Quit wieght train for now?

[v800c]

I am thinking that because it is difficult to gain muscle mass while cutting, I should quit doing the weight training e/o day for just 4-6 weeks and focus on the cutting and cardio e/o day. I will then restart the weight train when I reach my fat loss goal. I am thinking that then this will avoid my body getting used to the weight train routine and therefore when I change my focus on muscle growth, the routine will be fresh and more effective...am I on the right track?

I know that muscle helps to burn calories but I am concerned about the routine being too familiar and uneffective in 4-6 weeks when I change my focus and eating for muscle mass.

 

[limestix]

If you don't continue to weight train, your body will have no stimulus telling it to preserve muscle mass. In that situation, it becomes likely your body will cannibalize a large portion of muscle to be used as energy. You should do both weight training and cardio while cutting

 

[v800c]

If you don't continue to weight train, your body will have no stimulus telling it to preserve muscle mass. In that situation, it becomes likely your body will cannibalize a large portion of muscle to be used as energy. You should do both weight training and cardio while cutting

That sounds logical - I want the body to continue to burn fat calories not muscle calories so I will continue to weight train - maybe when it's time to focus on max muscle gain, then I just go harder at the routine.

 

[stangelj]

+1 on continuing to weight train. While you indeed won't gain as much muscle while cutting, you also won't lose any if you continue to weight train. Losing muscle is counter-productive to cutting.

 

[Arobe]

I would like to know how long you have been working out and how much fat do you want to lose. In my experience, both personal and with my clients, I have found that doing high intensity resistance training with short interval cardio routines (20 mins or less) develops the best muscle tone while reducing the fat the best and fastest way. For example, you could do chest press for 15 reps at a weight that you can only do 15-16 reps, followed immediately by 18-20 body weight squats (just you, not added weight) followed immediately by leg raises then repeating 2 more times with very little rest if any between rounds. Add in two more triplexes like that and you have a great workout that also helps build your cardio. When you do use the cardio machines. Keep the time to 20 mins or less and change the intensity from moderate to high and back every 45-75 seconds. You will burn as much or more calories than a steady state run of 45 mins, and you won't have the catabolic effect the longer runs have on your muscles.

Hope this helps!

 

[Chillen]

I am thinking that because it is difficult to gain muscle mass while cutting, I should quit doing the weight training e/o day for just 4-6 weeks and focus on the cutting and cardio e/o day.

The answer is you should continue strength training while dieting to reducing body fat. There is no shortage of studies displaying the benefits of preserving/maintaining muscle or reducing muscle loss rate, when strength training with the diet focused primarily on losing fat tissue.

Additionally, you may even get "very good" strength/growth response--dependent on your starting position, and how long you have been training (insert a "brand new person" to strength training here).

It is simply unwise (speaking to one that is healthy, no severe physical limitations, etc, etc), not to strength train, when the diet is constructed to lose fat tissue.

I will then restart the weight train when I reach my fat loss goal.

Read again, what I wrote above.

I am thinking that then this will avoid my body getting used to the weight train routine and therefore when I change my focus on muscle growth, the routine will be fresh and more effective...am I on the right track?

IMO, no you are not.

It has always been my opinion when concerning primarily tissue loss:

1. Eat as much food as "possible" that still allows for weight loss. Starving one's self does not lead to long-term success-for the general public.

Think for yourself.

Ask questions (which you are doing, )

Educate yourself on tissue loss.

Read on your own.

Research on your own.

Get clarification on your own.

Use that brain tissue that resides between your shoulders. While in this process, you will learn that you should strength train when dieting to lose fat tissue.


Additionally, do not fall in the dieting trap: You start a so-called diet and lose unwanted tissue, and get to your physique goal want (notice I didn't say weight want), and then revert back to old habits. The logistics that solicited your initial loss, will have to be used to maintain what you worked so hard to earn. Which is where most people fail. A diet is not something you go on for six weeks to drop 5 pounds (or what ever), to just go right back to how you once ate before. If one does, it shouldn't be that much of surprise the weight came back, and potentially even more on top of that.

Structure your eating plan around what works for you, as each of our lifestyles are different, as our dislikes, likes, and other personal attributes. I say this because far too many can get caught up in this "meal frequency" issue, thinking it revs up the metabolism (which IS DOES NOT).

However, it has its good side and bad side...........with "some" people wanting to lose fat tissue:

1. If eating MORE frequently makes it easier to control/reduce calories, it will help you to lose weight/fat--then by all means do it. Controlling hunger is what its about, and will keep you on track with your goal.

2. If eating MORE frequently makes it harder to control/reduce calories, or makes you eat more, you will gain weight--it is THIS SIMPLE.

3. If eating LESS frequently makes it harder for you to control/reduce calories (because you get hungry and binge), it will hurt your efforts to lose weight/fat--it is THIS SIMPLE.

However, with others it can be a bone. It can make then binge and eat more. Yes, this isn't so hard to believe.

4. If eating LESS frequently makes it easier for you to control/reduce calories (for any number of reasons), then that will help your efforts to lose weight/fat. There are some that fall in this category, and they CAN stay on track with fat loss.

Basic and RAW: Calories IN V Calories OUT. It is the total circumference of calories within a 24 hours that matters most, NOT the number of meals in those calories. Whether it is 6 or 4 meals, the calories end up the same, and if their is a deficit (keeping it RAW and BASIC), one loses tissue. Therefore, if your lifestyle (such as work) only allows 3 meals per day, then do not SWEAT IT. Keep your Calories and macros in check......are far more important......I promise. Multiple meals do not rev up your furnace like most believe. Do a "quality search" on quality "research" (current), and learn this truth.


What have you calculated your per day calorie ranges to be (base calorie, MT-Line?). Do you know how to determine this?

How much weight do "want" to lose?

What is your personal fitness goal?

What do you have to train with?




Best regards,


Chillen

 

[Arobe]

Basic and RAW: Calories IN V Calories OUT. It is the total circumference of calories within a 24 hours that matters most, NOT the number of meals in those calories. Whether it is 6 or 4 meals, the calories end up the same, and if their is a deficit (keeping it RAW and BASIC), one loses tissue. Therefore, if your lifestyle (such as work) only allows 3 meals per day, then do not SWEAT IT. Keep your Calories and macros in check......are far more important......I promise. Multiple meals do not rev up your furnace like most believe. Do a "quality search" on quality "research" (current), and learn this truth.

I just want to emphasize that Chillen did not say you can get all your calories in 1 meal. Some people over simplify the calories IN v Calories OUT. And I agree that someone can get carried away with worrying about when to eat and how much and then because they are sooo stressed about being right on, when they trip up, they fall extra hard. So do find what works best for your schedule.

And it is true that eating 6 times per day as compared to eating 3 times a day isn't going to sky rocket your metabolism. The idea that this works is based on the thermoegenic effect of food, which means the extra calories your body has to use to digest the food. And since it takes 3-4 hours to empty your stomach, that is typically the time frame used for eating. So if you keep something in your stomach all the time, then you will burn more calories. And although this is relatively small per day, it will add up in time. What it will do, though, is if you are eating balanced each time it will keep your hormones (such as insulin)that regulate fat storage and muscle growth/break down in balance. This will help your body operate at its best more throughout the day.

And not to sound like a cheesy public service announcment, but again I will agree with Chillen.. The More You Know... educate yourself or hire someone to do the thinking for you when it comes to this stuff. Just make sure the person that you hire is constantly learning what they can.

 

[ssnxp]

Good information in here. I was still confused on how to go about weight training if I just want to LOSE weight (ie, just cut back the time with the weights, or drop weight training all together). Thanks for the great information.