lifting weights vs body weight on deficit

mestiza91
mestiza91 Posts: 51
in Health and Weight Loss
After people on the forums tellingme you cant build muscle on a deficit I saw this posted on a forum and wanted to ask another dummy question:

" Lifting weights when eating at a deficit is kind of like your muscles saying to your body; "See, I'm still needed. Concentrate on the fat. "

At a calorie deficit, I still excercise,to keep fit by doing cardio such as aerobics or eliptical. For working on my muscles, i do pilates. yes i know, its not lifting heavy weights but as a beginner, using my body weight and my core to do my workouts is challenging enough for the moment. obviously im aware i have to step up when it gets too 'easy', and on some days i incorporate dumbbells.

what is everyones opinion on this? i know there are lots of girls out there who would suggest to lift heavy but what I want to explore is whether using my body weight to work my muscles is going to benefit me on a calorie deficit? surely its better than not working on them at all by just doing cardio. I dont want this 'skinny fat' people speak of, rather just a toned look, or more specifically a rounder butt and flatter lower stomach as im not overweight.

:)

Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I lifted weights from 1996-2012. I now do Pilates.
    Pilates can be very beneficial.
    Keep it up.
  • PennyVonDread
    PennyVonDread Posts: 432 Member
    It doesn't need to be body building. As long as your rate of effort is somewhat challenging, you're doing it right.

    I've built muscle on body weight exercises like push-ups, chin-ups, tricep dips, etc. Most because I started off only being able to do one or two (which was difficult for me) and gradually increased the number of reps I was able to do consecutively. It was a constant struggle to best myself, and it counts as a legitimate workout.

    You don't need to lift weights specifically, though that has its benefits, too.
  • cassie4animals
    cassie4animals Posts: 23 Member
    I think pilates is more difficult than weight lifting, but that is just my opinion. I alternate so I don't get bored. Some weeks I'm loyal to the Firm weight lifting and stepping, other weeks I prefer pilates or yoga. Right now I'm trying to lose weight, but when I was in your situation, I found that weight lifting was extremely beneficial to getting that toned look I wanted.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    A lot of people just do body weight exercises and it works perfectly well for their goals. The important thing is that you are loading your muscles...all of your muscles. Where people go wrong is doing dieting and doing cardio, cardio, cardio, and more cardio while ignoring their muscular skeletal system by avoiding resistance training.

    Pilates are great...it just depends on your goals. Most people recommend weight training due to it is highly efficient and much easier to progressively over-load the body than body weight training, but done properly, body weight training is a perfectly fine way to resistance train.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I think pilates is more difficult than weight lifting, but that is just my opinion.

    You need to lift heavier then...you should be very near failure at your last couple of reps...if it's easy then you're doing it wrong.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,039 Member
    After people on the forums tellingme you cant build muscle on a deficit I saw this posted on a forum and wanted to ask another dummy question:

    " Lifting weights when eating at a deficit is kind of like your muscles saying to your body; "See, I'm still needed. Concentrate on the fat. "

    At a calorie deficit, I still excercise,to keep fit by doing cardio such as aerobics or eliptical. For working on my muscles, i do pilates. yes i know, its not lifting heavy weights but as a beginner, using my body weight and my core to do my workouts is challenging enough for the moment. obviously im aware i have to step up when it gets too 'easy', and on some days i incorporate dumbbells.

    what is everyones opinion on this? i know there are lots of girls out there who would suggest to lift heavy but what I want to explore is whether using my body weight to work my muscles is going to benefit me on a calorie deficit? surely its better than not working on them at all by just doing cardio. I dont want this 'skinny fat' people speak of, rather just a toned look, or more specifically a rounder butt and flatter lower stomach as im not overweight.

    :)
    Losing body weight means reduction of resistance when doing the same body weight exercises over and over. One would have to change the leverage of the exercise to keep the resistance high.

    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
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,039 Member
    It doesn't need to be body building. As long as your rate of effort is somewhat challenging, you're doing it right.

    I've built muscle on body weight exercises like push-ups, chin-ups, tricep dips, etc. Most because I started off only being able to do one or two (which was difficult for me) and gradually increased the number of reps I was able to do consecutively. It was a constant struggle to best myself, and it counts as a legitimate workout.

    You don't need to lift weights specifically, though that has its benefits, too.
    If you were in calorie deficit, muscle building was unlikely. Being able to do more repetitions from body weight exercise is related more to muscular endurance than muscle building (unless one is changing the leverage of the movement).

    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
  • brizzeem
    brizzeem Posts: 82 Member
    Lifting weights while on a deficit is critical mainly because if you've lifted weights to even tone your muscle let alone gain any you don't want to lose it on a deficit. I'm on a deficit (everyone refers to cutting if they're a weight lifter) and prior to this I would lift heavy and continue to progress, now that I'm on a deficit I've switched from heavy lifting to higher reps. This allows me to still work and focus on the muscles even though I will not gain anything from it.

    Even if you haven't lifted before I highly recommend you start lifting, body weight stuff will only get you so far and if you lose weight it'll get easier and top of your muscles getting more used to (toned) for those motions.
  • mestiza91
    mestiza91 Posts: 51
    Thanks all, your replies have been really helpful :)

    now if i use my body weight to 'lift' and 'round' my butt whilst on a calorie deficit, am i just burning the fat around it? i really wanna know more about this and advice would be really appreciated. my butt is quite big but its natural and mostly fat. I dont want it to sag or look like what everyone calls 'skinny fat'. My butt workouts with pilates are always varied and I do them to failure. They include donkey kicks, squats lunges, hip thrusts etc... Sorry to sound like such a dummy! advice appreciated! :)
  • yallllah
    yallllah Posts: 35 Member
    Ohhh, I was just wondering this. Thanks for asking, OP, and thanks to all who replied.

    I lost a bit too quickly this past week and I know I've got to start with some form of WT soon (and body weight is all that's available to me, sad trombone life in rural Asia)....
  • PennyVonDread
    PennyVonDread Posts: 432 Member
    It doesn't need to be body building. As long as your rate of effort is somewhat challenging, you're doing it right.

    I've built muscle on body weight exercises like push-ups, chin-ups, tricep dips, etc. Most because I started off only being able to do one or two (which was difficult for me) and gradually increased the number of reps I was able to do consecutively. It was a constant struggle to best myself, and it counts as a legitimate workout.

    You don't need to lift weights specifically, though that has its benefits, too.
    If you were in calorie deficit, muscle building was unlikely. Being able to do more repetitions from body weight exercise is related more to muscular endurance than muscle building (unless one is changing the leverage of the movement).

    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

    I was eating a high protein, low carb diet at maint. *I don't recommend low carb for everyone, I was born diabetic*
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Thanks all, your replies have been really helpful :)

    now if i use my body weight to 'lift' and 'round' my butt whilst on a calorie deficit, am i just burning the fat around it? i really wanna know more about this and advice would be really appreciated. my butt is quite big but its natural and mostly fat. I dont want it to sag or look like what everyone calls 'skinny fat'. My butt workouts with pilates are always varied and I do them to failure. They include donkey kicks, squats lunges, hip thrusts etc... Sorry to sound like such a dummy! advice appreciated! :)

    You can't spot reduce. It is important to work all of the muscles in your body, but you can't spot reduce. Your calorie deficit is what is goin to cut the fat and you will lose fat from wherever your body chooses to take it from, you have no control over this. If your booty is your primary fat store then likely your booty fat will be the last to go. My primary fat store is my belly area and while I'm very fit and trim all over, I still have a small spare tire and some love handles...I'm working on them, but they'll be the last to go and I anticipate that it will take quite awhile to body re-comp.
  • LifterDave
    LifterDave Posts: 112 Member
    After people on the forums tellingme you cant build muscle on a deficit I saw this posted on a forum and wanted to ask another dummy question:

    " Lifting weights when eating at a deficit is kind of like your muscles saying to your body; "See, I'm still needed. Concentrate on the fat. "
    This is very true for the skinny person with little body fat. You can build strength at a deficit, you just have to stay mindful the deficit is not too big.
  • mestiza91
    mestiza91 Posts: 51
    Thanks all, your replies have been really helpful :)

    now if i use my body weight to 'lift' and 'round' my butt whilst on a calorie deficit, am i just burning the fat around it? i really wanna know more about this and advice would be really appreciated. my butt is quite big but its natural and mostly fat. I dont want it to sag or look like what everyone calls 'skinny fat'. My butt workouts with pilates are always varied and I do them to failure. They include donkey kicks, squats lunges, hip thrusts etc... Sorry to sound like such a dummy! advice appreciated! :)

    You can't spot reduce. It is important to work all of the muscles in your body, but you can't spot reduce. Your calorie deficit is what is goin to cut the fat and you will lose fat from wherever your body chooses to take it from, you have no control over this. If your booty is your primary fat store then likely your booty fat will be the last to go. My primary fat store is my belly area and while I'm very fit and trim all over, I still have a small spare tire and some love handles...I'm working on them, but they'll be the last to go and I anticipate that it will take quite awhile to body re-comp.


    thanks for this :) im aware you cant spot reduce but when I do pilates, there are days where I concentrate on upper body and lower body and I just want that little bit of extra focus in maintaining my butt as im on a defecit and dont really want to lose this area. with my pilates butt excercise I am just trying to stop it from sagging or being skinny fat. My goal is to lift it more and round it if possible. but because its mainly fat I feel like all this gets a bit confusing the more I think about it :s

    s a sham
  • SolitudesMuse
    SolitudesMuse Posts: 67 Member
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/gain-muscle-lose-fat/
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,039 Member
    It doesn't need to be body building. As long as your rate of effort is somewhat challenging, you're doing it right.

    I've built muscle on body weight exercises like push-ups, chin-ups, tricep dips, etc. Most because I started off only being able to do one or two (which was difficult for me) and gradually increased the number of reps I was able to do consecutively. It was a constant struggle to best myself, and it counts as a legitimate workout.

    You don't need to lift weights specifically, though that has its benefits, too.
    If you were in calorie deficit, muscle building was unlikely. Being able to do more repetitions from body weight exercise is related more to muscular endurance than muscle building (unless one is changing the leverage of the movement).

    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

    I was eating a high protein, low carb diet at maint. *I don't recommend low carb for everyone, I was born diabetic*
    But if still in deficit, you weren't building muscle. Building muscle means adding lean tissue and that's an increase in mass. Increasing mass would require consuming more than your burn.

    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
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    I think pilates is more difficult than weight lifting, but that is just my opinion.

    I agree. Of course, it's difficult for me to do any activity that I find silly.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I think pilates is more difficult than weight lifting, but that is just my opinion.

    You need to lift heavier then...you should be very near failure at your last couple of reps...if it's easy then you're doing it wrong.

    I still think it's different kind of "difficult level". To me training for muscle endurance is way harder than power lifting. But I only compare it with myself. :)
  • cassie4animals
    cassie4animals Posts: 23 Member
    I think pilates is more difficult than weight lifting, but that is just my opinion.

    You need to lift heavier then...you should be very near failure at your last couple of reps...if it's easy then you're doing it wrong.

    It's more of a pose and form thing for me. I find some of the pilates moves difficult, whereas I'm able to perform the weight lifting moves correctly most of the time, with only an occasional correction from my trainer. But to each his/her own. Just depends what you like and what you're comfortable with.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I think pilates is more difficult than weight lifting, but that is just my opinion.

    I agree. Of course, it's difficult for me to do any activity that I find silly.
    What's "silly" about Pilates?
  • sokkache
    sokkache Posts: 220 Member
    What about playing sports such as tennis or volleyball competitively. It incorporates cardio and resistance/high intensity workouts into one. That should work as well as bodyweight training, right?
  • christinelast
    christinelast Posts: 76
    Bump

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