Wanted: Started Heavy Lifting More then 50 lbs from Goal

Yes retaining as much LM. as possible is very important especially when eating at a deficit for such a long period of time. Its the difference between being thrilled with the way you look once you reach your goal and being very disappointed with your appearance because you look like a jellyfish.

I agree that lifting heavy from the beginning is the way to go, and didn't slow weight loss for me at all. Even if lifting slows your losses temporarily, it will make up for the lbs in inches instead, which is even better!
I started off with strength training first, as soon as I started this process at the end of January (with a personal trainer, as I had no idea what I was doing - didn't even know how to do a squat! I would recommend a few training sessions to anyone in the beginning, just to make sure you know how to do the exercises with good form, and without hurting yourself. It has been invaluable to me, and I would not have pushed myself so hard without him). I was shocked to find that I actually really enjoy the weight lifting part, though, and look forward to my lifting days! I do cardio too, just to burn extra calories faster and speed the weight loss, but really attribute my new shape to the weight training.
In the beginning I was only working with body weight exercises, and could barely do one push-up. Now, 6 months later, I can even do chin-ups, I can squat with at least 80 lbs, bench press 95, and swing a 40lb kettlebell! Back in February I wouldn't have believed I would ever be able to do even half of that. And my body has never looked or felt this good or strong. I'm down 50 lbs, at least 15% body fat (I know I was at least 50% when I started, and am down to about 34% now that I'm not too embarrassed to measure it(, and it's still going down every month, and my BMI has gone from about 38 to just under the 'obese' line, at 29.9!
I would recommend strength training to anyone, at any weight or fitness level. Best of luck to you!

My before and current - January 30, 2014, at 242 lbs and July 24, 2014, at 194 lbs:





and a monthly timeline photo too:

I started lifting a few months after I started trying to lose weight (again). I love lifting, and it is one of the things that have sustained my will to lose weight. Unfortunately, after several vacations this summer and overall unwillingness to eat in my calorie goals, I've taken a few steps backwards, but it's been easy for me to keep getting into the gym to lift.

I did strong lifts 5x5 for a little over a year, and there is a wonderful group here that makes it easy to understand the program and a TON of information and help. I now am doing bootyful beginnings from Strong Curves, and I'll soon move on to the advanced lifting program from the same book.

Here is my progress so far (I still have another 30-40lbs that I want to lose):

Ummmmmmm this might just be the best thread I've ever seen......I have had all of the same questions as OP about lifting...unsure where/how to start and I also thought many of the women who lift heavy had a smaller amount of weight to lose.

I am SO. SO. SO. inspired by you all!!


:drinker: :bigsmile: :noway: :flowerforyou:

Do lift sessions and follow up with cardio. It will make your body stay in burning mode to repair and build muscle hours after your exercise routine has stopped. Unlike cardio alone which exercise burning ceases when the cardio ceases.

For lean muscle lower weight/higher reps
For bulk muscle higher weight/lower rep
Cardio after for longer caloric burn.

Advice given to me by my friend Gene Labrada (school friend of many years who is also active owner and trainer in his brothers company) who is also the brother of Lee Labrada (of Labrada nutrition-former world class bodybuilder). I trust this advise and see it work everytime I hit a plateau. I add about 5-10 pounds and then do cardio and the inches melt off.

Here was my timeline:
First year I did lots of cardio, didn't log accurately, set my calorie goal too aggressive, didn't lose weight.
Second and third year I did just a little cardio, lifted weights, set my calorie goal to a pound a week, logged fairly accurately (except weekends) lost 50 pounds.

Why wait? What would be the benefit? I'm legitimately curious what would deter you from starting now?

I'm just over 200 also...about 40 lbs. from my goal and very much prefer ST to cardio (but I still do cardio). The only drawback, as many have mentioned is that you won't see the scale move as quickly as you'd like. But this weekend my boyfriend called me "buff" and I'm taking that as a sexy compliment!

I'm 5'3 and at my heaviest I was 244 lbs, started with cardio only.
Once I was about 220 lbs I started doing BodyPump classes, which is lighter weights at high reps, more like a circuit. It really helped me get stronger and I did notice that I was leaning out a little firmer than with cardio alone. Little by little I started moving away from Bodypump classes and started using more of the machines in the weight room.
Even better strength! Not to mention the inches lost even when the scale didn't budge!!!

I'm 180 lbs now and started lifting heavier weights, challenging enough where I can only do about 10-12 reps. I use machines and free weights. I do a combo of both Cardio and weight training. I continued to do cardio the entire time, just added more and more weight training exercises.

I'm excited to see what results I get over the next couple months! :happy:

This thread just made my day!

I just started lifting with a trainer yesterday, I will be working with him twice a week. I'm very excited to see how my body will transform, but having a hard time mentally preparing for a possible stall in the scale.

Do lift sessions and follow up with cardio. It will make your body stay in burning mode to repair and build muscle hours after your exercise routine has stopped. Unlike cardio alone which exercise burning ceases when the cardio ceases.

For lean muscle lower weight/higher reps
For bulk muscle higher weight/lower rep
Cardio after for longer caloric burn.

Advice given to me by my friend Gene Labrada (school friend of many years who is also active owner and trainer in his brothers company) who is also the brother of Lee Labrada (of Labrada nutrition-former world class bodybuilder). I trust this advise and see it work everytime I hit a plateau. I add about 5-10 pounds and then do cardio and the inches melt off.

Lean and bulk muscle...what?

Do lift sessions and follow up with cardio. It will make your body stay in burning mode to repair and build muscle hours after your exercise routine has stopped. Unlike cardio alone which exercise burning ceases when the cardio ceases.

For lean muscle lower weight/higher reps
For bulk muscle higher weight/lower rep
Cardio after for longer caloric burn.

Advice given to me by my friend Gene Labrada (school friend of many years who is also active owner and trainer in his brothers company) who is also the brother of Lee Labrada (of Labrada nutrition-former world class bodybuilder). I trust this advise and see it work everytime I hit a plateau. I add about 5-10 pounds and then do cardio and the inches melt off.

Lean and bulk muscle...what?

Google. Here is a link to get you started: http://themusclediary.com/lean-muscle-vs-bulky-muscle/

Do lift sessions and follow up with cardio. It will make your body stay in burning mode to repair and build muscle hours after your exercise routine has stopped. Unlike cardio alone which exercise burning ceases when the cardio ceases.

For lean muscle lower weight/higher reps
For bulk muscle higher weight/lower rep
Cardio after for longer caloric burn.

Advice given to me by my friend Gene Labrada (school friend of many years who is also active owner and trainer in his brothers company) who is also the brother of Lee Labrada (of Labrada nutrition-former world class bodybuilder). I trust this advise and see it work everytime I hit a plateau. I add about 5-10 pounds and then do cardio and the inches melt off.

Weird. I lost 53 lbs and went from over 35% BF to 17% lifting heavy with low reps. Got pretty lean.

Can't bulk in a deficit, so...

From the looks of it, you have been at this for some time, working on your lift weight. Don't you think tolerances to those weights has come to play? You didn't go right from one 35% extreme to 17% overnight by immediately lifting heavy with low reps, correct? Apparently op is still trying to lose weight...not just gain muscle. Therefore I see you point, but I think you aren't exactly seeing the OP's point. He isn't going to go right to enermous amount of heavy lifting while he is still trying to shed. Surely the concern is having muscle form or bulge under fat. Therefore the mix of lower weight to begin higher reps is still the way to go when initially incorporating the lift to a cardio routine for overall weight loss and muscle building. Thanks.

I started at 170 lbs and lifted heavy and low reps the entire time. This didn't make a difference on whether or not I lost body fat and got "leaner"

I think you're giving confusing information that isn't true. Losing fat can be done by a calorie deficit. Lifting weights helps retain current muscle in a deficit, not build it. You cannot build muscle in a deficit. Noobs to strength training have a tiny window for SMALL gains but that ends fairly quickly and is not a significant amount. You can gain quite a bit of strength from current muscle without adding anything. This is what I did for 9 months of my lifting.

Also, I started with just the bar and progressively added weight as the months went on and I got stronger. The idea is to continue to challenge yourself.

Heavy is relative to the individual. When I started out, 45 lbs was a lot to me. Now, not so much. See my point?

Do lift sessions and follow up with cardio. It will make your body stay in burning mode to repair and build muscle hours after your exercise routine has stopped. Unlike cardio alone which exercise burning ceases when the cardio ceases.

For lean muscle lower weight/higher reps
For bulk muscle higher weight/lower rep
Cardio after for longer caloric burn.

Advice given to me by my friend Gene Labrada (school friend of many years who is also active owner and trainer in his brothers company) who is also the brother of Lee Labrada (of Labrada nutrition-former world class bodybuilder). I trust this advise and see it work everytime I hit a plateau. I add about 5-10 pounds and then do cardio and the inches melt off.

Lean and bulk muscle...what?

Google. Here is a link to get you started: http://themusclediary.com/lean-muscle-vs-bulky-muscle/

*sigh* No. It's sarcoplasmic hypertrophy vs myofibriller hypertrophy.
https://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/38-articles/52-why-all-muscle-was-not-created-equal.html

The difference between bulky vs lean is almost always body fat.