Is there a point to lifting weights?

dobenjam

Muscle is wasted as a resource for the body if it is not being used. It consumes calories. The body thinks in a survival sense. When dieting it gets rid of the reserves that will stop keep it alive, those that use precious energy - it doesn't know about the supermarkets, it simply wants to survive when food is scarce.

The body will catabolize the muscle so you can exist on less energy. Which is good.

But then! It means you have to eat less for you to avoid any weight gain. As soon as you stop dieting, you will also find your basic metabolic rate will be lower as you have less lean mass consuming calories and so you will find you will put on weight much easier than before - again the body wants to have good levels of body fat, it wants to survive.

Lifting tells the body muscle is required. It burns more energy existing meaning you get to eat more. You also utilize energy lifting, again allowing you to eat more. Finally when you hit your goal, you can eat more without fat gain as your basic metabolic rate, whilst lower than originally, will be higher than with less lean body mass.

I hope this makes sense to you?

This makes perfect sense. Thank you for the explanation. And I think I'll start upping my bodyweight exercises to increase strength. I'm committed to cardio because I love running and I'm training for different races throughout the year. I think Yoga/bodyweight exercise will keep my muscles toned, build strength, and build muscle when I start upping calories. I just have to make sure to engage all of my muscle groups where I'm currently only doing bodyweight squats, push-ups, and crunches.

holliwood97

I agree with the others. You might get smaller, but you won't get toned or defined. Body transformation is a lot more than just "losing weight". Its about a change in body composition. I've seen big pear shaped people lose weight through nothing but low calories and cardio. But they ended up looking like smaller pears.

OMG this made me laugh out loud. haha so true!!! Lift weights. !!

JingleMuffin

lifting is nice because you'll burn cals all day even after your workout, a higher rate than if you just did cardio.

bpotts44

As a dude asthetically men look better with muscle tone (take it from a woman...skinny guys aren't so hot). Not to mention it is great for your health.

It is never too early to start weight training, even if it is only 2 days a week to start.

Trust me, I'm no where near skinny yet, so there is no danger of that. I plan on lifting eventually and I actually do bodyweight exercises to try and "maintain" what I have, but is there a point to actual lifting yet? Since you can't build muscle anyway with a calorie deficit?

I incorporated lifting and it has made my loss more consistent; however, if you are just looking to lose fat you'll probably be okay as long as your cardio isn't extreme and you do the body weight exercises and eat protein.

dobenjam

And here lies the problem: the only way you can gain muscle WHILE losing fat is if you lift weights on a caloric deficit. But that's not an optimal for muscle gains because lack of food harms your muscle recovery.

Strong lifts

http://stronglifts.com/4-ways-gain-muscle-while-losing-fat/

Good info, thanks for sharing!

emancipateurself

I don't get why you can't build muscle well losing weight. I mean I know people eat more when they are bulking up but strength training well on a calorie deficit can still build muscle. It's worked for me anyway.
Losing weight is all good with just calories and cardio. However your body 'shape' won't necessarily change just get smaller.
But I'm in love with lifting so I'm baised.
Hope you find out whatever works best for you.

elainecroft

Well 90% of the people on this site and other researchers say you can't build muscle while at a calorie deficit. Some disagree, I''m not sure. That's really the point of the question because if they believe you can't build muscle, then why try to lift if you can't while at a deficit. You can get stronger without building muscle, I get that, but I don't really care about getting stronger. I do eventually want to get toned, and I'll always do cardio.

90% of people are wrong, or you are mis-interpreting what they are trying to say. You may not be able to get huge muscles on a calorie deficit, but you can certainly build muscles and get stronger. Your body learns by what you do to it - so if it thinks you are going to be lifting heavy objects often, it will build muscle. It doesn't say "nope, tough luck, you need to eat 1000 calories before i do that" Granted, there are exceptions, but as a general rule your body will adapt to its surroundings.

Capt_Apollo

Well 90% of the people on this site and other researchers say you can't build muscle while at a calorie deficit. Some disagree, I''m not sure. That's really the point of the question because if they believe you can't build muscle, then why try to lift if you can't while at a deficit. You can get stronger without building muscle, I get that, but I don't really care about getting stronger. I do eventually want to get toned, and I'll always do cardio.

90% of people are wrong, or you are mis-interpreting what they are trying to say. You may not be able to get huge muscles on a calorie deficit, but you can certainly build muscles and get stronger. Your body learns by what you do to it - so if it thinks you are going to be lifting heavy objects often, it will build muscle. It doesn't say "nope, tough luck, you need to eat 1000 calories before i do that" Granted, there are exceptions, but as a general rule your body will adapt to its surroundings.

this

sullus

...
Since you can't build muscle anyway with a calorie deficit?

You mentioned this twice. it's patently false. You absolutely can build muscle with a calorie deficit. I've been eating a deficit for over a year, and strength training. Based on ultrasounds and continued monitoring, my lean body mass has increased 15 lbs while I've lost almost 75.

ninerbuff

Not if you're just trying to lose weight. Heck, you don't even have to exercise to do it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

butterfli7o

As a dude asthetically men look better with muscle tone (take it from a woman...skinny guys aren't so hot).

^^This!! Why in the world would a man NOT want to lift??

taso42

"Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general." -Mark Rippetoe

micabrito2012

"Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general." -Mark Rippetoe

Maybe if you get punched by a strong person! But hit the right part of the body weak or strong you are dead!

dobenjam

As a dude asthetically men look better with muscle tone (take it from a woman...skinny guys aren't so hot).

^^This!! Why in the world would a man NOT want to lift??

Mainly because I find it mind numbingly boring personally. Bodyweight exercises aren't so bad, but I find weights dreadful. And it seems that bodyweight exercises are all you need to build muscle, definition, and strength.

EvanKeel

As a dude asthetically men look better with muscle tone (take it from a woman...skinny guys aren't so hot).

^^This!! Why in the world would a man NOT want to lift??

Mainly because I find it mind numbingly boring personally. Bodyweight exercises aren't so bad, but I find weights dreadful. And it seems that bodyweight exercises are all you need to build muscle, definition, and strength.

Did you post that you'd rather not lift weights originally? If not, then it's kind of a waste of time to ask what the benefits are. It sounds like the real question you want an answer to is: Do the benefits of lifting weights make it worth doing something I don't enjoy? Obviously no one can answer that question for you. I will say that if you describe lifting weights as dreadful, then I doubt that weight training will be sustainable for you--making the proposed results unattainable.

Lift weights or don't. There is no guarantee of desired results of any particular method before trying it.

IronPlayground

I don't get why you can't build muscle well losing weight. I mean I know people eat more when they are bulking up but strength training well on a calorie deficit can still build muscle. It's worked for me anyway.
Losing weight is all good with just calories and cardio. However your body 'shape' won't necessarily change just get smaller.
But I'm in love with lifting so I'm baised.
Hope you find out whatever works best for you.

Because calories are a unit of energy. If you are at a deficit, then there is no leftover energy to build additional muscle.

CorvusCorax77

i heard its good for you, preserves muscle as you lose weight, and can protect your joints that you use tons while doing your cardio.

Could be legit.

CorvusCorax77

As a dude asthetically men look better with muscle tone (take it from a woman...skinny guys aren't so hot).

^^This!! Why in the world would a man NOT want to lift??

I'm sorry but the "skinny guys aren't so hot" "from a girl" bit es no bueno with me. I have fallen in love with several "skinny dudes"....and I'm not into body shaming anyone...especially the men I have known and loved.

LoraF83

Didn't read everything, but just wanted to say that yes, there is a point.

I weigh 182lbs. I'm a size 12. And I look awesome (if I do say so myself). I'm tight and "toned" instead of jiggly and loose. I have curves I've never had before. And I'm strong as *kitten*. That's pretty awesome, in my opinion.

I lift heavy weights. I also run and take spin classes. But I didn't start looking smaller than I actually was untill I started picking things up and putting them down.

LoraF83

"Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general." -Mark Rippetoe

I have this on a tshirt :bigsmile: