When to start strength/weight training

boelyn
boelyn Posts: 90 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey

I'm a long way from my goal, I still have about 100 lbs to go but I am determined to be 'strong' when I get there (and I will get there).

I keep seeing people talking about strength training and lifting to help improve muscle mass and wanted some advice please:-

1 - when is a good time to start lifting, I like seeing the scale go down each week and am nervous if it stops due to strength/weight training it will demotivate me
2 - where is a good place to start when I do start and what is a good mix between cardio and strength/weight training.

I do appreciate this question has probably been asked previously so apologise, but I couldn't find what I was looking for in the forums..........so happy for someone to point me in the right direction if any of you know where I can find the answer.

Ta
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Replies

  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    Start weight training right away! It's great for your entire body. It keeps more lean mass, helps you burn more fat off your body. It helps increase bone density. Any gain or stall you may see in your weight loss from weight training is usually water weight, and you'll see a gain or stall for a day of heavy sodium, so why not have it for better reasons?
    My personal mix is quickly becoming 50/50 for weights and cardio. Though, in a typical week I'm 2/3 cardio, 1/3 strength. Works for me. Slow and steady weight loss, with a ton of hiccups along the way. LOL. I never lose consistently, but overall I'm down consistently.
  • Wonderwoman2677
    Wonderwoman2677 Posts: 428 Member
    I've been thinking about this same question. I want a strong body even more than I want a thin body:) I think the more you work your muscles, the more your going to burn anyway. I don't really care what the scale says. I'll be happy when I'm swimming in my clothes and see the muscles under my pudge.

    Any suggestions for at home strength training would be great!
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Yesterday.
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
    I need to work on my core strength as I need to tighten up all the flab I still have from losing 50 lbs, but it's hard because I really don't know where to begin.

    LA Fitness put together a strength programme for me when I joined, but it was mostly using the machines and I did it a few times, but I hate working out in the gym on my own. I love swimming - as I think everyone knows :laugh: - but sometimes I feel it's not enough. I need a gym buddy or a PT to kick me up the butt and make me do my lifting and whip me into shape.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    You know what builds an awesome core?

    barbell squats and deadlifts.
  • Ripcode
    Ripcode Posts: 142 Member
    You know what builds an awesome core?

    barbell squats and deadlifts.

    ^^ So true!
  • JD830278
    JD830278 Posts: 84 Member
    I started lifting right away.

    This is only my 2nd week, I lost 4lb on my first and put 1lb on this week (TOTM), BUT I've lost 5" from my waist.... So I'm happy to ignore the scales :-D
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    Yesterday.

    That's what I was thinking!!
  • stephenatl09
    stephenatl09 Posts: 186 Member
    Yesterday.
    ^^^ this ^^^
  • lkarinal
    lkarinal Posts: 107
    Do it now, there is no better combination than cardio and strenght/weight training.
  • ablykins
    ablykins Posts: 200 Member
    Yesterday.

    Yes- this! Don't wait, do it now!
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    Start weight training right away! It's great for your entire body. It keeps more lean mass, helps you burn more fat off your body. It helps increase bone density. Any gain or stall you may see in your weight loss from weight training is usually water weight, and you'll see a gain or stall for a day of heavy sodium, so why not have it for better reasons?
    My personal mix is quickly becoming 50/50 for weights and cardio. Though, in a typical week I'm 2/3 cardio, 1/3 strength. Works for me. Slow and steady weight loss, with a ton of hiccups along the way. LOL. I never lose consistently, but overall I'm down consistently.

    ^^^ Agree. I do about 50/50 too. I am almost halfway to my "goal" and starting to see some arm definition, and I am definitely firmer in the arms. Shoulders are improved for sure. They are more square and less round.

    Not so sure about the legs. They are shrinking, but mine have aways been pretty firm outside of my inner thighs.

    Anyway it helps you lose faster. You burn extra calories. And you look like you lost more. Don't worry about scale fluctuations. They happen anyway...whether you are using weights or not. You just want to look at the overall trend in your weight. I know I go up a pound or 2 all the time. But when I look back on 4 weeks, the overall trend is down. And measurements don't lie (unless you measure in a different place every time.)
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    I started lifting right away.

    This is only my 2nd week, I lost 4lb on my first and put 1lb on this week (TOTM), BUT I've lost 5" from my waist.... So I'm happy to ignore the scales :-D

    5 inches? Wow. That is a lot.
  • Flixie00
    Flixie00 Posts: 1,195 Member
    Hi Boelyn, I would recommend as soon as possible. I started strength training a few months ago and started to see results straight away. I wish had started out at my gym mixing cardio and strength training, but I did not have the confidence to hit the weights section of my gym. If you can afford it, I would recommend getting a few sessions with a personal trainer when starting out. Good luck with it, its good fun.
  • JD830278
    JD830278 Posts: 84 Member
    I started lifting right away.

    This is only my 2nd week, I lost 4lb on my first and put 1lb on this week (TOTM), BUT I've lost 5" from my waist.... So I'm happy to ignore the scales :-D

    5 inches? Wow. That is a lot.

    I know, I wasn't expecting it, and fully expect it to slow down after this initial shock to my system.
  • Tree72
    Tree72 Posts: 942 Member
    As soon as you feel physically able, get started. Sounds like you are used to exercising already, so there's no better time than now. :happy:
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
    I always had some strength training in my routines but lately have kicked it up a lot and since then I haven't lost anything and even gained a little. I understand that it is important to keep up but is there anything you can recommend to have the best of both worlds?? I am still a good 30 lbs from goal :sad: Be able to strength train but still lose? Should I just add in more cardio??
  • nettie23
    nettie23 Posts: 42 Member
    BUMP

    I was thinking the same thing as I do mostly cardio. Not sure what exactly to do. When I first started at the gym should be a couple of the machines. Just wonder if machines would be enough.
  • Qatsi
    Qatsi Posts: 2,191 Member
    when is a good time to start lifting, I like seeing the scale go down each week and am nervous if it stops due to strength/weight training it will demotivate me

    GREAT question! I know I want to add strength training at some point to my exercise routine (right now I'm 100% cardio). But I didn't want to derail the weight loss effort, so I was originally planning to defer it until I got closer to my goal. But now I'm thinking I should start adding it in sooner rather than later.
  • Temple_Fit
    Temple_Fit Posts: 299 Member
    I started immediately. I would do 30 to 45 min of cardio and then do a full body workout.
  • BettyBlueEyes
    BettyBlueEyes Posts: 56 Member
    Now! You don't have to start with giant dumbells and lots of grunting. The idea of a PT for a few sessions is great to get the right idea about what to do. If you have gym membership, they can usually organise this for you. You can start on the resistance machines, where you can choose the weight you're lulling/pushing against. If you can't afford to go to the gym, there are plenty of youtube videos to help, or doing something like 30 day shred might get you into it. You can buy small hand weights for a few pounds/dollars.

    Strength training increases your lean muscle mass. If you're overweight, it's highly likely that there is fat inside your muscles (this happens as we get older too). By strength training, you reduce the fat inside your muscles as well as under your skin and around your organs. You'll be stronger, and your metabolic rate will go up so you'll burn calories faster. You may see either a steady weight or a slight increase, but probably only for a week or 2 then it'll go down again. As others have said, go for the measurements!

    Enjoy it, and good luck :)
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    You know what builds an awesome core?

    barbell squats and deadlifts.

    Flags, levers, and planches. :wink:

    And to the OP's question, should have started yesterday. You will lose your muscles as you lose weight otherwise. You don't have to go to the gym and pump iron, you can do progressive callisthenics (bodyweight exercise) with the world as a gym.
  • chubberlang
    chubberlang Posts: 30
    I can understand your concern regarding what the scales say. I too am motivated by weight loss. It can be only too easy to blame no loss or even a gain in weight on 'building muscle'. In many cases this is not true and is weight gain for the wrong reason. Ballance is the answer and of course cals in v cala burned as always. I weight train and do cardio but try to watch carefully cals and monitor weight. I am starting to also monitor body fat which can be very useful along with body measurements. I am a big fan of resistance trainng but unless yoi are looking to bulk up (which most of us on here are not!) a careful balance between cardio, stretching & resistence is a good approach.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    I am a big fan of resistance trainng but unless yoi are looking to bulk up (which most of us on here are not!) a careful balance between cardio, stretching & resistence is a good approach.

    Careful balance?

    You don't accidentally bulk up. You have to try really, really, really hard to do it, eating insane amounts of food, and even then, it might not happen or if it does it takes a loooooooong time. Unless you're on 'roids.
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    Now. :smile:

    You will probably see the weight loss slow down, but if you're tracking your measurements, or even just eyeballing in a mirror, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Your body will retain more water when you're doing heavy lifting (to repair the muscle tissue), which throws off the scale a bit.
  • chubberlang
    chubberlang Posts: 30
    Surely if you eat insane amounts of food you put on weight. My experience is that if you don't monitor your intake as well as your excercise regime you can put on weight for the wrong reasons. Maybe my ballanced approach is not the right way to go:smile:
  • Briski1411
    Briski1411 Posts: 296 Member
    You should start immediately, today! Weights training is part of burning of the FAT. That is essential what you are doing with cardio anyway. A good mix of cardio and weight lifting for a dedicated focused person would be mon, wed, fri weights and tuesday, thursday, Saturday do 45 min of cardio first thing in the morning before you eat. Rest on Sunday.. Also the day of the week doesn't matter if you number the days or your work outs then it will work the same. More muscle burns more calories just to maintain plus it weighs more and takes up less room on your body.

    Remember and this Web site helps emphasize that diet is the BIGGEST most important part of loosing weight.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Surely if you eat insane amounts of food you put on weight. My experience is that if you don't monitor your intake as well as your excercise regime you can put on weight for the wrong reasons. Maybe my ballanced approach is not the right way to go:smile:

    Oh I think it is but there's no reason to be concerned about bulk if you are eating in a deficit. Or if your a woman. Or both. Gaining bulk requires testoterone and a calories surpluss. It also requires the kind of lifting that is more Body Building utilizing slightly higher reps and hypertrophy rather than pure strength training as in heavy lifting. It takes work to gain bulk even when you are trying. With heavy lifting you ge stronger but not bigger. You get sleek and lean and muscular. I also mix in cardio for endurance and heart health and also for the burn. A balanced approach is good.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    *sheds a tear*

    I'm so proud of you all! Only ONE comment in the whole thread pushing any sort of misinformation :).

    To the OP...as has been said multiple times...NOW. The recommendation for bodyweight stuff is a good one as well. ANY exercise that you can only perform 5-8reps of before you fail, or lose good form, is HEAVY strength training. The more of your body each of these exercises pulls in, the better it is for your overall strength, health...and level of FAT loss (for example, squats are better for fat burning than pushups, but both have their place).

    If you can only perform 20 pushups...that's endurance training.

    If you can only perform 6 pushups, that's strength training.

    The difference is...how heavy is the resistance TO YOU.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    BUMP

    I was thinking the same thing as I do mostly cardio. Not sure what exactly to do. When I first started at the gym should be a couple of the machines. Just wonder if machines would be enough.

    Honestly, you can get results with the machines, body weight and free weights. Free weights work more muscles at a time, so that's why people recommend them. But of course form is really important. I'd recommend a trainer to teach you the more complex full body lifts (squats, deadlifts, bench press etc) so you have the right form down. This is especially important as you move into heavier weights.

    Also, it is good to master moves like lunges and squats with no weight so you have the proper form down.

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