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Strength Training/Weight Lifting Question! Help!

tayladub
tayladub Posts: 11
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Last February, I started losing weight. I lost about 35 pounds in a couple months by mainly going on the elliptical and eating healthy. I did a few weight machines here and there, but I was really clueless as of what to do so I stopped.

I'm trying to lose another 35 pounds, but I have a serious question! Cardio is my everything. If I don't do cardio, I feel like I haven't worked out. It's weird, I know. I know weight lifting is intense and is just as much work as cardio. Yesterday, I just lifted weights and it just felt weird to me. I know I got a killer workout though because my arms are burning today.

On to the question... Should I be lifting weights and "tightening up" right now? I have about 35-50 more pounds to lose and I am very worried about excess skin. Is lifting weights useless right now until I lose the rest of the weight? I know I probably won't see noticeable differences, but I thought that maybe if I lift weights now, I won't have as much excess skin. Someone help?

Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Lift now.
    Do squats. HEAVY barbell full squats.

    You'll feel like you got a owrkout


    and deadlifts
    bench
    overhead press
  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
    Lift now. You could either rotate cardio & weight-training days, or you could throw in some weight-training along with your cardio on the same day. For example, I am currently training for the Virginia 4-Miler. As someone who has NEVER run, I'm trying my best to run as often as possible, which is normally 2-3 days a week and now takes the place of days I would normally devote to strength training. So what I've been doing is running for 20-30 minutes (which normally gets me about 2 miles) and then I spend 10-15 minutes on one or two body groups. Yesterday, I ran for 25 minutes and then did bent over rows (20lbs, 3X12), bicep curls (15lbs, 3X12), tricep dips (15lbs, 3X12), and chest press (30lbs, 3X12). Today, I ran for 30 minutes and did hamstring curls and leg extensions (55lbs, 3X12). So in two days, I've gotten in a ton of cardio and hit my back, arms, chest, and legs (oops, didn't get to abs this week), all within about 40-45 minutes on my lunch break at work.

    Mix it up! I LOVE weight-training and hate that I'm not getting to devote as much time to it while I train for this 4-miler. I still have about 50lbs to lose. :smile:
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    Lift now. Here's How. Oops I made a lame rhyme.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/686963-large-collection-of-info-for-beginners
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
    I'm trying to lose another 35 pounds, but I have a serious question! Cardio is my everything. If I don't do cardio, I feel like I haven't worked out.
    Cardio is good but don't make it your all-in-all.

    On to the question... Should I be lifting weights and "tightening up" right now? I have about 35-50 more pounds to lose and I am very worried about excess skin. Is lifting weights useless right now until I lose the rest of the weight?
    [/quote]

    Lifting weights now along with adequate protein intake will help encourage your body to hold on to existing muscle and not burn it off as fuel. If your body is busy repairing muscle it won't tear it down. Getting great looking muscles takes work. The sooner you start the sooner you'll see progress. Ladies are always wanting nice looking legs and a butt that doesn't droop. Guess what your legs and glutes are? It's all muscle. Use it or lose it.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    ...Lifting weights now along with adequate protein intake will help encourage your body to hold on to existing muscle and not burn it off as fuel....
    ^ This. Holding on to the muscle you have now is a lot easier than trying to build it back later after you've lost it. Gaining muscle involves eating at a caloric surplus, which also involves some degree of fat gain along with the muscle...then you have to "cut" again (while keeping your weight training and protein intake up to avoid losing muscle again) to get rid of the bodyfat.
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