Weight machines and a deficit.

JerseyGirl30
JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
in Fitness and Exercise
Will weight machines change my body even if I am eating at a deficit? I know that I won't gain a lot of muscle... I'm not eating enough for that I know. Is it worth continuing using the weight machines? Also, I just started using the weight machines again this past week and I'm up 2 pounds... is this normal?

Replies

  • JerseyGirl30
    JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
    also- how many times a week should i be using weights?
  • JerseyGirl30
    JerseyGirl30 Posts: 23
    nothing?
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    nothing?

    It's Sunday morning - people are probably at brunch or church, or out for a walk/bike ride/whatever!

    Weight training will help even if you're eating at a deficit. If you're new to weights, you might put on a little new muscle. Even if you don't, a good weight routine will help preserve muscle, ensuring that most of what you lose will be fat. It will also help you feel more strong, which is a great feeling.

    It's normal to gain a little water weight when you start weight training. What you're doing is causing microscopic damage to your muscles; as they heal, they get stronger. Your body will retain water during the process. Because of the need to heal, you should never exercise the same muscle group two days in a row. Two to three workouts a week for each muscle group is ideal for a beginner; any fewer and you won't make much progress, while if you exercise more often, you won't have time for recovery. Some people do 4-6 workouts a week, alternating upper and lower body exercises at each workout.

    Stumptuous.com is a good website for getting more strength training advice, with a focus on using free weights, not machines, which don't allow for as full a range of motion.
  • lucasmoten
    lucasmoten Posts: 143 Member
    I do some weight training on my non-running days. I think any weight training is good to at least help maintain muscle if not build upon it. Machines however won't make you 'gain weight'. And the only change they offer your body is what your body gets out of the resistance.

    So that 2 pounds in one week is very unlikely muscle. Gaining muscle is _very_ slow (like 1lb a month).

    If you want muscle, or want to make sure whatever weight you are gaining is not simply fat, then I'd recommend getting a body fat analyzer. If your body fat is the same or going down while your weight increases, then its a safe bet that you're building muscle. Of course, you can skip that all together and simply track your routines, upping the weights over time, and seeing your increased capacity denoting higher strength.

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