| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/7/2009 11:25:53 AM | | I am a 56 year old man who began a rigorous training program about 5 weeks ago. I hired a personal trainer and go to the gym every day. I do between 30 to 40 minutes of cardio work, I do another 30 minutes of weight training, I watch what I eat and I do see progress in that clothes are fitting me better. Here's my problem. I can't seem to take the wieght off. I have working out steadily for about 3 months now and have managed to lose about 15 to 20 pounds but I've plateau'd it seems. I go up one day, down the next, then back up the next. Sometimes by 5 pound fluctuations. Nothing more frustrating that seeing a wieght gain instead of loss. Should I be concerned? | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/7/2009 11:29:54 AM | | you answered your own question, thx for showing off tho, i voted to delete this junk | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/7/2009 11:43:53 AM | "Nothing more frustrating that seeing a wieght gain instead of loss."
Then dont be looking at the scale so much There are several plateau threads going on right now...you could check those out... | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/7/2009 12:54:09 PM | this will give you an idea
http://php.democratandchronicle.com/blog/insider/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/fat-v-muscle3.jpg | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/7/2009 1:30:02 PM | Muscle does weigh more than fat, finding the right combo is up too the individual | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/7/2009 1:35:41 PM |
...Muscle wieghs more than Fat...
Wrong.
...Muscle does weigh more than fat, finding the right combo is up too the individual...
Wrong.
5lbs of Fat weighs the same as 5lbs of muscle. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/7/2009 1:42:07 PM | James Bottomtooth III : You know..you are absolutely right.
I think you do know what I'm trying to say though. How could I word it better?
Fat takes up more body volume than muscle? | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/7/2009 1:48:36 PM |
I think you do know what I'm trying to say though. How could I word it better?
Fat takes up more body volume than muscle?
Yes it does take up more room as it is less dense.
OP, based on what you posted and the short amount of time you have been working out I would say any changes you are seeing ( + or - ) has to do with your food intake.
Do not worry about daily fluctuations, they mean nothing.
What you do in the kitchen will determine your weight.
What you do in the gym will determine your fitness / health. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/7/2009 3:17:07 PM | Have a body fat measurement performed. Most gyms should have calipers to do this. If you want to lose the fat, take up running and get to where you run at least 20-25 miles/week. Pay attention to what you eat and cut out everything that has no nutritional value as well as stop eating fatty foods.
Fat takes up more body volume than muscle?
Muscle tissue is denser than fat.
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/7/2009 3:52:17 PM | Plateau's are usually broken by change. You should look at what your doing and change it up. I would not do as much cardio and maybe add 20 mins of lifting time. Look at your breakdown of you diet. Tally up how much protein, fat, and carbs your eating on an avg day. Look at how many refined carbs you are eating, and if you are eating some lower it or drop them altogether. What sort of lifts are you performing at the gym? If you're doing the typical back/bi, chest/tri, legs/shoulders split or some variation, switch to a full body workout using more basic lifts. If you have the motivation there is no excuse for a plateau. Most plateau's are just a lack of motivation.
And be very critical of personal trainers...a lot of the time their success is due to the fact that beginners will pretty much see progress no matter what they do, as long as they do something. If your trainer has you doing crunches or dumbbell curls, and your goal is to lose weight, he or she has NO IDEA what they are doing. A good personal trainer should be able to get you through the plateau. If he or she can't, drop them real quick like. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/7/2009 6:49:29 PM | Ask yourself this.
Do you feel better?
Do you sleep better?
Are you enjoying it?
If you answered yes to these questions then stop over-thinking it!
Do it cause you enjoy how it makes you feel, everything else will fall into place.
5 weeks, c'mon. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/8/2009 1:24:07 PM | Daily fluctuations in weight are normal. Your body retains water based upon exercise conditions, carb intake, hormones, etc.
Measure weekly and at the same time of day if you insist. However, "weight" is a bad indicator of fat loss. The best indicator (to be taken as a general "upward" or "downward" trend, as it's not very accurate) is body fat measurements.
In addition, I would argue that if your PT is not mixing up your routine enough or offering dietary advice, you need to fire him/her.
Remember that our bodies have only one goal: to adapt to conditions to support life. Your body is an adaptation machine -- it'll take what you throw at it and then make it be done as efficiently as possible. This is why dietary and exercise variety is so important for wellness. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/8/2009 2:19:19 PM | | I agree with you completely, but the average layperson can just look in a mirror and have that be the best judge, not necessarily bodyfat measurements. I literally threw out my scale and just judge based off what I see. And a lot of people are harsher on themselves with the mirror than they need to be anyway (except those who oogle over themselves in the mirror...) | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/9/2009 2:34:37 AM |
run at least 20-25 miles/week
Wouldn't bicycling or swimming an "equivalent" distance be just as good? Where I lived the sidewalks are in terrible shape and I do not believe in running in the street. For one thing due to some hearing loss I cannot hear approaching vehicles. And yes, I know you could face oncoming traffic. Sorry, as a bike rider, driver and instructor I just do not think people should be running in the street. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/9/2009 7:03:35 AM |
Wouldn't bicycling or swimming an "equivalent" distance be just as good?
Swimming is better for running in nearly every way. More body work out, less damage to joints, etc. If you can manage to swim three - four times a week, go for it.
Remember though that variation is the key to being in wellness. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/9/2009 9:59:18 AM | | A pound of muscle and a pound of fat ......weights the same...the volume and area may deffer.. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/9/2009 9:59:21 AM | greg,
relax ur doing great -- not knowing how long ago u stopped training before starting up again but remember 2 things.... muscle has memory..u are burning fat and increasing "lean muscle mass" at the same time... after 3 months u probably have hit the wall because ur body has adapted to your training... i suggest 2 things forget the scale and worry more about the visual results you are now enjoying.. 1 lb of muscle is the size of ur fist (approx) 1lb of fat is size of a softball... so ask yourself "have i accomplished what i set out to do"?
i rec- you take an ENTIRE week off from gym --- hloy shit! what did he say? yup - no gym for 1 week not one minute of cardio or weight training... eat perfectly and get an extra 1hr of sleep each day without fail.... when u get back into gym do different exercizes to trick ur muscles into more growth and look up H.I.I.T FOR YOUR CARDIO--it's high intensity interval training --- this will get rid of the last of your fat in storage at those hard to get at places.....
goodluck
BILL | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/9/2009 11:12:35 AM |
Swimming is better for running in nearly every way. More body work out, less damage to joints, etc. If you can manage to swim three - four times a week, go for it.
Remember though that variation is the key to being in wellness.
One thing swimming lacks is that it is not weight bearing exercise. If your goal is to keep your bones strong, swimming is not a good choice. This can be particularly relevant for women who are at risk for osteoporosis. However, any exercise that you'll actually do is good. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/9/2009 3:55:22 PM | Well if you are building muscle but don't think you are burning off enough fat and want to reduce your weight, I reckon that any kind of cardio is good for your health. I would sooner go swimming as it is less damaging on the bones and if you suffer from certain kinds of pain like knee pain or heel spurs, swimming will keep your cardio up, or you can ride a stationary bike and not have to worry about breathing in car fumes and idiot drivers 
So do more cardio and less weights if you want to reduce your weight by reducing your overall body mass. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/9/2009 4:22:42 PM | | Sometimes weight will stay the same, and size will go down. My weight has stayed the same for 3 months but I am down about 4 sizes. Just getting rid of the fat and replacing it with muscle. My diet made a WOLRD of difference on this whole project I am on. I also do my weight training first and my cardio last. By the time I hit the cardio, my heart rate is already pretty good, maybe try that. I still lean towards whatever you may be eating is the key. Ever since I cut out certain foods, added new ones and drink a gallon of water a day...my body has totally changed. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/9/2009 4:57:28 PM |
One of my few friends is over 50.He was a Captain in the Marines and works out every day.You sound just like him. :P As we get older,our bodies are less likely to burn off the weight.I guess it's an evolution self-preservation process. I'd say just enjoy the fun.Run,bike,tennis,skydive,extreme Powerwheels....just have fun.You're going to die soon :) I'm going to die soon soon too....as we are all. | |
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| Muscle wieghs more than Fat
Posted: 7/9/2009 7:23:32 PM | | Initial weight loss is always easier than weight loss once you are approaching your goal. Also, it looks like you exercise quite a lot, what does you diet look like? If you are not eating enough you won't lose. It sounds odd but it's true. Sometimes you need to up the food intake in order to lose; it's a well known fact. | |
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| Exercising for Weight Loss vs. Training for Performance Gains
Posted: 7/9/2009 9:26:13 PM | It depends on what you're after.
1. If your main goal is to lose weight, then your exercises should be geared more to burning calories than gaining strength -- running, biking, elliptical work -- things that spool off calories. Keep the weight training non-progressive, as your goal is to preserve lean mass, not gain it. Here, counting calories is key, and you need to consistently ingest less calories than you expend.
2. But if your goal is to improve performance, than restricting your diet is counter-productive. Once you add progressive weight training and progressive performance goals to your routine, you'll have to necessarily take in more than you expend strictly in exercise, just to be able to heal stronger. The science is fuzzy, but 300-500 calories above maintenance levels should see your objectives met.
3. Personal note. When I was dieting to lose weight, I never did anything more than elliptical work and averaged an 800 calorie deficit per day. The results were a 45 pound weight loss over six months. But when I started training for performance, I added weights, and progressive speed goals to my running and biking routines. And I ate *a lot.* The result was an enormous performance increase (that's the plus), but also a twelve-pound weight gain (that's the minus). No doubt some of that weight was fat, but much of that was also water, which I need just to keep up the metabolism. I'll take that trade. After my active season ends, I'll go back to calorie deficits, and lose what I gained, and maybe another tenner to put me into even a better starting point for next year | |
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