Strength training- Does it REALLY make you gain weight?

vallemic
vallemic Posts: 278 Member
edited October 15 in Fitness and Exercise
I have lost most of my weight up to this point through diet and light cardio exercises. I now joined a gym and have started doing more vigorous cardio exercises and strength training (weight machines) to help tone and lose those last 10 pounds.

I have been to WW and other weight loss clinics in the past and when someone would complain about not losing weight, others would say "Oh, it's because you're gaining muscle"! This comment has always rubbed me the wrong way because I just didn't believe it! They do lots of strength training on Biggest Loser and they drop crazy numbers! Any thoughts?

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    I have lost most of my weight up to this point through diet and light cardio exercises. I now joined a gym and have started doing more vigorous cardio exercises and strength training (weight machines) to help tone and lose those last 10 pounds.

    I have been to WW and other weight loss clinics in the past and when someone would complain about not losing weight, others would say "Oh, it's because you're gaining muscle"! This comment has always rubbed me the wrong way because I just didn't believe it! They do lots of strength training on Biggest Loser and they drop crazy numbers! Any thoughts?
    The BL contestants are one of the few people who can build muscle while on calorie deficit because they were obese to start. The other 2 types of people who can build muscle on deficit are an athlete returning to lifting after a long lay off and a brand new person to lifting who hasn't done it before. But even then the muscle gain is minimal.
    You gain weight when you start lifting because you start to store more water for muscle repair and also to help store more glycogen to fuel your workouts. It's temporary and normally will go away after a couple of weeks.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • jenniejengin
    jenniejengin Posts: 784 Member
    bump
  • jdstallings
    jdstallings Posts: 4
    Thanks. Several of Ninerbuff's posts have been very informative. I returned back to crossfit after several months lay off, and stopped losing wieght abruptly- let's hope its a little muscle.
  • Temple_Fit
    Temple_Fit Posts: 299 Member
    bump
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
    Niner is on the money here, you can make some modest gains as a beginner to strength training, but don't expect it to be too much.

    Also, the Biggest Loser contestants don't really ever put on a lot of muscle, they just incorporate some strength training to preserve the muscle they have (though they seill lose A LOT because of their really severe caloric defecits (only 1000-1200 cals a day with a huge amount of activity)!! They would all have a decent amount of muscle to start with just to carry around all that weight.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    A vast majority of the "weight gain" when strength training - or any other new strenuous workout - is just normal fluid retention... inflammation. On the Biggest Loser, they do a lot of "don't try this at home" types of tricks, like dehydrating themselves before a weighin, so inflammation isn't as much of an issue for those individuals... and even THEY have weeks when they scale doesn't budge or goes in the wrong direction.

    On the other hand, we shouldn't be afraid of a slight increase on the scale, either, because the scale is a terribly flawed way to judge your progress. For example, I weighed 5 pounds more in February than I did in September. I really don't know if any of that was muscle gain, or fluid retention, or what. Don't care because it doesn't matter. I was in smaller clothes in December, January and February, despite weighing more.

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  • thefuzz1290
    thefuzz1290 Posts: 777 Member
    Ditto on Niner's post, but you shouldn't be looking at the scale only anyways.

    EDIT: On a side note, the Biggest Losers contestants aren't strength training, they're doing circuit weight training...which is more like cardio. Since they're all morbidly obese, with very little muscle (minus the Olympian they had on a few seasons ago), they all got stronger.
  • runningdiva77
    runningdiva77 Posts: 67
    my personal trainer says to focus on the BMI. peaple that weigh less then you can have a higher body fat percentage.
  • Byrdsong1920
    Byrdsong1920 Posts: 336 Member
    u look great!! I'm working on my #operation2piece now!!! WORK IT!KEEP IT UP
  • Byrdsong1920
    Byrdsong1920 Posts: 336 Member
    SADLY, You will see the scale holding steady when you lift. Just have to make sure your doing lite weights and more reps to tone vs. going heavy on the weights and building a bunch of muscle like a body builder.

    I had to stop weighing because I'm doing weights too and getting irritated not seeing the scale drop as fast as I'd like. I focus on BMI and inches lost and how I feel and look in my clothes. Your food is key too asyou know. You look awesome ! keep it up
  • thefuzz1290
    thefuzz1290 Posts: 777 Member
    my personal trainer says to focus on the BMI. peaple that weigh less then you can have a higher body fat percentage.

    You shouldn't focus on BMI either. I'm considered overweight with ~25% bodyfat, but if I weighed the same but had 10% bodyfat, I'd still be considered overweight.

    There should be no focus on one specific thing. You can use BMI as a reference point, but for me to be "healthy" I'd have no muscle mass. You can use the scale as a reference point, but then you focus on a number and you can end up "skinny fat." The most trust worthy measurement, in my opinion, is body measurements. I've only dropped 10lbs on the scale, but I've dropped 2" on my waist and my arms and legs are getting bigger (muscle).
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
    BMI is BS :)
  • 70davis
    70davis Posts: 348 Member
    bump
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    SADLY, You will see the scale holding steady when you lift. Just have to make sure your doing lite weights and more reps to tone vs. going heavy on the weights and building a bunch of muscle like a body builder.

    I had to stop weighing because I'm doing weights too and getting irritated not seeing the scale drop as fast as I'd like. I focus on BMI and inches lost and how I feel and look in my clothes. Your food is key too asyou know. You look awesome ! keep it up

    Who cares what the scale says? Seriously. It's just one measure of progress and probably the least important one. I incorporated heavy lifting at the end of December. From then until about mid-February, I only lost 1# but I dropped a pant size and all my shirts got looser. Do I care what the scale said? Nope, not a bit.

    Friends tell me I've gone from a pear shape to an hourglass. I'll gladly take it.

    If you want to retain muscle and be able to reshape your body, lift heavy.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    my personal trainer says to focus on the BMI. peaple that weigh less then you can have a higher body fat percentage.
    Actually I would encourage body fat % over BMI because BMI DOESN'T account for muscle on people who may be athletic.
    BMI is based on weight/height. Body fat % is based on lean mass vs fat mass.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    SADLY, You will see the scale holding steady when you lift. Just have to make sure your doing lite weights and more reps to tone vs. going heavy on the weights and building a bunch of muscle like a body builder.
    Light weights and more reps to "tone" is a myth. While going heavy (overload) can build muscle, you need a surplus to do it. It's practically impossible to build muscle on a calorie deficit.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    my personal trainer says to focus on the BMI. peaple that weigh less then you can have a higher body fat percentage.

    You shouldn't focus on BMI either. I'm considered overweight with ~25% bodyfat, but if I weighed the same but had 10% bodyfat, I'd still be considered overweight.

    There should be no focus on one specific thing. You can use BMI as a reference point, but for me to be "healthy" I'd have no muscle mass. You can use the scale as a reference point, but then you focus on a number and you can end up "skinny fat." The most trust worthy measurement, in my opinion, is body measurements. I've only dropped 10lbs on the scale, but I've dropped 2" on my waist and my arms and legs are getting bigger (muscle).
    We think a lot alike.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Sytera
    Sytera Posts: 75
    I weigh 120 but can't fit into the clothes I wore at 125 back when I was an athlete. I am what was just mentioned as "skinny fat". However, I do have a 6 month old baby. Hopefully I will be back to a healthy size & weight, even if the weight is up from where I am now, in a few months.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    Sytera, great case in point.
  • meggerino
    meggerino Posts: 1
    I'm the same... I was "skinny fat". When I first started this program back in Feb, I weight 124 lbs... and initially dropped to 121... but now weigh 126/7 which is totally discouraging!! I know it doesn't matter what the scale says... but when you are working your butt off - it is a bit of a downer when you see the scale going up instead of down.
  • shani19
    shani19 Posts: 5 Member
    Ive been doing steady weight training for the past year and havent lost a single pound. On the contrary the scale keeps going up. What gives? I count my cals and excercise e/day/
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    edited October 2014
    vallemic wrote: »
    I have lost most of my weight up to this point through diet and light cardio exercises. I now joined a gym and have started doing more vigorous cardio exercises and strength training (weight machines) to help tone and lose those last 10 pounds.

    I have been to WW and other weight loss clinics in the past and when someone would complain about not losing weight, others would say "Oh, it's because you're gaining muscle"! This comment has always rubbed me the wrong way because I just didn't believe it! They do lots of strength training on Biggest Loser and they drop crazy numbers! Any thoughts?

    As of my most recent weigh in yesterday. Fasted weigh in, I'm 6 pounds heavier than when I got my DXA scan in july. Interesting to note though, pants are looser, I need to buy a new belt, or stick a new smaller hole in my current one, and the sport coat I bought at the beginning of October is looser in the stomach and chest.

    I'm up 6# though. Granted, my arms and shoulders have significantly more bulk and definition now, traps are growing, and my quads are getting pretty decent.
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
    Byrdsong1920 wrote: »
    SADLY, You will see the scale holding steady when you lift. Just have to make sure your doing lite weights and more reps to tone vs. going heavy on the weights and building a bunch of muscle like a body builder.
    I had to stop weighing because I'm doing weights too and getting irritated not seeing the scale drop as fast as I'd like. I focus on BMI and inches lost and how I feel and look in my clothes. Your food is key too asyou know. You look awesome ! keep it up

    Sorry have to disagree with this - I've lost 20lbs while eating at a defecit and working my way through New Rules of Lifting. I'm a lot stronger than I was in January too.
  • missnelso04
    missnelso04 Posts: 111 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    SADLY, You will see the scale holding steady when you lift. Just have to make sure your doing lite weights and more reps to tone vs. going heavy on the weights and building a bunch of muscle like a body builder.
    Light weights and more reps to "tone" is a myth. While going heavy (overload) can build muscle, you need a surplus to do it. It's practically impossible to build muscle on a calorie deficit.
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    Also...Byrdsong, you're a bit backwards with your set x rep scheme. Lifting heavy with few reps is more of a strength plan rather than a hypertrophy plan. If you lift lighter with more reps, you're looking for size - which is what bodybuilders are typically more concerned with. Just FYI!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    shani19 wrote: »
    Ive been doing steady weight training for the past year and havent lost a single pound. On the contrary the scale keeps going up. What gives? I count my cals and excercise e/day/


    Are you sure you are counting accurately? Weighing everything? Counting every drink, snack, bite, etc? Where did your calorie goal come from?
  • shani19
    shani19 Posts: 5 Member
    yes-my calorie goal came from my trainer.
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