Will strength training slow my weight loss?

soldier4242

Before anyone says anything like "What does it matter what the scale says so long as you feel better and your looking better?" I would have to stop you because in my case it most certainly does matter what the scale says. I have started my journey out at 250 pounds. I am now down to 242. The army says that for my height if I want to be able to reenlist when my time is up I have to weigh 211 pounds or less. I have done the math and the fastest I can safely reach that weight by is April 5th.

I want to do some strength training as well because in the aftermath it will be very beneficial to have more muscle. Muscle will give me the ability to burn more fat. This would contribute to my overall health which is my goal. The question is can I still meet the April 5th deadline if I am packing on muscle? I know that I would be healthier overall even if I was 217 with muscle but 217 would still be a failed weigh in for the army. The real kicker to all of this is on top of passing my weigh in I have to pass my pushups, situps and run. Now the run is the only event I ever fail which I think losing the weight will help me with but building up my core muscles and my arm muscles will help me with the other two events. Is April 5th just too soon to lose this much weight by? Can I lose that much by then and still do strength training? Any productive input would be appreciated.

supplemama

you won't pack on muscle if you are eating at a deficit.

soldier4242

So will I still be able to improve at my pushups and situps and run while eating at a deficit?

Lozze

When's your reenlist date? (You said April 5th is the earliest date you can reach it safely)

I would continue doing the exercises you need to reenlist but not the heavy weights. Practise what you need until you get to your goal.

Hendrix7

So will I still be able to improve at my pushups and situps and run while eating at a deficit?

yes

In fact just losing weight would make you better at both even without gaining any real strength.

Shanel0916

bump

Crankstr

So will I still be able to improve at my pushups and situps and run while eating at a deficit?

yes

absolutely.

soldier4242

When's your reenlist date? (You said April 5th is the earliest date you can reach it safely)

I would continue doing the exercises you need to reenlist but not the heavy weights. Practise what you need until you get to your goal.

If I were to bring it down to the wire I would have to be below 211 pounds by the first weekend of June.

soldier4242

So will I still be able to improve at my pushups and situps and run while eating at a deficit?

yes

absolutely.

I confess to a little bit of confusion here. How can I improve at these three events while eating at a deficit if I can't pack on muscle at a deficit?

I am not saying I don't believe either of you but I thought I would have to be able to increase the amount of muscle I have to improve.

deksgrl

So will I still be able to improve at my pushups and situps and run while eating at a deficit?

yes

absolutely.

I confess to a little bit of confusion here. How can I improve at these three events while eating at a deficit if I can't pack on muscle at a deficit?

I am not saying I don't believe either of you but I thought I would have to be able to increase the amount of muscle I have to improve.

You are going to strengthen the muscles that you do have, not build new bigger ones. To bulk and add new muscle, you would have to eat at a surplus.

DavPul

What you need to pass basic is an increase in *strength*, not muscle size. People associate size with strength but they are only loosely connected.

By strength training in a deficit, you most certainly will be able to improve your performance by a lot.

By strength training in a deficit, you will have very little, if any, muscle mass gains so you don't have to worry about muscle weight keeping you from hitting your target.

By strength training in a deficit, you will increase the amount of fat lost while retaining the most amount of lean muscle mass. This is good not only because it will improve your physical appearance it will also improve your performance. Weight from fat just slows you down but muscle that you preserve will help you run, climb, push, pull, fight, and live.

LorinaLynn

I am not saying I don't believe either of you but I thought I would have to be able to increase the amount of muscle I have to improve.

Plus, the less you weigh, the easier the pushups, situps and running will be.

sijomial

Personal experience rather than science!
I've lost c. 25lbs this year and seen improvement in both cardio (running, cycling, rowing....) and strength in this time.
Strength improvement is roughly 20%.

Although my muscles aren't much more bulky I've certainly improved definition (mainly because they aren't covered in fat) and improved body composition (falling body fat). Strength training at a calorie deficit will at the least result in you retaining as much muscle bulk as possible. Bear in mind I'm only at a 1lb a week deficit though,

I assume my muscles are now leaner and more efficient - size alone isn't a measure of strength. My son doesn't carry much muscle but he lifts a surprising amount.

alpine1994

So will I still be able to improve at my pushups and situps and run while eating at a deficit?

yes

absolutely.

I confess to a little bit of confusion here. How can I improve at these three events while eating at a deficit if I can't pack on muscle at a deficit?

I am not saying I don't believe either of you but I thought I would have to be able to increase the amount of muscle I have to improve.

You are going to strengthen the muscles that you do have, not build new bigger ones. To bulk and add new muscle, you would have to eat at a surplus.

Exactly. I've lost 24 lbs so far and have greatly improved push ups, situps, chin ups (I can actually do a couple now!) and running endurance.

MommaKit79

What you need to pass basic is an increase in *strength*, not muscle size. People associate size with strength but they are only loosely connected.

By strength training in a deficit, you most certainly will be able to improve your performance by a lot.

By strength training in a deficit, you will have very little, if any, muscle mass gains so you don't have to worry about muscle weight keeping you from hitting your target.

By strength training in a deficit, you will increase the amount of fat lost while retaining the most amount of lean muscle mass. This is good not only because it will improve your physical appearance it will also improve your performance. Weight from fat just slows you down but muscle that you preserve will help you run, climb, push, pull, fight, and live.

^^^THIS^^^ PLUS, if you do like a C25K program or something like that, you will greatly improve on your running and be ready for the testing! Start getting your running in NOW and you will be able to do it all.

GOOD LUCK and THANK YOU for your service!!!

soldier4242

This is all making a lot more sense to me. Thanks a lot for clearing up the misconception I had with regard to building strength verse building muscle mass. I will do all that I can to reach my goal in time but even if I can't I will keep on pushing myself toward my goal weight of 185. At that point I will reevaluate my goals and see what I want to do from there. Perhaps I'll go past my goal weight and then start eating at a surplus so I can be a bit bigger but then it would be with muscle.

soldier4242

I realize it may be a bit of a faux pas to bump and ancient thread especially if it is your own thread and even more so if it is a double post but if you can forgive my trifecta of impertinence I do have a good intention.

The belief that getting stronger is the result of have larger muscles was a perception I had that was leading me down a wrong path. This thread is did a very good job of dispelling the myth that was blocking me and I wanted to give these good people voice again since I have seen other with the same thing in their way.

I have benefited great from the poster above me here and I plan to keep moving forward. If just one person benefits from this as I have I will consider it worth the bump.

deksgrl

Thanks for the update!

RGv2

The army says that for my height if I want to be able to reenlist when my time is up I have to weigh 211 pounds or less.

Who the "H" told you that?

If you meet PF% (tape), you can re-enlist above the weight for your age. I was 15lbs above weight for my age, but was in the single digits in PF%, I could have re-enlisted.

angryguy77

Yes because a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat.

kirkor

Are you going to make weight?

jmadams111

Personal experience rather than science!
I've lost c. 25lbs this year and seen improvement in both cardio (running, cycling, rowing....) and strength in this time.
Strength improvement is roughly 20%.

Although my muscles aren't much more bulky I've certainly improved definition (mainly because they aren't covered in fat) and improved body composition (falling body fat). Strength training at a calorie deficit will at the least result in you retaining as much muscle bulk as possible. Bear in mind I'm only at a 1lb a week deficit though,

I assume my muscles are now leaner and more efficient - size alone isn't a measure of strength. My son doesn't carry much muscle but he lifts a surprising amount.

Same here, been alternating strength training with cardio at the same time as reducing caloric intake; in the last 11 months have lost 80 lbs, lost 2 -3 shirt/pant sizes, increased stamina 2 -3 times and increased strength significantly.

Good luck and thank you for your service!

BinaryCortex

I realize it may be a bit of a faux pas to bump and ancient thread especially if it is your own thread and even more so if it is a double post but if you can forgive my trifecta of impertinence I do have a good intention.

The belief that getting stronger is the result of have larger muscles was a perception I had that was leading me down a wrong path. This thread is did a very good job of dispelling the myth that was blocking me and I wanted to give these good people voice again since I have seen other with the same thing in their way.

I have benefited great from the poster above me here and I plan to keep moving forward. If just one person benefits from this as I have I will consider it worth the bump.

I am curious. Are you close to making your goal for re-enlisting? Also, thank you for your service.

BinaryCortex

Yes because a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat.

Wait, What? I think you mean that a pound of muscle is smaller than a pound of fat, because 1 = 1.

DavPul

I realize it may be a bit of a faux pas to bump and ancient thread especially if it is your own thread and even more so if it is a double post but if you can forgive my trifecta of impertinence I do have a good intention.

The belief that getting stronger is the result of have larger muscles was a perception I had that was leading me down a wrong path. This thread is did a very good job of dispelling the myth that was blocking me and I wanted to give these good people voice again since I have seen other with the same thing in their way.

I have benefited great from the poster above me here and I plan to keep moving forward. If just one person benefits from this as I have I will consider it worth the bump.

Not a faux pas at all. Glad you came back with the update, and glad the information helped you. Good luck with everything.

igottaworkout

Here is a great article about it: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/cardio-vs-strength-training-workouts

I personally did a combo of both with Jillian Michaels workouts.. it was the quickest I've ever lost weight, 24lb in 2.5 months. 30 day shred every day, then ripped in 30. I was planning on 6 week 6pack but found out I was pregnant so I have to put things on hold for another 3-4 months and then I plan on restarting with 30 day shred again

Oh, and sorry I didn't realize this was an old thread.. good luck with everything!!

meeper123

So will I still be able to improve at my pushups and situps and run while eating at a deficit?

I would def think it would stronger muscles can do more than weak ones

meeper123

I realize it may be a bit of a faux pas to bump and ancient thread especially if it is your own thread and even more so if it is a double post but if you can forgive my trifecta of impertinence I do have a good intention.

The belief that getting stronger is the result of have larger muscles was a perception I had that was leading me down a wrong path. This thread is did a very good job of dispelling the myth that was blocking me and I wanted to give these good people voice again since I have seen other with the same thing in their way.

I have benefited great from the poster above me here and I plan to keep moving forward. If just one person benefits from this as I have I will consider it worth the bump.

Glad it worked!!

IIISpartacusIII

Before anyone says anything like "What does it matter what the scale says so long as you feel better and your looking better?" I would have to stop you because in my case it most certainly does matter what the scale says. I have started my journey out at 250 pounds. I am now down to 242. The army says that for my height if I want to be able to reenlist when my time is up I have to weigh 211 pounds or less. I have done the math and the fastest I can safely reach that weight by is April 5th.

I want to do some strength training as well because in the aftermath it will be very beneficial to have more muscle. Muscle will give me the ability to burn more fat. This would contribute to my overall health which is my goal. The question is can I still meet the April 5th deadline if I am packing on muscle? I know that I would be healthier overall even if I was 217 with muscle but 217 would still be a failed weigh in for the army. The real kicker to all of this is on top of passing my weigh in I have to pass my pushups, situps and run. Now the run is the only event I ever fail which I think losing the weight will help me with but building up my core muscles and my arm muscles will help me with the other two events. Is April 5th just too soon to lose this much weight by? Can I lose that much by then and still do strength training? Any productive input would be appreciated.

My brother's in the Army. He's 6 foot 1 and at one point weighed in at about 280-290. Before he even officially enlisted he used strength training, cardio and of course diet to drop down to about 220. In boot camp he dropped down to about 209. Every since then (about 3 yrs) he's been under 220 though he's extremely lean at that weight now. Occasionally he'll get under 210 and he does this while strength training 5 days a week and whatever cardio he's "required" to perform for PT, etc. Keeping his weight down has been fairly easy now that he's carrying around a significant amount of lean body mass. The more lean body mass you have the higher your BMR since you burn more calories at rest.

soldier4242

I realize it may be a bit of a faux pas to bump and ancient thread especially if it is your own thread and even more so if it is a double post but if you can forgive my trifecta of impertinence I do have a good intention.

The belief that getting stronger is the result of have larger muscles was a perception I had that was leading me down a wrong path. This thread is did a very good job of dispelling the myth that was blocking me and I wanted to give these good people voice again since I have seen other with the same thing in their way.

I have benefited great from the poster above me here and I plan to keep moving forward. If just one person benefits from this as I have I will consider it worth the bump.

Not a faux pas at all. Glad you came back with the update, and glad the information helped you. Good luck with everything.

Well I am glad you are still around to hear the update. I am stronger now than I have been in a long time. I am getting in better shape by the day and I am doing it all at a deficit.

To those that are curious I am actually on target to meet the height and weight standards in time. Due to some recent changes in my life I may take a break in service but I am still going to try and pass this test either way.

In addition to all the pushups situps and running I am lifting heavy weights. I try to keep all of my calories as quality calories. This means that as long as I am keep up with my workouts the occasional surplus isn't so bad for me. Yeah it might slow down my decent on the scale but most of my weight gains are muscle and most of my losses are fat. The only way to make that true is to keep consistent with the workouts and keep the calories quality. You can have that extra piece of fish or chicken. Just don't have a cake and a 32oz soda.

As pointed out in this thread that BF% is actually the most important thing even in the army. Sure they talk about 211 being my max weight but what they really want is for me to pass my test and have a low BF%. I was told this by a SFC in retention that is pretty much straight from the horses mouth.

I can't begin to express just how thankful I am to be free from my old perceptions. You don't have to have huge muscles to be strong. i am able to move 100lbs more than when i started(started out benching 135, I now bench 235) and I am only a little bit bigger than when I started. MFP is a great site with a wonderful community.

RGv2

I realize it may be a bit of a faux pas to bump and ancient thread especially if it is your own thread and even more so if it is a double post but if you can forgive my trifecta of impertinence I do have a good intention.

The belief that getting stronger is the result of have larger muscles was a perception I had that was leading me down a wrong path. This thread is did a very good job of dispelling the myth that was blocking me and I wanted to give these good people voice again since I have seen other with the same thing in their way.

I have benefited great from the poster above me here and I plan to keep moving forward. If just one person benefits from this as I have I will consider it worth the bump.

Not a faux pas at all. Glad you came back with the update, and glad the information helped you. Good luck with everything.

Well I am glad you are still around to hear the update. I am stronger now than I have been in a long time. I am getting in better shape by the day and I am doing it all at a deficit.

To those that are curious I am actually on target to meet the height and weight standards in time. Due to some recent changes in my life I may take a break in service but I am still going to try and pass this test either way.

In addition to all the pushups situps and running I am lifting heavy weights. I try to keep all of my calories as quality calories. This means that as long as I am keep up with my workouts the occasional surplus isn't so bad for me. Yeah it might slow down my decent on the scale but most of my weight gains are muscle and most of my losses are fat. The only way to make that true is to keep consistent with the workouts and keep the calories quality. You can have that extra piece of fish or chicken. Just don't have a cake and a 32oz soda.

As pointed out in this thread that BF% is actually the most important thing even in the army. Sure they talk about 211 being my max weight but what they really want is for me to pass my test and have a low BF%. I was told this by a SFC in retention that is pretty much straight from the horses mouth.

I can't begin to express just how thankful I am to be free from my old perceptions. You don't have to have huge muscles to be strong. i am able to move 100lbs more than when i started(started out benching 135, I now bench 235) and I am only a little bit bigger than when I started. MFP is a great site with a wonderful community.

I was in retention....that's why I stated it's the PT Test and BF% that matters.

For many people the Army Height/Weight standard is borderline impossible to meet. They'd cut 1/2 of the 300 scorers on the APFT if one of the re-enlistment standards was strictly weight.

Congrats.