lifting weights when over weight?

[sgrimze]

My question is im overweight by like 40 pounds, i wanted to start doing some squats and leg presses, leg extensions to start working my top legs, there getting a lot of fat and cellulite building up. Is is worth it doing these exercises and will it work for me, or do i need to lose the pounds first? just curious

[BEEvon]

I would say its definitely worth combining the two, dieting and weight lifting, at the same time no need to put off lifting until you lose weight. Being a beginner may give you the advantage of losing fat while gaining muscle at the same time. Besides once you achieve your weight loss goal you'll like how you look much better if you've been lifting.

[oregonchick76]

Lifting doesn't change how much body fat you have - eating in a caloric deficit does.
Lifting is critical to maintain/build muscle, but it doesn't reduce cellulite or fat.

[sgrimze]

I would say its definitely worth combining the two, dieting and weight lifting, at the same time no need to put off lifting until you lose weight. Being a beginner may give you the advantage of losing fat while gaining muscle at the same time. Besides once you achieve your weight loss goal you'll like how you look much better if you've been lifting.

Thank you!

[BleachedPink]

If you are that much overweight, yes lifting does and will change your bodyfat. I think that is the biggest "bro science" out there is the "fact" people keep repeating over and over until they believe it, is that they think you can't lose fat while gaining muscle. This may be partially true if you already have low body fat and already have a lot of muscle, but in general these people are wrong! I am adamant about the fact that YES YOU CAN LOSE FAT WHILE GAINING MUSCLE! I've done it in the past and I'm doing it now.

Just don't eat above maintenance, and I wouldn't eat too much under maintenance if at all.

If you want to lose the fat on your legs, you will need to drop your body fat. However you decide to do that is up to you. Very slowly while weight lifting, or faster with HIIT. I lost a lot of body fat doing the Insanity program for 6 weeks and at the same time my legs were gaining a lot of strength. I saw how cut they were getting while doing HIIT, and I notice HUGE gains in speed and sprinting, and now that I am back to doing weight lifting, I notice I have a lot more strength in my quads, I especially noticed when I was doing wall sits.

[kimm4]

If you are that much overweight, yes lifting does and will change your bodyfat. I think that is the biggest "bro science" out there is the "fact" people keep repeating over and over until they believe it, is that they think you can't lose fat while gaining muscle. This may be partially true if you already have low body fat and already have a lot of muscle, but in general these people are wrong! I am adamant about the fact that YES YOU CAN LOSE FAT WHILE GAINING MUSCLE! I've done it in the past and I'm doing it now.

Just don't eat above maintenance, and I wouldn't eat too much under maintenance if at all.

OP is 5'2" and 170 lbs, so telling her it can be done with exercise alone is completely ridiculous. She needs to create a calorie deficit through her nutrition and stay consistent in her training program.

If you choose to half ass things, more power to you...but you need to have both pieces of the puzzle to get the best results. No bro science there...

[Partyrocking]

Lifting weights will help you retain lean mass while losing weight, so you lose more fat per pound. That's reason enough to do it.

[kitpapa]

Absolutely start to lift! And absolutely create a calorie deficit! You need to do both in order to lose the fat and cellulite in your upper legs because there is no such thing as spot reduction. You can't pick and choose where you will lose weight and if you are overweight and start lifting without a calorie deficit, it could actually make your legs look bigger. With lifting and some easy cardio you really should only have to drop your calories by 200-300 per day below your maintenance to start seeing results. That's nothing
however, you will need to keep dilligent track of your calories since you won't have to cut too many right now

[oregonchick76]

If you are that much overweight, yes lifting does and will change your bodyfat. I think that is the biggest "bro science" out there is the "fact" people keep repeating over and over until they believe it, is that they think you can't lose fat while gaining muscle. This may be partially true if you already have low body fat and already have a lot of muscle, but in general these people are wrong! I am adamant about the fact that YES YOU CAN LOSE FAT WHILE GAINING MUSCLE! I've done it in the past and I'm doing it now.

Just don't eat above maintenance, and I wouldn't eat too much under maintenance if at all.

If you want to lose the fat on your legs, you will need to drop your body fat. However you decide to do that is up to you. Very slowly while weight lifting, or faster with HIIT. I lost a lot of body fat doing the Insanity program for 6 weeks and at the same time my legs were gaining a lot of strength. I saw how cut they were getting while doing HIIT, and I notice HUGE gains in speed and sprinting, and now that I am back to doing weight lifting, I notice I have a lot more strength in my quads, I especially noticed when I was doing wall sits.

LOL, good job smarty-pants. Lifting in and of itself does not change body fat % if you don't drop calories below maintenance. Sure, there are newbie gains where for a brief period of time you can drop muscle and gain fat at the same time, but that fades quickly. For someone who is solidly 50lbs over weight, are you REALLY going to suggest they eat at maintenance? Because MAINTENANCE is designed to MAINTAIN the current weight. You think 170 on someone 5'2" is good?

[geek23ka]

by my experience, you can lose fat and gain muscle while in a deficit.

lift heavy and hard, and create a deficit, and see what you will see.

[yrot21]

Bottom line, she needs to lift and create a CALORIE DEFICIT (from TDEE). Why do people make it so difficult?!

[BleachedPink]

LOL, good job smarty-pants. Lifting in and of itself does not change body fat % if you don't drop calories below maintenance. Sure, there are newbie gains where for a brief period of time you can drop muscle and gain fat at the same time, but that fades quickly. For someone who is solidly 50lbs over weight, are you REALLY going to suggest they eat at maintenance? Because MAINTENANCE is designed to MAINTAIN the current weight. You think 170 on someone 5'2" is good?

drop muscle and gain fat? really? ;-P

you chicks on this site really love to jump and slash at anyone for putting their 2 cents in... Sure make people feel welcome.

Anyway, the OP wants to build muscle, anyone can get that from her first post. She didn't sound too concerned with dropped the weight, that's what I got from it. So, someone keeps lifting heavy and builds muscle and they are sweating and burning calories during their workouts, and they're building more and more muscle each month, yes they are going to be losing body fat. How can anyone say otherwise? Eating at maintenance keeps your body weight the same, but you will lose inches off your body. If you are building more and more muscle, your body fat HAS to drop if you are maintaining your current weight.

Now, the OP wasn't exactly clear on if she wanted to lose all that weight yet, just that she wanted to improve the cellulite. So yeah, she probably should be in a deficit to lose more fat while lifting, she didn't seem so concerned about that just yet and it seemed like she wanted to build muscle, so that is why I recommended to maintain, so she can really make sure she's building muscle, but the inches WILL start to come off. She can always cut down in the future after building muscle for a while.

[oregonchick76]

drop muscle and gain fat? really? ;-P

you chicks on this site really love to jump and slash at anyone for putting their 2 cents in... Sure make people feel welcome.

Anyway, the OP wants to build muscle, anyone can get that from her first post. She didn't sound too concerned with dropped the weight, that's what I got from it. So, someone keeps lifting heavy and builds muscle and they are sweating and burning calories during their workouts, and they're building more and more muscle each month, yes they are going to be losing body fat. How can anyone say otherwise? Eating at maintenance keeps your body weight the same, but you will lose inches off your body. If you are building more and more muscle, your body fat HAS to drop if you are maintaining your current weight.

Now, the OP wasn't exactly clear on if she wanted to lose all that weight yet, just that she wanted to improve the cellulite. So yeah, she probably should be in a deficit to lose more fat while lifting, she didn't seem so concerned about that just yet and it seemed like she wanted to build muscle, so that is why I recommended to maintain, so she can really make sure she's building muscle, but the inches WILL start to come off. She can always cut down in the future after building muscle for a while.

LOLOLOL. So, what you're saying is, a healthy weight for her is 170? All she needs to do is convert enough fat to muscle and her composition will be fine? So basically she just needs to lose 35 lbs of fat and gain 35 lbs of muscle and she'll be ripped.

Tell me, how does one lose weight and inches eating at maintenance? By what magic does the body get smaller when eating enough calories to maintain 170lbs?

I'll tell you what, I'm sick and tired of newbies coming in and talking out of their asses. It's confusing for other people looking for solid advice.

[Snarkoleptic]

She's 34 pounds overweight- not 50.

OP, I used to be slightly above your weight at the same height. I incorporated lifting from the get-go when I decided to get healthy, and I'm so glad I did. I can fit into clothes I wore 15 years ago when I practically starved and cardio-ed down to 116. Looking at photos, my body composition is much improved from how I looked then. I credit the weight lifting for that. Also consider the improvement in bone density and kick-ass feeling that comes with increased strength.

[oregonchick76]

She's 34 pounds overweight- not 50.

OP, I used to be slightly above your weight at the same height. I incorporated lifting from the get-go when I decided to get healthy, and I'm so glad I did. I can fit into clothes I wore 15 years ago when I practically starved and cardio-ed down to 116. Looking at photos, my body composition is much improved from how I looked then. I credit the weight lifting for that. Also consider the improvement in bone density and kick-ass feeling that comes with increased strength.

She's 170 lbs at 5'2". 35 lbs would put her at 135 - and if she's got a lot of muscle, 135 might look pretty good. But if she's like most people and under-muscled, 135 is not going to look good. Is it in the "healthy" range? Yeah, maybe. But it's still not ideal.

[Snarkoleptic]

It might not be "ideal", but it IS when she would no longer be considered clinically overweight. But there is no need to split hairs; we are in agreement that strength training is a key aspect of getting the body OP seems to desire.

OP: -Start a solid training program- Starting Strength, New Rules of Lifting Series, etc
-Get in a caloric deficit (weigh and measure everything) there is a sticky for calculating needs
-take your body measurements at regular intervals (this is motivating when weight loss is slow)
-adjust as needed, but give things at least 4-6 weeks
-be patient and persistent

[oregonchick76]

It might not be "ideal", but it IS when she would no longer be considered clinically overweight. But there is no need to split hairs; we are in agreement that strength training is a key aspect of getting the body OP seems to desire.

OP: -Start a solid training program- Starting Strength, New Rules of Lifting Series, etc
-Get in a caloric deficit (weigh and measure everything) there is a sticky for calculating needs
-take your body measurements at regular intervals (this is motivating when weight loss is slow)
-adjust as needed, but give things at least 4-6 weeks
-be patient and persistent

agreed.

[BleachedPink]

LOLOLOL. So, what you're saying is, a healthy weight for her is 170? All she needs to do is convert enough fat to muscle and her composition will be fine? So basically she just needs to lose 35 lbs of fat and gain 35 lbs of muscle and she'll be ripped.

Tell me, how does one lose weight and inches eating at maintenance? By what magic does the body get smaller when eating enough calories to maintain 170lbs?

I'll tell you what, I'm sick and tired of newbies coming in and talking out of their asses. It's confusing for other people looking for solid advice.

And I'm sick and tired of aggressive bitches jumping all over someone's back and putting words into their mouths. You're the one talking out of your ass. **** off you dumb bitch, you are way too ****ing aggressive for an internet forum.

I didn't say anything about her already being at a healthy weight. If you read my original post in this thread, you will see how I suggest to add in HIIT if she really wants to lose weight faster.

This is why I will go back to lurking, which I'm sure you will be THRILLED about, I really don't give a rat's ass to argue over some dumb **** with a dumb bitch. And I don't care to contribute to a forum where new people are not welcome.

[oregonchick76]

And I'm sick and tired of aggressive bitches jumping all over someone's back and putting words into their mouths. You're the one talking out of your ass. **** off you dumb bitch, you are way too ****ing aggressive for an internet forum.

I didn't say anything about her already being at a healthy weight. If you read my original post in this thread, you will see how I suggest to add in HIIT if she really wants to lose weight faster.

This is why I will go back to lurking, which I'm sure you will be THRILLED about, I really don't give a rat's ass to argue over some dumb **** with a dumb bitch. And I don't care to contribute to a forum where new people are not welcome.

My goodness :-) "Aggressive bitch"?

Do you need a hug?

[Cara0915]

drop muscle and gain fat? really? ;-P

you chicks on this site really love to jump and slash at anyone for putting their 2 cents in... Sure make people feel welcome.

Anyway, the OP wants to build muscle, anyone can get that from her first post. She didn't sound too concerned with dropped the weight, that's what I got from it. So, someone keeps lifting heavy and builds muscle and they are sweating and burning calories during their workouts, and they're building more and more muscle each month, yes they are going to be losing body fat. How can anyone say otherwise? Eating at maintenance keeps your body weight the same, but you will lose inches off your body. If you are building more and more muscle, your body fat HAS to drop if you are maintaining your current weight.

Now, the OP wasn't exactly clear on if she wanted to lose all that weight yet, just that she wanted to improve the cellulite. So yeah, she probably should be in a deficit to lose more fat while lifting, she didn't seem so concerned about that just yet and it seemed like she wanted to build muscle, so that is why I recommended to maintain, so she can really make sure she's building muscle, but the inches WILL start to come off. She can always cut down in the future after building muscle for a while.

I LOL'd at this too. Because she's overweight if she were to eat at maintenance while lifting heavy she'd get the dreaded "bulky" look. Any muscle she'd gain would be completely hidden by the extra fat she's carrying on her frame. Of course OP wants to lose fat and gain muscle, what would be the point of lifting for muscle gains if they're going to be hidden under fat?
Yes it's possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time while eating at maintenance but in OP's case that wouldnt be ideal. It takes much longer to reach either goal that way, she'd more than likely get frustrated and give up.
OP, Oregonchick gave great advice. Good luck!

[mcapote3]

ive lost 60lbs over the last 6 months doing squats, bench, and deads, Ive also increase my deadlifts by 75lbs in that time, my wife has lost 50lbs doing my workouts on a smaller weight with arc trainer thrown in, so yes its worth doing it when 40lbs overweight but remember that loosing weight also must include a proper diet. and sorry for invading the female section I seen the title and it drew me in.

[MaryV91]

My question is im overweight by like 40 pounds, i wanted to start doing some squats and leg presses, leg extensions to start working my top legs, there getting a lot of fat and cellulite building up. Is is worth it doing these exercises and will it work for me, or do i need to lose the pounds first? just curious

i was 50lbs overweight when i started lifting weights. I wanted to lose thise 50lbs but at same time build lean muscle. I followed a clean diet and took supplements including fat burner while following shortcut to size plan. Lifting free weight has helped me gain muscle and lose fat at same time. Ive lost 35lbs in 8mths as well as toning up. I say go for it, it worked for me!!!😃

[imegamax]

I didn't read all of these replies - so I apologize ahead of time if I am reiterating anything..

but you MUST lift weights in combination with cardio if you would like to lose weight AND tone. Weight lifting speeds up the metabolic process, and allows your body to not only burn the fat - but gain lean muscle.

I always look to CIRCUIT TRAINING with weights, if your goal is to lose weight.


good luck!

[wakechica]

My goodness :-) "Aggressive bitch"?

Do you need a hug?

Lolz. Making friends again Oregonchick76?!

You are quite right however