Toning: too little weight?

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  • blueboxgeek
    blueboxgeek Posts: 574 Member
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    OP I asked a lot of the same questions when I started losing weight and was told, start the lifting (with progressively heavier weights) now. On a calorie defecit you can't build new muscles, so there is no way you can look bigger. You'll be trying to retain what muscle you have so that is not going to make you appear larger. As some said, you might get some newbie gains but it's not suddenly going to make you look like you gained 10lbs. You may also retain a little water in your muscles after a heavy lifting session, but again, it's not going to make any difference to how you look and would only be temporary.

    I am SO glad that I started lifting and didn't wait until I lose more weight. I have been the weight I am now previously before having kids, and I was in a clothing size bigger than I am now and I put that down to lifting weights. Make sure a tape measure is your new best friend as scales can be evil lying things lol. But the tape measure and the increased weights will show your progress.

    When I can't get to the gym (like this week as my hubby is away) I do body weight workouts at home.

    Also lifting heavy is especially important for woment to help prevent against osteoporosis as we get older. You'll also feel great when someone looks at you sceptical in the gym when you grab some weights and you totally rock it!!
  • blueboxgeek
    blueboxgeek Posts: 574 Member
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    Oh and Cranquistador you are my new idol!!! :love:
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Really the numbers don't mean everything to me. Progress does. pick up the barbell, you may surprise yourself.

    this. This is very important. there are several threads around here about "women: how much do you lift" which is really nice to see that people (doesn't matter who really) are pushing the weight around. how much is just kind of an 'icing on top' deal. the fact is that they are DOING it.

    But yes- real world appliations- life is much harder- and heavier than 2.5 lb weights- a gallon of milk alone is 8 lbs. It drives me insane when people ask what the weight is for a particular exercise- trust me- you can lift this - and you need to worry less about the number and more about doing the work. they get VERY wrapped up in staying in the 10-15 lb range.

    Don't worry about that. learn the compound lifts.

    Do the work.

    watch your numbers grow and do NOT sweat bigger numbers. You will not turn into a body building freak. I pull triple digit everything- and I'm a belly dancer.. trust me- no one will pay for a body building belly dancer. not happening.

    needless to say... I still get gigs ;) trust- lift- grow- be fricking fabulous
  • juliemouse83
    juliemouse83 Posts: 6,663 Member
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    the people above me said it well:smile:

    Got to your gym and pick up a barbell... i AM SO SO SO happy that I came here to MFP a year and a half ago( i had other accounts so dont go by my join date)

    I am 42 year old woman who didnt start this until i was older, so imagine what YOU are capable of achieving at you age.
    I asked questions like you did...i read a lot of topics on lifting, and I decided i was going to be smart.

    I lifted heavy(for me) and added a little to the bar each time to challenge myself. This allows you to retain as much muscle as possible while you lose weight(like they said up there) and THAT my dear is what helps you look better naked when you get closer to where you want to be.

    Me:47819967_2825.jpg

    me now:47819967_8896.jpg
    47819967_9018.jpg

    I've got more work to do, but I have surpassed what i thought i was EVER capable of, and it feels amazing.

    Dont be afraid to push yourself, hell you might have a love affair with the iron like I do.


    FWIW - ^^^This^^^ is one of the women who posted pics last winter who inspired me to pick up the heavy things. So glad I did...

    I have a LOT of work to do, yet, but even still, I am really happy with the results I've gotten thus far.

    ETA: Aside from looking better, the real-world applications of being able to pick up heavy things has been pretty cool. Groceries in the house with one trip, don't need help with the 40 pound bag of bird seed or the 60 pound bags of concrete, LOL...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    And lifting a two pound dumbbell at 20 reps is not going to bulk you up.

    Also, just so you don't think I'm stupid, it was 5 circuits of 20 reps, so 100 reps in total, and the only break was going from one arm/exercise to the other. Not sure if that makes a difference.

    I do not think you are stupid...I just want you to realize that doing 100 reps total with 2 pound dumbbell is not the most efficient work out...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    if you are eating in a deficit you will not build muscle, the only exception to this is "newbie gains", which bases on your post may happen but it will not be that much. And lifting a two pound dumbbell at 20 reps is not going to bulk you up..

    Is a gym membership an option?

    Lifting weights will help you drop body fat and improve your overall physique ...

    I would recommend a program of compound lifts and cardio ....but you are going to need more equipment or a gym membership for compound lifts...

    I'm a student at a large university, so I have access to a really good gym. However, if I'm not going to build muscle while eating at a deficit, and I have to eat at a deficit to lose weight, should I...not lift weights? Or is it still going to benefit me in losing body fat/toning?

    I would use the university gym then.

    If you are not sure about compound lifts, I have heard a lot of people on threads say that New Rules for Lifting for Woman is a great starter book, you can also go on you tube and search for them to learn the proper form.

    Compound lifts = squats, deadlift, over head press, pullups/chin ups, bench press, rows, etc..

    I would say learn these moves and incorporate them into a total body routine where you hit arms/legs/back/shoulders/chest three times a week with two cardio sessions on off lifting days and then after three to six months you can progress to more of an upper/lower split type workout with less cardio..

    At first you should eat in a 500 cal deficit and lift as this will help you retain muscle mass and drop body fat....as you drop a lot of the excess weight you may want to adjust your deficit from 500 to 400 or 250..depending on what your goals are at that time..
  • JustYandy
    JustYandy Posts: 221 Member
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    IF YOU CAN DO 3 SETS OF 20 UP THE WEIGHT....TO ME 2LBS IS WAY TO LIGHT..
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Wow you look amazing ..what a transformation.....:flowerforyou: if you dont mind can you tell me how much weight do you lift currently and how much you actually started with? I am so motivated....:)....
    Let me preface my answer by saying that I believe that doing SOMETHING more than NOTHING is the most important part. Get up, and DO IT.

    When I first started losing weight I cut my calories and went to the gym and did the elliptical and a few weight machines...I was able to increase the weights gradually and was losing weight.
    I joined MFP to log my food and found the forums and made some friends. I did a lot of reading and saw testimonials like mine and decided I wanted to try to focus more on lifting.
    I have 3 herniated discs in my back so I can't really run, and I do have be very careful. I may never be able to lift extremely heavy on some lifts and sometimes have to work around things if I am not feeling great that day...no big deal, I just do what I can when I can.

    I started with Starting Strength and Stronglifts...i kind of took what I liked from both programs...I suggest reading them

    I stared with the 45 pound bar and instead of power cleans I did OHP.

    Start:
    Squat: 45
    Deadlift: 65
    Bench press:45
    Overhead Press:45

    Now:
    Squat: 115
    Deadlift: 150
    Bench:105
    OHP:65

    Really the numbers don't mean everything to me. Progress does. pick up the barbell, you may surprise yourself.

    APPROVED

    APPROVED x 2
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,618 Member
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    IF YOU CAN DO 3 SETS OF 20 UP THE WEIGHT....TO ME 2LBS IS WAY TO LIGHT..
    To build better muscle tone, just about anything 20 reps will be inefficient compared to a harder resistance for 5-8 reps.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    I don't really have anything to add, except that I started lifting heavy a couple months ago and I LOVE it!

    Really, I'm just tagging this to follow. There are some amazing women with great advice here! (Men, too, but as a woman I think it's really helpful to see other women who lift and are strong but still sexy/feminine!)
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
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    Bumping for my wife. Great thread here, that actually didn't get derailed by ignorance and egos.
  • lisal11
    lisal11 Posts: 59 Member
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    OH and yes the whole muscle under fat thing people worry about is BULL... Do i LOOK bigger? the heavier i have gone the smaller i look because i am eating at a deficit...lifting is great for fat loss

    That's pretty much all I needed to hear. :)

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