STRONG friend, don't wait until you lose the weight to start lifting weights.
Why, Candace?
During our fat-loss phase, we want to maintain our current muscle mass and as much strength as possible, as well as our Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)—the number of calories we burn at rest. Our muscle mass strongly influences are RMR, btw!
Strength training should
still be the priority, even when you want to lose weight! Which really should be fat loss, not just weight loss.. More on that below!
If we reduce our calories and do cardio-only workouts, we will not maintain much muscle, and will also lose strength.
I've been around the way and have witnessed plenty of women do the latter until I educate them, which I am happy to do. My passion is to coach women on a better and right way to change their bodies with a
muscle emphasis!
Before working with me, these women ended up frustrated AF because they didn't look or feel the way they thought they would look at the end of their diet phase.
Yes, of course, they lost weight. But they were just a smaller, untoned version of themselves. Your body composition actually shifts to less muscle and more body fat despite being lighter on the scale.
Today's email comes from a friend asking my opinion about
losing weight. She has only been doing cardio and spin classes while eating in a calorie deficit. That’s a NO! No, ma’am, we gots to be lifting some weights too!
So, sis, don't wait until you lose the weight you want to lose before lifting weights. Start strength training now—lol, yesterday! No time like the present!
Not itty-bitty weights unless you are just starting out lifting weights. The weights should be challenging. The little weights in spin class
are not strength training. The weights in group fitness with eleventy billion reps aren’t doing much for muscle maintenance and definitely not building.
The scale may not reflect a lighter weight or a specific number you were aiming for, and that's OKAY. But you will lose inches and have your muscle tone!
Sis, we want fat loss mostly, anyway.
If we eat less and strength train, we lose fat (reduction in body fat), improving our body
composition!
If we eat less and do cardio only, we will lose overall body weight (muscle, fat, & water from the body), which will be more visible on the scale.
If you want to weigh less and that's all you care about, then go for it, but if you want to lose body fat, shift your body composition, and look toned, take a muscle-centric focus to "losing weight - fat loss (the right type of "weight loss")!
STRONG friend, protect your muscle
at all costs because it's precious and hard to come by! Build as much as possible; don’t play about your muscles!
Whelp, that’s that! Don’t wait to weight train or cut back your strength training workouts in order to lose weight!
Have a wonderful rest of your week!
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask away!
In Strength & to Your Success!
Much Love,
Coach Candace
