Strength training help with weight loss?

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Brander21
Brander21 Posts: 5 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been losing weight with my change in diet for June but am not very good at getting out and exercising. I decided to start with a workout at home. It involves squats, Pushups, curls, Leglifts, crunches, Russian twist, jumping jacks, Burpees & mountain climbers. It gradually adds more each day through the month. I know it's not a lot of cardio but will this help me with my weight loss? I do it everyday with every fourth day of rest.

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  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Strength training is for getting stronger, building some muscle, looking better and being in better health. Eating less calories than you burn is what helps you lose weight.
  • Brander21
    Brander21 Posts: 5 Member
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    So as I lose weight from dieting. This strength training will help me look more toned as the weight comes off?
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
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    That is about right. Also, strength training helps maintain muscle during weightloss. In normal weightloss you will lose both fat and muscle. By incorporating strength training you maintain more muscles and most of your losses will be fat.
  • Brander21
    Brander21 Posts: 5 Member
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    Thank you so much. That really helps with my question and makes sense :)

  • dalansteiner
    dalansteiner Posts: 61 Member
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    I was doing great with weight loss while doing strength training until I hit a big time plateau (well, big to me. No weight loss the last two weeks). This coincided with me changing over to eating the right amount of protein to gain muscle mass and cutting back on carbs a bit. Before that I was losing 2.8 lbs a week. Now I have slowed dramatically to .1 lbs a week.

    I think this indicates I was actually losing muscle mass before and that's where some of the weight loss was coming.

    Not sure. Will have to check my measurements. If they aren't changing either then I am neither gaining muscle nor losing fat.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Every bit of exercise helps, but losing weight comes from controlling calories in.

    Strength training maintains muscle, slims you, makes you stronger, helps prevent injury (because your
    joints are more stable, thanks to stronger support from muscles), and since muscle burns more calories
    (per pound, per hour) than fat it will increase your calorie burn... but the difference isn't as much as most
    people think.

    Amazingly, Forbes has published an article which states simple science-backed truths about weight loss.
    A good read.

    Alan, it's nearly impossible to gain muscle while in a calorie deficit.
  • dalansteiner
    dalansteiner Posts: 61 Member
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    Could you expand on that a bit? Why would it not be possible to increase muscle mass (mass in the true sense as in grams muscle) while in a deficit? Can't the body use stored fat to make up the deficit rather than the protein you are eating?
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    edited June 2015
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    dalansteiner wrote: »
    Could you expand on that a bit? Why would it not be possible to increase muscle mass (mass in the true sense as in grams muscle) while in a deficit? Can't the body use stored fat to make up the deficit rather than the protein you are eating?

    It's more of a gray area as their are certain circumstances where it's possible - New to lifting, retraining (think coming back from injury), or overfat/obese; even some advanced trainees. If you're comparing gaining while in a deficit to gains one could make while in a surplus however, it is far less optimal.
  • ercarroll311
    ercarroll311 Posts: 295 Member
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    Everyone is making good points. It's more about your calorie deficit than anything. I have done weight loss with strength training and without. I was successful both times, but with strength training, the look of my body as I lost weight was better (less flab).
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    dalansteiner wrote: »
    Could you expand on that a bit? Why would it not be possible to increase muscle mass (mass in the true sense as in grams muscle) while in a deficit? Can't the body use stored fat to make up the deficit rather than the protein you are eating?

    Your body can used fat stores for many things, but not all things (like amino acids). Your body has preferences as to what is burns first, second, and so on.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    Not to mention all the added benefits of strength training regularly. Increased tendon/ligament strength, greater bone density, so less chances of developing osteoporosis, better posture, and so forth! And yes it will definitely help you look more toned, so long as you have a low enough body fat percentage.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
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    Brander21 wrote: »
    I have been losing weight with my change in diet for June but am not very good at getting out and exercising. I decided to start with a workout at home. It involves squats, Pushups, curls, Leglifts, crunches, Russian twist, jumping jacks, Burpees & mountain climbers. It gradually adds more each day through the month. I know it's not a lot of cardio but will this help me with my weight loss? I do it everyday with every fourth day of rest.

    As mentioned, caloric deficit is what does the weight loss, cardio is for cardiovascular health and conditioning, and strength training is also conditioning as well as mobility improvement. Both cardio and strength training DO help achieve the caloric deficit though.

    For me, when I am looking to strictly drop weight I do a majority of HIIT and cardio with high rep/light weight strength training. I have been working on this to improve my sports performance (lighter weight = Less stress on knees = better court movement and agility).

    If I am happy at a weight but want to recomposition my body further (help reduce fat stores and get the 'toned' look) I do a majority of strength training with a few days of HIIT or cardio. I can actually be heavier in weight by up to 10 pounds, but still remove fat.

  • dalansteiner
    dalansteiner Posts: 61 Member
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    Here's my quandry. I have visible midsection fat, and I am trying to lose it. I am not even halfway to my goal weight. Since I started eating enough protein to grow stronger (without changing overall calories), the weight loss stopped in its tracks. I am wondering if I need to give up strength increases until I hit my goal weight, then try to get stronger.

    Very frustrating. ..

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