Regarding the switching from weightloss to muscle training

JuroNemo14
JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys and gals,

So I have been losing a lot of weight through diet only(mainly, because I have no time to really go for a run or go the gym, but I'll get to that soon). I am at about 60-70% through of losing my weight, but I fear I have also lost a lot of muscle through this.

My plan was/is to, once I have lost all the weight I wanted to lose, to start and go muscle training. Y'know, getting a firm body. I was first of all wondering if it is possible to get a "hard" body without the use of the gym.

Secondly, I was wondering if it is better to start focusing on muscle training after the weight-loss, or start right now, in the middle of the process. I still have quite some fat left, especially around the waist(spare tire), so I don't know if I should lose that first, and then get to building muscle.

Lastly, I was wondering if there is a good place to "start out". How much do I need to adjust my diet then, if I want to gain muscle? Could I also remain the same weight, but transer body-fat into muscle?

Thanks for reading this, I know some of these questions must have been asked a lot of times, or sound stupid, but I want to get to it too.

Replies

  • umachanxo
    umachanxo Posts: 926 Member
    You can strength train before losing all of the weight. You'll be building muscle as well as burning the fat, which to me, seems like a pretty good deal.

    I've never been to the gym once in my life. I've been losing weight and working out for about 2 years now, and have come a long way. I am just starting with heavy lifting and will be doing that at home too. So, yes, I think you can do it all at home. But it depends what you want, too. Some people prefer working out at the gym.

    I'm following a program, but it's designed for women, so I don't think I can help you with that part :P
  • thickgirl25
    thickgirl25 Posts: 36 Member
    bump...great questions, I'm curious about the answers too :)
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,716 Member
    Hey there mate.

    Start lifting now. Trust me you'll only wish you'd started sooner.

    If you're close to your goal you may want to start upping your calorie intake. Especially if you're looking to build muscle, which you'll no doubt need to after all the weight loss.

    You don't NEED a gym, but you'll want a good set-up at home. Weight bench, bar, plates, a squat rack would be nice... this is why most people just join a gym. But whichever way you choose you're going to need to start lifting.

    Compound lifts are best. Simple lifts that work many parts of the body at once. Bench press, pull ups, squats, deadlifts, dips... these are your new best friends.

    Hope this helps, good luck to you.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Start yesterday!!

    I have definitely seen results with strength training while trying to lose weight. I still have 50lbs to lose, but I am lifting heavy.
  • MelStren
    MelStren Posts: 457 Member
    bump......
  • BorgieMN
    BorgieMN Posts: 116 Member
    Lucky for you, you're only 18!!!

    Its different for everybody. For me I started at 44 years and 456 pounds. I didn't join a gym and start lifting until I got down to about 220. 6 months in I have only lost 20 more pounds, but my body fat has dropped 10%.

    I'm getting really great definition in my biceps, triceps, forearms, shoulders, chest, quads, hamstrings, glutes. I love lifting. Every time i up a weight on an exercise its a victory. Every time I look in the mirror and flex its a victory.

    If you can afford it, I would definitely get a trainer at least for 6 months. They will teach you so much.

    And yes, if you have not been lifting through this process, you have lost a lot of muscle. Weight is just a number. Depends on the frame and makeup of your body. Its about how you look and feel. Building lean muscle and dropping body fat.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    i agree with the other posts - start strength training NOW to minimise any more muscle loss and to help burn more fat.

    you wont build muscle on a deficit, but you can stop losing it by having only a small calorie deficit (aprox 250 cals) and ensuring you get enough protein - 1g per lb of bodyweight.

    i have never been to a gym, but i do a lot of body weight stuff (squats, press ups, lunges, plank etc) and have dumbells and a bench at home.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Step 1: Get off the computer.
    Step 2: Get started on strength training.
    Step 3: GO!!! NOW!!!

    :flowerforyou:


    You don't "need" a gym to get started. If you can't afford a gym membership, see if you have a used sporting goods store near you that has some weights that you can afford. If money is really tight, such that you can't afford anything, then www.bodybuilding.com has some good bodyweight exercises that you can do - you can even look at some of the other (weighted) exercises and find some that you can do with everyday objects around the house, such as holding a heavy book while doing squats, just to increase the load somewhat.
  • YoderKatie
    YoderKatie Posts: 11 Member
    Start lifting !!! It will only help you turn yourself into more of a calorie burning machine. You may have to adjust your diet once you start seeing how your body reacts, and it is totally normal to plateau on the scale when you start weight training. The extra muscle will keep your weight at the same but you will be losing fat; look for changes in body composition rather than changes on the scale.
  • StrongAtLast
    StrongAtLast Posts: 137 Member
    There's also many body weight programs that you can use until you get a gym (or in addition to).
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    The best times to start resistance training is NOW NOW and NOW.
    Seriously, strength training is great for any well rounded fitness program.
    Have Fun :flowerforyou:
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    when you say "not using a gym," do you mean not strength training with barbells and dumb bells??

    if so, yes, you can achiever great success with body weight exercises.

    the only real pieces of equipment you'll need is a pull up bar, and a box or bench to do jumps. can also be used do push ups.

    a set of gymnastic rings are affordable and versatile too, if you hae a place to hang them from.
  • JuroNemo14
    JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
    So, if I understand correctly, I should start strength training. Are there some good body-weight exercises as an alternative to lifting, just for the following 3 months? I don't got much money left for a set, or for a gym membership :(
  • JBApplebee
    JBApplebee Posts: 481 Member
    Start lifting ASAP. Building muscle will help burn fat even more, so it's a win-win for you. I try to run 3 days & lift 3 days each week. If you don't belong to a gym, start out with the basics like push ups, pull ups & squats. Vary the ways you do them, like wide grip & reverse grip on the pull ups, put your feet on an exercise ball when you do push ups (also helps your core) or even on stairs.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    So, if I understand correctly, I should start strength training. Are there some good body-weight exercises as an alternative to lifting, just for the following 3 months? I don't got much money left for a set, or for a gym membership :(

    here you go http://lmgtfy.com/?q=body+weight+exercises
  • rebeccap13
    rebeccap13 Posts: 754 Member
    So, if I understand correctly, I should start strength training. Are there some good body-weight exercises as an alternative to lifting, just for the following 3 months? I don't got much money left for a set, or for a gym membership :(

    Check out nerdfitness.com for some good scaleable BW workouts. Try those out and then look at moving onto these: http://www.paradisocrossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Comprehensive-Bodyweight-Workout-List-v1.5.pdf

    Remember, you can reduce reps, time, etc. if you can't do it how its written. Google alternatives for the movements if you can't do them, like:

    Pull ups - banded pull ups, jumping pull ups, ring rows
    Box jumps - short box, box step up/step downs, box jump up/step down
    Push ups - from knees
    Burpees - burpee step down/step ups (basically eliminate the hop to get to the floor and back up), burpee with a step down, then real burpees
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I was going to say the same about body weight exercises. A friend of mine has a nephew in training for Cirque du Soleil and from what she's told me, his group only does body weight exercise and plyometrics and the boy is BUFF. He teases her all the time about it because she's a personal trainer and typically has people using weights and weight machines.

    Anyway, there are tons of challenging exercises you can do right at home without weights. Push-ups, tricep dips, planks, squats, lunges, mountain climbers, step-ups, jumping jacks, punches, kicks, leg lifts, etc. Google for more ideas and explanations.
    If you do want to add in weights, you can use household items as weights. A gallon jug filled with water weight approx. 8 pounds. Hand/free weights are fairly inexpensive too if you want to get something heavier like 15 or 20 pounders to start.

    There is no reason to wait until you get to your goal weight. Start lifting now, it will only help you get the body composition you want AND it will help you burn calories as you build muscle mass. The only downfall to lifting when you're heavier is that you don't tend to see the definition right away but you'll see more as you lose body fat.

    Best of luck!
  • Remo_Williams
    Remo_Williams Posts: 73
    If you have not been strength training before and still have some fat to lose, you can definitely gain muscle while dropping fat. This is called a "recomp". Make sure to eat enough protein for best results. You will pull extra calories from fat. Once you can get to a gym, look into the Starting Strength or Stronglifts programs. Both have you start the major compound movements with very light weight and then progress.

    What I would focus on for the next 3 months is general conditioning. Do some HIIT, pushups, pullups/chins, inverted rows, body weight squats, burpees, etc. You are not going to build the same amount of muscle as quickly with strictly body weight exercises, but you can give yourself a great foundation. That way when you can hit the free-weights, you'll be able to progress much more rapidly.
  • JuroNemo14
    JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
    Okay, so lifting really is the way to go for me. About that, what kind of lifting is most recommended for training my core and chest? Deadlifts, Bench Press, or is lifting with dumbbells good enough(granted I find enough variations for different kinds of body parts)?
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    To echo what many have said, you can train at home with predominantly bodyweight exercises and "lift heavy". The trick is to move on to a harder exercise variant as soon as you can.

    The only tool you absolutely have to have is a pullup bar (or rings). Eventually some dumbbells can be very helpful as well, but you likely will not need them for a long time.

    The problem with searching for bodyweight exercises online is that 99.9% of the material covers beginner-advanced beginner level stuff only. It is rare to find people that have even heard of the hard stuff and even rarer to find people that can do it.

    Some good resources for intermediate-advanced level stuff:
    beastskills.com
    alkavadlo.com
    gymnasticbodies.com
    idoportal.com/videos/

    Look up some Hannibal for King videos on Youtube.
  • rebeccap13
    rebeccap13 Posts: 754 Member
    Okay, so lifting really is the way to go for me. About that, what kind of lifting is most recommended for training my core and chest? Deadlifts, Bench Press, or is lifting with dumbbells good enough(granted I find enough variations for different kinds of body parts)?

    Compound lifts like others suggested.

    Look into Starting Strength, Stronglifts, New Rules of Lifting... all great beginner programs for lifting.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    Do some HIIT, pushups, pullups/chins, inverted rows, body weight squats, burpees, etc. You are not going to build the same amount of muscle as quickly with strictly body weight exercises, but you can give yourself a great foundation.

    This is only true if you stick to easy high rep bodyweight exercises.

    Difficult low rep work builds muscle (when diet conditions are right). Where the resistance for that work comes from is irrelavant.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    Double post
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    Okay, so lifting really is the way to go for me. About that, what kind of lifting is most recommended for training my core and chest? Deadlifts, Bench Press, or is lifting with dumbbells good enough(granted I find enough variations for different kinds of body parts)?
    Pick a routine and roll with it - any routine.
    Just starting out; it really does not matter.
    Here is one: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/body-weight-exercises
    Google "Body weight exercise routines for women."
    What matters is that you start and stick with it for 6 months.
    Have fun with this; try different things, and at day's end you will like your results.
  • __RANDY__
    __RANDY__ Posts: 1,036 Member


    Start lifting now. Trust me you'll only wish you'd started sooner.

    Compound lifts are best. Simple lifts that work many parts of the body at once. Bench press, pull ups, squats, deadlifts, dips... these are your new best friends.


    this
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
    I second using nerdfitness.com. I'm using his workout plan right now to work up to doing a pull up and he has great explanations, pictures, videos and sample workouts.

    I'd recommend checking out this post: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/08/23/batman-bodyweight-workout/ Just starting out, you probably can't do most/all of the exercises in it but he references some other workouts that you can start with to build up to it. It looks pretty bada$$ and I'm definitely putting it on my list for when the weather warms up (considering it was 1 degree when I left for work this morning).
  • Remo_Williams
    Remo_Williams Posts: 73
    Do some HIIT, pushups, pullups/chins, inverted rows, body weight squats, burpees, etc. You are not going to build the same amount of muscle as quickly with strictly body weight exercises, but you can give yourself a great foundation.

    This is only true if you stick to easy high rep bodyweight exercises.

    Difficult low rep work builds muscle (when diet conditions are right). Where the resistance for that work comes from is irrelavant.

    I agree with you that "Where the resistance for that work comes from is irrelavant". However, I haven't seen a body-weight exercise that gives me the same resistance as 300 lbs of iron does when I squat.
  • JuroNemo14
    JuroNemo14 Posts: 101 Member
    I second using nerdfitness.com. I'm using his workout plan right now to work up to doing a pull up and he has great explanations, pictures, videos and sample workouts.

    I'd recommend checking out this post: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/08/23/batman-bodyweight-workout/ Just starting out, you probably can't do most/all of the exercises in it but he references some other workouts that you can start with to build up to it. It looks pretty bada$$ and I'm definitely putting it on my list for when the weather warms up (considering it was 1 degree when I left for work this morning).

    So, did you notice any noticeable changes already doing nerdfitness?

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