Should you lift weights even when you’re trying to lose weight?

The answer is yes!

Many of my coaching clients are looking to lose weight. And a fear that comes up often is getting bigger from lifting weights.

This is a valid concern. And I’ll never tell someone that they definitely won’t get “bulky” from lifting weights. That is essentially what we’re trying to do when we lift weights - gain strength and a little bit of muscle, so we can have the toned look we want. And the truth is, building muscle can give a slightly bigger look/feel in the short term. And lifting can make us retain some water in the muscle repair process, which can make our muscles feel a little fuller.

But you don't have to wait to strength train until you are "X" weight. Losing weight and getting strong do not have to happen independently. You might feel like you need to do a ton of cardio first to lose weight and then start a lifting routine. But it’s actually better to do both at the start. Lifting weights and building/maintaining muscle will support your fat loss goal immensely. First, because you’re just moving your body more, which means more calorie expenditure. Second, building muscle will help you burn more calories at rest, because it takes calories to repair and maintain those muscles. And third, it will give you the toned physique you’re looking for once you lose the body fat. Even if you might feel a little bigger at first, this is part of the process. Remember, fat loss comes primarily from diet. Exercise is for health and to build strength and muscle mass. If you’re looking for more info on cardio vs. resistance training for fat loss, I have a blog on that here.

We know that changing our diet is one of the hardest parts of getting healthier. It takes a little while to learn and adhere to a new way of eating. During this time, you may not lose scale weight, but changes in your body composition won’t be picked up by the scale. If you’re losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time, the scale won’t reflect that. But as time goes on, and you dial in your nutrition even more, you’ll start to notice changes in how your clothes fit, your body measurements, and your energy levels. Lifting weights is going to help this process.

There may be a period of time that goes by before the nutrition part of the equation clicks. For most, it’s much easier to go to the gym and lift weights. Give yourself time to understand the importance of nutrition. You might feel a little bigger during this lifting and learning phase, but you’ll also feel stronger. And in my experience, this newfound strength in the gym brings confidence, even before the weight loss happens.

Even if you have the nutrition part figured out, there are benefits to lifting weights that may not come from changing your nutrition alone. Better sleep, bone density health, mental health, cognitive function, a slight increase in metabolic rate and changing your body composition (looking toned) are just a few of the benefits of lifting weights. And remember, in order to get very muscular, you have to train very hard. So chances are, if you have a proper training program tailored to your goals, this likely won’t happen.

You don’t have to get down to a certain body weight before you start lifting weights. There’s no wrong time to start strength training and lifting weights. And strength training starts wherever your current strength is now. Which is nice, because that means you can start with bodyweight or very light weights and make progress no matter where you’re at in life. So why not start today?