Weight Training
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I'm a 6'1" 245lb man and I am looking to better my overall strength as well as my appearance. I don't want to gain size, but I would like to lose about 20-30 lbs. Is there any weight lifting regimen that would allow me to gain strength without substantially gaining weight? would it be counterproductive to lower my caloric consumption while lifting? Also, can it be determined from my description whether or not I'm a hard gainer? any feedback you could give would be great. Thanks in advance.
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Even though I'm only 16, I think I can give you the correct answer to this. When I started weight training I was 15, and 6'3 140 pds. After my first couple of work outs I stepped on the scale and I dropped 6 pds, but I noticed that the fat I did have over my abs was completely gone as well as any other fat I had. Afer that, I gained very fast. I went up to 150 in a 1.5 months. Then I went on creatine and averaged about 13-15 pds each month. Now I've stopped gaining so much weight and am 6'6 228pds. I would say it's safe to work out and lose almost all your fat while increasing your muscle size drastically. You'll also have much more energy and be in better health.
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For somebody like you, I would suggest a workout with high reps and lower weight (i.e. 4 sets of 15-20 at a lower weight to really feel the burn as opposed to 6-8 reps at a higher weight, which would build more bulk). I've seen bigger people start lifting, and do heavy weight with less reps, and they haven't lost too much fat, just gotten bigger. If you do the more reps and also a lot of cardio, you should find what you're looking for. Even though it's rough, and not too fun at times, cardio is the most important thing to do in order to lose fat, so get running! Good Luck!
Mike
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| At your weight, I would suggest walking or cycling rather than running initially. Start at 10 to 15 minutes per day and build up duration rather than intensity (speed or resistance) in small increments weekly. If you do not have access to an exercise bike, walking on a sports field for 12 weeks will strengthen the skeletal muscles and reduce the risk of injury. After 12 weeks walking on the track, you you can introduce short bursts of running during your daily walks. Over the next 12 weeks, try to increase the time that you spend running in each session. Always begin and end by walking.
To gain maximum benefit from these sessions, pull in your tummy while you are walking. This will burn up to 5 times more calories. Try to train at an intensity of about 70% of your maximum heart rate. The formula for this is - 220 less your age multiplied by 0.7. After you have hit your goal weight, you can increase the intensity to 80 to 85% to build cardiovascular fitness. If you do not have a heart rate monitor, stop after each lap or two and check your pulse, counting for 10 seconds and multiplying that number by 6.
Do not follow this routine seven days a week. Build up to six days a week with one longer (150 to 200% increase), slow session per week. I find the long, slow distance (LSD) sessions the most enjoyable and the most beneficial in terms of improving cardio fitness. I would also encourage you to drop a walk/run session in favor of a gentle game of tennis or squash or whatever takes your fancy every now and again to kill the tedium.
Lastly, keep a log book to record the date, distance covered, weather, how you felt, and a weekly record or your weight and waist dimensions. There is no greater motivator known to man!
Good Luck,
Dave
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| Muscle weighs more than fat. So, if you develop muscle while losing fat at the same time, you might not drop as much weight as you would like. However, let's say that eventually you weigh about the same as you did before you started working out, but look leaner and more muscular because of exercising and gaining muscle mass. Your goal to lose the fat will have worked, and even if you weigh the same as you did before, you're body will look good.
As for your diet, you should probably talk to a nutritionist about calorie consumption or get a good book on nutrition. Lifting will help you burn more calories, so it's important to get on an eating plan that will give you the needed calories for your routine, but at the same time not be excessive and prevent fat loss. Whatever you do, don't go on some crash diet. Just learn to eat right.
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