How did building muscle effect your weight?

MeIShouldB

I hit a plateau about every 10 pounds. I hit one at 200 and now I'm hitting one early at 194. I'm thinking maybe it is because of my lifting. How did your lifting affect the scale? Did it go up and/or level off as u built muscle and then fall back down as more fat was being burned?

katy_trail

throw out your scale with constant fluctuations even more pronounced with lifting, it's useless.
use measuring tape.

MeIShouldB

throw out your scale with constant fluctuations even more pronounced with lifting, it's useless.
use measuring tape.

I think that would drive me nuts. I've gotten so used to being proud of how many pounds I've lost. And not knowing...UGH!

mperrott2205

throw out your scale with constant fluctuations even more pronounced with lifting, it's useless.
use measuring tape.

I think that would drive me nuts. I've gotten so used to being proud of how many pounds I've lost. And not knowing...UGH!

Scales are useless when lifting. You're body will retain water when trying to repair muscles so your weight will fluctuate all the time.

Katy is right, chuck the scales are stick to tape measure.

Iron_Lotus

I never weigh when lifting, inches are what I look at.

default

If you are trying to build muscle and doing that correctly, your weight should be going up.

It's impossible to tell what you're doing without knowing more information, such as your BF%, goals, current workout, goals, etc..

tinak33

throw out your scale with constant fluctuations even more pronounced with lifting, it's useless.
use measuring tape.

I think that would drive me nuts. I've gotten so used to being proud of how many pounds I've lost. And not knowing...UGH!

I am lifting. I still weigh myself, but I do measurements too. I like to see ALL the numbers, even if the scale is inaccurate and doing weird fluctuations from lifting. haha
I know everyone says to chuck the scale, but I can't do that yet. Plus it's a pretty orange color.

MeIShouldB

If you are trying to build muscle and doing that correctly, your weight should be going up.

It's impossible to tell what you're doing without knowing more information, such as your BF%, goals, current workout, goals, etc..

Dont know my BF number. I lift 2 days per week. Although 2 weeks ago, because I had access, I did it everyday. But normally 5 days is cardio (treadmill, eliptical, Jillian) Then weekends it's 40 minutes cardio and legs one day and cardio and arms the other day.

default

If you are serious about bulking (building muscle) you would want to increase your weights, increase your calories/day and decrease the cardio

What you're doing now is more weight loss orientated.

If you want to bulk, check out mark rippletoe's "starting strength" or his sections on bodybuilding.com.

EDIT: I should say check out sections devoted to his type of programs, it's a beginners bulking program.

MeIShouldB

If you are serious about bulking (building muscle) you would want to increase your weights, increase your calories/day and decrease the cardio

What you're doing now is more weight loss orientated.

If you want to bulk, check out mark rippletoe's "starting strength" or his sections on bodybuilding.com.

I don't want to bulk. I want to lose weight and tone.

bostonwolf

throw out your scale with constant fluctuations even more pronounced with lifting, it's useless.
use measuring tape.

I think that would drive me nuts. I've gotten so used to being proud of how many pounds I've lost. And not knowing...UGH!

Then do both, but a measuring tape should be part of the equation. Every month or so I measure around both arms at the biceps, waist at the belly button, hips, and both thighs.

Sometimes when your weight hasn't changed, your body composition has and those measurements will change. It helps keep you focused on the bigger picture and not solely your weight, which is counterproductive.

If you gain a pound next week but it's because you lost a pound of fat and added two of muscle, that is not a bad thing!

default

if you want to lose weight, just eat less calories then you burn.

"toning" isn't exactly an accurate term. Do you want to just lose weight or a more muscular appearence?

What are your goals?

bostonwolf

If you are serious about bulking (building muscle) you would want to increase your weights, increase your calories/day and decrease the cardio

What you're doing now is more weight loss orientated.

If you want to bulk, check out mark rippletoe's "starting strength" or his sections on bodybuilding.com.

I don't want to bulk. I want to lose weight and tone.

It's almost impossible for a woman to get bulky. You just don't have the mix of hormones that men do that lead to us gaining muscle.

And there is no such thing as "getting toned." You are either gaining muscle or losing it. there is no in-between.

MeIShouldB

if you want to lose weight, just eat less calories then you burn.

"toning" isn't exactly an accurate term. Do you want to just lose weight or a more muscular appearence?

What are your goals?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=488008191270160&set=a.426490180755295.104721.100001829499685&type=3&theater
^^^^ ULTIMATE GOAL

katy_trail

the scale is completely unnecessary to check your progress so far, and if anything it will emotionally derail you.
I'm almost always up by 2-5 pounds in water weight. I try to only weigh myself after 2 consecutive rest days when I also
feel 'flat'. this is a term body builders use meaning when you feel completely unbloated and you're not retaining water at all.
Very often we are retaining water, especially as beginners.so weighing more often than once or twice a month is just
torturing yourself. i was very used to my own fluctuations before lifting, but if i do it too often, it messes me up too.

Instead, measure your progress by how your progress is going with your program.
consistent training? rest? nutrition? meeting all your macos and calorie goals? are you still increasing strength?
stalls? how do you FEEL?

these are much better indicators in the short term how you are doing and what to improve on.


your goal should be to make linear progress without getting injured or sick as long as possible.
if your weights are still going up, your nutrition and rest is on point, then eventually the tape measure will move too.


it also sounds like you're doing way too much cardio. if this is a heavy lifting program, you need to limit your cardio
to 2 days. You need days in your schedule that are just rest days. if you must exercise everyday, make some of it walking or light exercise. REMEMBER, losing fat is NOT about burning lots of calories in our workout. what we burn in the cardio workout is a shadow of what we actually burn throughout the day from muscle, or the calories we eat.

rest is important. muscle is rebuilt on rest days. with the right recovery, your lifting and any other workouts will be better than ever, and you'll appreciate them more. More is not better. Focus on being effective. Sustainable.

GetSoda

Lifting in a deficit may cause temporary weight gain due to water retention. Muscle mass won't really appear in a calorie deficit.

MeIShouldB

Lifting in a deficit may cause temporary weight gain due to water retention. Muscle mass won't really appear in a calorie deficit.

I think I'm more trying to remove some of the fat from on top of the existing muscle before I start building it up more.

Natihilator

To answer the title question, "building" muscle (really it's retaining muscle since I have spent very very little time consuming a calorie surplus) has made me fit into a smaller size at a higher weight. The last time I reached my current weight through a VLCD and extreme cardio, I was wearing clothes 2 sizes bigger.

sammniamii

My weight loss has gone flat since I started lifting - I've lost some inches, but I now fit a size smaller than before and I really do feel muscles where I once didn't (thighs and even abs - OMG, I have abs O_O was quite a shock).

Everyone keeps telling me to STOP the lifting and loose more weight first and as of now, I've ignored them. I do understand than to loose I need a deficit, to gain I need a surplus. So I've been keeping my calories lower and added more cardio.... but I'm NOT STOPPING LIFTING

katy_trail

My weight loss has gone flat since I started lifting - I've lost some inches, but I now fit a size smaller than before and I really do feel muscles where I once didn't (thighs and even abs - OMG, I have abs O_O was quite a shock).

Everyone keeps telling me to STOP the lifting and loose more weight first and as of now, I've ignored them. I do understand than to loose I need a deficit, to gain I need a surplus. So I've been keeping my calories lower and added more cardio.... but I'm NOT STOPPING LIFTING

being lighter doesn't mean anything. I'm lighter just by being dehydrated or bc i didn't eat breakfast yet.

losing INCHES means you're losing FAT, and that's what matters.

kitticus15

thats what I am aiming for too, to shift the fat that is sat on top of my muscles... I am doing small amounts of resistance to help build muscle to help with the fat burning process, when I am happy that I have lost the fat gained from my meds, then I will bury my scale in the cupboard and start training properly...
today I was tiold the difference could be seen but according to my scale I have lost absolutely nothing...
persevere, you will get there but do not rely on the scale, like the others have said, rely on what the tape says

cwolfman13

Stop obsessing about the silly number on the scale. As others have stated, it's pretty much meaningless when you're lifting weights. I've basically maintained my weight of 182 Lbs for the last two months, but I've lost about another inch around my waist and gone from 21% BF to 19% BF...all while maintaining a weight of 182 Lbs. I'm losing fat, and that's what's important...not some arbitrary number on the scale.

MeIShouldB

thats what I am aiming for too, to shift the fat that is sat on top of my muscles... I am doing small amounts of resistance to help build muscle to help with the fat burning process, when I am happy that I have lost the fat gained from my meds, then I will bury my scale in the cupboard and start training properly...

That's exactly how I feel, I wanna get some more of the top fat off first.

Reinventing_Me

OP, out of curiosity, what's your lifting routine? I know you said you do an arm day and leg day, but what do they consist of?

wswilliams67

When lifting heavy you gain muscle weight (although slowly) and retain a LOT more water due to muscle repair. If you do compound lifts using more muscle groups then the water gain can be even more than isolation/split routines. If you take creatine you will gain even more water weight than if you didn't take it. When lifting heavy i only use the scale to get my weight so I can plug it into my Omron fat meter. My weight can go up and down 5-7 pounds daily just because of water retention.

The key to true tracking when weightlifting is a tape measure, the mirror and your clothes. Your waist should be getting smaller while other muscle groups may be getting larger over time. Also remember that it takes a LONG time to gain significant muscle weight naturally. Men can gain an average of 2 pounds of lean muscle per month (again NO roids/drugs). Women have a harder time gaining lean muscle naturally and can expect 0.5 pound per month.

Of course individual muscle gain is also all about genetics, intensity, supplementation, diet, etc.

ruggedBear

I understand how important it is to keep a measure of your progress. My scale was my measure for a very long time. I haven't updated my ticker in months because my weight hasn't really changed much since January when I started progressively lifting heavier. Other measures can replace the same feeling you get when the scale drops every few days. Lots of posters mention using a tape measure - and that's a great tool. Here are some other suggestions that help me:

1. Goal pants - buy a couple of cheap pairs of pants in the next two sizes down from where you are now
2. For women - buy a smaller bra (not so cheap, I know - but maybe more motivating when you've invested $$)
3. Speed/endurance measures - I'm a runner, and use Runkeeper to track my goals. Can I run faster or farther than I did last month?
4. MFP! Hitting my macros can be hard some weeks, and when I get a rally going I feel great!

I lift because being strong makes me feel good, and because it suits my body composition. Even though I like to run, I'm not built like a runner. I know that eventually the last of the extra body fat will burn off, but what I actually weigh is no longer important to me. I am 5'2" and weigh 170 pounds - and no one would ever guess. My friend, 150 lbs, same height - thinks I am smaller than her!

Good luck finding what works for you and stay motivated!

MeIShouldB

OP, out of curiosity, what's your lifting routine? I know you said you do an arm day and leg day, but what do they consist of?

Lat pull-down 50LBS 3 sets of 10
Bench press- 30LBS 3 sets of 10
Military press- 30 LBS 3 sets of 10
Tricep Extension- 40 LBS-3 sets of 10
Bicep curl- 30 LBS 3 sets of 10
Hip Abduct- 50lbs 3 sets of 10
Hip Adduct- 50 lbs 3 sets of 10
Leg Extension- 40 lbs 3 sets of 10
Prone leg curl- 40 lbs-3 sets 10

MeIShouldB

I understand how important it is to keep a measure of your progress. My scale was my measure for a very long time. I haven't updated my ticker in months because my weight hasn't really changed much since January when I started progressively lifting heavier. Other measures can replace the same feeling you get when the scale drops every few days. Lots of posters mention using a tape measure - and that's a great tool. Here are some other suggestions that help me:

1. Goal pants - buy a couple of cheap pairs of pants in the next two sizes down from where you are now
2. For women - buy a smaller bra (not so cheap, I know - but maybe more motivating when you've invested $$)
3. Speed/endurance measures - I'm a runner, and use Runkeeper to track my goals. Can I run faster or farther than I did last month?
4. MFP! Hitting my macros can be hard some weeks, and when I get a rally going I feel great!

I lift because being strong makes me feel good, and because it suits my body composition. Even though I like to run, I'm not built like a runner. I know that eventually the last of the extra body fat will burn off, but what I actually weigh is no longer important to me. I am 5'2" and weigh 170 pounds - and no one would ever guess. My friend, 150 lbs, same height - thinks I am smaller than her!

Good luck finding what works for you and stay motivated!

Helpful! Thanks

MeIShouldB

When lifting heavy you gain muscle weight (although slowly) and retain a LOT more water due to muscle repair. If you do compound lifts using more muscle groups then the water gain can be even more than isolation/split routines. If you take creatine you will gain even more water weight than if you didn't take it. When lifting heavy i only use the scale to get my weight so I can plug it into my Omron fat meter. My weight can go up and down 5-7 pounds daily just because of water retention.

The key to true tracking when weightlifting is a tape measure, the mirror and your clothes. Your waist should be getting smaller while other muscle groups may be getting larger over time. Also remember that it takes a LONG time to gain significant muscle weight naturally. Men can gain an average of 2 pounds of lean muscle per month (again NO roids/drugs). Women have a harder time gaining lean muscle naturally and can expect 0.5 pound per month.

Of course individual muscle gain is also all about genetics, intensity, supplementation, diet, etc.

Thanks, and about the creatine, the only thing I do is whey protein.