if to do weights ???

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parkers93
parkers93 Posts: 80
in Fitness and Exercise
i want to build muscle but also want to loose some weight 1st... i know muscle weighs heavier than fat...... soooo question is do i loose weight 1st or do weights as well as dieting any help pls ??

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  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Everything I've read lately says to do a combo of both. Cardio too!
  • AnaMiAmore
    AnaMiAmore Posts: 2
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    Muscle burns more calories, do both together :)
  • Stormyyy
    Stormyyy Posts: 247 Member
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    I'd say do both as when you lose some weight you'll be delighted with what's underneath if you're using weights :)
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    Yes, do both. As you lose weight, if you're not doing any strength training, you'll lose a good deal of muscle mass, and that's not a good look. You don't have to do hard-core strength training if you don't want to bulk up. Just bodyweight exercises will do. And as another person said, muscle burns more calories, so it will help speed the fat loss along.
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
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    I started my Journey in September, 2010. I started lifting weights in January 2011. I have never gained weight!!! I continue to lose. NOt sure why people fear this??????
  • ambie35
    ambie35 Posts: 853 Member
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    1lb of muscle weighs the same as 1lb of fat. Just that muscles take up less space then fat. Best to do weights while losing weights as you can't really gain any weight is muscles while in a calorie deficit,so it will really help you lose inches
  • jpenneyweightloss
    jpenneyweightloss Posts: 8
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    Hey, build the muscle. Don't worry about the weight, it will come off. Here's how it works. Say you weigh 220 lbs (like me) and you go to the gym and start doing weightlifting. First week, you'll put on a few pounds (I put on 2) because yeah, the muscle is denser (heavier). Week 2, you put on a couple more pounds. But now you've worked out 3 or 4 times, and the muscles are starting to grow and growing muscles BURN FAT while you're NOT WORKING OUT. As you walk around during the day you'll feel your muscles hurting, that is a sign that they need repair, the energy for the repair COMES FROM THE STORED FAT IN YOUR BODY. Week 3, you maybe plateau. Week 4, you lose your first pound. Keep working out and it's all downhill.

    I also suggest when you start working out don't exhaust yourself - start with a comfortable 1 mile walk on a slight uphill incline on the treadmill, work up to 3 miles by week 3, then start upping the incline 1 notch at a time for each workout. Gradual changes.

    For the weightlifting, do about 7 exercises per workout (bench, pulldowns, curls, leg curls, squats, military press, leg extensions) about 12 reps each, use enough weight that you can't push out any more reps after 12. People always overdo this, it doesn't help to kill yourself the first workout and end up being unable to go back for a week.

    Work up to things gradually and get into the habit. If you're single, find a cute girl (or guy if that's your thing) to talk to at the gym. I started a yoga class once, simply to chat up the teacher. I ended up doing yoga for 10 years.

    You know, I just looked at your picture. Hit the weights dude, you got no fat to worry about. Go nuts.

    Good luck!
  • hewhoiscd
    hewhoiscd Posts: 1,029 Member
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    Cardio and Weight Lifting. When I was losing the bulk of my fat, I essentially did 2 days of resistance training (and sometimes also did light cardio on the same day) and 4 days of just cardio. My resistance training was high reps lower weights. My goal was to not lose muscle along with the fat. If you do just cardio, you will lose muscle.

    It worked well for my goals at the time (to lose my gut), but if I had it to do all over again, I would like to have tried a Strength Training program from the start with light cardio and heavy lifting with low reps high weights. Would have taken longer to lose my gut that way though.

    Honestly though, the key is to at least do *something*. Don't get bogged down in the details. If you do at least some of both Cardio and Weight Lifting, you will see results. IF you also make healthy nutritional choices.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    Do both at the same time and you'll maintain the muscle you have while losing weight, maybe even gaining some. If you just eat less/do cardio then you will lose muscle mass too. You won't gain much muscle though on a calorie deficit, generally people only do if they are very overweight or new to exercise.
    To gain muscle after you've been exercising for a while you'll need to eat more than you burn.
  • parkers93
    parkers93 Posts: 80
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    thanks everyone will hit the weights i have at home tonight now...

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