losing muscle due to weight lost?

[bc-05]

ive never done any weight training before however as i said before i am able to bench about 230lbs. I have decided that for the next 8 weeks i'd do more cardios to lose maybe about 8 kgs. However i have heard that if you don't work out your muscle will turn into fat and you will burn those fat when you do cardios. But all this time i've never even done weight training. So what are the suggestion that for me to still have the bulk of my muscle and the same strength however able to lose 8kgs? is there anyway? well here's the deal the only facility i have is 50kgs worth of weight at my house and also i don't have any access to gym. maybe not to lose my weight too fast? or there isnt a way?

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Check in my posting at:
Great fitness sites
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=33800

the links related to:

Fat Burning Zone
http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/fatburn.htm

Fat reduction myths
http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Myths.html#anchor7319578

Also, in the
misc.fitness.weights FAQ, also listed in my compilation, check
http://www.trygve.com/mfw_faq.html

esp:

Can I gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?
http://www.trygve.com/mfw_faq.html#gainmusclelosefat

Can I lose fat without losing muscle?
http://www.trygve.com/mfw_faq.html#losefat

perhaps it helps.

 

[bc-05]

ahh ok.. i get it now.. so i cant not lose muscle.. however would my strength will be the same or ill be weaker?

 

[Marius_Hancu]

ahh ok.. i get it now.. so i cant not lose muscle.. however would my strength will be the same or ill be weaker?

Nope, things are more complicated. Pls read those sites again.
First, when losing weight, one doesn't lose only fat, one also loses muscle.

Check this one:

http://www.trygve.com/mfw_faq.html#gainmusclelosefat
# Can I lose fat without losing muscle?

No, this can't be done. Most dieters will lose 1 pound of muscle for every 3 pounds of fat lost. Muscle loss when dieting is inevitable. Try to minimize it, but focus on the goal of fat loss.

Now, I agree you will be doing cardio, not just diet. But this doesn't mean that you will not be losing muscle, esp if don't continue your weight training. You should be satisfied that at least you will be losing more fat than muscle:--)

 

[Marius_Hancu]

ahh ok.. i get it now.. so i cant not lose muscle.. however would my strength will be the same or ill be weaker?

Nope, things are more complicated. Pls read those sites again.
First, when losing weight, one doen't lose only fat, one also loses muscle.

Check this one:

http://www.trygve.com/mfw_faq.html#gainmusclelosefat
# Can I lose fat without losing muscle?

No, this can't be done. Most dieters will lose 1 pound of muscle for every 3 pounds of fat lost. Muscle loss when dieting is inevitable. Try to minimize it, but focus on the goal of fat loss.

Now, I agree you will be doing cardio, not just diet. But this doesn't mean that you will not be losing muscle, esp if don't continue your weight training. You should be satisfied that at least you will be losing more fat than muscle:--)

 

[newbie123]

Marius, so what would happen if one weight trains for two days of the week(chest, shoulder, triceps on one day, abs, back, biceps, and legs on the other) with a high protein diet, and do cardio the rest of the week with a normal low-fat diet?

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Marius, so what would happen if one weight trains for two days of the week(chest, shoulder, triceps on one day, abs, back, biceps, and legs on the other) with a high protein diet, and do cardio the rest of the week with a normal low-fat diet?

This is tricky.

However, I think that if your current priority is to lose weigh, go for it for the time being by adhering to a low-fat diet the whole week, and do both weights and cardio, as described in the above, or as I do them, 30-40min cardio, 90min weights + flexibility (pilates, etc), 3-4 times a week (if you're not playing too much tennis in the winter).

I think that by doing this, you might lose some muscle mass/bulk, but not as much performance. Just work hard everytime, record in a detailed way your progress, and try to beat your previous figures everytime, very slowly but surely (in terms of reps, or weight, or time, or speed). Do not try to advance too fast. Stay in each weight set for at least 1min, thus go slowly (say 2 sec for pushing/concentric, 4 sec for pulling/excentric effort), and with correct style and amplitude.

And in the end, low-fat or not, what counts is the calorie intake wrt the consumption. That is not easy to follow up/compute, but the scales will tell you the story:--)

 

[J D]

This is an interesting topic. As Marius points out, your body will lose some muscle mass as stored fat is extremely hard to burn. However, as long as you maintain a well-balanced diet with lots of good protein and keep up the resistance training, you shouldn't see too drastic a loss in muscle mass. Key to this is getting plenty of rest and drinking plenty of fluids (re:water). People that lose a lot of muscle mass when losing weight are generally those that under train, over train, or drop their caloric intake too drastically. Listen to your body and it will usually tell you if you're doing any of these things. If you make getting in shape and eating a healthy diet your first priorities and then let losing weight be a by-product of that, you are much more likely to not only maintain your strength but also to sustain your weight loss over time.