Weights for losing weight

Penn

Kind of connected to that other thread about 'fat guys lifting weights' but really I'm looking for advice for myself.

Trying to lose weight, and had lost over a stone and a half before Christmas. Weighed 17stone at that point, looking to get down to 13. After Christmas, because of doing lots of overtime at work, weekends away, parties and such, I barely got to the gym, was eating rubbish food and subsequently put back on 8lbs.

When I started back at the gym, I decided to switch from doing mostly cardio to doing mostly cardio twice a week, and mostly weights twice a week. Since I started back at the gym about 5 weeks ago, I got my diet back on track (or at least as good as it was before Christmas), and have gone to the gym 4 times a week for the past 5 weeks.

Trouble is, I have gained almost 5lbs. I had been losing on average 2lbs each week before Christmas, and my diet is pretty much the same as it was then. The only difference is the fact that I do more weights now. I know I'm probably losing fat and gaining muscle, but it's still disheartening to step on the scales and see it go the wrong way.

If I keep going the way I am, will the musle gain slow down and my weight start to decrease again?

I can post up my diet and current workout if necessary

cmyk

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

I can post up my diet and current workout if necessary

Please do. Are your measurements coming down at all? Have you trained with weights before?

Penn

Breakfast (7am): Porridge with low fat milk
Snack (10am): About 30g dark chocolate
Lunch (1pm): Brown bread sandwich w/ turkey and egg mayonaise (probably the weak link in my diet)
Dinner (7pm): Chicken or meat (stew/steak/pork chop or something) with half portion on mash and veg (Cooked by my mother so don't have a lot of say in that menu)
Other snacks: Apples, pears, blueberry smoothie
Drinks: Mostly water or low-fat milk

(Just to note, I have to build up my glute muscles so there is a lot of leg work involved in both workouts)
Cardio workout (Tuesday and Thursday evenings after work):
Rowing machine 10mins
Crosstrainer 10mins
Low pulley 45kg 3x10
Exercise bike 15mins
Lat machine 45kg 3x10
Hip abductor 30kg 2x30
Exercise bike 5-10mins (warmdown)

Weights workout (Saturday and Sunday mornings):
Rowing Machine 5mins
Squats 50kg 3x10 (in squat cage)
Sled 45deg leg press (hamstrings) 80kg 3x10
Bench press 40kg 3x10
Hip abductor 30kg 2x30
Shoulder press dumbells 20kg 3x10
Sled 45deg leg press (quads) 80kg 3x10
Exercise bike 5-10mins (warmdown)


I didn't really have any measurements taken (I assume you mean bodyfat %). Jeans and stuff started getting looser before Christmas when I lost the most weight but even though I've gained weight since, I don't think they've gotten tighter. I think I'm still around the same as I was before Christmas. But I had no proper measurements taken so I can't be sure. I wasn't planning on getting bodyfat % done until I'd lost most of the weight.

Haven't really trained with weights before. Mostly just the cable weight machines. The free weights I do now though I got the instructor to show me how to do them and make sure I was doing them right. I'm not on an actual workout programme though

Sangre

Measurements mean your wasit/arm/hip size. As long as these go down you're on the right track.

If you're looking at your weight look at its average over a week or a few days as it will vary by several pounds during the day.

With regards your programme (ignore this if you have physio advice on your glutes) try and focus on compound not isolation movements i.e., squat, deadlift, bench, row, chin, dip, overhead press.

cmyk

Ok, a few notes from a passing glance, and I'm sure others will be along too.
Firstly fair play for making the effort and doing the 4days per week.

By measurements I just mean in general, clothes getting looser, waist smaller etc.?

Workout doesn't seem to have much structure or purpose! Has this been prescribed for you? And if so, were you shown how to do the exercises properly? You could develop a workout plan that's far more effective over 4 days.

For instance 3 days weight training and one cardio session. Try to space your weight training out a bit more too, don't do them on consecutive days.

Penn

cmyk wrote: »

Ok, a few notes from a passing glance, and I'm sure others will be along too.
Firstly fair play for making the effort and doing the 4days per week.

By measurements I just mean in general, clothes getting looser, waist smaller etc.?

Workout doesn't seem to have much structure or purpose! Has this been prescribed for you? And if so, were you shown how to do the exercises properly? You could develop a workout plan that's far more effective over 4 days.

For instance 3 days weight training and one cardio session. Try to space your weight training out a bit more too, don't do them on consecutive days.

It wasn't prescribed for me. I asked a trainer to set me up with a basic workout programme but it was just constantly arms and shoulders (even though I told him I wanted to work my legs and back a bit too). There were no squats, deadlifts or any leg work at all (this was before I went to a physio about my leg and he gave me exercises for glutes. Get a pain in my leg if I walk too much or run and he says it's because of a muscle imbalance in my glutes). The other trainer there set up the cardio workout for me (minus the hip abductor) but she she has given me wrong information with regards to weights before (she told me there is no real difference between free weights and cable weight machines, and that I should do more reps of lighter weights). So I'm pretty much flying solo with regards to coming up with a programme. I made sure to be shown how to do the exercises properly though. Last thing I want is an injury. Also stretch before and after workouts

The reason I do weights on the weekends is simply because there's less people in the gym so it's easier to get at them. By the time I get in the evenings during the week it can be pretty packed, especially at the weights. I don't get a lot of time in the evenings (get up at 6:45 every morning and if I get to leave work on time, it's about 6:45 in the evening before I get to the gym) so I don't want to be queuing for machines. I know it's probably better if trying to build muscle not to be doing it on consecutive days, but would it matter when going for weight loss?

Clothes had been getting looser, but not since I started back about 5 weeks ago. Can't say I've noticed any difference. Haven't taken measurements though.

I'm also planning on buying a bike and do a bit of cycling on weekends or something, but that'll just be to add to what I do in the gym

cmyk

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

this was before I went to a physio about my leg and he gave me exercises for glutes.

What exercises were you given for the glutes, as the only one I see there is the squat? I would've guessed that if it's an imbalance you have, they would've prescribed some uni-lateral leg work too...lunges, directional lunges, stepups etc. but I'm not a physical therapist and basing that solely on my own readings.

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

(she told me there is no real difference between free weights and cable weight machines, and that I should do more reps of lighter weights).

You're probably best working within a more endurance based rep range 12-15 starting off.

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

I know it's probably better if trying to build muscle not to be doing it on consecutive days, but would it matter when going for weight loss?

It's the same in most gyms, busiest in the evenings. In terms of getting bang for buck, certainly as you progress into using heavier weights (and this is the basis for most programmes) you'll need more recovery from the weighted sessions. Are you getting some soreness from the sessions?

Penn

cmyk wrote: »

What exercises were you given for the glutes, as the only one I see there is the squat? I would've guessed that if it's an imbalance you have, they would've prescribed some uni-lateral leg work too...lunges, directional lunges, stepups etc. but I'm not a physical therapist and basing that solely on my own readings.

He mentioned about the squats and hip abductor for the gym, the rest is stretches I do out of the gym. Can't remember the name of the stretches but one is basically the same as the hip abductor where I lie on my side, bring my heels up towards my back and knees out, then raise my knee keeping my feet together. The other is sort of one-leg squatting without a weight, keeping my other leg off the ground. He told me to do both legs, but a few more reps on the weaker leg

cmyk wrote: »

You're probably best working within a more endurance based rep range 12-15 starting off.

Really? Might try that alright.

cmyk wrote: »

It's the same in most gyms, busiest in the evenings. In terms of getting bang for buck, certainly as you progress into using heavier weights (and this is the basis for most programmes) you'll need more recovery from the weighted sessions. Are you getting some soreness from the sessions?

A bit, mostly in my right leg though, but that's to be expected.