[Closed] How's this gym workout for weight loss?

[quote=lunge ]Did lots of deadlifts on Sunday, didn't feel battered
Sorry, but that means you're weights aren't heavy enough. Deadlifts should beat you up, as should squat sets (and arguably any gym work really).
If I walk out of the gym after a large muscle group (generally that means legs) session and I'm not aching I think I've not gone hard enough. If I can walk up stairs the next day and not feel uncomfortable I know I've not worked hard enough.

Yip.

I'm in tatters after last night's pyramid deadlifts. By my calcs, 39 total lifts amounting to 4087.5kg.

Sorry, but that means you're weights aren't heavy enough. Deadlifts should beat you up

I'm a bot developed by the moderators and simply posting the same answers to the same questions from 5 years ago Tricky.

For cycling Mol, I'd advise looking into Joe Friel's weights workouts.

They're not designed to lose weight (you'll do that on the bike if combined with a good diet) they're designed to increase strength / power without gaining weight.

Sorry, but that means you're weights aren't heavy enough.

It was my first time with a bar and didn't want to put my back out. I did it til I could do no more, probably 5 sets of 12 down to 6 or so. I felt ok *at the time* but the point is when riding the following day I realised I was pretty tired. I meant that nothing hurt.

I will probably go heavier next time, but I'm taking it easy to avoid injury.

you'll do that on the bike if combined with a good diet

*ahem*

Late to the thread, but, if you want the advice of a pro about how to burn fat through lifting weights, then look no further

http://www.jameshaskell.com/blog/fitness/how-to-burn-fat-through-lifting-weights

Oh yeah, and how to deadlift properly

http://www.jameshaskell.com/blog/fitness/how-to-perform-a-deadlift-the-right-way

Lots more good stuff on his blog and YT channel.

If you seriously want to lose weight improve fitness, firm up become an allround lean-steely-eyed fanny magnet learn to row young man, learn to row ! study the correct use of the concept 2 machine, learn to set up the drag, get your technique right and before you know it you will be a new man and thinking of a nice gift to send to Cheekyboy 😉 the reason the rowing machine is always empty is because most people are scared of proper exercise, they just want to grunt and scowl and carry protein concoctions around.

lose weight improve fitness, firm up become an allround lean-steely-eyed fanny magnet

No I just want to be better up climbs. Speaking of which must get to the climbing wall too.

learn to row

CV machines in gyms are so frigging boring.

I wonder if a VR headset would be a good way to watch films in the gym? 🙂

What length of climb Molly? Short sharp punchy ones, or long steady Alpine ones?

CV machines in gyms are so frigging boring.

Personally I'd either be going as hard as possible or desperately trying to recover, neither of which give you time to be bored!

Yeah they do. Working hard on some pointless machine is so unpleasant that it does nothing to offset the fact you are staring at a wall.

I can put far more effort in out running or on a bike, so that's what I do.

What length of climb Molly? Short sharp punchy ones, or long steady Alpine ones?

Anything over 1 minute. But for any climb, not carrying 10kg of extra fat is a major advantage, so that's my target.

Then if it's purely weight loss go for maximal calorie burning HIIT/circuit workouts.
Maximise the time you spend in the gym by doing as little rest as possible. Chuck a 250m sprint on the rower into the circuit to keep your HR as high as possible and try not to lift so much weight your muscles ache after. Key to the weight loss will be total volume of work each week not smashing your legs into hypotrophy.

This is the problem even with paying someone to give you advice. You are never sure if they've really understood your goals or even know what they are doing. I feel like I've wasted £90

maximal calorie burning HIIT/circuit workouts.

So what would you include? It sounds like you are suggesting anything that makes you sweat.

Essentially mate, yes. Back to the old kettlebell routine I'd say or calisthenics.

IMO the only reason to lift heavy weights (for a cyclist) is to develop sprint power and even then you're targetting better muscle utilization rather than muscle growth.

If you're following a busy training schedule the last thing you want is DOMS preventing you doing a decent bike session.

By way of an alternative (and if you find weights a bit boring) I can fully recommend circuits or plyometric type training to lose weight, improve flexibility and refine muscles (less strain on the joints as well if you're a slightly old bloke like me).

Sounds like you need or more likely want some kind of electronic gimmickry to help you up them climbs, how about a few hill sprints, use your extra 10 kg as your resistance weight.

Sounds like you need or more likely want some kind of electronic gimmickry to help you up them climbs

No, I love climbing, I can deal with pacing and effort and all. I'm just not as quick as I'd like to be or ought to be. I want to race, but there's no point entering, planning the family weekend and spending the money to just get the same result as I did years ago.

Essentially mate, yes. Back to the old kettlebell routine I'd say or calisthenics.

I'm thinking deadlifting, squats, pullups and presses, since they are the things that make me sweat the most, but with lots of reps. And maybe rowing *bluch*

I have an old Tunturi Puch rowing type machine. It uses hydraulic rams and levers. It's an absolute monster. There is nothing cardio vascular about it. I fall off mine in a heap. Only do 20 mins at a time. Every muscle group gets a good work out. Back shoulders arms legs abs you name it. I would never part with it. My sons tennis coach uses a concept 2 at the gym. He's a fit bloke. I wiped him out on the rowing machine easily once I upped the resistance haha. Rowing machines are great old tunturi ones even better.

+1 for rowing.
Maybe throw in some press ups and ab work to balance things out.

Rowing machines might do lots of muscle groups but only in one motion though.

I get plenty of cardio outside, I can't stand it inside. I'd rather lift weights than row.

That is exactly what I am doing, so no £50 for you
Let's not get into the 'you useless fattie' slanging match ok?

(a) should all work fine then

(b) eh? I don't recall calling anyone a useless fattie, or any other names.

Well, you were stating the obvious in a pretty flippant manner. Which really looked like you were insinuating that I'm somehow in denial about eating too much and looking for some kind of magic bullet. Which is usually how these conversations go.

Let's just be clear - thread is about weight training, not a 'why can't I lose weight' whine.

Anyway, back to the original topic, last couple of times I've done some deadlifts, got to 70kg in the pyramid deadlifts last night, could've done more but felt something might break. Felt good to do. Also worked up to 55kg bench press but I could only manage 6 at the end of that.

Quite horrified to discover my shoulders are too inflexible to allow me to squat with the bar though. Need to do some stretchig.

No, I love climbing, I can deal with pacing and effort and all. I'm just not as quick as I'd like to be or ought to be.

I'm not sure anyone's as quick as they'd 'like to be', but aren't we all as quick as 'we ought to be' unless there's some form of undiagnosed issue or medical conditions slowing us down?

I mean that essentially, given our base physiology, the combination of diet, training, machinery and motivation mean we're all pretty much as quick as we 'ought to be'. If you really think you're significantly slower than you should logically be given all those factors, there's either something else wrong with you or your expectations are overly optimistic.

My experience of any sort of heavy leg weights, fwiw, is that they left my legs feeling awful on a bike, properly sluggish, but I guess it all depends on what your priorities are and how often you ride. If you're mostly doing slow, steady stuff over winter, I don't suppose it matters that much.

I started weight training this year, following Joe Friel's Training Bible fairly closely.

I was concerned that I wasn't working myself hard enough as I couldn't really 'feel' the benefits and wasn't sore after my workouts. Thinking more about it, I think that's a good thing - soreness means less effective time on the bike, and that's what's going to make me faster.

Have now started to notice a difference on the bike. FTP is ahead of where I was this time last year and I've found I can recover MUCH faster from sprint efforts on the bike. The big difference has been on the mountain bike - I've never felt so in control.

Weight-wise I've noticed no effect either way, but then my weight is pretty reliable anyway.

Also try single leg squats or leg presses. I've gone from 60kg on each leg to 82kg in a few months.

I love the deadlift

Here's a link to [url= http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/ ]a really useful website[/url] about weight training and weight loss. Lyle McDonalds Body Re-composition. Everything you need to know is on there.

I'd been trying various things in the gym with limited results. For my birthday last year I was bought 5 sessions with a personal trainer. She sat down with me and asked what I wanted to achieve and worked out a programme for me. It works for me. Still use her every couple of weeks and she monitors My Fitness Pal. We also tweak the workouts when needed. Definitely recommend it if you can find the right trainer for you.

Are you still racing Tricky?

I mean that essentially, given our base physiology, the combination of diet, training, machinery and motivation mean we're all pretty much as quick as we 'ought to be'. If you really think you're significantly slower than you should logically be given all those factors, there's either something else wrong with you

There is somethign wrong - too much fat! By 'ought' in this case, I meant that someone with my power and endurance should be quicker up hills. I'm something like 22% fat which is clearly too much.

Here's a link to a really useful website

You're right, that is interesting.

Are you still racing Tricky?

Ah no. 🙁 Now have a 2 year old haven't raced cross in 2 years now and gave up on the road racing as i just didn't have enough time to train.

Switched to using weights at the gym last year to improve my core which was really bad. Did deadlifts, plank, single leg presses and glute/ham raise.

Improved my riding loads - particularly on the mtb

Let's just be clear - thread is about weight training, not a 'why can't I lose weight' whine

(a) The thread is "How's this gym workout for weight loss?"
(b) You're putting words in my mouth again.

OK. I'll be obvious, because humour is clearly not working at this juncture.

I stated the obvious, because the obvious is, generally, with medical exceptions excepted, what people who want to train for something, ought to be doing.

I wrapped it up with some vaguely off-colour humour because that's me.

I wish you the best of luck with your training, however long you decide to spend on the internet deciding what you might want to do.

Slightly more virtuous pursuit, Tricky!

... however long you decide to spend on the internet deciding what you might want to do.

Ouch.

I apologise for not getting your humour mrmonkfinger.

however long you decide to spend on the internet deciding what you might want to do.

I rarely hang around on the internet when I've got time to train and haven't done so. This is what I do when I'm supposed to be working. I do do things, I just want to make sure I'm doing the right things, in a way that I can keep up regularly.

This is the problem even with paying someone to give you advice. You are never sure if they've really understood your goals or even know what they are doing. I feel like I've wasted £90

A slightly different take is that whilst you might not have got exactly what you wanted from your £90 you have however got a well rounded routine down on paper and gained some knowledge about best form etc. Once you are familiar with a gym environment and the equipment you can go back later in life or for other goals and never be starting from scratch. Its been years since I was a regular gym user and i'm now a stick insect, but if i'm stuck in a hotel or something and don't have my bike handy I know how to do a weights session without hurting myself.

Anything over 1 minute. But for any climb, not carrying 10kg of extra fat is a major advantage, so that's my target.

No, I love climbing, I can deal with pacing and effort and all. I'm just not as quick as I'd like to be or ought to be. I want to race, but there's no point entering, planning the family weekend and spending the money to just get the same result as I did years ago.

Have you just got a perception that you should be stronger for a given weight on the climbs, or have you got any evidence.
If there is a weakness climbing (other than body weight) have you really focussed in yet on finding what it is?
For example, are you unable to physically push the pedals hard enough (a symptom of this may be that you can ride a 20min effort at almost the same speed as a 3 min effort)
Or maybe you are getting out of breath too quickly?
Or you can make good power, but you are unable to sustain it?

And at the risk of being at a slight tangent to the thread, what typical kind of intervals do you do on the bike to target climbing power?

For example, are you unable to physically push the pedals hard enough (a symptom of this may be that you can ride a 20min effort at almost the same speed as a 3 min effort)
Or maybe you are getting out of breath too quickly?
Or you can make good power, but you are unable to sustain it?

No, none of those things. I am happy climbing, I cope with it well, I do some long rides with big climbs in and enjoy them all, likewise I smash out the short sharp ones and enjoy those too. My evidence for being slow is when I (used to) race. My power output is good (I used to train with a powertap), my power to weight ratio is not. No-one's going to reach their potential with 8kg extra fat, are they?

I know I can lose weight if I ride 10 hours of base training a week, but I can't do that any more given I have a family and I work away. So the question is how best to use the time I do have.

I could try and gain power, but I have found that if I do that I end up needing to eat more and I maintain weight. So I'm simply trying somethign new and seeing if it helps my weight, my biking and/or I enjoy it.

I achieved a threshold power* of about 330W whilst training previously. I'd heard suggested that to win a Sport race you'd need a power to weight ratio of 4.2 w/kg. So to get there I could either bring threshold power up to 370W, or lose 10kg. The latter should be much easier than the former, shouldn't it?

* by which I mean 1/2 hour or 10 mile pace

I achieved a threshold power of about 330W whilst training previously. I'd heard suggested that to win a Sport race you'd need a power to weight ratio of 4.2 w/kg. So to get there I could either bring threshold power up to 370W, or lose 10kg. The latter should be much easier than the former, shouldn't it?

I know I can lose weight if I ride 10 hours of base training a week, but I can't do that any more given I have a family and I work away. So the question is how best to use the time I do have.

This covers it pretty much:

The Southern Yeti - Member
Then if it's purely weight loss go for maximal calorie burning HIIT/circuit workouts.
Maximise the time you spend in the gym by doing as little rest as possible. Chuck a 250m sprint on the rower into the circuit to keep your HR as high as possible and try not to lift so much weight your muscles ache after. Key to the weight loss will be total volume of work each week not smashing your legs into hypotrophy.

Doesn't need to have any special workouts, although i'd avoid things that isolate small muscles like biceps/triceps.
Do your exercises in a circuit moving from muscle group to muscle group with minimal rest and keep the HR up. In a busy gym with queues for popular equipment it may be more practical to look at alternative floorwork exercises that cover the same muscle groups.

Good advice, thanks.

One of the biggest faffs so far has been finding and fitting different combinations of weights to the bar for the original workout I was given. I'd much rather jsut leave it at a set weight.

I'd much rather jsut leave it at a set weight.

unfortunatley your legs are bigger than your arms.

I mean I don't want to change weights between sets, not between exercises.

I mean I don't want to change weights between sets, not between exercises.

I see.

5x5 is a great work out for cyclists. add pull ups fo a vertical pull.

I have found that adding weight every workout isn't ideal for hard bike training too. I'm planning on less weight training as i up the bike training (same weights but less progression and 1 session per week rather than 3)

I used to be well over 150kg, and whilst cycling was great for losing weight the quickest and most efficient fat loss period I had was when I was lifting weights seriously, mainly following a routine similar to the Stronglifts 5x5. I was eating 4,000 to 4,500 calories a day and still losing weight.

I put on a lot of muscle, particularly quads and hamstrings, but it was too much muscle to carry around for cycling! The legs were often aching too, so it made cycling a bit of a chore at times.

After breaking my arm it stopped the lifting for a couple of years, but I'm now trying to find the right balance between still being able to lift but not carrying too much weight for cycling. As above doing 5x5 but not pushing the weight upwards week on week would possibly work as a decent balance. If you are MTBing lifting weights makes arm pump a thing of the past too.

My experience of personal trainers is mixed, I know a couple from school who are great, well trained and offer sensible advice. The ones that work at my local gym are useless and offer some off advice - one told me I was squatting too deep when I was just at parallel.

I have found that adding weight every workout isn't ideal for hard bike training too.

Seem to be discovering that. I said that my legs didn't ache after doing the big deadlift/squat session on Thursday, which is true. However they were totally shredded on the bike Saturday and Sunday, and the commute was hard work.

And I'm bloody starving and feel like I could eat an entire Pret a Manger.

I have decided I love deadlifting. Really satisfying and actually gives a bit of an endorphin high which seems hard to come by for me these days. Going for 5x5 as suggested.

80kg deadlift, 70kg squat, but it still really hurts my shoulders.

Are you setting up correctly for the squat? Read this:

If you get your shoulders arranged right they shouldn't hurt unless you're skinny. There's more technique than most think!

Whilst googling I found his deadlift technique instructions - read this too (page 14 onwards):

The whole book is good but it's a literally weighty tome and can be a bit overwhelming!