My trainer told me to cut down on weight training???
ashleybarkley
Posts: 7
Hello all...
I am a 27 year old female looking to get back into shape after TWO ankle breaks in one year. However, it is proving to be a lot harder getting back into shape at 27 than it was at 20. I only need to lose about 15 lbs, but dang it is hard! I am a former athlete, so I thought it would be a snap!
I eat 5-6 small meals a day, drink plenty of water, and work out 6 days a week. 4 of those days I do HIIT cardio for about 30 minutes and about 30-40 minutes of HIIT weight lifting.The other two days I do 45-60 minutes of cardio. I also take my dog for a 20-30 minute light jog most nights. I have one rest day. This has been going on for over a month. I lift as heavy as I can go, but with good form. I feel good, and I can see a difference in my jogging (overall, I took about 2 minutes off each mile in a little over a month!). However, I have not lost ANY weight. And it is not gaining muscle and losing fat either, my pants literally are not fitting. My heart rate monitor says I am at 170+ bpm for the majority of my workouts. Frustrated, my boyfriend called his personal trainer friend to our house.
Personal Trainer Friend (PTF), took one look at me and said to cut out the heavy weights, and to cut out MOST weights. He said I need to do 90% cardio. He only wants me to lift 2x a week and no more than 3 pounds for no more than 15 min each time. He said I am already really muscular and I don't need to build more muscle, I need to take out my "outer layer of fat" and lifting heavy will only make me bigger. Does that sound ridiculous? Its basically the complete opposite of everything I have ever heard about getting into shape and ways I have gotten back into shape in the past. He also told me no carbs after noon (including fruit). My diet is already pretty strict due to allergies: no gluten, so no bread, pasta, breadcrumbs, processed foods, etc., I also cannot eat dairy or sugar.
Has anyone else ever had a trainer tell them to NOT lift weights? It sounds weird, but nothing else is working? I have tried weight watchers, MFP, CrossFit, etc.
I am a 27 year old female looking to get back into shape after TWO ankle breaks in one year. However, it is proving to be a lot harder getting back into shape at 27 than it was at 20. I only need to lose about 15 lbs, but dang it is hard! I am a former athlete, so I thought it would be a snap!
I eat 5-6 small meals a day, drink plenty of water, and work out 6 days a week. 4 of those days I do HIIT cardio for about 30 minutes and about 30-40 minutes of HIIT weight lifting.The other two days I do 45-60 minutes of cardio. I also take my dog for a 20-30 minute light jog most nights. I have one rest day. This has been going on for over a month. I lift as heavy as I can go, but with good form. I feel good, and I can see a difference in my jogging (overall, I took about 2 minutes off each mile in a little over a month!). However, I have not lost ANY weight. And it is not gaining muscle and losing fat either, my pants literally are not fitting. My heart rate monitor says I am at 170+ bpm for the majority of my workouts. Frustrated, my boyfriend called his personal trainer friend to our house.
Personal Trainer Friend (PTF), took one look at me and said to cut out the heavy weights, and to cut out MOST weights. He said I need to do 90% cardio. He only wants me to lift 2x a week and no more than 3 pounds for no more than 15 min each time. He said I am already really muscular and I don't need to build more muscle, I need to take out my "outer layer of fat" and lifting heavy will only make me bigger. Does that sound ridiculous? Its basically the complete opposite of everything I have ever heard about getting into shape and ways I have gotten back into shape in the past. He also told me no carbs after noon (including fruit). My diet is already pretty strict due to allergies: no gluten, so no bread, pasta, breadcrumbs, processed foods, etc., I also cannot eat dairy or sugar.
Has anyone else ever had a trainer tell them to NOT lift weights? It sounds weird, but nothing else is working? I have tried weight watchers, MFP, CrossFit, etc.
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Replies
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that trainer, like 99% of them, has no clue what he is talking about.
your weight is a byproduct of diet. not exercise. how you look at said weight is determined by the exercise you do.
The only thing that stands out at me is hiit weight lifting. there is no such thing. what exactly is your workout?0 -
You already know the answer, but to reaffirm yourself, yes your trainer friend is an idiot. If anything I would recommend to reduce your cardio. You won't lose weight doing either by themselves, but if you eat at a deficit while weight training, you should be able to drop some fat without losing your muscle mass.0
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Trainer fail - move on. Unfortunately, anyone can get that piece of paper.0
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that trainer, like 99% of them, has no clue what he is talking about.
The trainer (me) that's in the 1% agrees your trainer friend is very misinformed.0 -
Trainer doesn't know what he's talking about.
If you want to lose size, eat at a modest deficit, lift heavy 3-4 days per week, and do cardio if you want. I haven't done cardio in months and I've lost weight just fine.0 -
If a chick does too much heavy lifting she's going to get huge. Bulky huge. Like Arnold. It's science, yo.0
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Your trainer sucks. Cardio doesnt make you lose weight, a caloric deficit does.0
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I would ask that trainer what cereal box he got his certificate from.0
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OH, HELL no.0
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You already know the answer. Apparently the PTF goes with the Tracey Anderson school of lifting for women :indifferent:
Clearly you can drop weight while lifting. I only lift and cut 12lbs recently. Having said that, it doesn't mean we will all look the same after we shed the fat. I look like a coat rack but you may look a bit curvier.0 -
pffft.... Good on you for having your own mind and not blindly assuming he's correct because he's a trainer.0
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If you go to www.dailyhiit.com I do workouts similar to that. Like Tabata. Heavy weight lifting, 40 seconds each, 10 second rest between exercises, 8 exercises, repeat 3-4 times.
Prior to talking to the trainer, I do a lot of weight lifting and cardio and have not gotten any results. I am doing everything by the book. High intensity workouts. I don't eat crap. My hormones are fine. I am getting depressed about this because nothing is really working. I don't look different. I actually look kinda puffy all the time, regardless of how much exercise i do...0 -
If you go to www.dailyhiit.com I do workouts similar to that. Like Tabata. Heavy weight lifting, 40 seconds each, 10 second rest between exercises, 8 exercises, repeat 3-4 times.
Prior to talking to the trainer, I do a lot of weight lifting and cardio and have not gotten any results. I am doing everything by the book. High intensity workouts. I don't eat crap. My hormones are fine.
It's not what you eat, it's how much you eat.
figure out your TDEE and cut 15-20% off of it and eat that amount.
Get a copy of New Rules of Lifting for Women and Starting Strength and start doing actual heavy lifting, not HIIT lifting--that's just another form of cardio.0 -
WOOOOW!!! Ya, most trainers are idiots. They can flunk high school and get a certificate. I'd be interested to know how many clients he has, and how long they stay with him on average. That would be a good indicator of his abilities/knowledge.
What you're doing sounds great. The key to the weight loss is in your diet. Just get that calorie deficit in every day. Eat your carbs whenever you want!0 -
If you go to www.dailyhiit.com I do workouts similar to that. Like Tabata. Heavy weight lifting, 40 seconds each, 10 second rest between exercises, 8 exercises, repeat 3-4 times.
Prior to talking to the trainer, I do a lot of weight lifting and cardio and have not gotten any results. I am doing everything by the book. High intensity workouts. I don't eat crap. My hormones are fine.
It's not what you eat, it's how much you eat.
figure out your TDEE and cut 15-20% off of it and eat that amount.
Get a copy of New Rules of Lifting for Women and Starting Strength and start doing actual heavy lifting, not HIIT lifting--that's just another form of cardio.
Completely Agree!0 -
Yes, the trainer is an idiot.
But "HIIT weight lifting"? Why not just normal weight lifting? With 2 recent injuries, I think you are doing a little much.0 -
I eat 1100-1300 calories a day, most TDEE's say I need about 2100 calories a day.... I am well below 15% of that. I have to make myself eat what I do, I am never really hungry. Should I eat more?
The trainer is actually a reputable guy in town who is known for "transforming people". I have seen his before and afters in person and they are great. He even admitted that he wouldn't tell most of his clients what he told me, he tells most of them to lift heavy weights.
I am just bummed that I am the only one I guess.
And I thought I was supposed to be intense to lose weight?0 -
I eat 1100-1300 calories a day, most TDEE's say I need about 2100 calories a day.... I am well below 15% of that. I have to make myself eat what I do, I am never really hungry. SHould I eat more?
Oh HELL yes EAT MORE! I wouldn't go below 1800/day for what you're doing. You'll still lose weight and get fit.0 -
does your PTF work at cracker jack box gym?
Seriously, that is horrible advice.
If you are new to lifting or just getting back you would benefit for a program of compound lifts (deadlifts, squats, overhead press, bench press, rows, pull up/chin ups, ec) where you do a total body type work out (arms/legs/chest/arms/back) three times a week an cardio two to three times a week and then after three months transition to more of an upper/lower split four times a week with cardio one to two times a week ..but you could ditch the cardio if you wanted to...0 -
I eat 1100-1300 calories a day, most TDEE's say I need about 2100 calories a day.... I am well below 15% of that. I have to make myself eat what I do, I am never really hungry. SHould I eat more?
Do you currently weigh and measure everything you eat? Do you have any "cheat" meals or any "oh that doesn't count", like popping a piece of meat into your mouth while cooking?
For an example of what I mean, check out Secret Eaters.
Oh, and the trainer's an idiot, unless you said 'Hey I wanna look superskinny and still have no visible muscles, how do I do that?"0 -
I eat 1100-1300 calories a day, most TDEE's say I need about 2100 calories a day.... I am well below 15% of that. I have to make myself eat what I do, I am never really hungry. SHould I eat more?
There's your problem. Yup. Eat more.0 -
Also.... you said this has been going on about a month. Give your body more time to show you the results. It took about 3 months of serious training and diet before I saw a difference in my physique. This is why most people give up so early in a fitness/diet program. Have patience, feed your body, train smart. Results will come.0
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I eat 1100-1300 calories a day, most TDEE's say I need about 2100 calories a day.... I am well below 15% of that. I have to make myself eat what I do, I am never really hungry. Should I eat more?
The trainer is actually a reputable guy in town who is known for "transforming people". I have seen his before and afters in person and they are great. He even admitted that he wouldn't tell most of his clients what he told me, he tells most of them to lift heavy weights.
I am just bummed that I am the only one I guess.
And I thought I was supposed to be intense to lose weight?
Weight loss is controlled by calorie deficit not intensity of your workout. You don't have to kill yourself to lose weight. You don't have much to lose. A small calorie deficit and moderate intensity will work just fine.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html0 -
In order to lose, we all know you have to burn more than you eat. Try eating no more than 60gm of carbs per day, like a fitness pro couple I know told me. Put the ego aside, and only lift light weights for tone and to burn cals. until your each your goal. DO NOT EAT AFTER 6 PM.0
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Well, it's not the best plan, his nutrition advice is bull****, and the weight he wants you to lift is crap too.
That said, if you're only looking to maintain the muscle you have, lifting heavy twice a week and doing cardio the rest of the time is not a bad idea depending on what lifts you're doing.
I am concerned about your ankle though, and I wouldn't want heavy squats or deadlifts to make things worse, but that's all you and knowing your limitations.0 -
Try eating no more than 60gm of carbs per day, like a fitness pro couple I know told me. Put the ego aside, and only lift light weights for tone and to burn cals. until your each your goal. DO NOT EAT AFTER 6 PM.
Everything I just quoted is wrong.0 -
Oh lord, time for a new trainer.0
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In order to lose, we all know you have to burn more than you eat. Try eating no more than 60gm of carbs per day, like a fitness pro couple I know told me. Put the ego aside, and only lift light weights for tone and to burn cals. until your each your goal. DO NOT EAT AFTER 6 PM.
Soild first post :noway:
IGNORE IGNORE IGNORE.
You need to give it more that a month - you're doing a lot of exercise - try upping your calories a bit and doing heavy lifting - not HIIT as that's really just cardio
I've just started dropping pounds 6 weeks into lifting and eating 1600 cals a day - it takes time to find the sweet spot.:flowerforyou:0 -
His advice is stupid, and here's why.
He tells you that you need to cut fat. Okay, right, i can see that. He tells you that you need to do cardio only to lose fat. Wrong. He tells you you are already muscular and dont want to gain more muscle by lifting weights. Wrong.
Here's the thing. You can cut fat through diet. That's fine. But you ARE NOT "gaining muscle" while eating at a calorie deficit. It requires calories and energy to create muscle.
If anything you would be trying to retain as much muscle as possible why losing weight. You want to have a favorable body composition when you hit your goal weight, you dont want a significant amount of the weight you lose to be muscle.
I say keep with the weight lifting and make sure you calorie intake and macros are being monitored accurately.
Perhaps he has a bad idea or assumption of how you want to look when you reach your goal weight?0 -
If you go to www.dailyhiit.com I do workouts similar to that. Like Tabata. Heavy weight lifting, 40 seconds each, 10 second rest between exercises, 8 exercises, repeat 3-4 times.
Prior to talking to the trainer, I do a lot of weight lifting and cardio and have not gotten any results. I am doing everything by the book. High intensity workouts. I don't eat crap. My hormones are fine.
It's not what you eat, it's how much you eat.
figure out your TDEE and cut 15-20% off of it and eat that amount.
Get a copy of New Rules of Lifting for Women and Starting Strength and start doing actual heavy lifting, not HIIT lifting--that's just another form of cardio.
1. You're underestimating the amount you eat or 2. you're overestimating your calorie burn from exercise.
Are you logging everything that goes into your mouth including all beverages and things used to cook with (butter, oils, etc.)? Are you using a digital food scale to weigh and log everything in grams? Many HRMs overestimate calorie burn so be careful when eating back your extra earned calories.
You don't have a ton of weight to lose so heavy lifting is essential to minimize muscle loss while operating at a calorie deficit. The New Rules book mentioned above is awesome! It consists of full body workouts 3x per week. You can do cardio if you choose.
Here's a link to a group of women who are following the NROL4W program:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/102-new-rules-of-lifting-for-women-nrol4w0
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