Can I lose my belly flab with weights?

Unknown

i have bad belly flabby loose skin after having 2 kids, I'm short at 5ft 3inches, weighing currently at 14st 2lbs (lost 5lbs so far) think that's 190+ pounds. I'd really Love to add weights to my daily exercise but worried I'd gain muscle under the flab and look bigger, I've read stuff like that on the Internet. Is there anything I could do with a set of Dumbbells to lose fat specifically all over my body (tummy preferably) is anyone using weights for weight loss? Would love some help here, I'm new to weights, don't know whether to use them or wait until I've lost the flab first? Thanks for feedback! Welcome to add me

Unknown

I was thinking more for body shaping than for the burn to be honest. Core strength, posture and agility. When you're eating back exercise calories the burn from workouts almost becomes irrelevant on the loss rate front - just makes it a lot easier to maintain that deficit.

Unknown

Great to hear you are considering weight training to help your goals out. My wife has recently started and shes seeing results, slowly but surely! What she does is a full-body circuit 3 times a week. We do NOT have any fancy equipment. Just a very basic bench & a bunch of dumbbells. Thats it. Here is what her routine looks like:

1 set of deadlifts
1 set of bench presses
1 set of shoulder presses
1 set of bent over rows
1 set of bicep curls
1 set of tricep extensions
1 set of squats
1 set of ab crunches

Repeat 3 times a session, 3 times a week. Mon, Wed, Fri works great if you can.

As for what weight to use? You want to ideally be able to just do about 8-12 reps for each exercise so you'll have to experiment to find out what weight to use. Start light and work your way up. No need to kil yourself but it should be reasonably challenging. Less reps than 8 means the weight is too heavy. More than 12 resp and its too light. 8-12 reps seems to be the "magic" number of reps for both strength & toning from what Ive read.

Hope that helps....

Unknown

@s2mikey thanks a bunch! This i will definately try! I only got one set of Dumbbells lol, they are my partners haha.

Unknown

I like fitnessblender.com for strength training workouts, they have a ton of full-length workout videos for all training types and ability levels on their website, all for free (they also have a youtube channel, but I find the website lets you search the workouts better). they recently released a 4-week core program (abs, obliques and lower back) that you can buy (less than $10 american) if you want them to tell you what videos to use, or you can go through and find what you want for yourself completely for free.

Unknown

Don't spend/waste so much time wondering where/how to start! Jump in! Pick a program, find what you like because just wanting it won't change a thing...
I personally like a combo of lifting heavy (I like stronglift 5x5) and cardio.

Unknown

A calorie deficit is the solution to fat loss. Strength training (especially heavy compound lifts) will improve your overall body composition. I've been working out with weights for 1 year + but as of January have been focusing on the 4 compound movements (squat, deadlift, bench, and overhead press) with progressively heavier weights.

I've seen a huge difference in my body composition in just over four months. I've had four kids and have loose flabby belly skin, too. It's not gone (and I may never loose it completely) but it's improved a lot!!! I have a flat stomach when I stand up and I can see the outline of my abs when I stretch or flex.

Yes, you may experience some slight thickening in your waist if you lift and eat maintenance or surplus calories. This happened to me but was not very visibly noticeable. Don't be alarmed - you can diet down later and reveal your fab abs!

Hope this helps!

Unknown

LynseyJane90 wrote: »

@s2mikey thanks a bunch! This i will definately try! I only got one set of Dumbbells lol, they are my partners haha.

You don't even need a bench. I started without one. Presses and other exercises can be done on the floor. You don't get quite the range of motion but it still works the muscles. It'll also be safer if you are new to lifting since you can't overextend your shoulders or whatever. Just a set of dumbells is perfectly fine. Maybe add a few more dumbells to cover a weight range that'll work for you. They aren't expensive at all and will really help you.

Unknown

You can even do weight lifting using your own body weight! For example, triceps lifts. Sit in a chair (I use my fireplace hearth, it's about 2 feet high). Grip the edge of the chair with both hands. Lower your body towards the ground, hold for a second or two, and sit back up (but don't sit down in the chair) and repeat. Try to do 8-10 reps, 3 times.

Another one is push ups, also good for triceps. Just remember to keep your elbows in. There are other versions of tricep work through push ups that work secondary muscles, but just a plain old push-up will do for now.

Lastly, squats. These work the front of your thighs. Pretend you're going to lower yourself into a chair. Hold for a second or two, then raise back up. Be sure to keep your back as straight as possible! You can also do squat pulses. That's where you go into a squat position and just pulse up and down. Try to do that for 20-30 seconds, 4-5 times.

Disclaimer: I am not a trainer, fitness expert or medical or physiology professional. I'm just a woman who works out. Google what I've mentioned here to get more professional instruction on how to perform these exercises, should they interest you.

Good luck!

Unknown

OP - if you want to lift, look into strong lifts, starting strength, or new rules of lifting for woman …pick a program, stick to it, and continue to eat in a calorie deficit.