50 lb loss goal, when do I start working with weights?

vlhurley
vlhurley Posts: 7
in Fitness and Exercise
If this information is already here, sorry. I'm new to the forums and have tons to learn.

I am 10 pounds into my goal of 50 pounds lost, and am wondering how do you get started with working with weights? I've just started on cardio the last couple of weeks but hoping to protect the little muscle I have while losing fat (and long term hope to add muscle overall as I'm a weakling).

For those of you who incorporated that into your weight loss journey, did you start with body pump type classes? Do I need a trainer or did you just go the the weights in the gym and 'go for it'?

Any advice is helpful!! Thanks in advance :).

Val

Replies

  • redheaded_dem
    redheaded_dem Posts: 26 Member
    Start now!

    If you belong to a gym, you can look into a body pump class or get a personal trainer to get you started. Since I have an odd schedule, I do weights at home with videos off of sites like Fitness Blender, Tone it up, and a few others on YouTube. I love how strong it's making me feel.

    I am purposefully trying to lose slowly, but can see a MAJOR difference due to the weight training.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    The simple answer is now.
    Your goal is to lose fat, right? 50lbs of fat.
    So why would you be happy losing muscle at the same time? Wouldn't that mean you need to lose even more total weight to finally be rid of that 50lbs of fat?
    Start lifting now, and have some nice muscle to show off when the fat quilt gets pulled off.
    Simple math:
    150lbs of LBM + 50lbs of fat = 200lbs = 25.0% body fat.
    145lbs of LMB + 40lbs of fat = 185lbs = 21.6% body fat
    150lbs of LMB + 40lbs of fat = 190lbs = 21.0% body fat

    And at the same time....look this over: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    As to how... Lots of folks love New Rules of lifting for Women.
    Simple review: http://www.prettylittlegrub.com/2013/12/17/new-rules-of-lifting-for-women-stage-one/

    Also, I reccomend checking out Fitocracy, which is a site like MFP, but designed for working out, and has lots of folks willing to give advice, workout plans, groups, etc. https://www.fitocracy.com/
  • Crescent_Meadows
    Crescent_Meadows Posts: 61 Member
    I agree with everyone else, start now!

    I started lifting when I was about 10 lbs from my goal weight. Since then, my weight loss have plateaued, but I have noticeably gained muscle mass in my arms and legs. My pants are way looser as well. At the same weight, I’m way happier with how my body looks.

    I started lifting with BodyPump. I was a complete beginner (seriously zero knowledge about how to weight train or even muscle groups). Body Pump was a great introduction because I learned how to safely do all the exercises by following the instructor and the class provides a full-body workout. I started with very low weights and added more once I felt comfortable doing all the moves. After doing Pump regularly for a couple of months, I started mixing Pump with heavy lifting outside of class. When I ventured out on my own, I realized that Pump had a pretty limited set of exercises that it relied on. I used online resources to learn a more comprehensive set of exercises.

    If you are a beginner too, I would really recommend trying Body Pump. It’s a great way to gain confidence and get a “crash-course” on lifting.
  • vlhurley
    vlhurley Posts: 7
    Thank you everyone! I am a gym member but have just recently started so I haven't tried any of the classes yet.

    the only reason I've thought about weights is all of the motivating posts I've seen on here. I will give body pump a try. I definitely don't want to lose muscle weight, I don't want to plateau either, but if in the long run it gets me where I want to be I'll do it!

    Never heard of fitocracy either definitely gonna check it out too!
  • RaggedyPond
    RaggedyPond Posts: 1,487 Member
    .
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    Thank you everyone! I am a gym member but have just recently started so I haven't tried any of the classes yet.

    the only reason I've thought about weights is all of the motivating posts I've seen on here. I will give body pump a try. I definitely don't want to lose muscle weight, I don't want to plateau either, but if in the long run it gets me where I want to be I'll do it!

    Never heard of fitocracy either definitely gonna check it out too!

    I am on there, same name, and XJenX is the main mod of there, and can always point you towards the right answer.
  • SinCityFit
    SinCityFit Posts: 96
    Today.

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