Benefits to Strength Training while losing weight?

Maintaining the muscle mass that you do have would be the primary objective. If you are new to lifting, in spite of working on losing fat, the benefits of strength training on all of the soft tissue is well worth it! Plenty of myths and bro science have been written about it all from the gamut of "you can't lose weight and gain muscle" to "you can lose weight and gain muscle at the same time".

I'd say take measurements of everything, continue on your path of losing fat while strength training and see where you end up months down the road.

Maintaining the muscle you already have. When people say "toned", I honestly think they mean losing the fat to reveal the muscles they have.

Some people will experience noobie gains when at a deficit, but ya your not going to build significant muscle mass on a deficit. You can get a bit stronger though.

So maintaining your existing muscle mass, means that you will look smaller at heavier weights. It also means that more of your loss will be fat (weight loss is always a combination of Fat/Water/Muscle. What you do while losing weight helps determine what percentage of your loss is from what).

I've been wondering about this too. I don't care about building a lot of visible muscle (I figure that will come in time as I loose the fat on top of my muscles) but I do feel as though I'm getting stronger when I lift regularly. I figure that's a great thing (and I get some good cardio in too with a lot of my lifts, and that burns calories) but then sometimes I second guess myself and wonder if I'm doing something to harm my progress or my muscles.

You can add muscle on some days and lose fat on others. I have been doing that for over a year. It is slow steady progress and a per active for patient determined people.

Today was the second of two days to lift hard and eat at maintain levels with a higher percentage of protein. I also give myself more sleep time for body recovery. So Friday and Saturday work out perfectly !

Sunday is maintain level calories and light cardio and overall recovery

Now Monday thru Thursaday are back to cut 500 intake calories and burn off 500 calories

That conveniently lets me keep on track to drop 5-6 lbs of body fat per month

It does work, but it takes using food as a building block and managing it more closely. And you have to get that extra rest! Muscles rebuild then!

Good luck on your quest!

shadow2soul wrote: »

nyponbell wrote: »

I've been wondering about this too. I don't care about building a lot of visible muscle (I figure that will come in time as I loose the fat on top of my muscles) but I do feel as though I'm getting stronger when I lift regularly. I figure that's a great thing (and I get some good cardio in too with a lot of my lifts, and that burns calories) but then sometimes I second guess myself and wonder if I'm doing something to harm my progress or my muscles.

@nyponbell - Lifting will not harm your progress.
Comparison from Feb 13 and April 30:



Feb 13, 2015 - The day I started Stronglifts 5x5
April 30, 2015 - 10lbs later (although I switched to Ice Cream Fitness 5x5 about 2 weeks prior to this photo). I've lost another 5lbs since this photo.

Omfg you look incredible!!!!!

Your nutrition can also help. Ingest some high quality protein about the time you are working out. If you like Protein powder, a shake is a really helpful tool for building muscle. At only about 120 calories for about 24g of protein, you can have a shake mixed with water. For 200 calories you can have a shake with 8oz of skim milk and roughly 32g of protein. It's not a lot to add (or substitute) in a diet. As for when to take it, schools of thought tend to vary. If taking a powder designed for the sports nutrition crowd, most of those have added aminos and you'd be better served taking it right before a workout. Otherwise drink or eat whatever protein you've got right before or right after you finish strength training.

There also have been some studies that indicate a fairly lengthy period of increased caloric burn after taking whey protein, but none of them have really (to my knowledge) been all that scientifically rigorous. So as long as you take some kind of protein in close proximity to your workout time, the muscles should have enough protein available for them. Just make sure you are getting enough net protein in your diet overall.

lucyholdcroft363 wrote: »

@nevereverend Thank you for the advice! I usually get 90-120g of protein in my diet at around 1900 calories, is that a good amount? I drink post workout shakes available from my gym which are pretty protein packed!

Protein and veggies are key. I get the same amount of protein in way less calories (I'm only 5').

There are so many benefits to lifting and yes you can certainly build muscle on a deficit, I did. It's the fountain of youth for those of us in mid life and the sooner you start the better!

Great job!

professionalHobbyist wrote: »

1900 calories is a solid amount for maintain days it would seem.

I go to 2600 or so. I just woke up from a 2 hour nap

Triceps and chest are sore and legs are tired! But it feels great to know you are doing the right things and taking charge of your body!

I read Muscle Fitness articles with some caution since I'm not wanting to go muscle mass crazy. But they advise getting some protein before and after. Today I had 2 scoops of Gold Standard Whey protein before leg day and then a yummy Irish Breakfast at an awesome Pub afterwards.

I still have 700 or so calories to put down today.

You have a great plan.

I'm sure you will own it like a Boss!!

I'm confused. Are you assuming her maintenance is 1900? Or do you mean something else from that statement?

Let's not forget that, even if you don't increase muscle mass, your muscles do get stronger and also your nervous system learns how to handle harder loads. Getting stronger is an end in itself and requires no further justification in terms of appearance or anything else. If you have hands and feet, arms and legs, then getting stronger is good to do and makes your body better, by definition.

I won't deny I love seeing the changes in my body as it adapts to getting stronger, but that's really secondary. (If it wasn't secondary, I doubt I would have enough patience to continue. Strength gains came within a couple of weeks (adding five pounds to the bar meant I was lifting 30 pounds more by then on a 3x a week workout schedule. Physical changes took longer to notice.)

lucyholdcroft363 wrote: »

@nevereverend Thank you for the advice! I usually get 90-120g of protein in my diet at around 1900 calories, is that a good amount? I drink post workout shakes available from my gym which are pretty protein packed!

Lucy, your protein levels are good. But I'd be wary of the shakes at the gym. We have an Edge fitness near where I live, and the shakes they provide are not the best. They are mostly over 400 calories, have alot of sugar and carbs, and cost 5-6 dollars each. Ugh! Additionally, they only advertise their protein counts for their so called "Hard Core" shakes, which are mostly over 500 calories and go as high as 840!

For about 30$ you can get a 2lb tub of a really good protein powder with BCAAs (I usually buy Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard, but there are a ton of others equally as good). The tub has about 30 shakes worth of whey protein. You can do even better if you buy a 5lb tub and knock your total cost to below $1 a shake, including skim milk or soy milk.

I'm 59 yrs old and started strength training and HIIT 6 months ago 2-3 times a week for 40 minutes. (I've always walked for exercise before.). I've lost 20 #s and am back at the weight I was 3 years ago. However I took my measurements. My waist is 2 1/2 inches smaller and my chest is 2 inches smaller than I was at the same weight 3 years ago. I'm just amazed at that! My hips are the same.