Am i wasting my time in the gym doing weights?
hilts1969
Posts: 465 Member
I am comfortable losing weight and am down to 13 stone(6 2" tall) but last time i lost weight i got down to just over 12 stone but looked really thin so have been doing some weights, for a number of reasons i only use the following machines
chest press,bicep curl,shoulder press,tricep,pulldown and fly
I workout mon wed fri and although i can lift more weight than when i started i am wondering if i will see any benefit in terms of gaining muscle
chest press,bicep curl,shoulder press,tricep,pulldown and fly
I workout mon wed fri and although i can lift more weight than when i started i am wondering if i will see any benefit in terms of gaining muscle
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Replies
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not with that routine you won't. aside from basic noob gains assuming you have a proper diet.chest press,bicep curl,shoulder press,tricep,pulldown and fly
I workout mon wed fri and although i can lift more weight than when i started i am wondering if i will see any benefit in terms of gaining muscle
If you want to actually build muscle, get on a real beginner template like SS, SL, NROL. Then graduate to a more intermediate template like WSFSB or PHAT or 5/3/10 -
Are you eating at a caloric surplus? That is required for muscle gain.
Even if you're not, lifting still has it's place to help retain LBM. Possible newb gains.
Do you not have legs? Why no compound lifts like squats and deadlifts?0 -
It's not a waste of time doing weights, particularly if you have an effective routine. Although I would encourage you to move toward using free weights instead of machines.
If you are losing weight (in a calorie deficit) you will not see much in muscle size gains, if anything. But, you can surely gain strength in the process. It is a good idea to do strength training and have enough protein so that you can keep the muscle you have. If you ever switch to a surplus, you should be able to see muscle gains.0 -
If you are not really into weights and/or gyms why not have a look at "You Are Your Own Gym". You may not build as much muscle as with a weights program but you will increase your strength and have fun finding new limits your own body alone can reach.
People often say you can't make bodyweight movements harder so eventually you have to switch up to weights anyway but that is not true; you just have to be a little ore creative - and that makes it even more fun!0 -
I have a certain time window on those 3 days so i do 3 of those weights, run, then do the other weights, in between the upper body stuff i work my legs, i am not bothered about getting big just a bit of muscle and not losing strength with the weight loss, once i get under 13 stone i tend to look to scrawny0
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LOL! my thoughts exactly...
Do you not have legs? Why no compound lifts like squats and deadlifts?
People are afraid of the major compound lifts, because they don't know how to do them or think they'll hurt themselves.
However, squats and deadlifts probably burn the most calories, invoke the most muscles and will cause the most muscle gains out of all the lifts =\0 -
I have a certain time window on those 3 days so i do 3 of those weights, run, then do the other weights, in between the upper body stuff i work my legs, i am not bothered about getting big just a bit of muscle and not losing strength with the weight loss, once i get under 13 stone i tend to look to scrawny
Compound lifts, and you need to make sure you're challenging yourself. You're not going to get big lifting on a deficit, what you'll do if you lift on a deficit is maintain your muscle mass so you aren't "scrawny" when the fat is gone.
EDIT: How many of these exercises are machines vs free weight?0 -
I have a certain time window on those 3 days so i do 3 of those weights, run, then do the other weights, in between the upper body stuff i work my legs, i am not bothered about getting big just a bit of muscle and not losing strength with the weight loss, once i get under 13 stone i tend to look to scrawny
Cut your running time down. Lift first and do 20 mins of HIIT or something after.
Look into a program like Stronglifts. It doesn't take a lot of time to complete and it's 3x a week with 3 compound lifts each lifting day. Far more productive use of time.0 -
I gather the answer is no then, cheers for the replies anyhow chaps0
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Simply put, if you're interested in losing weight, then exercise is a must. (Im sure you know) Now weightlifting being a demanding exercise is very important for two reasons: A) It burn calories and leads to new muscle growth (depending on your diet).
Having more muscle mass enables you to burn more calories per day.
So that in mind, lets say your goal is to just lose weight overall regardless of muscle mass. You can accomplish that by eating at a Deficit of your calculated Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and doing cardio daily. (My fitness pal does all of this with the tracker/goal setting). But in this scenario the weight being lost in terms of pounds or kilograms is a combo of fat and muscle mass. Yes, you will lose weight overall and appear slimmer but in the end you will be weaker as well. Esp in areas such as the chest and arms if you do Cardio only.
Now if you were to add weight lifting to your program, you will be burning calories during your sessions as well and getting to your BMR deficit to allow fat-loss BUT now you are also maintaining your muscle mass. This allows more stored-fat to be used as fuel; therein, reducing your bf%.
IMPORTANT: With the correct diet (carb-cycles, correct macros, multiV, BCAA, and gallon of water per day) you can have the potential of reducing your Body Fat Percentage which is alot different then losing weight in terms of lb / kg. Bodyfat is what represents how lean/cut/muscular a person looks. By weightlifting some days and doing cardio on other days as well as keeping control of carb/protein/healthy fat ratios in your daily BMR, you will get lean and it will be more beneficial in the long run.
Having a higher muscle mass allows you to keep weight off as well. Plus weight lifting helps reduce stress.
In terms of Nutrition what your essentially trying to do is referred to as "cutting" in bodybuilding. You can accomplish that in many different ways, diets, and workout programs. The goal is simple. Burn as much calories in the shortest amount of time while maintaining a high intensity. I suggest you find a full-body program that you can follow on bodybuilding.com. Do it for 2 weeks and then switch programs.
Keep your diet right and the benefits of weightlifting are endless....
Note of caution tho: Form is more important than strength. Injuring your self is just counter productive so be patient, consciousness, and careful.0 -
Think i'm screwed then fella was hoping a few machines around my running would at least give a bit of definition, was always a long shot i guess0
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Well how about doing circuits before your cardio sessions? Or do your cardio in the AM on a empty stomach. Then in the PM do chest, arms, back, legs, abs all in one circuit. Its call compound movement circuit training. IF you choose to lift and run in the same session then do a circuit consisting of weightless body exercises such as push-ups to plank to burpees followed by a pull up. So you do 4 total circuits meaning do a push-up then go into plank position then burpee up and then do a pullup. Do that for 10 reps and for 2-3 sets and you will jump start your Heart Rate making your cardio session more effective.
There are many ways to fit it into your time constraints. Its a matter of commitment really.0 -
Well... it depends on what you really want/expect from your program.
Definition is a function of overall body fat % more so that muscle mass per se. If you are above about 15% body fat (for a male), you won't have much definition: your muscles might be there, but they'll be covered by a layer of fat.
So - if you continue your current program, and continue to lose weight, most of that weight will be fat. As you lose the fat, the muscles will become more defined. You will also get a bit stronger, as your undergo neuromuscular adaptation (basically, your brain gets better at telling the muscles what to do).
But you really aren't going about it in a very efficient manner. I started out this way, and yes, I got some results - I lost weight, and got some definition. But you will NOT gain (much) muscle mass. You will NOT get massively stronger.
To get stronger, follow a full body program with progressive loading (otherwise known as "lifting heavy"). Starting Strength, Strong Lifts etc.
To get bigger (more lean body mass) AND stronger, you need to lift heavy AND eat at a surplus. [Then eat a deficit to remove the extra fat you also added.]
At the very least, look to a decent split program to use on the machines/with dumbbells and cut down the cardio to a few HIIT sessions a week. e.g. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lee-labrada-12-week-lean-body-trainer.html This will give you a much more balanced approach that what you are doing now.
Oh, and complete the program you chose - don't just follow it for 2 weeks, as the poster above suggested. Muscle confusion is a myth.0 -
All I can say to this is OMG no you're not wasting your time lol- yes you should incorporate weight training into your fitness routine. ....and no you're not going to end up just suddenly looking jacked0
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Oh, and complete the program you chose - don't just follow it for 2 weeks, as the poster above suggested. Muscle confusion is a myth.
I agree with everything else he said except I think he misunderstood my program changing comment. Regarding the 2 week thing, I meant it more so as a way to train at different angles. Muscle confusion is not a myth btw but it was not what I was trying to say.
I was saying, stimulus change is important for intensity / development. It can be anything from switching a routine in terms of exercise order, using a dumbbell instead of barbell, or a wide grip instead of a close grip. These changes are necessary to maximize the development of a muscle because growth hormone is released most when a muscle fiber is loaded in challenging ways.
The idea of Muscle confusion comes in when you have been training for a long time with a constant stimulus on muscle with the same load and angle. This leads to less activation of Type 1 and 2 fibers within the muscle as the body adapts. LESS not NO activation but LESS. Now I realize this would take quite some time to reach that point. But just to clarify the idea, a person doing the same weight and routine for a year will make less gains (all things being equal) than the person who altered order / angle of the exercises.
Majority of the rounties on bodybuilding.com have changes in stimulus built into them on a weekly basis. It is simple to understand that muscles have the ability to outgrow a stimulus; therefore, for the sake of activation of fibers, new angles or exercises are required. If you think muscle confusion is a myth you must also think people can't reach a plateau?
You realize the human body is designed to adapt and loves routine. It also is designed to retain fat and increase its energy resources. So "changing it up" allows for maximizing your training as well as increasing the fun. Doing new things will always require more energy than doing the same thing over and over.0 -
Resistance training is just about the most important thing you can do, especially for body composition. That said, you should do some kind of real program to maximize the benefit. This can be a beginner strength program like SS or SL 5x5...or a beginner hypertrophy program or there are numerous body weight programs out there. The key is that these are structured in such a way as to provide the most effective benefit.0
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It is as i thought really too complicated and time consuming but more importantly not something i would consider doing as i would not stick to it, my main goal is running and this will be the main goal, the weight for me comes off quite easily anyhow and has never been a problem, i have 30 mins a session to spend on weight machines as they are the only things open to me
My choice really is weight machines as i have described or nothing, i don;t even want to be jacked or get big in the slightest it's not for me
I will give it 6 months to see if there is any difference to my strength or body and decide if it is worth carrying on, if not i will just stick to the running
Thanks anyhow0 -
What's too complicated? It's simple: find a program; stick to it.
It doesn't have to be time consuming either: find a program that can be done in 30 mins a day, 3 days per week (since that is the time you say you have).
And why would you not consider doing it when you appear to be already doing it and are going to spend 6 more months doing it?
You are not going to get jacked. Ain't going to happen. [Unless you do heavy lifting and eat a surplus. Steroids would help.]
Will weight training help your running? Yes. If you get stronger, you will get faster.
Now - if you are training for a marathon or such, then fine, concentrate on your running. Nothing wrong with that. But if you are, as you said, wanting to get a bit of muscle definition and maintain LBM while also running, then resistance training will help. Doing what you doing is OK, but finding a more balanced program will be more efficient.
In the end, it's up to you of course.0 -
Any program i do would have to have to use the weight machines i am already using, due to the time i am in the gym i cannot get on any of the free weights that they have, i asked if what i was doing would gain me any muscle or if i was wasting my time, it was a simple question really, if i had wanted to know about squats deadlifts, balancing my diet, macros, protein shakes, talking on the phone in between grunting out five reps to look like arnie etc... i would have
i was expecting either
you will add a little then no more
add nothing noticable
will gain but at a slower rate
i guess i will have to judge the results in time and come to a conclusion myself0 -
Any program you do with that attitude will result in failure.0
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Yes you can gain muscle that way, but you've got to make sure you're challenging yourself during your workouts and that your diet is in place to help you make gains.
You stress your muscles in the weight room, and build them in the kitchen. Good luck.0 -
What attitude? try reading my posts before commenting, i asked a simple question and got advice on things that i didn't need, i am limited in what i can do and what i can use, i have said that several times, i am not sure why you feel the need to comment tbh0
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cheers fella just wanted to know if what i was doing would at least benefit me in some way, developing big muscles is for some and good luck to them it takes a lot of dedication, my goals are running was just hoping to avoid the not been fed for two months look. i know i would not stick with or be able to follow a free weight program with bulk and cut and managing by diet to certain levels etc0
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You're not going to add muscle unless you're eating at a surplus, but if you're eating at a surplus, you're not going to lose weight. So you need to pick a goal.
From what I gather, you mostly just want to lose body fat (also what some people call "toning") so that you can actually see your muscles, which are wasting away with all the dieting and running. In that case, eat at a moderate deficit, including lots of protein. If you're burning a lot of calories with the running, you have to eat more if you want to preserve your muscle mass.
And I'm going to suggest that if you really want this, do everything within your power to find time to do heavy compound lifts. Go to the gym at different times to figure out when you will have the best access to the equipment. Use dumbbells or kettlebells, and do unilateral work. Whatever you have to do to get some squatting, hip hinging (e.g. deadlifts), pushing, and pulling, do it. It won't be easy or convenient, but if you really want it, you'll find a way, just like everyone else here who has a million other obligations vying for our time.0 -
yep, cardio is better0
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You're not going to add muscle unless you're eating at a surplus, but if you're eating at a surplus, you're not going to lose weight. So you need to pick a goal.
From what I gather, you mostly just want to lose body fat (also what some people call "toning") so that you can actually see your muscles, which are wasting away with all the dieting and running. In that case, eat at a moderate deficit, including lots of protein. If you're burning a lot of calories with the running, you have to eat more if you want to preserve your muscle mass.
And I'm going to suggest that if you really want this, do everything within your power to find time to do heavy compound lifts. Go to the gym at different times to figure out when you will have the best access to the equipment. Use dumbbells or kettlebells, and do unilateral work. Whatever you have to do to get some squatting, hip hinging (e.g. deadlifts), pushing, and pulling, do it. It won't be easy or convenient, but if you really want it, you'll find a way, just like everyone else here who has a million other obligations vying for our time.
I do split shifts mate my gym time is set in stone, when i'm in the free weights are being hogged by the guys who are really into it and good luck to them, i have never had fat arms legs in my life, i lose it off my face and gut,when i get to 12 and half stone which is as low as i should go really at 6 2 i look just skinny, bit off definition would be fine, strangely when i lose weight the amounts i lift crappy that they are don't diminish, i dont get weaker
surely doing 65kg for example on bench press 3 times a week would have some effect as opposxed to doing nothing? i get the post workout pump look so it must do something?0 -
It is as i thought really too complicated and time consuming
That's the attitude!
You're totally ready for this.0 -
It is as i thought really too complicated and time consuming
That's the attitude!
You're totally ready for this.
bizarre0 -
I did machine weights for the last year while cutting.
I got stronger, not weaker. My muscles got better defined due to a combination of cutting the fat off them and the 'pump'. My body fat dropped at almost the same rate as my overall mass - meaning I lost very little lean mass (some loss is almost inevitable when cutting, however). What month to month gains in lean mass I saw were sufficiently small to chalk up to measurement error, but perhaps there were times when I managed to eke out some small gain.
***Stop reading now if you absolutely closed your mind to the possibility of free weights.***
I've now started free weights. My goal also is not to build excess bulk, but to get stronger. I do the stronglifts program (5 sets x 5 reps) for precisely that reason. I, too, do a lot of running and it's becoming increasingly important to me.
What am I getting that I didn't get before? First my workouts are a lot faster. By using compound lifts I don't need to do dozens upon dozens of reps of various exercises. Second I am working my stabilizer muscles now, which I wasn't before. I can lift much less with free weights than with machines, because I'm having to learn to stabilize the weights. What does this tell me? It tells me that by lifting free weights I am gaining greater control of my body, which will help my running, and will reduce my chance of injury.0 -
I did machine weights for the last year while cutting.
I got stronger, not weaker. My muscles got better defined due to a combination of cutting the fat off them and the 'pump'. My body fat dropped at almost the same rate as my overall mass - meaning I lost very little lean mass (some loss is almost inevitable when cutting, however).
***Stop reading now if you absolutely closed your mind to the possibility of free weights.***
I've just started free weights. My goal also is not to build excess bulk, but to get stronger. I work in the 5 rep range for precisely that reason. I, too, do a lot of running and it's becoming increasingly important to me.
What am I getting that I didn't get before? First my workouts are a lot faster. By using compound lifts I don't need to do dozens upon dozens of reps of various exercise. Second I am working my stabilizer muscles now, which I wasn't before. I can lift much less with free weights than with machines. What does this tell me? It tells me that by lifting free weights I am going to get more stable on my feet, which will help my running, and will reduce the chance of injury.
By the way, people will be much more likely to help you if you can that stinky attitude you are taking with people trying to give you genuine advice.
I have this thing where i prefer people to actually read my posts and reply to what i am asking, i do the same to others it just stops people wasting their time
for the umpteenth time i asked if the weight machines i was using would be beneficial to what i wanted to achieve which wasnt a great deal
simple really but some seen determined to give me advice that i didnt ask for like you have just done, your first part was helpful, if you asked me how to change a car tyre and i told you how to change a headlight bulb that would be a waste of time, but thanks for mentioning the free weights again just in case i missed it the other times0
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