Can you lose weight in the gym?

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2012-02-06

In the gym, you can lose weight. But for that, you need to follow a few conditions and principles. Now, let’s go through everything step by step.

I am a trainer. And when a girl (or guy) tells me they want to lose weight, I understand that they don't just want to get rid of fat and become skinny. They want to preserve or slightly increase muscle mass so that their figure looks attractive. This holds true for both women and men. The only difference is that men often want to build a bit more muscle.

Simply doing strength training will never lead to weight loss. This is the first thing you need to understand. The second point is that workouts with machines, dumbbells, and barbells don't necessarily have to be purely strength training. I hope you realize that you can lift weights in the gym and also engage in aerobic exercises using weights and machines.

Let’s move on. When you only lift weights, you enhance anabolic processes in your body. In other words, you boost muscle growth and increase subcutaneous fat – you gain weight. When you engage in aerobic exercise, you enhance catabolic processes in your body. This means you accelerate the breakdown of both muscle and fat tissues – you lose weight. In one scenario, you achieve a body with muscle and fat; in the other, a body without fat and without muscle. I think neither option is ideal for either men or women.

So, it is impossible to gain muscle mass without also gaining fat and to lose weight without losing muscle mass at the same time? This is possible, but only to a certain degree. The extent depends on how well you learn to balance between anabolic (synthesis of fat and muscle) and catabolic (breakdown of fat and muscle) processes. If you master this "art," you can create virtually any body you desire.

To lose weight in the gym, you just need to combine strength training with aerobic exercise!

Strength training will contribute to weight gain, while aerobic training promotes weight loss. Ultimately, you can reach a point where your body weight does not significantly change, but the quality does! Alternatively, you can lose weight while preserving your muscles. In the end, it’s not just about workouts, but also about diet (Women's Weight Loss Menu and Men's Weight Loss Menu).

Now, I hope you understand the main principle of combining strength and aerobic training. The final question remains: how to properly combine them? There are two options.

Option One: Alternate strength training with aerobic workouts. For instance, train with weights two times a week and do any aerobic activity (not necessarily running) two times a week. This approach will require more time and energy from you (don’t be fooled; the second approach requires effort too). You come to the gym, work on your muscles, then do cardio, thereby making your body burn excess weight.

Option Two: You train only in the gym. However, you do it in such a way that you perform many sets with light and moderate weights with short rest intervals between sets. This approach includes two training methods: superset method and circuit training method. Additionally, in one training session, you can combine strength exercises with cardio equipment (cardio load). This method is called combined training. It’s worth noting that supersets are less effective for fat burning compared to the other two options due to lower intensity. However, this method is simpler.

So what happens in the second option? Your strength training shifts towards aerobic exercise. In other words, it results in strength aerobics. As the saying goes: neither here nor there. In this case, you might be working on your muscles, but you’re doing it in an aerobic manner that promotes fat burning. Here are a few options for workout complexes using various methods:

For Women:

• Combined workouts in the gym for girls (combined)
• Circular workouts in the gym for girls (circuit method)
• Workouts for girls for definition focused on thighs and glutes (supersets)

For Men:

• Combined workouts for weight loss for men (combined method)
• Circular workout for men at home (circuit method)
• Workout routine of supersets for men (supersets)

But the most interesting part awaits you at the end of this article. That is now. By manipulating strength and aerobic loads, you can shift the effect in either direction. Want to lose more weight? Do cardio three times a week and strength training once. Want to build more muscle? Do the opposite. By increasing or decreasing the intensity of your gym workouts, you also influence the shift in the effect in one direction or another. And everything continues in that spirit.

The ability to intelligently manipulate strength and aerobic loads is the true art of building a beautiful body. Good luck!