Weight training

Steve

Steve

Member
Staff member
For all you people who don't lift weights until after the diet is over:

Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.Bryner RW, Ullrich IH, Sauers J, Donley D, Hornsby G, Kolar M, Yeater R.
Department of Human Performance and Applied Exercise Science, West Virginia University, Morgantown 26506, USA.

OBJECTIVE: Utilization of very-low-calorie diets (VLCD) for weight loss results in loss of lean body weight (LBW) and a decrease in resting metabolic rate (RMR). The addition of aerobic exercise does not prevent this. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of intensive, high volume resistance training combined with a VLCD on these parameters. METHODS: Twenty subjects (17 women, three men), mean age 38 years, were randomly assigned to either standard treatment control plus diet (C+D), n = 10, or resistance exercise plus diet (R+D), n = 10. Both groups consumed 800 kcal/day liquid formula diets for 12 weeks. The C+D group exercised 1 hour four times/week by walking, biking or stair climbing. The R+D group performed resistance training 3 days/week at 10 stations increasing from two sets of 8 to 15 repetitions to four sets of 8 to 15 repetitions by 12 weeks. Groups were similar at baseline with respect to weight, body composition, aerobic capacity, and resting metabolic rate. RESULTS: Maximum oxygen consumption (Max VO2) increased significantly (p<0.05) but equally in both groups. Body weight decreased significantly more (p<0.01) in C+D than R+D. The C+D group lost a significant (p<0.05) amount of LBW (51 to 47 kg). No decrease in LBW was observed in R+D. In addition, R+D had an increase (p<0.05) in RMR O2 ml/kg/min (2.6 to 3.1). The 24 hour RMR decreased (p<0.05) in the C+D group. CONCLUSION: The addition of an intensive, high volume resistance training program resulted in preservation of LBW and RMR during weight loss with a VLCD.
Click to expand...
 
Very interesting find Steve! So I'd gather from that that if you're doing a low-cal diet and aerobics to lose weight, free weights should be done concurrently to maintain RMR and LBM? Sounds like I'm right on track! :)
 
Most certainly. Better yet, when you're in any sort of caloric deficit some variation of resistance training is optimal.

Adequate protein intake is also critical, which isn't news to anyone who has been a member here a while and cared enough to pay attention to me.
 
Maybe you can help me out on this Steve: I haven't a darn clue on how many g of protein I should be eating per day. Female, 135lbs, high activity level (6 days/week of cardio and light weights) ~1200 cals a day. Shall I refer to the stickies?
 
That's a lot of activity given your bodyweight and calorie intake.

If it's working for you, great. If it's not, I'd reassess.

And be careful how you define "working."

Why light weights?

Protein... hmmm, one way of looking at it is 1 gram per pound of your goal weight.
 
Also, i am 4'11.5 tall.

By light weights I mean, using various machines after my cardio with a small amount of weight (15, 20, 25 lbs) doing many reps to work on toning the muscles I have (i am quite muscular under this chubb!)

It has worked for me in the sense that I feel well exercised, I don't feel tired, it gives me a lot of energy, and I'm seeing changes in my body in all the right places.

1 gram per pound of goal weight sounds like a TON, but I'll try and get up there somehow! Thanks for your help :)
 
tinysara said:
Also, i am 4'11.5 tall.

By light weights I mean, using various machines after my cardio with a small amount of weight (15, 20, 25 lbs) doing many reps to work on toning the muscles I have (i am quite muscular under this chubb!)
Click to expand...

I'd ditch the high rep stuff for heavier training with fewer reps, depending on how you're defining high reps.

There's nothing magical about high reps, in fact, it may be counter productive given the fact you're not carrying a bunch of fat.

It has worked for me in the sense that I feel well exercised, I don't feel tired, it gives me a lot of energy, and I'm seeing changes in my body in all the right places.
Click to expand...

If that's the case, then hey, what do I know, lol.

I don't expect you to change based on my opinions... it's just food for thought. :)

1 gram per pound of goal weight sounds like a TON, but I'll try and get up there somehow! Thanks for your help :)
Click to expand...

If you eat meat, it's not a ton at all.

Or you can always supplement with a protein powder.
 
Hi Steve :)
Maybe I'm describing a 'rep' incorrectly...I don't know much of the jargon. So i'll get on the leg press, about 40 lbs, and push it around 10 times in a controlled fashion, stop, rest, and repeat once. That's about it. The reason I'm not using more weight is because I actually have quite bulky muscle already, it is just not well-toned at all, and I'm looking to tone what I already have. Let me know if you think this is reasonable, or we can pm if you'd rather not stray this thread from the topic. I am a meat-eater, but not every day, and not in large quantities...Which is why I'll be picking up some protein powder in the near future.

Thanks for your help :)
 
tinysara said:
Hi Steve :)
Maybe I'm describing a 'rep' incorrectly...I don't know much of the jargon. So i'll get on the leg press, about 40 lbs, and push it around 10 times in a controlled fashion, stop, rest, and repeat once. That's about it. The reason I'm not using more weight is because I actually have quite bulky muscle already, it is just not well-toned at all, and I'm looking to tone what I already have.
Click to expand...

You seem to have some misconceptions regarding weight training.

1. Heavy weight training does not automatically grow muscles. Women can't get bulky even if everything is primed for growth. When you're dieting, things are far from primed for growth since muscle growth requires an excess of energy which obviously isn't present when dieting.

2. Toning in the sense you're suggesting doesn't exist. A muscle either grows or it doesn't.

3. I doubt you're too bulky. Granted, I've been wrong before and granted everyone has their own idea of what bulky is... but I've encountered quite a high number of women claiming to be 'too bulky' and when I see pictures or meet them, it's far far far from true. They simply have fat that they're confusing for muscle.
 
Steve said:
but I've encountered quite a high number of women claiming to be 'too bulky' and when I see pictures or meet them, it's far far far from true. They simply have fat that they're confusing for muscle.
Click to expand...

This was actually a question that I have.

I have big calves that I have always thought were muscular. How do I know if they are fat instead?

I would love for them to be fat, because if they are, then they will decrease in size when I lose weight. If they are muscle, hell, I don't know what I'll do then.

The reason I think they are muscle is because I've always had them be bigger than average (and I wasn't always overweight). I rode horses for 12 years and I spin (or did, but will again). I always blamed the horse back riding for the calves.
 
Genetics.

I have seen women with muscular calves even outside the realm of specific training that would induce said muscularity. And there's nothing I know you can do to 'tone them down' a bit unfortunately.

Calves, unless you're really carrying a lot of fat, aren't a place fat is stored in large quantities. Unfortunately there's nothing I have for you to do. If you're dieting, maybe they'll decrease a bit but who really knows.
 
Steve said:
Genetics.

I have seen women with muscular calves even outside the realm of specific training that would induce said muscularity. And there's nothing I know you can do to 'tone them down' a bit unfortunately.

Calves, unless you're really carrying a lot of fat, aren't a place fat is stored in large quantities. Unfortunately there's nothing I have for you to do. If you're dieting, maybe they'll decrease a bit but who really knows.
Click to expand...

Varicose veins too..

Some women have huge calves because of varicose veins. I know someone who had hers out and you could literally see a huge size difference in the before and afters.



But that's irrelevant.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top