Strength training and not losing weight......trained profess

Run4UrHealth
Run4UrHealth Posts: 348 Member
edited November 9 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok...I am a big cardio person but have recently started a boot camp and did a gravity class at the Y. Since I have started this I have noticed by scale slowing down or gaining a few ounces. I gained 4oz after my 1st week of boot camp. I am eating right and doing cardio on my off days. I have seen on here where they say you gain lean muscle which burns more but I do not know who all knows what they are talking about. Can I get some suggestions and information from someone who is trained in this stuff and knows what they are talking about? I do not want to get discouraged. I know I need to measure too but I just want to know if it is really normal to stop losing or gain when strength training?

Replies

  • medaglia_06
    medaglia_06 Posts: 282 Member
    I am no expert, but I do know that when you are shifting from fat to muscle you may see a weight gain... keep an eye on your measurements, if they aren't going down I would talk to a trainer.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    when new to strength training or changing up your routine your muscle will store water to protect the muscle and to aid in recovery. Once you get use to the workouts some of the water will shed. Don't fret you didn't gain fat, and there a a host of benefits to strength training other then weight loss/calorie burn.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I am no expert, but I do know that when you are shifting from fat to muscle you may see a weight gain... keep an eye on your measurements, if they aren't going down I would talk to a trainer.

    It takes time to build any noticeable amount of muscle and the amount of muscle built will be minimal when on a caloric deficit, even for someone new to lifting.
  • lynheff
    lynheff Posts: 393 Member
    Its hard to gain muscle in a short period of time--especially for women. You might be retaining fluid. Are you eating to make up for your exercise calories? The calorie calculators are just a rough estimate and you may be burning fewer than that. That could account for the small gains. As a person with a crappy metabolic rate, I just ignore the exercise calories and take them as a gift. The strength training will pay off in other ways! Good luck
  • StrugglingtoMove
    StrugglingtoMove Posts: 73 Member
    Yup, you will not lose weight most likely because muscle weighs more than fat. Great news! The best way to keep track is measure all your important parts, neck, arms, thighs, hips, chest under boobs/bra, waist, that will tell you the what you want to know, more than weight!
  • TinaDay1114
    TinaDay1114 Posts: 1,328 Member
    When you first start strength training (or when you ramp up your weights, or the intensity at anytime during your training), your muscles will retain LOTS of water while they recover. Think of it this way -- you're tearing muscle fibers when you're doing weights, and they rebuild stronger. As the rebuild / healing takes over, your body rushes fluids to those sore muscles to help them repair and recover. This can sometimes last for 2 weeks.

    You can probably search the message boards for more on this. Some trainers on here (and other long-term athletes) answered this same question for me when I gained 5 lbs. after starting an intense circuit training class.

    Don't stop doing what you're doing. Give your body time to do its job, and you'll be fine. Patience is the hardest part!!
  • Mustangsally33
    Mustangsally33 Posts: 63
    I agree with alot of the posts , I have been doing the same kinda things and only lost 1 lb in Two Weeks but I have lost 7 inches and that makes a Big Differance , I know the weight will fall off soon enough ......Keep at it and yours will too :)
  • runtrx
    runtrx Posts: 17
    Yup, you will not lose weight most likely because muscle weighs more than fat. Great news! The best way to keep track is measure all your important parts, neck, arms, thighs, hips, chest under boobs/bra, waist, that will tell you the what you want to know, more than weight!

    How does 1lb of muscle weigh more than 1lb of fat?
  • Run4UrHealth
    Run4UrHealth Posts: 348 Member
    Yup, you will not lose weight most likely because muscle weighs more than fat. Great news! The best way to keep track is measure all your important parts, neck, arms, thighs, hips, chest under boobs/bra, waist, that will tell you the what you want to know, more than weight!

    How does 1lb of muscle weigh more than 1lb of fat?

    I have heard that muscle is denser than fat not that it weighs more.
  • Run4UrHealth
    Run4UrHealth Posts: 348 Member
    Its hard to gain muscle in a short period of time--especially for women. You might be retaining fluid. Are you eating to make up for your exercise calories? The calorie calculators are just a rough estimate and you may be burning fewer than that. That could account for the small gains. As a person with a crappy metabolic rate, I just ignore the exercise calories and take them as a gift. The strength training will pay off in other ways! Good luck

    I use a HRM with chest strap so I feel my calories burned are pretty accurate. I was losing 2lbs a week before I started any strength training. I have always just done cardio.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Yup, you will not lose weight most likely because muscle weighs more than fat. Great news! The best way to keep track is measure all your important parts, neck, arms, thighs, hips, chest under boobs/bra, waist, that will tell you the what you want to know, more than weight!

    How does 1lb of muscle weigh more than 1lb of fat?

    The reply never said 1lb weighs more than 1lb, when someone says muscle weighs more than fat, they are implying by volume, when something is implied it does not have to be stated. What they say "muscle weighs more than fat" what they mean 'by volume, muscle weighs more than fat'.

    Muscle weighs more because muscle is more dense then fat so the same volume weighs more due to the Earths gravitational force.
  • laackmannk
    laackmannk Posts: 6
    Don't get discouraged! there are some good comments here. keep it up. doing the strength training is helping in your weight loss journey too and will become more essential as you go along!
  • saverys_gal
    saverys_gal Posts: 808 Member
    Bump! Having the exact same thing happen to me, so I'm curious to see the responses.
  • thenance007
    thenance007 Posts: 35 Member
    I had the same thing happen 2 weeks ago when I added strength training--gained 2 lbs. There was a post around that time with lots of responses that confirmed that it was water retention from the micro tears in the muscles. I finally released it yesterday when I did an hour of water aerobics--don't know why but peed about a gallon over the next couple of hours! I think my body thought it was safely "back in the womb", LOL!
  • ford8709
    ford8709 Posts: 140
    Bump
  • Chappyswife06
    Chappyswife06 Posts: 2
    My nutritionist who happens to also be a physician told me today to not do strength training today. I am still losing but he is convinced that if I do only cardio, I will lose faster. I kinda thought he was insane and went online to confirm or deny the muscle tearing/repair thing. It seems to be confirmed. Just wanted to share. I still lost 2.25 lbs each week for the last two weeks, but he said that strength training is showing a slowed rate of loss for the energy I put in/calories burned per day compared to earlier measurements.
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    Started the Starting Strength routine this week and have gained 1.6 lbs so far. I normally lose 2 lbs / week. Drinking a lot of water. I think it's water retention.
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Yup, you will not lose weight most likely because muscle weighs more than fat. Great news! The best way to keep track is measure all your important parts, neck, arms, thighs, hips, chest under boobs/bra, waist, that will tell you the what you want to know, more than weight!

    How does 1lb of muscle weigh more than 1lb of fat?

    :flowerforyou:
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    How long have you been doing these classes? A women if she's ABSOLUTELY doing everything perfect will be LUCKY to see a muscle gain of 1-2lbs/month. It's just not that easy to put muscle on as a woman. And the classes you're doing aren't really big muscle builders anyway.

    Re-evaluate your diet/calorie intake and exercise regime. IMO (like most people trying to lose weight) you're doing WAY too much cardio and not enough strength training.

    Don't obsess over the scale. You should weight in once a week, tops. Use a measuring tape and the way your clothes fit as a guide, not your scale.

    There's my professional $.02...
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