Getting stronger while losing weight

[TracyKarate]

I lost over fifteen pounds a few years ago. I didn't follow any "Zone Diets" or any of that nonsense. I only cut out sweets and junkfood, started walking or riding my bicycle whenever possible instead of driving and became very intense with my workouts. All you need is the determination and motivation and you will reach your goals.

[E1am]

I know jogging is good for your cardio and will help you lose weight, but just about everything I've read in recent years advises against it. And most of the knowledgable guys on here seems to agree. Of course any form of exercize has negative side affects. I've had my shoulder dislocated, my elbow hyperextended, and now am suffering back pain because of BJJ. When I lifted in high school and college I had trouble with tendonitis in my elbows. I got shin splints from all the jumping rope I did at the boxing gym. But if I want to be a better fighter I have to train in the martial arts that I like. There is no way around that. I don't need to jog. Not only is running sprints less stressful on your body, it builds stamina in a way that is better for fighting (and most other sports for that matter). That's why coaches off all kinds, who actually pay attention to modern sports science, are using sprinting over jogging for training their athletes. Just because something has worked for you doesn't mean that it's the best way to do something. I lost more than 40 lbs. in a year and a half by going to a boxing gym a couple of times a week and grappling occasionally. However, my diet was still sh*t and I drank to much. So does that mean I have the answer to weight loss and everyone who wants to shed fat should follow my lead. Hell no! I woulnd't advise anyone to follow my example. Any work out, no matter how ill conceived, will have some kind of affect.

[Oldskulbus]

You are very right. Something that works for me may not work for someone else. Good post.

[pfsjkd]

Jared,

You're the one who started being a jackass in this thread. I was just following your lead. And it still stands, that if you think E1am was saying don't do anything that could possibly hurt you then you are, truly, an idiot for missing the point by so much.

[MikeJKD]

Hey Guys,
I know we tend to spin out in here sometimes and let all the ego bashing and name calling take us off thread, but I wanted to throw in my two cents and let you all know about a great resource that I found.

First of all, I agree that jogging is hard on the joints and bones (and organs...), but I do it anyway, probably because of my old boxing days and all that early morning roadwork, and because it works better for getting me lean and strong than any other cardio training I've found. With that said, I hate doing it but I can't argue with proven results.

Further, I agree that weight training should be done with body shaping in mind. That is, improve the size, density, and symmetry of your muscles. Train all of your bodyparts equally. Increased muscle size stimulates weight loss better than just about anything, because your body needs to use up more energy to sustain its mass. That's just a fact. And don't worry about people who say "I don't want to get big. I just want to tone up." You know, bodybuilders are so dedicated and meticulous about their routines that its a full time job with them. The occasional weight session isn't going to make you "big" any more than BJJ twice a week is going to make you Rickson Gracie.

But, on to the experts. There's a great book on the bestseller list at Barnes and Noble called "Body for Life." It's 40% off as long as its a best seller, and I really recommend you all read it and at least try it out. I know that when I did, I felt like I wasn't training enough, because I was so used to doing more, but I have gotten better results in the last two weeks since starting this program than ever before. It's a comprehensive program that includes nutrition, lifting, cardio, and a lot of shattered myths. At the very least, it's a good book to have in the library for future reference.

Mike

[Oberleutnant]

I support E1am's advice =)

Jared: Pretty much everyting he's said is true. Jogging isn't as ideal for most people with Guardmaster's goals in mind; it is a catabolic activity that not only exposes joints to a greater volume of stress, but is antagonistic of physiological changes promoting strength gain. Speaking of fat loss, interval sprinting type activities are also far more effective towards promoting lipolysis while minimizing catabolism. Sprint intervals also do provide more effective conditioning because they not only condition oxidative metabolic pathways, but non-oxidative(anaerobic) pathways as well. There is an abundance of peer reviewed research supporting this consensus concering the superiority of sprints vs distance running for fat loss & conditioning- go on medline and you'll find a very long list.

Originally posted by GuardMaster
OK. Guys. I need your advice. Here's my situation.

I'm currently 185 pounds at 5'7". I've got back into lifting weights which is great at increasing my strength but it's also putting on a bit of muscle mass.

At my weight I find 185 simply a hinderence. I find it too heavy and that I'm fighting too much mass for typical movements. But here's why i think i can lose weight. I'm carrying a good 20-30 pounds of fat (from being at an optimal 5 % bodyfat target). This means I'd like to drop those 30 pounds which aren't aiding my performance, while doubling my strength.


How do i do this without putting on unwanted muscle mass?

Keep in mind that while it certainly is possible to increase strength while losing fat/weight, the conditions conferring to increased strength must be compromised with conditions conferring to fat loss, as they tend to be antagonistic of each other. Through increasing neurological efficiency you can significantly enhance strength without increasing muscle mass.

As far as %5 being ideal for you; that's going to be dictated by your genetics. Some people simply don't have the genes to be that lean without sacrificing physical performance qualities. Maybe you have them, maybe you don't. So don't fixiate yourself over a number that will vary by testing method; rather assess your performance ability as changes occur on the mat and in the gym and go from there.

About Bill Phillip's "Body for Life"-it's a decent book with relatively sound advice but its nothing special, however, and I have a few minor gripes about it =P

As a side note: Bill Phillips got it on the Best seller list by buying 40 thousand copies of his own book shortly after its publishing; smart business man!