should I lift weights - I don't want to gain weight only ton

michellesisreed
michellesisreed Posts: 24 Member
edited September 23 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok so we all know muscle weighs more then fat or at least that is what our girlfriends say when our scale leans more to the positive side. I suppose it is something I buy into when my scale creeps in the wrong direction...sounds good so I run with it. So if I start lifting weights will my scale go up?... Or better question how do I lift weights to tone but still drop weight? I def do not want my scale to start going back up...YIKES. Insight please.

Replies

  • michellesisreed
    michellesisreed Posts: 24 Member
    Hilarious it cut off tone in my header so now I look like I wrote ton...LMFAO...what a pickle
  • TrainerRobin
    TrainerRobin Posts: 509 Member
    Ok so we all know muscle weighs more then fat or at least that is what our girlfriends say when our scale leans more to the positive side. I suppose it is something I buy into when my scale creeps in the wrong direction...sounds good so I run with it. So if I start lifting weights will my scale go up?... Or better question how do I lift weights to tone but still drop weight? I def do not want my scale to start going back up...YIKES. Insight please.

    YES. YES. YES. Do resistance training to develop tone and reduce your body fat percentage.

    NO. NO. NO. You won't see your scale go up UNLESS you are (1) working out like a maniac (e.g., 3 to 5 hours of lifting a day), and (2) eating exactly right/clean/enough/not too much. I'll be against it because it is INCREDIBLY hard to do this as a woman.

    Your scale will go up if you don't have your eating under control, even if you are doing weights and cardio.

    The Best Advice I can share with you is to know your body fat percentage today, and compare that to assess your progress. Do NOT use the scale as your guide. You can (and most people will) lose lean along with "weight" and won't get the amazing benefits of reduced body fat.

    Good luck! :)
  • marisol7649
    marisol7649 Posts: 484 Member
    When I do weights my scale does not change but my measurements do get smaller. So measure yourself. I do weight myself more of gauge as not lose motivation.
  • Panda86
    Panda86 Posts: 873
    I honestly think people use the "I gained muscle" excuse when they gain weight from improper eating and not being honest. In order to gain a significant amount of weight because of muscle, you would have to be doing some serious strength training. With that said, I ALWAYS gain a pound of water weight (very common while your muscles repair), but then I drop it a day later, and then some. So you will probably see a little more fluctuation. But strength training is absolutely necessary in the long run, if you ask me. A good strength training workout can burn calories up to 2 days after the workout, unlike cardio, which stops burning once your heart rate drops. BUT if you add strength training, remember not to work the same muscles every day. Take rest days or work upper one day and lower the next. You have to let your muscles repair or you will break them down instead of making them stronger. Hope that helps!!
  • teeminus30
    teeminus30 Posts: 14 Member
    I think weight training is a good idea as part of your overall plan. Muscle does weigh more than fat but it also helps you burn fat. Yes, do some weight training but everything in moderation. If your food is in line and you're getting your cardio you should not gain weight. I'm focused on the weight loss right now. I am mostly concentrating on food and cardio. In the past I have done weight training, lost inches, looked great but lost no weight. Right now I'm big on the numbers on the scale but we should all remember the most important thing is how we look and feel over what the scale says.
  • PokenStick
    PokenStick Posts: 204
    You have a few misconceptions.

    Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat. However, 5lbs of fat takes up more volume than 5lbs of muscle. So 140lb women who has 40% body fat will look much more unhealthy and out of shape than a 140lb women with 15% body fat even though they weight the same.

    You won't gain weight from muscle unless you're a body builder or already incredibly skinny and are trying to bulk up. Any weight gain will be from water or something in your diet that's not working.

    There is no such thing as "tone". The look you want is a decrease in body fat and an increase in muscle mass. The only way to increase muscle mass is by weight training, and again, don't worry about getting "too ripped". This is extremely hard to do, and almost impossible if you're diet is correct and you're in a catabolic state.
  • daa5849
    daa5849 Posts: 8
    The general rule is if you want to increase muscle tone, do low weight for many reps. If you want to gain muscle size, do a lot of weight for only a few reps. The trick is that your muscles should be struggling at the end of the set no matter what. If you can pick up a 2 lb weight at do a set of 50 without breaking a sweat, the weight is too low.

    Also, I would recommend using free weights like dumbbells and kettlebells over weight machines. The free weights will engage more secondary muscles to keep them stable versus machines which more effectivly isolate a single muscle group. Engaging more muscles will mean more tone and definition, and a better workout overall.

    And while I know most women don't want to gain too much muscle mass and look "ripped", its generally not an easy for women to pack on a lot of muscle, even with regular resistance exercise. However, the muscle mass you do gain goes a long way towards increasing your body's daily calorie needs, so you lose weight faster even on days you dont exercise.

    For that reason, I would suggest doing low weight high reps for your upper body (arms, shoulder, chest) to get the "toned" look, and high weight low reps for your lower body. The muscles in your legs are some of the biggest in your body. If you increase some muscle mass here, it'll really stoke your metabolism.
  • musclebuilder
    musclebuilder Posts: 324 Member
    Ok so we all know muscle weighs more then fat or at least that is what our girlfriends say when our scale leans more to the positive side. I suppose it is something I buy into when my scale creeps in the wrong direction...sounds good so I run with it. So if I start lifting weights will my scale go up?... Or better question how do I lift weights to tone but still drop weight? I def do not want my scale to start going back up...YIKES. Insight please.

    You drop weight by remaining in a negative energy balance. You decrease bf and maintain lean muscle mass with a combination of negative energy balance and strength training..That is what the goal should be.. Strength training will improve body composition, increase your strength, metabolic benefits, increased energy expenditure, increased thermic responce to food ect..Not to mention it allows you to consume adequate nutrients and energy..In other words, the idea that you will gain fat by adding in strength training to your routine or that it will in some way hamper your progress is as far from reality as it gets. How many days a week are you looking to strength train?
  • cjengel
    cjengel Posts: 21
    Definitely start lifting weights!

    People are often worried about "bulking up" but a) as a woman, that's soo hard to do :P and b) it'll take you at LEAST two months to even see any muscle, even if you lift three times a week, so you don't bulk up overnight.

    Why lift weights? The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn on average daily. Also, if you have more muscle, you'll burn more calories when you work out. Plus you get a toned, sleek sexy body. I'm counting on that anyways ;)

    and remember, it's not always about the number on the scale! Take measurements, they're far more accurate.

    Good luck!
  • cjengel
    cjengel Posts: 21
    You have a few misconceptions.

    Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat. However, 5lbs of fat takes up more volume than 5lbs of muscle. So 140lb women who has 40% body fat will look much more unhealthy and out of shape than a 140lb women with 15% body fat even though they weight the same.

    You won't gain weight from muscle unless you're a body builder or already incredibly skinny and are trying to bulk up. Any weight gain will be from water or something in your diet that's not working.

    There is no such thing as "tone". The look you want is a decrease in body fat and an increase in muscle mass. The only way to increase muscle mass is by weight training, and again, don't worry about getting "too ripped". This is extremely hard to do, and almost impossible if you're diet is correct and you're in a catabolic state.

    lol

    while you are right about volume, it's contradictory to say so while also saying it weighs the same.

    if you take equal amounts of fat and muscle, the muscle will weigh more; hence, if you have 5 lbs of fat and 5 lbs of muscle, you will have to have more fat than muscle. If they weighed the same, you would have equal quantities of each.

    therefore, again, the number on the scale is NOT always reliable. Measurements are key. :)
  • somigliana
    somigliana Posts: 314 Member
    Why lift weights? The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn on average daily. Also, if you have more muscle, you'll burn more calories when you work out. Plus you get a toned, sleek sexy body.

    I totally agree with you, cjengel. I've been lifting (and quite heavy for a woman) and I haven't bulked up significantly at all during the last 7 months. I am looking a lot leaner and stronger, though, and I'm having to eat more calories to maintain my weight.
  • Teran0612
    Teran0612 Posts: 263
    lol

    while you are right about volume, it's contradictory to say so while also saying it weighs the same.

    if you take equal amounts of fat and muscle, the muscle will weigh more; hence, if you have 5 lbs of fat and 5 lbs of muscle, you will have to have more fat than muscle. If they weighed the same, you would have equal quantities of each.

    therefore, again, the number on the scale is NOT always reliable. Measurements are key. :)
    [/quote]

    Did you even read what you wrote? Yes it takes more volume for albs of fat, than 5lbs of muscle... But 5lbs is 5lbs is 5lbs... No matter what it is that your weighing... Just cause it takes more of something to equal 5 lbs... Doesn't make it weigh more.. It's still 5 lbs.
  • daa5849
    daa5849 Posts: 8
    Just to be clear: if you have an equal VOLUME of fat and muscle, the muscle will weigh more. If you have an equal WEIGHT of fat and muscle, the fat will take up more space. The simple way to say this is that muscle has a greater DENSITY than fat.
  • cjengel
    cjengel Posts: 21
    Just to be clear: if you have an equal VOLUME of fat and muscle, the muscle will weigh more. If you have an equal WEIGHT of fat and muscle, the fat will take up more space. The simple way to say this is that muscle has a greater DENSITY than fat.

    thank you! :) excellent description. tried to explain that, guess I didn't do a very good job.
  • TrainerRobin
    TrainerRobin Posts: 509 Member
    You have a few misconceptions.

    Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat. However, 5lbs of fat takes up more volume than 5lbs of muscle. So 140lb women who has 40% body fat will look much more unhealthy and out of shape than a 140lb women with 15% body fat even though they weight the same.

    You won't gain weight from muscle unless you're a body builder or already incredibly skinny and are trying to bulk up. Any weight gain will be from water or something in your diet that's not working.

    There is no such thing as "tone". The look you want is a decrease in body fat and an increase in muscle mass. The only way to increase muscle mass is by weight training, and again, don't worry about getting "too ripped". This is extremely hard to do, and almost impossible if you're diet is correct and you're in a catabolic state.

    Amen. (I get what you meant ...).

    :)
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