Cardio/Strength Training Balance

azuremiste
azuremiste Posts: 46 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
So...here's my situation: I've lost 35 pounds doing mainly cardio with some strength training thrown in. I've just started working with a trainer and am making the switch to a more weight training focused program and am just curious about everyone's experience losing weight while building muscle. I just want to know how to ensure the fat melts away while the muscles build so I don't actually get bigger as I workout!!

Replies

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    You will strengthen your muscles but not gain much new muscle mass while eating at a caloric deficit. Eat at a reasonable caloric deficit (250-750 per day depending on how much you have yet to lose) and the fat will melt away while strength training. I lost 149 lbs doing that.
    Don't neglect the cardio completely, you still need it for fitness and endurance.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,340 Member
    Gaining significant muscle mass is basically impossible for a woman in a calorie deficit.

    You may put on a very small amount at first (read in the first several months, not the first days or week) in what is called newbie gains.

    You will probably put on some water weight as your body works to deal with the effects of lifting weights, but that will pass in several weeks.

    You will probably, if you have a good programs with progression built in, get stronger, largely from greater efficiency of your muscle which allows for more effective recruitment of muscle fibers when lifting.

    You will, if it is a good lifting program, maintain more of your muscle mass rather than losing as much of it along with the fat.

    You will strengthen your bones as well.

    Basically, from a health standpoint, you win all round.

    The loss of fat will come from maintaining a calorie deficit.
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    If it was
    azuremiste wrote: »
    I just want to know how to ensure the fat melts away while the muscles build so I don't actually get bigger as I workout!!

    If it was easy to build big muscles I would have them.

    As @lorrpb said, you can get a lot stronger at a calorie deficit, but building muscle mass is a lot harder; whether you personally can at all while cutting fat depends on how much your deficit is, how much fat you're carrying now, and what program you're running.
  • azuremiste
    azuremiste Posts: 46 Member
    Thanks for the replies everyone! That's good to know about the water weight-the scale went up 5 pounds in the past week and I feel kind of stalled out at the moment, but I'll keep trucking! Thanks for reminding me that I won't build muscle mass eating at a deficit- I feel better about sticking with my program overall now!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    What program does your trainer have you doing? You can gain some muscle, not alot, in a deficit if your programming is pretty good, protein is adequate and you keep forcing yourself to get stronger.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    They way to ensure that you don't get bigger is to stay in a deficit. You can balance cardio and strength by doing them on alternating days or one am, one pm.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories