Stronglifts 5x5 for still fat person!!! DOABLE?

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giannigreco83
giannigreco83 Posts: 282 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
As per title guys....I weigh 250lbs right now, I lost around 15 lbs in the last month and a half, the loss is pretty steady so far but I am only doing cardio at the gym. I've come to know this 5x5 in detail but I found no information whether it is appropriate for me at this stage to start this. My body fat is 34%.

Based on your experience or opinion, should I start this program or start lifting weight at all or should I wait to shed some more pound with diet and cardio and then start lifting??

Thank you to everyone...
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Replies

  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
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    The sooner you start lifting the more muscle you save. Don't wait.
  • giannigreco83
    giannigreco83 Posts: 282 Member
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    jenglish712 wrote: »
    The sooner you start lifting the more muscle you save. Don't wait.

    Did you lift while losing weight?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    jenglish712 wrote: »
    The sooner you start lifting the more muscle you save. Don't wait.

    Did you lift while losing weight?

    yes…helped preserve muscle and lose body fat..

    start now...
  • giannigreco83
    giannigreco83 Posts: 282 Member
    edited March 2015
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    yes…helped preserve muscle and lose body fat..
    start now...[/quote]

    Yeah I figured it was important to start lifting you're right.... Do you advise beginners program like Stronglifts 5x5?
  • BraveNewdGirl
    BraveNewdGirl Posts: 937 Member
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    I still have ~25 lbs. to lose (having lost nearly 60 lbs.) and I do StrongLifts 5x5 while eating at a deficit (TDEE - 20%). I only wish I'd started lifting sooner!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    yes…helped preserve muscle and lose body fat..
    start now...

    Yeah I figured it was important to start lifting you're right.... Do you advise beginners program like Stronglifts 5x5?[/quote]

    stronglifts 5x5 is a great beginner program ..

    just make sure that you learn proper form for squats, deadlifts, etc….I would suggest gong on you tube to see videos of said form...
  • giannigreco83
    giannigreco83 Posts: 282 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    yes…helped preserve muscle and lose body fat..
    start now...


    stronglifts 5x5 is a great beginner program ..

    just make sure that you learn proper form for squats, deadlifts, etc….I would suggest gong on you tube to see videos of said form...

    Should I do cardio along with that I guess?

  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
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    If you can, I would still aim to get in 150 min/week of moderate cardio--the AHA recommendation for heart health. This could be a daily lunchtime (brisk) walk, or perhaps a single weekend hike.
  • kandeye
    kandeye Posts: 216 Member
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    I still have a lot of weight to lose and am doing 5x5. I started it the end of January, about a week after signing up for mfp. As long as you focus on form and stick to the guidelines of program, and unless you have some physical limitations you should be good to go. I have never lifted weights in my life, so I'm a complete beginner and find the program easy to follow.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    yes…helped preserve muscle and lose body fat..
    start now...


    stronglifts 5x5 is a great beginner program ..

    just make sure that you learn proper form for squats, deadlifts, etc….I would suggest gong on you tube to see videos of said form...

    Should I do cardio along with that I guess?

    if you want to yes, I would suggest doing it on your off lifting days so that you are not burned out on lifting days..

    I would also make sure that you have one, one hundred percent rest day where you do noting..it sucks, I know..but you need to give your body a break …on said rest days, you can do stretching, flexibility, mobility work, etc….just lay off the weights and cardio
  • giannigreco83
    giannigreco83 Posts: 282 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    yes…helped preserve muscle and lose body fat..
    start now...


    stronglifts 5x5 is a great beginner program ..

    just make sure that you learn proper form for squats, deadlifts, etc….I would suggest gong on you tube to see videos of said form...

    Should I do cardio along with that I guess?

    if you want to yes, I would suggest doing it on your off lifting days so that you are not burned out on lifting days..

    I would also make sure that you have one, one hundred percent rest day where you do noting..it sucks, I know..but you need to give your body a break …on said rest days, you can do stretching, flexibility, mobility work, etc….just lay off the weights and cardio

    thank you for all the tips....:)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    yes…helped preserve muscle and lose body fat..
    start now...


    stronglifts 5x5 is a great beginner program ..

    just make sure that you learn proper form for squats, deadlifts, etc….I would suggest gong on you tube to see videos of said form...

    Should I do cardio along with that I guess?

    if you want to yes, I would suggest doing it on your off lifting days so that you are not burned out on lifting days..

    I would also make sure that you have one, one hundred percent rest day where you do noting..it sucks, I know..but you need to give your body a break …on said rest days, you can do stretching, flexibility, mobility work, etc….just lay off the weights and cardio

    thank you for all the tips....:)

    yw…good luck to you brother...
  • giannigreco83
    giannigreco83 Posts: 282 Member
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    kandeye wrote: »
    I still have a lot of weight to lose and am doing 5x5. I started it the end of January, about a week after signing up for mfp. As long as you focus on form and stick to the guidelines of program, and unless you have some physical limitations you should be good to go. I have never lifted weights in my life, so I'm a complete beginner and find the program easy to follow.

    Hi, thanks, are you having any visible results in terms of weight loss/strength/body getting toned up?

  • cheyenne_liddi
    cheyenne_liddi Posts: 8 Member
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    Weight lifting will burn a ton of calories and build muscle, which also burns more calories at rest thus increasing your metabolism. You won't "lose" muscle if you are losing weight at 34% body fat I don't know what these people are talking about.
    Muscle is much harder for your body to break down, so if you are losing weight your body is going to turn to the easy stuff (fat) for energy. You muscles won't be affected as long as you're not completely starving yourself.
    This being said, building muscle can increase your weight loss and minimize the appearance of fat overall. It is a long process, and the body builds muscle slowly (no you won't replace the weight of fat with the weight of muscle since muscle is built much slower than fat is lost) so you should continue to lose weight while toning up and becoming stronger. It can also help improve your cardiovascular condition.
  • TheIncredibleHak
    TheIncredibleHak Posts: 31
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    Hey! I have been doing strong lifts 5x5 for a few weeks now. My strength has gone up dramatically and I feel great. Between the routine and dieting I lost about 15 pounds in the last two months. If you have questions feel free to message me. I also sent a friend request. Mobility was a huge issue for me with the squatting. So I do Limber 11 before each workout. (Just youtube limber 11.)
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    Agreed on the starting now! Definitely doable!

    It's so much easier to retain muscle than try and build new muscle.

    Stronglifts is a great beginner program. Of course, coupled with a calorie deficit and sufficient protein levels (.8-1lb per pound of Lean Body Mass) you should be set to awesome places!
  • kandeye
    kandeye Posts: 216 Member
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    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    kandeye wrote: »
    I still have a lot of weight to lose and am doing 5x5. I started it the end of January, about a week after signing up for mfp. As long as you focus on form and stick to the guidelines of program, and unless you have some physical limitations you should be good to go. I have never lifted weights in my life, so I'm a complete beginner and find the program easy to follow.

    Hi, thanks, are you having any visible results in terms of weight loss/strength/body getting toned up?

    So far I have only lost 7 lbs but a good amount of inches. The first month the scale didn't budge, which I hear is normal when starting a strength program so no need to worry. My arms and shoulders have leaned out quite a bit, enough to actually see the muscle. Also my legs are visible leaner. My stomach just won't budge yet :neutral_face: Overall I am a lot firmer and way stronger. It's crazy to watch my videos from a month ago compared to now. Feel free to add me as a friend if you are looking for support.
  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
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    giannigreco83 wrote: »
    jenglish712 wrote: »
    The sooner you start lifting the more muscle you save. Don't wait.

    Did you lift while losing weight?

    Yep. Would have answered earlier but I went to the gym!

  • snowmaniac
    snowmaniac Posts: 600 Member
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    Stronglifts or Starting Strength are great beginner programs. If you opt to try Stronglifts, there is a great app that makes it super simple. The base app is free but there are some useful add ons you can purchase if you like the program. The app even has videos for the exercises included in it. Check out the two workouts, A and B, on youtube.

    If you are eating at a moderate deficit, you will lose weight. Some will be body fat while some will be muscle, just as eating at a surplus will at fat and muscle. Doing a progressive lifting program like Stronglifts will affect the ratio of lean muscle to fat lost or gained. Lifting while losing weight will maximize the loss of fat while minimizing the loss of lean muscle, so it is an excellent way to go.

    Nothing wrong with doing cardio on top, just be aware that as your weight load gets higher your recovery time will be a little longer and so you may want to tweak your cardio if you see a drop in energy. Just something to be mindful of. Follow the program as it is laid out and don't let ego push you beyond where you are. Focus on form so that when the weights get heavier you are moving the proper way to avoid injury.

    Now get out there are lift! B)
  • VagablondViking
    VagablondViking Posts: 22 Member
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    I weigh 240 right now (down from 252 at New Year). I had been doing only cardio at the gym, but my roommate got me started on StrongLifts two weeks ago. I love it! Building that muscle will help you burn more calories in the long-run. I also eat a good amount of protein and try to stay in a slight deficit.

    It's doable for an overweight person, but definitely warm-up and stretch before (and stretch after!). The first two workout had me super-sore the next day (apparently I haven't used squatting muscles in a very long time), but I wasn't warming up or stretching properly. Now, my next day soreness is a good, pleasant sore you'd want after a good workout.

    I lift MWF (trying to do a little cario on my off-days) and take the weekend off completely. I think having those two days off really helps with the recuperation.

    Whenever I read a success story, the one thing that they all have in common (seems to be at least) is that they wish they'd started lifting sooner.

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