Women, what results have you gotten from strength training?

I don't have any pics to post at the moment, sorry.

But I can tell you that I strength train/weight ilft pretty heavy 4-5 days a week, and do minimal cardio (HIIT once a week, with a little extra now and then after my weight training, like 20 minutes or so).

In the past 5 months I have only lost 12 pounds total. HOWEVER: I have lost 11 inches and counting, and have gone down 4 pants sizes!

As for diet, I eat as clean as I can, I eat a LOT of protein (+/- 130g a day), and I consume 1500 - 1700 calories a day. My snacks are usually protein shakes. I have my macros set at 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

If you haven't read through that and looked at the pictures, do so.

I don't have any before/afters myself because I'm just starting this journey. I did change my macros to increase my protein and reduce carbs. I believe that this will work for me, but I have to quit looking at the scale as a measurement of success. I'm two weeks in and right now I'm up a few pounds and my clothes don't fit any looser, but I have faith that good things are going to happen.

Edited to add - my macros are currently set at 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat. I just made this adjustment today, though, and I know it will take a little time for me to figure out what foods fit well into the new macros. I also work out 6 days a week, roughly 30 minutes a day. 3 days are cardio, 3 days are strength. My goal is set at 1560 calories a day but I'm not too worried about that since I'm personally not trying to lose weight.

The "before" photos were really my "afters" taken when I reached my goal weight. At the time, I pretty much did cardio plus very light strength training (5 pound dumbbells plus body weight exercises). I started heavy (well, heavIER) lifting with machines in July of 2011, shortly after the first photos were taken, and switched to free weights in July of 2012 when I bought weights for home and quit the gym. I lift 3x a week and run 3x a week.

Doooo eeeettttt! you won't be sorry! 140 ish in both sets of pics. Down from a 10 to an 8 US ladies clothes.
I eat 2000-2500 calories per day.

Before Strength training:





After (4 months):

I went down like 4-5% body fat, gained a few pounds but lost 95% of the cellulite on my legs. My arms and back look nice, I wear tank tops all of the time. I've been lifting seriously for 3+ years now. I've done Crossfit, NROLFW twice, and I continue to lift 3-4 days a week.

I always like seeing your pics! What a great transformation!!!

You ladies all look fantastic!
vjohn, what specifically are you doing for weight training? Any cardio? You now look very close to my ideal body. Right now I am doing 30 Day Shred because it is SO much more convenient than going to the gym. Tell me I should switch to lifting heavy at the gym

Hey there!! you should definitely switch :-) I spend 30 minutes in the gym lifting weights Monday-Thursday. I do Barbell and dumbbell work, compound movements and some supplemental isolation movements, and a few body weight exercises here and there.... That's all it took for me! You can look in my exercise diary to see exactly what I do each day (it's open).

ETA, yes, I run sometimes, and I do take a boxing class.

I don't have any before pics, but take a look at my profile pic. I used to be 105 lbs bigger than that. So that is what strength training has done for me.

I don't have any "after" photos, but I have some during photos that might interest you!

This is me in October at 188.9, and the second photo is me in January at... 188.9. Oh, and don't mind the smudged mirror, I have a bad habit of writing on it when it's foggy.



One other. I already know the photo is too big, but the first photo is me at 188.9, once I started eating better and working out. The second one is me BEFORE I started my weight loss journey at 180 lbs



Well, both of my photos are too big. The first one is my profile picture, though

I don't have any pics, but I've been eating at maintenance and doing strength training 3x a week and I dropped 4.8% body fat in about 5 weeks! I'm definitely much more muscular and people have been asking me if I've lost weight - to which I happily say "no!"

I don't have any pics, but I've been eating at maintenance and doing strength training 3x a week and I dropped 4.8% body fat in about 5 weeks! I'm definitely much more muscular and people have been asking me if I've lost weight - to which I happily say "no!"

I am doing the same for 3 weeks. I can certainly feel more definition ...............but I guess I need a few more weeks for others to notice.

I don't have any pics to post at the moment, sorry.

But I can tell you that I strength train/weight ilft pretty heavy 4-5 days a week, and do minimal cardio (HIIT once a week, with a little extra now and then after my weight training, like 20 minutes or so).

In the past 5 months I have only lost 12 pounds total. HOWEVER: I have lost 11 inches and counting, and have gone down 4 pants sizes!

As for diet, I eat as clean as I can, I eat a LOT of protein (+/- 130g a day), and I consume 1500 - 1700 calories a day. My snacks are usually protein shakes. I have my macros set at 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat.

I just started lifting and was wondering what you do. Right now im following a program i found online but it calls for a lot of supplements.....

I do not take any supplements. I simply work out/weight train (heavy, not little 10lb weights) 4 days a week, including light abs. I do a really good cardio session once a week, with a heavy ab workout the same day. I meet with my trainer once a week as well, but don't do weight training with him...he does cross-fit/tabata training with me or boxing, to give me something different for my body since I already do my weight training on my own.

My training partner and I have been doing a workout routine developed by Dr. Sardone (www.drsardone.com). The exercise manual on his website is what we've been using, the routines are in there along with instruction on each exercise and form, etc. There are 5 phases to the weight training, which gets progressively harder. We have been doing each phase for 4 - 6 weeks each. We are currently on Phase 5, and haven't decided yet if we are going to go back to phase 1 with heavier weight and repeat the whole thing, or move on to NROLFW or 5X5 Stronglifts, etc.

Hope this information helps!