Lose fat first or work on muscle while losing fat?

fishiesintheseaa
fishiesintheseaa Posts: 45 Member
edited December 24 in Fitness and Exercise
I am not sure which to do. I am working on losing weight (about 12 more pounds), but I also want to have really toned muscles. I am not sure if I should stick to cardio for now and just try to lose the weight, and theeeenn work on toning up, or if I should try toning up while I am losing this weight. Anyone have any opinions/advice/experience? Right now I weigh 143 and I am 5'5'', and I want to weigh around 132-135.
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Replies

  • fishiesintheseaa
    fishiesintheseaa Posts: 45 Member
    Anyone?
  • WilliamsPeggy
    WilliamsPeggy Posts: 440 Member
    I'd do it at the same time.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Cardio and strength at the same time (they compliment each other)
  • orishp
    orishp Posts: 214 Member
    mix it up, weight lifting and building muscle will help your weight loss.
    I do cardio 3 days a week and weights twice a week, my husband noticed this week how much better my arms look ;)

    Plus, you burn calories while lifting too, you know. I do a superset, where you don't rest in between exercises, and I do 3-5 min of cardio in the beginning and in the middle, so my HR is up and I burn more calories.
  • LastMinuteMama
    LastMinuteMama Posts: 590 Member
    I'm no expert here, but I would think that if you only have 12 pounds to go...which I know are the hardest ones to get rid of, you might want to get right down to business and hit the weights.

    Get yourself a good strength training program. I hear a lot of good things about The New Rules of Lifting for Woman and the stronglifts 5X5.

    I'm using You Are Your Own Gym by Mark Lauren since I don't have access to a gym. I love the bodyweight exercises!

    Edit to add....keep up with the cardio as well!
  • DoctorKyrina
    DoctorKyrina Posts: 130 Member
    I'm focusing on gaining muscle. My thinking is it'll help me lose the fat, and a lot of what I've read agrees (this isn't true for all things but it's how I've liked it)
  • braves1girl
    braves1girl Posts: 189 Member
    I think it depends on how much you have to lose total. In my case, I have a total of 45 lbs to lose and I have NEVER been tone my entire life! So....I am doing (just started) strength 2 days a week. I am gonna have loose skin and to avoid that look being REALLY bad, I am strenght training. Also, I think your age has a lot to do with it. I am 45 and my elasticity is lacking.

    Having said all that, I think it wouldn't hurt to add 30-45 min of strength 2 days a week. Hope this helps!:wink:
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
    Definitly both, be warned the scale will move slower as you build muscle because you'll be replacing fat with denser muscle but you'll still drop inches and sculpt the body you want. Take measurements!!
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    I am not sure which to do. I am working on losing weight (about 12 more pounds), but I also want to have really toned muscles. I am not sure if I should stick to cardio for now and just try to lose the weight, and theeeenn work on toning up, or if I should try toning up while I am losing this weight. Anyone have any opinions/advice/experience? Right now I weigh 143 and I am 5'5'', and I want to weigh around 132-135.

    Definitely incorporate a weight training regiment to your routine. Weight training while dieting doesn't really build much muscle. It preserves what you have and ensures optimal body composition changes. (Higher % of fat being lost vs lean body mass). In the end, you'll look better weight training while dieting.
  • trinitylyons01
    trinitylyons01 Posts: 126 Member
    On Biggest Loser they always incorporate weight training with the cardio. I've also read articles on fitness that talk about the importance of adding weights to your workouts even if you only do it twice a week. The more muscle you have the higher your metabolism. Also, there are times when people focus only on losing weight that muscle can be lost instead of fat. Therefore, adding weight training can be of significant benefit.

    Good Luck!
  • TXGirl821
    TXGirl821 Posts: 115
    I'm trying to build muscle because ultimately that will lead to better fat loss. I've been doing this for a month and haven't seen the scale drop much pounds wise, but the change in my strength and my body has been amazing! So I would say work on both, but the muscle you build will have you looking leaner, even if the scale doesn't change much for you.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    I would work on adding some muscle too. Muscle takes more calories to maintain at rest, so you'll burn more calories just going about your day with more muscle mass. I also wasn't able to get below 130 without adding lifting into my routine.
  • now_or_never12
    now_or_never12 Posts: 849 Member
    You can do both at the same time for now so you won't lose the muscle you have while you lose weight (fat). Usually when we try to lose weight and create a calorie deficit our body will lose some muscle in the process unless you work on strength and get enough protein.

    You could also do a bulk and cut which means you'd eat at a calorie surplus to build muscle and than you drop your calories down to cut the fat. More muscle burns more fat.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Lifting weight while dieting doesn't really build muscle, but more importantly it PRESERVES MUSCLE. Our bodies will use both stored fat and muscle for energy while dieting. It's more important to your body to keep fat than it is to keep muscle unless you tell it you need that muscle.
  • melbaby925
    melbaby925 Posts: 613
    I wanted to do both at the same time, and then I met my trainer. He's been in the nutrition and bodybuilding field for 30 years...he told me the first time we met that I was eating like a supermodel and training like an MMA fighter. And to stop immediately.

    I'm walking, hiking, doing light bodywork and eating properly and that's it. He wants me to lose 33 more pounds of body fat and then I get to start training hard to get the last 20-30 lbs off and work on strength.

    Completely different than anything I thought I was going to be doing! But I'm a believer now - eating properly will shed fat. Without killing yourself doing constant exercise!
  • fishiesintheseaa
    fishiesintheseaa Posts: 45 Member
    Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I will try slowly incorporating lifting into my routine. I really hate using the machines at the gym, but I am too scared to go into the free weights section with all of the guys. Hopefully I'll be able to get over myself and head over there for a little bit tomorrow.
  • analisa77
    analisa77 Posts: 10
    You should be doing both. Typically, strength training three days a week, and cardio five to six days.
  • dougt333
    dougt333 Posts: 697
    Building muscle burns calories. Anytime a muscle is sore afterwards it's eating up calories. Imagine burning them in your sleep. Same time.
  • DoctorKyrina
    DoctorKyrina Posts: 130 Member
    Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I will try slowly incorporating lifting into my routine. I really hate using the machines at the gym, but I am too scared to go into the free weights section with all of the guys. Hopefully I'll be able to get over myself and head over there for a little bit tomorrow.

    I do know it's scary at first. Even after my first few weeks I still sometimes find it intimidating. I've also found it so freeing. I'm still lazy by nature, but I don't dread my workouts the same way I did when I was doing more cardio.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Do both!

    PS please don';t ever say toning i HATE that word :huh:
  • LemonBurns
    LemonBurns Posts: 538 Member
    Cardio and strength at the same time (they compliment each other)

    Agree. Muscle BURNS fat - makes the fat go away FASTER!!!
  • TXGirl821
    TXGirl821 Posts: 115
    Don't be scared! Most of the guys I've met have been happy to show women the ropes with lifting. If you're really scared, ask one of the trainers or staff at your gym if they can show you how to do something if you're not certain what to do. :) Personally, I LOVE strength training soooooo much more than cardio.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    Sounds good! You should focus on maintaining muscle and losing fat FIRST. So lift heavy 3times per week, a little cardio (not excessive), and aim at 1lbper week. If you have not done much lifting before, you will be pleasantly surprised by the results!! And just how much it helps the excess weight come off, while giving your body a great look.

    After you have trimmed off your unwanted fat, you can think about switching over to muscle building focus, in which case you will begin to eat a little MORE, for the purpose of building.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    Weight loss to goal first, then set new goals.
    While you're losing weight hit both cardio and resistance.
    You won't gain muscle, but a solid resistance program will minimize the loss of lean body mass.
  • kmm7309
    kmm7309 Posts: 802 Member
    I'm no expert here, but I would think that if you only have 12 pounds to go...which I know are the hardest ones to get rid of, you might want to get right down to business and hit the weights.

    This ^^ It will also help you keep focus while those last 12 pounds are coming off!
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    Do both!

    PS please don';t ever say toning i HATE that word :huh:
    I've been guilty of knit-picking semantics.
    And if we were half as meticulous with our health, we'd all be swim suit models.
    Word choice should be way down the list of things to snivel about.
  • fishiesintheseaa
    fishiesintheseaa Posts: 45 Member
    Ah, this is making me so excited to go to the gym and try adding a little bit of weights. Whenever I do the machines, I feel like they do absolutely nothing for me, so I am going to get over myself and ask gym goers for advice on the regular weights. I really want to meet my goals for when I go back to school. I don't really care about the number on the scale as much as how I look. But I think you all are right - I should do a combination of cardio and resistance to see the results I want. Thanks everyone!
  • elizagb
    elizagb Posts: 1 Member
    I would do heavy weight lifting. No silly little vinyl dumbells. That will help you get toned while burning calories at the same time.
  • MrsFolk
    MrsFolk Posts: 205
    Rotate cardio and strength, you'll get great results fast :) Good luck!
  • hoosier8
    hoosier8 Posts: 25
    Ah, this is making me so excited to go to the gym and try adding a little bit of weights. Whenever I do the machines, I feel like they do absolutely nothing for me, so I am going to get over myself and ask gym goers for advice on the regular weights. I really want to meet my goals for when I go back to school. I don't really care about the number on the scale as much as how I look. But I think you all are right - I should do a combination of cardio and resistance to see the results I want. Thanks everyone!

    I will second the recommendation for Stronglifts 5x5. http://stronglifts.com/ Read it, it's free and very easy to follow. I almost never use machines and prefer free weights. You get more bang for your buck so to speak. You use more muscles lifting free weights. The most important thing to keep in mind is form. Don't listen to just anybody in the gym but read up and watch the videos for proper form.

    It is a good program for strength. That first, then "toning" (Bwahahahaha).
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