SO I took the advice of many of you feather weight lifters and decided to start a routine. I bought the book "New Rules of Lifting for Women" and I am ready to do this! (and secretly excited). BUT I have a few questions. I am the type of person who can't do something at 100% effort unless I fully understand it and believe in it. SO if you have personal experience or know the answers to these questions, I would GREATLY appreciate it! Im sorry if some of them sound repetitive but I guess I need reassurance
1. The NUMBER ONE reason I am afraid of weight lifting is that I will GAIN muscle under my fat but not shed any fat or inches. This in return will make me BIGGER (not because of huge muscle gain but because the fat is remaining while adding muscle). I have heard of plenty of stories where this happens. Most of the time they say its because they are eating too many carbs. This scares me because I will NEVER be someone who can eat under 100g of carbs. I prefer around 150g. Ok thats that question..
2. If you dont feel sore, did you not work out hard enough?
3. A lot of times when I am weight lifting at the gym on the machines, the wrong muscles are burning. FOr example, the other day I tried a machine that is supposed to be the ultimate quads workout. Welp, this may sound weird, but the top of my foot (not the bottom where the sole is, the top where the metatarsals are) was burning SO bad after the 4th set of reps, that I just had to stop. WTF, I dont want to tone my freaking feet!! What does this mean??
4. I will be eating a calorie deficit. 1300 calories during the week and 3 days of the week around or a few hundred below maintenance. Will I still be able to tone with this deficit?
5. I am PETRIFIED about the scale not moving and/or going up; which I know happens when you first start weight lifting. The scale is what gives me motivation to keep losing. When will the scale start to go down?
6. I ideally would like to lose about 15 pounds and tone. IS this possible or will I just simply NOT lose weight since I am at the very very last 15 pounds and will be strength training? I just really dont want to be stuck at 135 pounds because I just feel like it is simply too much for me. Its around my highest weight :/
7. My plan is to weight lift every OTHER day with a routine consisting of 10 minutes running followed by about 35 minutes of body weight training (and adding in weights whenever my body weight gets too easy for me).
What do you all think!? SOrry for such a long post. But I am very excited but confused at the same time. Thank you all!!!
Last edited by Dianne042425; 01-17-2012 at 06:26 PM.
1. Did you read the nutrition chapter? If you are eating at a deficit you CANNOT gain the muscle you are referring to. That must be done not even at maintenance, but eating a bit above maintenance. Eat at a slight deficit, get in all your protein, and you should lose fat.
(Also, remember how slowly these processes happen. Take pictures and measurements and compare them to 1-2 months into the program. If you are bigger than you were, adjust your diet. If you are smaller, the program is working. If you are the same, give it a few more weeks and then adjust if necessary.)
2. No. You may feel DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) the first few times after working out, or not at all. The important thing is to lift heavy. Each week try to lift a little more than you did the week before. That's how you know you are doing it "right."
3. Why were you using a machine for quads? NROL doesn't call for any machines. No really good workout does! Step away from the machines, use dumbbells and barbells instead. When you lift on quads and deadlifts, always drive through your heel. The heel should be doing the work, not the toes. That's how you hit the quads and glutes.
4. You will have to play around with that number. When doing NROL I feel seriously starving if I don't eat closer to 1400-1500 (I ate 1200 to lose weight). Read the nutrition section of the book for more info.
5. Yes, it will probably increase. Put the scale away. If you are doing NROL your goals are not going to be measured on the scale. It's like studying for a math test and taking a spelling test to see how you are doing. Focus on NROL for one month, eat properly, and see how you feel and look after that one month.
6. Building muscle and losing fat are two opposite processes. The first requires eating over maintenance, the second requires eating under. Your muscle tone may improve if you lose fat howver, from what I understand.
7. NROL should not be done more than 3x a week. You also should not run or do cardio before weightlifting. Lifting heavy requires full effort and doing cardio beforehand reduces your ability to exert at full effort.
I think a lot of your questions will be answered if you read NROL fully before starting. Follow the program closely and keep us updated on results!!
1. The NUMBER ONE reason I am afraid of weight lifting is that I will GAIN muscle under my fat but not shed any fat or inches. This in return will make me BIGGER (not because of huge muscle gain but because the fat is remaining while adding muscle). I have heard of plenty of stories where this happens. Most of the time they say its because they are eating too many carbs. This scares me because I will NEVER be someone who can eat under 100g of carbs. I prefer around 150g. Ok thats that question..
That is simply not going to happen. If you're eating at your maitenance calories or less you're not going to just gain muscle and keep the fat. It's physically impossible... (just look up energy moment conservation!). Now, after a work out you MIGHT appear larger but that is 100% water retention. That's a GOOD thing because it means your muscles tore during the work out and are repairing themselves and that's what builds muscles.
As for your carbs. What kind of carbs are we talking about here? I don't eat low carb but I always eat whole grains, lots of veggies/fruit and I have great muscle definition for someone who is 12lbs overweight still.
2. If you dont feel sore, did you not work out hard enough?
Maybe, maybe not. Are you lifting heavy? Do you feel like you can pull off 15, 20 sets of that weight? If so, then you need to increase the weight. It does take some experimenting. One suggest I've heard that's a good one is if you can make a one time appointment with a trainer so you have some one to spot you, show you correct form etc. Then you'll get a better idea of what you can do.
3. A lot of times when I am weight lifting at the gym on the machines, the wrong muscles are burning. FOr example, the other day I tried a machine that is supposed to be the ultimate quads workout. Welp, this may sound weird, but the top of my foot (not the bottom where the sole is, the top where the metatarsals are) was burning SO bad after the 4th set of reps, that I just had to stop. WTF, I dont want to tone my freaking feet!! What does this mean??
Agreed. Why are you using a machine??? And the 4th set of reps? Why are you doing so many reps?
4. I will be eating a calorie deficit. 1300 calories during the week and 3 days of the week around or a few hundred below maintenance. Will I still be able to tone with this deficit?
You need to eat more. We're the same height and I can guarantee you that you'll need to eat more if you plan on doing this 3 days/week. Especially make sure to get in protein after a workout.
5. I am PETRIFIED about the scale not moving and/or going up; which I know happens when you first start weight lifting. The scale is what gives me motivation to keep losing. When will the scale start to go down?
Quote:
Why? You're not gaining fat if this happens AT ALL. Wouldn't you rather have better muscle tone, lose inches than see a number one a scale? It does (and can happen). I've lost a good deal of weight while lifting. Then again, I'm coming from a much higher weight than where you're at now.. If you will bother you then throw away the scale and bring out the tape measurer because I guarantee you the results will be well worth it.
6. I ideally would like to lose about 15 pounds and tone. IS this possible or will I just simply NOT lose weight since I am at the very very last 15 pounds and will be strength training? I just really dont want to be stuck at 135 pounds because I just feel like it is simply too much for me. Its around my highest weight :/
Yes, but 135lbs not lifting is VERY different than 135lbs lifting. There's a picture of a lady before and after lifting at 155lbs in both pictures (I can't post it today because some websites are not working) and the differences are dramatic... something I've also experienced.
7. My plan is to weight lift every OTHER day with a routine consisting of 10 minutes running followed by about 35 minutes of body weight training (and adding in weights whenever my body weight gets too easy for me).
Read the book and follow it's suggestions. Lifting 3x/weeks is plenty but if you want to add cardio do it AFTER a lifting routine and check out HIIT. If you're running the day after lifting you actually might be doing more harm than good because your body won't have a chance to repair itself after lifting.
I'm kind of curious about those stories of building muscle under fat. I don't think that actually happens if you eat the right amount; it sounds more like stories told to sell certain machines ("don't do CRUNCHES! you'll increase your waistline! Use OUR machine!" you know, stuff like that).
I think I'm going to pick up NROWL because of all the praise it gets here. I've been lifting for about two and a half years now, but I want to start getting into it more.
Lifting has really changed my body. My arms and legs simply look amazing and muscular and I'm stronger than I've ever been. My fiance and I like to horse around and pretend "fight" like we're a pair of brothers or something and I can actually hold my own even though he's much bigger than I am
For someone who has been significantly overweight for most of my life, I'm used to hiding my arms because they were always so big and flabby. Right now I'm mad that it's winter because I WANT to wear tank tops to show off my muscular arms! I can't explain how awesome that feels.
I only lift heavy once a week too! I lift lighter throughout the week, making sure to give my body rest days though. I wonder what would happen if I were to actually lift heavy more often.
I have never put on weight by lifting, and I lift heavier than almost any woman at my gym, and probably as heavy as any of them. Lifting enabled me to maintain a weight of 129 while eating more than most men I know; and when I dropped my calories, I consistently lost weight down to 20 pounds, all in three months.
If you are new to lifting, you may experience temporary water weight gain due to physical stress on the body, but I never saw the scale go up even when I was new to lifting. It's also possible that you will gain some muscle over time since you are a newbie to this exercise, so you may stall on weight loss a bit down the road; but, if so, who cares? Use a measuring tape to prove to yourself that you are getting smaller and more fit. And, seriously, if you are cutting calories, you probably won't even stall. Again, though you may build some muscle as a newbie, depending on what you do, you will not build it very fast. Your fat loss will probably eclipse the muscle build, meaning you will continue to lose weight steadily.
Last edited by Petite Powerhouse; 01-18-2012 at 11:41 AM.
SO I took the advice of many of you feather weight lifters and decided to start a routine. I bought the book "New Rules of Lifting for Women" and I am ready to do this! (and secretly excited). BUT I have a few questions. I am the type of person who can't do something at 100% effort unless I fully understand it and believe in it. SO if you have personal experience or know the answers to these questions, I would GREATLY appreciate it! Im sorry if some of them sound repetitive but I guess I need reassurance
1. The NUMBER ONE reason I am afraid of weight lifting is that I will GAIN muscle under my fat but not shed any fat or inches. This in return will make me BIGGER (not because of huge muscle gain but because the fat is remaining while adding muscle). I have heard of plenty of stories where this happens. Most of the time they say its because they are eating too many carbs. This scares me because I will NEVER be someone who can eat under 100g of carbs. I prefer around 150g. Ok thats that question..
It's not too many carbs; it's too many calories. If you are eating at a calorie deficit (I'm assuming this is your plan), and you are lifting weights, you will lose fat while maintaining your muscle. Because you are new to lifting, you will probably build some muscle over time, but it's a slow process so you absolutely will notice the fat coming off. You will lose fat much more easily than you will gain muscle.
That said, if you are lifting, it is even more important to concentrate on your protein intake. You can eat carbs, and in fact good carbs are important for energy. But understand that your body needs protein for muscle recovery and growth.
Last edited by Petite Powerhouse; 01-18-2012 at 12:38 PM.
Thanks for all of the replies. I am just now getting a chance to respond..
Petite Thank you. I feel so much better and I really trust your judgement because you have been lifting for so long. I am aiming for around 100g of Protein. Is this enough to maintain the muscle I have (and possibly build some) while losing fat? YOu say you have never gained while lifting; how long are you at the gym lifting for? I feel like I remember that you once said you spend hours in the gym a day? Did I dream this? lol I cant remember. WHat do your workouts consist of? Do you add any cardio in the mix?
Sontaikle THat is so refreshing to hear about your arms. I am the same way about mine. I feel like they just look big and no tone to them. Did they get smaller or just more toned?
Runningfromfat I eat only good carbs. I am trying to keep them around 130g while trying to lose. Ill probably up them to 150g when I go into maintenance and add more calories. But they are from good carbs! I eat veggie burgers and they have carbs but I am assuming its coming from the veggies. I only buy natural veggie burgers.
Should I not be doing so many sets? I was told 10 sets of 10 reps on each machine..Is that not accurate? Ive decided not to even do machines anymore. For now, I think ill just do body exercises like lunges, squats, burpees, pushups, high kicks, etc... What do you think?
Also, what is the importance of eating protein after a workout? Ive heard this before but Im a little skeptical. I hate to up my calories by 120 just to get more protein when I feel like I am already getting enough at 100g. Ive also heard getting too much protein can be harmful to the body. Is this true?
As for exercise, do you suggest not do any type of workout on the off days so my muscle can heal? I just feel like working out only 3 days a week isnt enough? Am I wrong?
Indiblue HIIII!! Its been so long! How are you doing?? Hows the weight loss coming along? DId you get to goal?? THank so much for all of that information. How long have you been doing this program? Have you seen results? I havent read the entire book because there were things he started saying that made me not want to read more. I am excited about the program and building muscle but I dont like how he kept saying "her shoulders got bigger and looked great, this and that got bigger and she looked good". He kept saying things got "bigger" and how that was the goal. That is NOT my goal! BUt overall, the parts I have read seem accurate, interesting and exciting. Im going to check out that link and see what others are saying on the program. Thank you
Sontaikle THat is so refreshing to hear about your arms. I am the same way about mine. I feel like they just look big and no tone to them. Did they get smaller or just more toned?
Both.
You have to remember that I weighed over 200lbs at one time. My arms were pretty big! They shrunk CONSIDERABLY when I lost weight (and I was lifting before I began losing a significant amount of weight).
Within the last 15lbs I noticed they really toned up. I luckily have pictures of me in a sleeveless dress at 136 pounds and my arms were much, much smaller than at my starting weight, but they were not all that muscular and I still had fat/extra skin. It was only recently I noticed that even letting my arms hang and doing nothing that I could see muscles in my arms when just 15-16 pounds ago I could not.
I think it has to do with me lifting heaver in that time and losing the fat covering the muscles.
You have to remember that I weighed over 200lbs at one time. My arms were pretty big! They shrunk CONSIDERABLY when I lost weight (and I was lifting before I began losing a significant amount of weight).
Within the last 15lbs I noticed they really toned up. I luckily have pictures of me in a sleeveless dress at 136 pounds and my arms were much, much smaller than at my starting weight, but they were not all that muscular and I still had fat/extra skin. It was only recently I noticed that even letting my arms hang and doing nothing that I could see muscles in my arms when just 15-16 pounds ago I could not.
I think it has to do with me lifting heaver in that time and losing the fat covering the muscles.
That makes sense. I need to just bite the bullet and do it regardless of my fears. Its something healthy for my body and its worth a try. Do you mind sharing the photos you have?
Indiblue HIIII!! Its been so long! How are you doing?? Hows the weight loss coming along? DId you get to goal?? THank so much for all of that information. How long have you been doing this program? Have you seen results? I havent read the entire book because there were things he started saying that made me not want to read more. I am excited about the program and building muscle but I dont like how he kept saying "her shoulders got bigger and looked great, this and that got bigger and she looked good". He kept saying things got "bigger" and how that was the goal. That is NOT my goal! BUt overall, the parts I have read seem accurate, interesting and exciting. Im going to check out that link and see what others are saying on the program. Thank you
Hey! You know, I tried REALLY hard to get to my goal of 117 and it just wasn't happening. I came to peace (with the help of 3FC)that my body is not okay there. I was eating 1200-1400 for 5 months and exercising (running, lifting) without budging below 122. I realized I would have to go to extreme, unhealthy measures to drop below that and losing weight for the sake of health and peace of mind was not worth it to me. Rather than fight my body I accepted that it really needs to be at 124ish to be healthy.
So, I got to goal, which I realized was not some arbitrary number, but was a healthy, sustainable weight achieved through healthful, sustainable exercise and eating.
Regarding your question, remember that you cannot build noticeable muscle if you are eating at a deficit. The getting slightly bigger in the shoulders is done when someone is eating OVER maintenance. As a newbie, you may build a tiny bit of muscle but it will NOT make you bulk up. People approach the book with different goals- many to lose fat, some to build muscle, some to increase muscle tone, etc. The book covers all of those goals.
I encourage you to read the ENTIRE book, it will help answer a LOT of the questions you are asking
One reason I think the program is GREAT is it makes you focus less on the superficial things- the scale, every little "flaw" in your body and more on what matters- being healthy, fit, toned, having strength and strong bones, less prone to injury. Of course the big aesthetic bonus is you lose fat and LOOK better. But you achieve that through a lot more than starving yourself and weighing constantly... it really encourages a different sort of way to approach your body.
I recommend it to everyone who is at a healthy BMI and is still desperate to lose those 5 lbs. It may help you lose those 5 lbs, but more importantly, it helps you be okay with where you are and what amazing things your body can do.
It's so cool to read your testimonies. I think i'll buy the book too! We have weights here at home and I really want to quit my gym membership because I don't like the machines. I can just go for my runs and do weights at home.
One reason I think the program is GREAT is it makes you focus less on the superficial things- the scale, every little "flaw" in your body and more on what matters- being healthy, fit, toned, having strength and strong bones, less prone to injury. Of course the big aesthetic bonus is you lose fat and LOOK better. But you achieve that through a lot more than starving yourself and weighing constantly... it really encourages a different sort of way to approach your body.
I recommend it to everyone who is at a healthy BMI and is still desperate to lose those 5 lbs. It may help you lose those 5 lbs, but more importantly, it helps you be okay with where you are and what amazing things your body can do.
This^^!!!
Sorry, I just loved what you said here.
Quote:
Runningfromfat I eat only good carbs. I am trying to keep them around 130g while trying to lose. Ill probably up them to 150g when I go into maintenance and add more calories. But they are from good carbs! I eat veggie burgers and they have carbs but I am assuming its coming from the veggies. I only buy natural veggie burgers.
Sounds like you're good to go. But do make sure you get in enough protein.. why not make your own veggie burgers with black beans to ensure that or if you eat meat you can mix ground beef, black beans and other veggies in. Protein really will help a lot with hunger and building muscles
Should I not be doing so many sets? I was told 10 sets of 10 reps on each machine..Is that not accurate? Ive decided not to even do machines anymore. For now, I think ill just do body exercises like lunges, squats, burpees, pushups, high kicks, etc... What do you think?
No, cut WAY down on sets. Start doing 2 sets but really push yourself. If your doing 10 sets of 10 reps you need to add in weights or somehow get more resistance because it's too easy for you and you're just building up your endurance, not your muscles. There really is a great explanation for this in the book, definitely read it!
Also, what is the importance of eating protein after a workout? Ive heard this before but Im a little skeptical. I hate to up my calories by 120 just to get more protein when I feel like I am already getting enough at 100g. Ive also heard getting too much protein can be harmful to the body. Is this true?
Your muscles need protein to repair themselves so it helps in that sense but also because if you don't eat it your body will start craving it and you might have a huge hunger spike (speaking from personal experience here). If I don't get in protein after a major workout I start to feel dizzy and sick. I seriously would not worry about getting in too much protein. I've lost a good chunk of weight on a very high protein diet and all my stats are perfect. Maybe what you read was very fatty/greasy protein or something?
As for exercise, do you suggest not do any type of workout on the off days so my muscle can heal? I just feel like working out only 3 days a week isnt enough? Am I wrong?
Yes, just rest, or do something light like swim/yoga/walk. You want to be able to get the most out of your workouts (and seriously, they don't have to be long, at the beginning my actually lifting part was just 20-30 min! not counting warm-up/cool down). If you want to do more do it after lifting and do HIIT (It's discussed in the book).
Don't be afraid of bulking up! My husband is actually the one concerned about this *eyerolls* MEN. He's a big buff military guy and I think he's a little concerned I'll get manbuff and kick his behind? Oh Ego...
Anyway. The ONLY place on my body that's gotten bigger from heavy lifting is my shoulder/upper back area, and in a good way. Just like the NROLFW, says! I got some definition there and I look a lot more proportionate.
Weight lifting is great for you. The more muscle mass your body has the more you can eat and not gain weight . It makes your whole body more efficient. I have so much more energy now, it's amazing. I can't say enough good things about lifting heavy!
Anyway. The ONLY place on my body that's gotten bigger from heavy lifting is my shoulder/upper back area, and in a good way. Just like the NROLFW, says! I got some definition there and I look a lot more proportionate.
This right here is such a TREMENDOUS benefit of weight lifting. As a high school student I was a bit of a pear—a slight one, but it was there nonetheless—but when I started lifting weights, my bottom half slimmed and my shoulders and upper back widened, and I became an hourglass.
I also built myself a bottom. Seriously. And, if you already have one, don't worry: I chose exercises specifically designed to make mine rounder. Within reason, you can resculpt yourself into pretty much anything you want to with lifting. Long before I dropped to 108, when I was hanging out at 129 for years, I tried on a dress I made in college, when I also weighed 129, and found that it fit nowhere. It was too tight in the shoulders and back, but too loose in the waist, hips and thighs. It looked like it had been made for a completely different person—I was honestly shocked that it had ever fit me perfectly—and my weight was unchanged.
Last edited by Petite Powerhouse; 01-19-2012 at 05:02 PM.
All weightlifters!!
This^^!!!
