I'm gonna start lifting...Questions

257_Lag
257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
edited January 27 in Fitness and Exercise
45 yo male here
Started in January @ 257
CW 232
GW 200

I'm thrilled with the weight loss of 1.25 pounds per week but I have lost a lot of upper body strength and frankly I didn't have much to start with! I've been putting off strength training because I didn't want to stall my loss but it's time to do something even if it stalls my loosing. I am just plain weak. My club head speed is down 10 mph since I started losing weight.

I'm putting together a weight set and plan on doing the Stronglifts 5x5 program. I should be ready to start within a week or so.

I am currently eating at 2090 (TDEE as sedimentary - 20%) and eat back ALL of my exercise calories. Workouts have been strictly cardio so far. Biking, walking both outside and on the treadmill and some circuit training DVD's.

I have two questions for those with experience:

1) What should I expect as far as a stall or even a slight gain? How long might it be until I start losing again? Days, weeks, months?

2) How much more should I eat on days that I lift? Or put another way since I eat back all my exercise calories, how much of a calorie burn should I record on lifting days?

I am not looking to gain muscle yet, just strengthen what little I have left.

How weak am I? The area I am setting up is in the basement and needs a little drywall. Last night I hung one sheet overhead. ONE! Using a cordless drill and working overhead I could only drive about 3 screws in before I had to rest some and this morning my arms feel like rubber.

On a humorous note, I downloaded the stronglifts program and set up the spreadsheet with my stats. The first week I am to use 45 lbs. That's just the bar! All this money I am spending and I only use the bar? It just struck me as really funny.

Thanks for any insight.

Replies

  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    bump.. maybe the lifters sleep in on Saturday?
  • rhia575
    rhia575 Posts: 212 Member
    I don't lift yet but i'm about to start next week and by what people have told me/things i have read it can help you lose weight as well, because you will retain your muscle mass while at the same time burning fat ? well this is what i've been told and it makes sense
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Follow the program. I prefer a couple of other programs but Stronglifts is a good one, and it focuses on compound movements and progressive overload so it will work. And yes, start light as it instructs and build slowly. That's the point of progressive overload and it's also a good idea until you learn proper form.

    You will lose more fat and less muscle once you start the program but it should not influence the amount of weight you lose by much, though you may gain some muscle in the short run I fail to see how that could possibly be bad. What you will notice is that you'll look better with time.

    The calorie burn will depend on how much lean body mass you have, your age, your overall size, how intensely you train, etc. It's a hard one to nail down and you need to be willing to experiment. I would suggest looking around for some estimates and starting by cutting those by at least 25%.
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    Thank you. I wouldn't mind gaining some muscle but I am not expecting to since I am eating at a deficit. Unless that is another one of the 100 myths that I have found out aren't true since joining.

    MFP wants to give me a 320 burn for 60 minutes. Is that reasonable? I know there is no way to know for sure but I like my pull a number out of a hat guesses to be based on at least something, like other peoples opinions.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    No worries. I use the MFP number for lifting but I set my base line TDEE (pre exercise calories) using the sedentary setting so that I get a bit more calories than I probably should on lifting days and slightly less than I should on off days. That combination seems to work well for me, but I wouldn't "recommend" it so much as suggest it as one of several approaches to try. Quite a few of my friends use the scooby calculator and set their daily calories as a flat number that doesn't change based on exercise. These numbers are all estimates and while you want to get as close to actual as possible, you're likely never going to nail it as they all move as your body weight and muscle mass change. I guess the point is to do the best you can but don't over think it.

    You generally cannot gain muscle while on a deficit but the body seems to be able to do this for people who are just starting out (newbie gains), for people who have lost muscle mass and are gaining it back, and for people on steroids.
  • loricshields47
    loricshields47 Posts: 134 Member
    a heart rate monitor with a calorie burn setting may be an option for you to track those figures. If you are going to lift I personally think (please note I said personally) your goal should be to gain muscle, it happens slowly but the long term benefits are worth it. Be sure you are eating enough protein! A shake after each workout (mix with water or half and half with milk to keep cals down) and some casein protein to sleep on. My husband will find my preaching of this amusing~ he crams this philosiphy down my throat daily lol....but he is right (ugh did i say that out loud!!!)(we follow Ben Pakulskis MI40 program)(I'm still a little geen but trying)
    Follow the program like it says~form is the most important ( and often hardest thing to get right) keep up your cardio on none lifting days and voila! you will see results! A stronger~leaner~faster more energized you :)
    Scoobys calculator and his sight are helpfull tools full of insight and helpfull information

    Good for you for taking charge and making changes....hope it all helps your golf game
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    Thanks, I have a heart rate monitor and can try it out. I've heard they are not very accurate for lifting but that is just what I have read. No real world experience.

    I am going to pick up my weights, bar and bench in a few hours. My power rack should be here one day next week. I am pumped to give this a try!
  • halleymw
    halleymw Posts: 246 Member
    Starting with the bar is fine, as the first part of the program is to ensure that you have your form down. You will be raising the weight every week, so you will get up to some big boy plates before you know it. I am 6 ft and started at about 272. I didn't start lifting using the free weights until I was down to maybe 240. I started at the 5x5, but due to some time contraints I switched to 3x5 relatively soon. I stalled out at 135 bench, 200 squat, and 100 ohp. I am down to 195 now and just switched to the all pro beginner workout to see if that will help get me some more gains. As far as diet, I think the main thing is to ensure you get your protein up to about a gram per pound of lean body mass. I never noticed any stall in my weight loss, but I have lifted pretty much from the start, starting out on the weight machines before switching to the free weights. I started out at 20 minutes of cardio per day, and gradually increased that until I was doing an hour. I have been decreasing my cardio as I get closer to my goal and concentrating more on the weighs, now I do 3 days of HIIT on my non weight days, and 20-30 minutes of regular cardio on weight days.
    Mike
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Like the others have said follow the program for weight lifting. The weight will get up there eventually.

    As for calories just log your lifting under strength training and eat back what it tells you. It is not much. MFP gives me about 220 for an hour of lifting. This has been pretty accurate for me since I started. A heart rate monitor is probably going to give you a much different number because the heart rate stays elevated long after you stop doing the work.
  • SkimFlatWhite68
    SkimFlatWhite68 Posts: 1,254 Member
    I'm not really sure of the answer to your questions, but I can tell you my experience.

    This year I have lost about 19kg, apparently 2kg of that being LBM and the remaining 17kg fat. My body fat % has gone from 40% to 28%. Right from the very start, I got myself into the weights room at the gym and have done a weights routine 3-4 times per week, with one day HIIT and I also walk 5 times a week. I have eaten an average of a 500 calorie deficit for each day.

    I know a lot of women do a LOT more cardio that I do, but I have always followed the premise that I would rather keep the muscle that I have and even though it might take longer to see a loss on the scale, when it happens, the body that is revealed underneath is in pretty good shape.

    I think for men, this would be probably even greater, as you have more potential to build muscle than us girls.

    Stronglifts looks like a good programme. Who cares if you start with only the bar? What matters is that you will progress over time and get results. Make a plan, stick to it and in 3 months you will be on fire! Oh, and take photos so you can make a visual progress chart for yourself as well.

    Best wishes!
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    On a humorous note, I downloaded the stronglifts program and set up the spreadsheet with my stats. The first week I am to use 45 lbs. That's just the bar! All this money I am spending and I only use the bar? It just struck me as really funny.

    Thanks for any insight.

    Ok, I'm not laughing now but you all can...I picked up most of my stuff yesterday.

    I can't do 5 squats to parallel... with just the bar. My God, what have I done!

    On the bright side...

    The overhead press isn't easy but I can do it with enough rest in between sets
    The bench press is not so bad
    The barbel row is easy
    AND I TOTALLY ROCK THE DEAD LIFT! I mean I OWN that thing! (with just the bar) :laugh:

    I appreciate all the responses!
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