weight lifting question

Hi Night_Watcher,
I am a relatively new strength trainer (since August 2015) and I have read many books from Amazon on the subject as well as researched it on the internet. The general consensus is that heavy weights will build muscle, which in turn burns fat. It is a myth that light weights with many reps will stop you from getting bulky. Heavy weights (if you are female) will not get you bulky because you do not have enough testosterone. Add to that the fact that you are in a calorie deficit and you have even less chance of becoming bulky. I started out at 9.10 lbs and now weight 8stone 10 lbs. My body fat has gone from 23% to 19% and I am no way more bulky - in fact I am loads smaller, now fitting into a size 8 whereas I used to be a 12. So you carry on building yourself up to heavy weights as much as you can and you will reap the rewards :-)

xcalygrl wrote: »

You've read wrong. Cutting and bulking has to do with your calories, not with the weight you're lifting.

Lifting lighter loads for higher reps leads to hypertrophy, while heavier loads for fewer reps is primarily strength. Both lead to muscle growth, which isn't a bad thing. It takes years and lots of food to bulk up.

I personally lift heavy and haven't bulked up because my calories are not set with the goal of adding weight.

Lifting helps you retain muscle mass as you lose weight. Muscle mass uses a few more calories than fat, so your BMR will be a tad higher. Retaining muscle will also make you "smaller and more compact" once you reach your goal weight/size.

Yes, you can lift heavy and still lose weight since weight loss is primarily balancing your calories so that you're burning more than you're eating. Lifting doesn't burn as much in the short term as cardio, but the benefits of lifting are great.

All of this... also Toph is awesome.

one1fast68 wrote: »

I don't think I read anyone say - you can't add muscle in a calorie deficit. You can preserve muscle but it's physically impossible to gain.

Unlikely for the OP, difficult for nearly all. But not impossible.

one1fast68 wrote: »

I don't think I read anyone say - you can't add muscle in a calorie deficit. You can preserve muscle but it's physically impossible to gain.

Since the OP is a "noob" (her statement) and overweight, she is actually at the prime of taking advantage of being able to add muscle easily, even being in a deficit.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html/

"So consider the combination: we have a situation with overfat beginners where fat cells are very insulin resistant and essentially trying to push calories away. Now we throw training on that, not only sending a muscle building stimulus via training but increasing nutrient uptake into skeletal muscle through effects on skeletal muscle nutrient uptake/insulin sensitivity.

And what happens under those circumstances is exactly what you’d expect: the body appears to take calories out of fat cells and use them to build muscle. And this is effectively what is happening due to the combination of the above two factors. But the combination of the two is required. A lean beginner won’t see the above because they don’t have the fat to lose/fat energy to shunt to the muscle. And as they get more advanced, the rate of muscle gain slows way down. Again, it’s the combination of overfat and beginner status that comes together here to let some magic occur."

one1fast68 wrote: »

I don't think I read anyone say - you can't add muscle in a calorie deficit. You can preserve muscle but it's physically impossible to gain.

It is not physically impossible. To state impossible means you are outright ignoring edge cases like the massively obese, and geared lifters.

I agree with @rainbowbow. I think you would benefit most by getting your diet in check--weigh your food to ensure a deficit. And add a push/ pull routine into your daily schedule. Maybe alternate days of (4 sets x 8-15 reps) variations of the following:

A: squats/push-ups/pull-ups/sit-ups/bridges
B: lunges/planks/step-ups/pull-ups
10 to 15-minute duration

You can start with easier versions like chair squats and counter height push-ups. Work on your form. Then perform for time. Increase the resistance once you can complete the higher reps.

(Google bodyweight programs like Nerd Fitness, YAYOG)

blues4miles wrote: »

CiaraCatch wrote: »

I would agree that a newbie can show muscle gains even in a deficit. That's what I've found over the last month - I now have guns!

As you lose body fat your muscles become more pronounced. Also, after weight lifting (probably when you are paying most attention) you get a muscle pump effect where your muscles will appear larger for several hours or longer. More visible muscle, and even strength gains, do not mean you gained muscle mass.

Yes, I agree with that. However I've only lost 2lb in the last month, and the new muscle has remained evident even when I haven't trained for 2-3 days, so it's not just a pump.

night_watcher wrote: »

Thanks a lot guys. So basically. If I am eating at deficit I will be losing weight either I'm doing cardio or weight training.

I try n add at least 1 hour of medium paced slow walking daily. While I lift 3 days a week. One arm day. One core day and one legs day. 40 min each approximately. With 20 to 30 minutes warm up n cool down.

I am using a beginner program for training available at jefit. It's been a couple of weeks. I am increasing resistance every two weeks.

My macros are set to 40 carbs 30 fats and 30 protein. (Percentages).

I eat around 1500 to 1700 cals daily. I also try n reach at least 80 percent of my protein goal.

The question is. As per my logging chart and deficit that I am creating 500 to 700 cals daily. I should have lost around 6 lbs. But I am maintaining. But I've lost my 10 inches over all. I must be gaining muscle that's why scale is not budging. Is this normal? And how long does it take for obese people like me to get the scale moving.

Are you weighing all of your solid/semi-solid foods? If not, you may be overeating and not even realize it. Measuring cups are widely inaccurate for foods and should only be used for liquids. Here's a video to kind of show you what I'm talking about. Also, the lack of scale weight loss could be your newbie muscle gains or water retention. You body will hold onto extra water to repair muscles, which will mask any scale losses.

LazSommer wrote: »

Also, I haven't seen it mentioned yet but anime sucks.

how. dare. you.

night_watcher wrote: »

Okay I'm a noob. I have some questions.
I am 27 year old female. I weigh 210 lbs and my height is 5.3 ft.

My question is.
I read that more reps with low weights mean cutting and few reps with heavy weights mean bulking.

What if I lift heavy with few reps but at deficit.

Would I be able to lose weight or fat?

Thanks a lot.:)

I like a quote from Dan John, a well known strength and conditioning coach. The quote is "just show up". Do the work on your diet (which will account for the majority of your weight loss) and pick a strength training program that ensures working all bodyparts. Train hard, but not so hard you can't brush your hair on a regular basis.

Do these things consistently, maybe adding some cardio and you will see results. Showing up on a regular basis is the key. While you can tweak things, showing up is what will get your best results.

Good luck.

aggelikik wrote: »

night_watcher wrote: »

Thanks a lot guys. So basically. If I am eating at deficit I will be losing weight either I'm doing cardio or weight training.

I try n add at least 1 hour of medium paced slow walking daily. While I lift 3 days a week. One arm day. One core day and one legs day. 40 min each approximately. With 20 to 30 minutes warm up n cool down.

I am using a beginner program for training available at jefit. It's been a couple of weeks. I am increasing resistance every two weeks.

My macros are set to 40 carbs 30 fats and 30 protein. (Percentages).

I eat around 1500 to 1700 cals daily. I also try n reach at least 80 percent of my protein goal.

The question is. As per my logging chart and deficit that I am creating 500 to 700 cals daily. I should have lost around 6 lbs. But I am maintaining. But I've lost my 10 inches over all. I must be gaining muscle that's why scale is not budging. Is this normal? And how long does it take for obese people like me to get the scale moving.

You are eating more than you think. A lot more.
Remember, exercise is for fitness, not weight loss. You are not losing because you are eating at maintenance. Use a food scale, and weigh everything you eat to see where you are underestimating. Do not look for exercise that will help, unless you plan to become overall very physically active.

Have you guys heard of Occam's razor? It's a theory that suggests that the simplest explanation is very often the right one. Here we have someone who feels that she's eating in a deficit, isn't losing much weight, has lost a lot of inches and has recently started weight training. Now despite what you'll all shout about about women not being able to build muscle in a deficit (what about newbie gains?), the evidence seems to point to either building of muscle or water retention due to lifting, and most likely the former, given the inch loss. Don't cling on so hard to 'theories' that you neglect your common sense.

CiaraCatch wrote: »

aggelikik wrote: »

night_watcher wrote: »

Thanks a lot guys. So basically. If I am eating at deficit I will be losing weight either I'm doing cardio or weight training.

I try n add at least 1 hour of medium paced slow walking daily. While I lift 3 days a week. One arm day. One core day and one legs day. 40 min each approximately. With 20 to 30 minutes warm up n cool down.

I am using a beginner program for training available at jefit. It's been a couple of weeks. I am increasing resistance every two weeks.

My macros are set to 40 carbs 30 fats and 30 protein. (Percentages).

I eat around 1500 to 1700 cals daily. I also try n reach at least 80 percent of my protein goal.

The question is. As per my logging chart and deficit that I am creating 500 to 700 cals daily. I should have lost around 6 lbs. But I am maintaining. But I've lost my 10 inches over all. I must be gaining muscle that's why scale is not budging. Is this normal? And how long does it take for obese people like me to get the scale moving.

You are eating more than you think. A lot more.
Remember, exercise is for fitness, not weight loss. You are not losing because you are eating at maintenance. Use a food scale, and weigh everything you eat to see where you are underestimating. Do not look for exercise that will help, unless you plan to become overall very physically active.

Have you guys heard of Occam's razor? It's a theory that suggests that the simplest explanation is very often the right one. Here we have someone who feels that she's eating in a deficit, isn't losing much weight, has lost a lot of inches and has recently started weight training. Now despite what you'll all shout about about women not being able to build muscle in a deficit (what about newbie gains?), the evidence seems to point to either building of muscle or water retention due to lifting, and most likely the former, given the inch loss. Don't cling on so hard to 'theories' that you neglect your common sense.

She is over 200 lbs, supposedly eating about 1500 calories and maintaining. One explanation is she is maintaining insane amounts of water, which means she needs to see a dr urgently. Without other symptoms, it is not very probable. Plus, she would not have lost inches. The other explanation, the most likely one, is that the 1500 calories are actually 2500. She did not build 6 lbs of muscle in two weeks of weight training.

Also, retaining 6lb of water is perfectly possible. I can do that if I eat badly for a weekend.

Here is a good article on water retention.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/418620-do-muscles-hold-water-after-a-hard-workout/