Weigt Training Questions

M

monomoco

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I am a 30-year old woman who has recently started lifting weights and using weight machines. I lost about 60 pounds in the last year, from 200 to 140, and now I want to turn some fat into muscle to help with the flab and loose skin, but I have a ton of questions about weights.
Do I still do cardio? If so, how often? How many sets and reps should I do with the weights, and how often should I be lifting? Is it true that I need to eat about a gram of protein per pound of body weight every day to build muscle?
 
Welcome to the forum! Wow, 60 pounds in a year, that's great!

I'll try to answer your questions the best I can:

monomoco said:
Do I still do cardio?
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Yes, there are many health reasons to do regular cardiovascular activity, not just for weight loss.

monomoco said:
If so, how often?
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How much do you currently do?

monomoco said:
How many sets and reps should I do with the weights, and how often should I be lifting?
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For a beginner, 2-3 days per week, full-body routine. Start with light weights, then progress to moderate weights, where it feels challenging, but not impossible to finish your reps. Maybe start with 1-2 sets of 8-15 reps, then progress to 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps.

monomoco said:
Is it true that I need to eat about a gram of protein per pound of body weight every day to build muscle?
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This is a general guideline that it used to ensure that you get adequate protein each day for building muscle mass. You can definitely follow this guideline, ensuring that you get lots of veggies, whole grains, and other goods stuff in your daily diet.
 
Hi,

Thanks very much for the reply! I have been doing cardio about 4 days a week and about an hour at a time, either the elliptical or the treadmill. A few people have told me this is too much if I want to gain muscle, but I don't know why it would hinder my progress.
 
Add whey protein to your diet.It's not expensive and will give you great results.(removed) Try to work out your legs before you do cardio.Just a four sets exercise or two before workout works just perfect for gaining lean muscle mass.
 
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Thanks a lot for the info. I will definitely get some whey protein. I have been having a lot of trouble getting as much protein as I need because I don't eat a lot of meat or dairy, so this is extremely helpful.
I have been doing the cardio before the weights because it get me loose and stretched. Is there a reason to do the weights first?
 
Another question- if I end up building muscle and then stop working out, will I lose it? Will I end up with more fat?
 
monomoco said:
Hi,

Thanks very much for the reply! I have been doing cardio about 4 days a week and about an hour at a time, either the elliptical or the treadmill. A few people have told me this is too much if I want to gain muscle, but I don't know why it would hinder my progress.
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Umm... that's probably one of those things that someone heard and it was blown out of proportion somewhere along the line. If you were at the extreme end of the spectrum in terms of bodybuilding or something like that, then yes, cardio can sometimes affect muscle gain. 30 mins 4 times a week is actually below the recommended amount of cardiovascular activity just to maintain your CURRENT health status.

monomoco said:
I have been doing the cardio before the weights because it get me loose and stretched. Is there a reason to do the weights first?
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For the average person, this is fine. However, once you get into lifting heavier, you may find that doing cardio first can drain you of some of the necessary energy to lift well and get a good workout. At some point, you may want to consider doing a 5-10 minute warm-up, possibly of dynamic exercises, then do your resistance training, then cardio, then cool down/stretch.

monomoco said:
Another question- if I end up building muscle and then stop working out, will I lose it? Will I end up with more fat?
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Pretty much. Eventually you will lose the muscle mass that you gained and you may end up gaining back fat instead. The "use it or lose it" principle applies to muscle mass... muscle is metabolically "expensive" for your body to maintain (which is why it's so important to try to build & preserve muscle mass to help with fat loss), so your body will break down muscle mass if those muscles aren't being challenged.
 
Last one, I promise: Should I be eating at a surplus to build muscle? Or if I eat at a deficit, will I burn the fat before the muscle? I've already gained 5 pounds in the last few weeks since I started, and I think it's because I'm eating a lot more trying to get all the protein.
 
Generally speaking, you should be eating at a surplus to build muscle. However, being new to lifting, this may not be entirely necessary, as your body can use excess fat as caloric fuel for muscle building. I would avoid gaining more than 5lb/month in any case.
 
why do you need any weight gain?
just get stronger, form follows function.
you worked hard to lose the weight, now keep it off & just work hard to get stronger
 
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