What are your thoughts about lifting weights?

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derishaig
derishaig Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I was talking to my friend and we were discussing whether or not we should lift weights or do much weight-based exercises on the beginning of our journey. We both have a good amount of weight to lose (around 90ish pounds for both of us). I believe that we should do lots of cardio and do toning at least twice a week and she believes we should stick to lots of cardio and no toning so we avoid the possibility of bulking up instead of losing lots of weight like a lady that we met in the gym who was having that issue. What do you guys think?

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  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    edited September 2015
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    Female's aren't going to "bulk up" if they're lifting weights. It's harder for females to gain muscle due to having less testosterone and gaining muscle in a caloric deficit is pretty hard anyways.

    Those "muscly females" you see (however you define muscly) probably put in a few years of hard work just to get where they are.

    You should be lifting heavy weights to preserve muscle mass otherwise you could potentially turn out to be skinny fat, especially if you have 90lb's to lose.

    Start lifting yesterday;
    • New Rules of Lifting For Women
    • Strong Curves
    • ICF 5x5
    • StrongLifts 5x5
    __________________________________________
    • 0.6-0.8g of protein per lb of body mass
    • 0.4-0.45g of fat per lb of body mass
    • fill rest of calories with carbs
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    Lifting weights has never made me bulk up. In fact, quite the opposite. I lift three times per week (heavy weights), and have lost severa inches :smile:
  • derishaig
    derishaig Posts: 8 Member
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    cushman5279 wrote: »
    Lifting weights has never made me bulk up. In fact, quite the opposite. I lift three times per week (heavy weights), and have lost severa inches :smile:

    Thanks! That's exactly my thinking behind it. I think my friend just got freaked out by the one woman she met.

  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    I never understand what people mean when they say 'do toning' Hehe :)

    Cardio and strength/resistance training are both equally as important. You should be doing both. The cardio will burn the fat, the 'weights' will build that definition. So you'll be losing weight and 'toning up' as you put it! :D
  • soapsandropes
    soapsandropes Posts: 269 Member
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    You aren't going to bulk up lifting weights. Lifting will help you maintain the muscles that you have during your weight loss. Plus is is great for bone density, posture, general health.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    I would love to get into weight lifting, but I don't have the money for a gym membership or the money/space for home equipment (maybe when we buy a house, but not in my apartment).

    I currently do body weight training. I've been using the You Are Your Own Gym program. It's great and I've seen some good improvements in my strength.

    It's enough for now since I'm new to strength training. I'll get into lifting someday.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Lifting is good for you. I hate it. That sums it up.

    That being said, there have been a lot of discussion about 'bulking' though and the main thing I got from those is that we all have a different opinion about what it means. In my experience though some women will be more likely to have the 'bulky' look than others... although I guess that 'muscular' would be more appropriate than 'bulky'. But yes, I do believe that it

    In the end though, do it. If you start to think that you have too much visible muscle (which is unlikely), then cut back.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    Lifting will also "tighten" you up, so even if you're not losing a lot of weight, you'll be smaller. Getting "bulky" requires a dedicated progressive lifting program and eating at a surplus.

    weights_zps77901ae3.jpg

  • ivylaurenolsen
    ivylaurenolsen Posts: 56 Member
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    I am looking to loose 20 lbs and was wondering the same thing...I already am fairly tone and I feel like I have a lot of muscle but I still want to loose 20 lbs...how often should I be doing the weights?
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
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    Lift weights. It is important. The image above is a perfect summary of the misconception of weight training. Packing on bulky muscle is very very difficult and doesn't happen haphazardly especially when eating at deficit.
  • ChiliPepperLifter
    ChiliPepperLifter Posts: 279 Member
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    ivylaurenolsen wrote: »
    I am looking to loose 20 lbs and was wondering the same thing...I already am fairly tone and I feel like I have a lot of muscle but I still want to loose 20 lbs...how often should I be doing the weights?

    Lift heavy weights 3 times a week. Stronglifts 5x5 or strong curves are great for beginners. I weigh 133 pounds and wear a size 2, this is due to me lifting weights and eating at a deficit. I rarely do cardio as well. I do not look bulky in the slightest, and have good muscle definition. Good luck!
  • HardcoreP0rk
    HardcoreP0rk Posts: 936 Member
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    I lift 5-6x a week. I recommend lifting before you do cardio on every day that you work out. If you're doing a lot of compound lifts, you may need a little more rest than someone who does more isolation work.
  • hamlet1222
    hamlet1222 Posts: 459 Member
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    Can't recommend weight lifting enough, to get started cheaply I would borrow a decent book on weight training from the library, and buy some dumbell bars and weights on ebay - up to 10kg total weight per dumbell should be more than enough to get started.
    Don't worry about getting bulky - it won't happen, and if it did you can just stop training and the muscles will shrink back.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    Do both! the cardio will burn the calories and help the weight loss, the lifting will strengthen you, improve your posture and change your shape overall for the better :smile:
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
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    f49020c2dcd26aafff5fd45a94fb3224.jpg

    this is how I feel about it
  • sjambo
    sjambo Posts: 1 Member
    edited September 2015
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    taken from this page

    ‘Lifting weights won't make you big and bulky.’

    The truth is adding muscle takes a lot of time and effort. It’s hard. Actually a lot harder than simply losing weight.
    But for some reason people still choose to believe that they will get big and look like a pro bodybuilder if they touch free weights.
    It’s hard enough to gain a lot of muscle if that is your goal… so trust me it won’t happen if you aren’t trying.
    Instead you will be able to lose weight easier while eating more food. You will also look and feel better once you reduce your body weight. Not to mention the added strength that will come in handy every day of your life.
    I understand that getting ‘bulky’ is a big concern for woman. But unless you use drugs to change your hormones your body simply can’t become ‘bulky’.
    If you lift weights, gain some muscle mass and lose fat you will still have a slim, athletic body.

    The program that I suggest for someone in your situation would be StrongLifts 5x5. It won't talk up too much of your time and it's very efficient for losing weight. I DON'T recommend buying weights for at home. It's cheap if you only buy useless stuff but a decent set up that will actually help you is expensive. (+$1000!)
    Just get a gym membership at the nearest decent gym.
    Hope this helps!

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