Question for you guys,

I am constantly having a debate with my dw about weight lifting. She feels I should not by building at all, but just trying to tone and burn fat. I feel that the more I build the better I will be in the long run. Besides I am a guy and when I get relatively skinny I want to have significant muscle. She keeps telling me that the additional muscle will just keep me looking fat. How much truth is there to the statement that more muscle burns more calories? What approach are you guys taking to the weights?

Another thing Is I am working out quite a bit more lately, but my weight loss has all but stopped. I am not sure if it is my diet, or what is going on. I am probably taking in about 2K per day, but I should be burning at least half that everyday in my exercise routine alone.

More muscle, higher metabolism => more calories burned, it works every time!

I agree with Bigrick. Plus the stronger you are the more self confidence you will have.

Toned muscles is much stronger than bulky muscles. If you tone up first then bulk up on the toned muscles you will have hard ripped look.

Toned muscles is much stronger than bulky muscles. If you tone up first then bulk up on the toned muscles you will have hard ripped look.

Ummm not really... Tone means that there is less tissue covering the mucle layer. Tone makes you look better on the beach. Bulk makes your stronger. Look at any and all successful body builder, olympic weight lifter, powerlifter or other strength atlete and they will all follow a bulk / cut cycle. you need to build the muscles in order to have a base to cut to. If you cut without a solid base of muscle under it, you get to look like Madonna or Angelina Jolie, they are both VERY cut. Not a great look for a guy IMO. .

I have been a Scottish Games competitor for several years and the off season always starts with a 12-16 week pure strength, bulking cycle. about March April I begin to taper off on my heavy lifting and focus on a higher volume lower weight work out. This has increased my lifts steadily for the last 5 years without fail.

I focus my lifting on 3 basic movements. The Squat and it's variations.

The Deadlift and pressing movements.

Squats are huge whole body movements that involve all of your muscle groups.

The deadlift is your pulls, generally from the ground or blocks.

Presses are just that, moving a weight away from you, whether it is flyes, overhead, seated or standing.

I would not use machines or "equipment" becasue it moves on a specific track and range of motion, this limits your helper muscle groups and will eventually lead to injuries. Use a bar and plates. If you feel like you are not using enough weight focus on your form and control.

BASIC IS BEST!!

wow that was a rambling rant of a post.

Muscle requires more calories to live than does fat, so the more muscle you have, the faster your resting metabolism. That being said, if you have a lot of muscle but just sit on the couch all day between workouts, you're going to burn fewer calories than you might if you built less muscle and got mobile. Plus, muscle is denser than fat, so you won't "look fat" if you build muscle.

In my humble opinion, I suggest you try to build as much muscle as you are willing to put the time in doing, and then just move around more. If you think it makes you look fatter, cut back and it WILL go away.

I think the "Body For Life" website has good thoughts on muscle. But, you've got to be serious about doing the workouts and sticking with them, or it's more like "Body for Awhile."

Building muscle is kind of like painting a room a new color. If you don't like it, you can always change it. That's one gal's opinion.

I would say the same thing - having big muscles is not the be all and end all of fitness. If you like them, then there's not a thing in the world wrong with working for them, as long as you realise that you also need cardiovascular fitness. There's an awful lot of body builders out there than cant run 5kms. And just having muscles doesnt increase your metabolism exponentially, you still have to do the diet side of it (unfortunately).

Its between you and your wife but at the end of the day YOU have to like how you look. And if big and built is your thing, go for it!

I think muscles only look fat if you have a lot of fat covering them. Within reason, some people build to the point where they look really weird, they cant dress properly, becuase their thighs and arms are huge etc. But again, that's totally personal choice and how you like to look!

Oops, I've wondered into the men's forum. I actually am meant to be doing an assignment on the shoulder joint.

I have no intentions of looking like a body builder, I already went through that phase in my twenties. I am most concerned about what I can do to encourage the most fat loss. My typical workout starts with 30 minutes on the elliptical followed by my weight lifting routine, and then 10 minutes on the bike to finish off the workout. I am not trying to build excessive muscle, but when I am doing my weights I prefer 4 sets of each muscle group at the highest weight I can mange. My wife suggest a lower weight and higher rep count.

Besides, I love the look I get from those dam gym rats (the guys that are clearly there to be seen) when they walk up to a machine I was on and have to lower the weight by half.

Hi 2Big4who:lol2:

I don't know what Scottish games you were training for but:tt2:, Bulking and Cutting means bulking up on muscle mass which is using big heavy weights on a short period of time. The bulking is caused by Water in between the fibers of the muscle as they are injured and in need of repair, then cutting removes the water and tightens up the fibers making the muscle hard and tight by lots of light weight reps over a longer time. Ask your Psycho if you don't believe me:biggrin:

peter the private psychotherapist (retired)

I have no intentions of looking like a body builder, I already went through that phase in my twenties. I am most concerned about what I can do to encourage the most fat loss. My typical workout starts with 30 minutes on the elliptical followed by my weight lifting routine, and then 10 minutes on the bike to finish off the workout. I am not trying to build excessive muscle, but when I am doing my weights I prefer 4 sets of each muscle group at the highest weight I can mange. My wife suggest a lower weight and higher rep count.

Besides, I love the look I get from those dam gym rats (the guys that are clearly there to be seen) when they walk up to a machine I was on and have to lower the weight by half.

Yeah man, I think you're getting to the real heart of the matter. Strength does not always equal good-looking muscle. It may be rewarding to be stronger than the glory boys at the gym, but it's all about the slow-twitch muscle fibers if you're concerned about raising metabolism.

I know this is an over-simplefication, but think about Olympic weightlifters vs. Olympic Swimmers.

I had my dalliance with strenght training in my younger days. Now, I stick to bodyweight resistance exercises (pushups, pullups, squats and dips). If you think bodyweight exercises are too easy, try to bust off 150 bodyweight squats real quick and see if that doesn't burn the ol' quads.

Like Jac said, in the end, it's all about personal preference....I have nothing for respect for powerlifters, but it's a younger man's game. I prefer to try and pack on lean muscle mass.

When I started lifting earlier in the year I did light weights for 15 reps for three sets, and at least 30 minutes of continuous cardio. I now do much heavier weights for 15 reps and an hour of cardio every other day. I am much stronger and more cut. You have to do the cardio or you won't increase your fintness level. Circuit training is a good idea to tie the cardio into the weightlifting.

When I started lifting earlier in the year I did light weights for 15 reps for three sets, and at least 30 minutes of continuous cardio. I now do much heavier weights for 15 reps and an hour of cardio every other day. I am much stronger and more cut. You have to do the cardio or you won't increase your fintness level. Circuit training is a good idea to tie the cardio into the weightlifting.

Agree 1 million percent. Serious powerlifting training is hard, and it's hard on the body as well. IMO, strength training to be fit (as opposed to "massive") is a strategy that can last as long as you draw breath. Also, I re-read the OP, and have to stress this: We only lose weight when we burn more calories than we take in. That's the bottom line, no matter what kind of exercise or training you wish to pursue. Good luck, B-Man.

Okay,

I was thinking about the swimmers and wondering what Dara Torres does to get that fabuolous shape and all those muscles - so I Googled it (I love the internet). I share below (even though I appear to be accidentally tresspassing in the Men's Room - forgive me). BTW - she's 6 feet tall and 150 lbs. It's not something any of us folks with day jobs are going to be doing, but it shows that she has a great mix of cardio and weights work.

What's your workout routine like now?

I do a lot of core work, and I work out on a Swiss balance ball. I train with a coach from the Florida Panthers hockey team, and my body has completely changed. It's a very Fluid type of training, which is great, since swimming is a very fluid motion. In the weight room we concentrate on equipment that works a lot of different muscles at once. As for swimming, I'm now in the pool 5 days a week from 8 to 10 a.m. And I'm in the gym for an hour and a half, 4 days a week. Two days upper body, two days lower.