WOMEN LIFTERS!!

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  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Thank you all for your help I really appreciate it!

    So if my cals to maintain is say 2000 should I eat 1800-1600?? And eating back exercise calories is okay too? Just making sure! I like to know all my facts. :-)

    Normally TDEE includes your exercise calories so you don't eat them back.

    Your deficit depends on how much fat / weight you need to lose.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Thank you all for your help I really appreciate it!

    So if my cals to maintain is say 2000 should I eat 1800-1600?? And eating back exercise calories is okay too? Just making sure! I like to know all my facts. :-)

    Yes, in fact eating back your calories is going to help you in your workouts. What's most important is your "net calories" consumed for the day, and you always want that to be your target.

    It depends on if she is using MFP method or TDEE method. She seems to be leaning toward TDEE.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
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    Yes, I do cardio after lifting. Especially now that I'm training. I was doing about 20 minutes on the elliptical, I'm now going on the track outside of my gym, working up to running 3 miles post-lifting to get as many running miles in as I can. I eat back my exercise calories, which I have found, through trial and error, to be about 50% of MFP's estimates.

    However, this is what fits my goals, and right now I'm pushing hard. You don't have to. Lots of people get great results by just lifting a few days a week and not doing any cardio. I'm also still obese, so that gives me a touch of leeway.

    I would suggest that you play around and see what works for you. If you are beat after lifting, don't do cardio. Just figure out your current goals and work towards them.
  • JessieNeutronGirlGenius
    JessieNeutronGirlGenius Posts: 268
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    I made my cal goal for 1660 because thats what IIFYM suggested I should eat for fat loss but It didn't include exercise. I may increase my calorie goal to 1700.
  • dare2love81
    dare2love81 Posts: 928 Member
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    I have more fat than I would like but I want to lift and gain muscle! But I shouldn't "bulk" right because I am a little overweight or would it replace the fat with muscle?

    You need to eat at a calorie deficit to lose fat. You need to eat at a calorie surplus to bulk. You can't really do both at the same time. The idea is you want to lose the fat without losing very much muscle. To do that, eat at a small calorie deficit and get adequate protein while you lift heavy. Some cardio (especially HIIT) is beneficial to losing the fat 20-30 minutes. Do this after lifting.

    ^^This. My trainer (who has 15 years of experience) just told me the same thing the other day. I was solely focusing on lifting, but he told me to add cardio after lifting - no more than 30 minutes - because (and he had a longwinded explanation that I couldn't repeat if I tried) you burn more fat and preserve muscle this way. I've been doing this for two weeks, and I already look leaner.

    Having said that, I know a lot of people don't EVER do cardio and lose fat and gain strength just from lifting. So...it's all about what works best for you.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    I made my cal goal for 1660 because thats what IIFYM suggested I should eat for fat loss but It didn't include exercise. I may increase my calorie goal to 1700.

    Try this calculator and see if 1700 is in the ballpark.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    If you have 20 pounds to lose, use 15% deficit.
    If you have 10 pounds to lose, use 10% deficit.
  • DymonNdaRgh40
    DymonNdaRgh40 Posts: 661 Member
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    I usually run first and then hit the weights. I have two days (Tue. & Thurs.) a week where I hit it hard in the gym working upper body one day and lower body the other only. M, T, and W are days I run and then I always do a leg circuit of squats, leg extension, leg press, lunges, deadlifts, etc. I try to rest on either Sunday or Saturday, but on one of the those days I hit the weights again. I'm currently cutting and enjoy both lifting and cardio.
  • Some_Watery_Tart
    Some_Watery_Tart Posts: 2,250 Member
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    I did just cardio for a long time. Then just lifting for a while. I've found a balance that works for me: lifting 3 days/wk, cardio 2 days/wk, and 2 rest days. I have a super-busy schedule, so this combo's flexibility works for me.
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
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    I never do cardio
  • 33Freya
    33Freya Posts: 468 Member
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    Great post and lots of great advice! I too am a confused newbie...
  • Some_Watery_Tart
    Some_Watery_Tart Posts: 2,250 Member
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    I never do cardio
    That's not entirely true. You do it. You just never *log* it. :bigsmile:
  • rbcrawford1
    rbcrawford1 Posts: 29 Member
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    I lift 3x a week. I'd fall over if I tried to do significant cardio immediately after strength training, plus I'm dying for that protein shake by the end of a session. I do a step class on one non-lifting day, Zumba on one lifting day (several hours before lifting, with time for rehydration and a meal). Sometimes I'll do 20 min of HIIT at least 6 hours after lifting.

    My macros are set at 40P/30F/30C for 1600 calories a day, but if I'm still hungry I'll eat more protein and fat. I try to stay under my carbs. I prefer 5-6 small meals a day. Keeps me from feeling ravenous or from overeating and feeling stuffed, and keeps my old nemesis heartburn at bay. I'm currently cutting.
  • PriceK01
    PriceK01 Posts: 834 Member
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    I lift on MWF, no cardio before/after or on rest days. I don't eat back calories burned (there isn't a very accurate way to calculate lifting burns, anyhow). I'm no longer trying to lose weight, and eating 2000cals for maintenance with macros set at 30P/25F/45C (even though I'm always over on fat and under on carbs… should probably switch them up).
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
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    I do cardio 3-4x/week and lift 2 days on, 1 day off (4x/week). I think it's important to exercise the most important muscle in the body - the heart. If I had to choose one over the other, I would probably choose lifting.
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
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    I never do cardio
    That's not entirely true. You do it. You just never *log* it. :bigsmile:

    Touché :heart:
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I have more fat than I would like but I want to lift and gain muscle! But I shouldn't "bulk" right because I am a little overweight or would it replace the fat with muscle?

    You need to eat at a calorie deficit to lose fat. You need to eat at a calorie surplus to bulk. You can't really do both at the same time. The idea is you want to lose the fat without losing very much muscle. To do that, eat at a small calorie deficit and get adequate protein while you lift heavy. Some cardio (especially HIIT) is beneficial to losing the fat 20-30 minutes. Do this after lifting.

    ^^This. My trainer (who has 15 years of experience) just told me the same thing the other day. I was solely focusing on lifting, but he told me to add cardio after lifting - no more than 30 minutes - because (and he had a longwinded explanation that I couldn't repeat if I tried) you burn more fat and preserve muscle this way. I've been doing this for two weeks, and I already look leaner.

    Having said that, I know a lot of people don't EVER do cardio and lose fat and gain strength just from lifting. So...it's all about what works best for you.

    Here's the rub- the confusion.

    Cardio doesn't make you lose fat.

    The BIGGER DEFICIT it creates in your diet does.

    Some people don't lose fat and gain strength just from lifting- they do it through diet and training. It's not about cardio vs strength- fat loss is a function of diet. nothing else.

    Cardio has an impact on diet- you can either create a bigger deficit through cardio- or great a bigger engine that operates at a higher "fuel cost" (also creating a deficit unless you over eat)... either way- the fat loss comes from the diet deficit- not from the cardio- and not from the weights. It's VERY important to understand that.
  • xiamjackie
    xiamjackie Posts: 611 Member
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    I never do cardio on leg day, as I am completely spent from lifting alone. I'd say I probably do it 3-4 times a week and in the form of whatever I'm feeling- stair stepper, zumba, running, etc. If I don't feel like doing it, I don't, and I just stay at a larger deficit through eating.


    Unless sex is included in "cardio," then I always get my cardio in :happy:
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I do not do cardio as I do not like it (understatement).

    The IIFYM you are referring to appears to the the website that has a TDEE estimator. You can either use inputs that include exercise and eat to that number (assuming a cut off that for your deficit) or ones that do not include exercise and eat a portion of your exercise calories back (I generally recommend 50 - 75% to account for inaccuracies in estimates). While a good starting point, most times, your actual results are a better indicator of what your TDEE is, assuming relatively consistent activity and logging.
  • MissStatement
    MissStatement Posts: 92 Member
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    I don't do cardio other than a 10 minute warmup on the treadmill on lifting days, but if I did I would do cardio on nonlifting days. I am so spent after lifting, my legs and arms feel like they're made of jello. During lifting, my heartrate stays relatively high because I don't rest long between sets or between exercises.

    I'm still kind of a newb, so eating at a deficit (~1500 calories Monday through Friday and eating all of my exercise calories back) plus eating more along the lines of 2000-2500 on Saturday and Sunday, and eating more protein on lifting days, has caused a drop in overall weight plus some visible muscle gains (quads, hams, glutes, shoulders and triceps specifically). Small muscle gains I believe are possible on a slight deficit when you are relatively new to lifting. My phone ate my original measurements (grrr) so I don't have actual numbers but I can definitely tell in the fit of my clothes. My weight loss has generally been a half to three-quarters of a pound per week.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    I walk about 4km every day but I rarely do cardio. I lift 4-5 times a week.

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