strength training

Arwaxx

hello everyone,
info about me:
height: 160 c
weight: 78.4 KG
age: 23
small goal weight: 70 KG

so basically im on a 1500-1600 calories intake
and try to go to the gym 3-5 x a week

i mostly do cardio because my Body fat % is pretty high.
as for strength training, i do small sets on those weights machines nothing big.

do i have to focus on weight lifting more if i want to reduce my body fat? or how does it work exactly..
or mix both but spend more time on weights

advices please

ninerbuff

hello everyone,
info about me:
height: 160 c
weight: 78.4 KG
age: 23
small goal weight: 70 KG

so basically im on a 1500-1600 calories intake
and try to go to the gym 3-5 x a week

i mostly do cardio because my Body fat % is pretty high.
as for strength training, i do small sets on those weights machines nothing big.

do i have to focus on weight lifting more if i want to reduce my body fat? or how does it work exactly..
or mix both but spend more time on weights

advices please

Be consistent with your workout and food intake and the weight will come off.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

R0asted

Sorry if this is obvious but are you a man or a woman? Those are some mightly low cals if your'e a man. Looks about right for a woman though.

But anyways, this depends on the type of phsique you are going for. Do you want to have some muscle once you reach your target weight or do you want to look super skinny and boney like a marathon runner? If you want some muscle to show or have some curves as a woman (rounder *kitten*, etc.), than yes, you should do more resistance training. If not, than stick to mostly just cardio.

The point of resistance training while dieting down is to tell your body that you need the muscle mass you currently have and to not burn it for energy when you're loosing weight. Without reistance training (and adequate protein in your diet) your body will burn a bit of muscle along with the fat as you're loosing weight. Cardio still stimulates your muscles a bit (mostly fast twitch fibers) so it's enough to keep some muscle, but not much.

R0asted

K, scratch the man comment, I clicked on your profile and it says female.

meshashesha2012

look up strong lifts, starting strength and new rules of lifting for women.

all 3 are great beginner's programs for strength training and will help your body retain as much lean body mass as possible while you lose weight. weight training combined with moderate cardio and moderate calorie deficit will have you burning mostly fat which means that you'll see more of a change in your inch loss and how your clothes fit than necessarily on the scale

Arwaxx

okay i get it.. i dont want to be too muscley and not boney.. ill do 70% cardio and 30% strength.

bascially, all i do is use the weight machines and do small sets till i feel the shaky feeling when lifting lol.

thank u all x

katy_trail

don't worry about building too much muscle. women can't build muscle like men without taking steroids.
so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when you're just doing everyday stuff.
sleeping, working at your desk, and so on. we can't do cardio all day. cardio burns cals during the workout,
but muscle burns 24/7.

also, doing strength training shapes your body. doing squats gives you curves in all the right places

R0asted

don't worry about building too much muscle. women can't build muscle like men without taking steroids.
so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when you're just doing everyday stuff.
sleeping, working at your desk, and so on. we can't do cardio all day. cardio burns cals during the workout,
but muscle burns 24/7.

also, doing strength training shapes your body. doing squats gives you curves in all the right places

This

Most woman have to literally BUST their *kitten* like crazy to get any sort of muscular development. I'm talking about YEARS of lifting balls out. Even than, the limit is not that high without steroids for women. IMHO, it's pretty much impossible for a woman to get "too muscular" without roiding.

jacksonpt

a balanced/well rounded diet + a balanced/well rounded exercise routine + lots and lots of patience

TavistockToad

okay i get it.. i dont want to be too muscley and not boney.. ill do 70% cardio and 30% strength.

bascially, all i do is use the weight machines and do small sets till i feel the shaky feeling when lifting lol.

thank u all x

i would try 70% strength, 30% cardio... and lift HEAVY!

sullykat

I started weight training in the spring and it changed my body completely! I always thought that certain people have a certain physique and other people don't have that physique… I didn't think I could ever achieve the physique I admired. I haven't got it completely yet, but it's coming!!! Try it out, you never know what you can achieve! Can't hurt to try more.

Arwaxx

what i am confused is which machines to use...
everything i read online is the ones u use free weights and create work outs.

is using the machines as effective as creating work outs?

bdamaster60

what i am confused is which machines to use...
everything i read online is the ones u use free weights and create work outs.

is using the machines as effective as creating work outs?

Alternate between both. Machine's are good for isolation of muscle groups. Free weights typically require the use of stabilizing muscles. With the two, you stimulate your muscles in different angles, you're doing yourself a disadvantage if you're not utilizing both IMO.

Arwaxx

I was thinking the same. i will mix between both and i have already saved work out to do with free weights..

thanks!

sarahrbraun

what i am confused is which machines to use...
everything i read online is the ones u use free weights and create work outs.

is using the machines as effective as creating work outs?

If you are that unsure, it might be a good idea to hire a personal trainer for a session or two to create a plan for you.

I started out with 85 pounds to lose, and I started with strength training after about 2 weeks. I used the regular machines for probably 7 months, then I switched to the cable machines...in the last few months I have started to incorporate some HEAVY free weights into my routine ( squats with a barbell that weighs over 100 lbs, leg pressing over 200lbs, etc)


gray top pics by crochetmom2010, on Flickr

this is what weight training does for a woman. The picture on the left is several years ago. I was wearing size 16/18 pants and a 42DD bra. I went on to gain another 30 pounds or so before I started losing weight the picture on the right is about 6 weeks ago, basically the same weight as on the left. I am wearing the same top...but a size 38C bra, and 12/14 shorts.


sept-dec by crochetmom2010, on Flickr

this is a series of pictures taken September, November and December 2012. there is only about a 4.5 lb difference between the right and left picture! 4x a week I did no more than 30 min of cardio...except the week after I hurt my leg where I did NO cardio.

jacksonpt

what i am confused is which machines to use...
everything i read online is the ones u use free weights and create work outs.

is using the machines as effective as creating work outs?

Stop reading, start doing.

Yes, free weights are generally better as they work more muscles, but either will work. Free weights are 20% better than machines, but machines are 10000% better than doing nothing.

Worry less about what you are doing and more about how hard you are doing it. Find something you can do, are comfortable doing (safely), and think you can stick with long term. Then go at it 100% - no halfassing it.

Arwaxx

what i am confused is which machines to use...
everything i read online is the ones u use free weights and create work outs.

is using the machines as effective as creating work outs?

If you are that unsure, it might be a good idea to hire a personal trainer for a session or two to create a plan for you.

I started out with 85 pounds to lose, and I started with strength training after about 2 weeks. I used the regular machines for probably 7 months, then I switched to the cable machines...in the last few months I have started to incorporate some HEAVY free weights into my routine ( squats with a barbell that weighs over 100 lbs, leg pressing over 200lbs, etc)


gray top pics by crochetmom2010, on Flickr

this is what weight training does for a woman. The picture on the left is several years ago. I was wearing size 16/18 pants and a 42DD bra. I went on to gain another 30 pounds or so before I started losing weight the picture on the right is about 6 weeks ago, basically the same weight as on the left. I am wearing the same top...but a size 38C bra, and 12/14 shorts.


sept-dec by crochetmom2010, on Flickr

this is a series of pictures taken September, November and December 2012. there is only about a 4.5 lb difference between the right and left picture! 4x a week I did no more than 30 min of cardio...except the week after I hurt my leg where I did NO cardio.

omg thats SO amazing!!! so strength training is what i should be focusing on!! but i heard that u build a layer of muscle on top of the fat, which makes u look EVEN bigger. has anyone heard that?


but amazing loss!! huge change

Sarauk2sf

omg thats SO amazing!!! so strength training is what i should be focusing on!! but i heard that u build a layer of muscle on top of the fat, which makes u look EVEN bigger. has anyone heard that?


but amazing loss!! huge change

Subcutaneous fat sits on top of muscle. You will not gain any appreciable muscle and the small amount you do will be more than offset with the fat losses you get from a caloric deficit.

jenilla1

I did mostly cardio until I got my body fat % down to where I wanted it. Now, I am focused more on weight training and I am really enjoying the results. (I still do my cardio because it feels good and it's good for my heart.)

But don't wait to do weights on my account. Start now if you'd like. You might not visually see much definition from doing weights if you still have a lot of fat to lose, but you will feel stronger and it should boost your metabolism and keep you from losing lean mass while you are eating at a deficit.

Lots of people have success doing all sorts of combinations - all weights, all cardio, half and half, 60/40, 90/10, etc...I like a combination of weights and cardio personally. It's the best of both worlds to me. Have fun!

Markguns

Sounds like you need to get a trainer for about 3 sessions.... If you don't, I'd say get yourself setup on a machine circuit 3 days a week & 20-30 min cardio the other 2. Running the circuit is strength & cardio both. Do a search for "circuit training for women". One site with a lot of references is this: Circuit Training Routines For Women LIVESTRONG.COM Once you get comfortable and stronger then you can look at moving to some free weights, I say do circuit for about 2-3 months. Stay Strong! :bigsmile: