wanted to lose fat first. I usually recommend StrongLifts 5x5 for newbies.0 -
Give it up now dear - you are making yourself look silly
Ya think??0 -
I will be losing fat first. I hear from this site that you should start now, but all of the weight lifting success stories i read they lost their fat THEN started training. I would love to see results from women that did it from day 1.Hi!
I am re-joining the gym tomorrow and am wanting to start weight lifting. I have always admired women with strong muscular bodies and want to become one!
However I am unsure whether to stick to cardio first to lose fat and then start weight training, or can I combine cardio and weight training? Will my body still come out looking the same?
Thanks in advance for any advice, I am a newbie when it comes to weights!0 -
Hi, It depends on what you want. I prefer to lose the weight then tone up. I know a lot of people who are overweight and hit the gym- they not only lose weight but gain muscle too. Don't over do the weights - you don't want to look masculine !
Women don't have the needed testosterone levels to bulk up like men do. The women bodybuilders have worked EXTREMELY HARD to look the way they do.0 -
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHATHIS IS A REPLY TO - MMAPAGS - This poor girl wanted advice about going to the GYM!
She should work out - get rid of the weight - then hit weights.
Women should never over do it on the weights, women should always look feminine!0 -
THIS IS A REPLY TO - MMAPAGS - This poor girl wanted advice about going to the GYM!
She should work out - get rid of the weight - then hit weights.
Women should never over do it on the weights, women should always look feminine!
I don't suppose you would care to post a picture showing your physique?0 -
Hi, It depends on what you want. I prefer to lose the weight then tone up. I know a lot of people who are overweight and hit the gym- they not only lose weight but gain muscle too.
That's what I'm doing. Cutting down just a few more pounds of fat, then I'm going to join a gym and tome up everywhere. I can't afford a gym right this minute anyways, so it works out. 0 -
Weights & cardio together. Lift first then do cardio after to burn out your glycogen stores completely and burn fat.
Lifting will tone your muscle and help retain lean muscle mass. As you lose fat your physique will be waiting underneath.
Make sure you hit each muscle group once per week. Start slow and progress. Enjoy it.0 -
THIS IS A REPLY TO - MMAPAGS - This poor girl wanted advice about going to the GYM!
She should work out - get rid of the weight - then hit weights.
Women should never over do it on the weights, women should always look feminine!
Oh dear.
I should go inform my husband that I look like a man.....he'll be so disappointed. Better go take him to have his eyesight checked too.0 -
Weights & cardio together. Lift first then do cardio after to burn out your glycogen stores completely and burn fat.
Lifting will tone your muscle and help retain lean muscle mass. As you lose fat your physique will be waiting underneath.
Make sure you hit each muscle group once per week. Start slow and progress. Enjoy it.
I can so agree with doing cardio after lifting. I'll typically do 10-15 minutes on either an arc trainer or treadmill to warm up, bust out the free weights (doing Stronglifts here and freaking LOVING it), then follow up with another 30-60 minutes on the treadmill. The cardio after takes a bit more effort, but the effect has been noticeable.
I eat a calorie deficit, still do weights and cardio. I already looked like a dude, so I can't comment on lifting making you look like a man.0 -
It sounds like you want to do weights. After the first reply that suggested so you were happy and seemed ready to run out and do them.
I think most people should do cardio, weights or both. IT should be based on what you want to do, what keeps you active and committed.
For me cardio has been a great asset for me in losing the 62 pounds I have so far. Lifting will only be used to tone, my choice is to not become overly muscular. But that is me, everyone needs to decide the body type they want and the activity that they will stick with to get there.0 -
NO START NOW0
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Start yesterday.
And, kudos to you girl! Good luck! :flowerforyou:0
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