Can I get lose fat and gain lean muscle without weights?

[jkc27]

WIth finals coming up, I don't have time to start exercising and working out. However, I plan on beginning to work out as soon as school ends. 

I do not have a gym membership and only have 3, 5, 10, and 15 lb weights at home. I might buy ankle weights and resistance bands. There's a park near my house where I can run laps. At home, I have a TV where I can use Youtube videos to do HIIT, Tabata, bodyweight, Pilates, etc... workouts. 

I've gained fat and lost muscle over the past year and really want to lose fat and regain my lean muscle. I plan on eating healthier, drinking a lot more water, and working out at least once a day. 

Is it possible to lose fat and gain muscle quickly w/o weights? I've read on the internet that basically weight training is the best way to do this, but I unfortunately can't get a gym membership. 

[Dominique]

First of all, losing fat is primarily driven by nutrition: you need to be in a caloric deficit in order to lose fat. Resistance training can help with that: like any form of physical exercise, it burns calories, which can help create the deficit required for fat loss. However, resistance training typically doesn’t burn crazy amounts of calories.

As to gaining muscle, any form of resistance training that relies on progressive overload will work. The advantage of weights is that you can increase resistance incrementally, by adding weight to the bar, using or heavier dumbbells. However, you can also increase volume by doing more reps per set, and/or more sets, even if the weight remains the same (for instance, when doing push-ups or chin-ups).

[WavyDavey]

Take a look at "calisthenics workouts" on youtube.

[jkc27]

Yes, I forgot to mention that I will be eating around 1200-1300 calories a day, which may seem very little, but is actually a healthy range for my height and weight. 

I plan to do resistance training and other types of workouts to gain lean muscle and exercise muscle groups that aren't exercised through running. 

I've read online that light weights (the only type that I have) don't really help one burn fat and gain muscle effectively. Is this true? Another user mentioned calisthenics workouts; would those be considered not as effective as heavy weights too?

Thank you for your help 🙂 

[WavyDavey]

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@jkc27 wrote:

Yes, I forgot to mention that I will be eating around 1200-1300 calories a day, which may seem very little, but is actually a healthy range for my height and weight. 

I plan to do resistance training and other types of workouts to gain lean muscle and exercise muscle groups that aren't exercised through running. 

I've read online that light weights (the only type that I have) don't really help one burn fat and gain muscle effectively. Is this true? Another user mentioned calisthenics workouts; would those be considered not as effective as heavy weights too?

Thank you for your help 🙂 

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I agree with that. Your 15 pound DBs aren't going to add much muscle, especially to the larger muscle groups like the legs and back.

I do prefer barbells to body weight exercises. I just mentioned calishenics because you're unwilling to do the gym thing. Buying a rack, bench, barbells and weights and working out at home is going to be quite a bit more than a gym membership. Based on your restrictions, you'll probably be looking more at fat loss and a less at gaining muscle. Between the two, you may want to have a priority.

[Dominique]

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@jkc27 wrote:

I plan to do resistance training and other types of workouts to gain lean muscle and exercise muscle groups that aren't exercised through running.  

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Yes, you’re using your legs when running. However, running won’t let you gain much muscle: if you’ve never run before, your legs will initially gain strength and size, but just enough to carry your body while running. Once they have adapted to that stimulus, the improvement will stop. In fact, if you are going to lose weight, there will be even less of an incentive, because your legs will be carrying a lighter weight. Bottom line: running is great for burning calories and improving fitness and cardio-vascular health, but less so for building muscular legs. For that, you need exercises such as squats, leg presses etc. that will create a progressive overload. If you can’t do the aforementioned exercises because of no access to the equipment needed, consider exercises such as lunges with dumbbells (provided you can increase the weight over time).

Women are often worried that lifting heavy weights will make them "bulky". That fear is unwarranted: it’s not going to happen. Lifting heavy (for you) will let you get that "toned" look most women are after. "Toned" just means that you have enough muscle, and not too much fat. Sometimes I wish I were a woman, because I’m kind of toned, though (as a guy) I’d prefer to be bulky . 

[Mukluk4]

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@jkc27 wrote:

WIth finals coming up, I don't have time to start exercising and working out. However, I plan on beginning to work out as soon as school ends. 

I do not have a gym membership and only have 3, 5, 10, and 15 lb weights at home. I might buy ankle weights and resistance bands. 

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I would avoid the ankle weights.  They can really F you up if you aren't using them properly.

If you are stuck in a pinch, grab something heavy (and not too delicate like the TV) and pick it up over your head, walk around the living room with it, and go up and down the stairs. 

[Mukluk4]

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@WavyDavey wrote:

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I do prefer barbells to body weight exercises. I just mentioned calishenics because you're unwilling to do the gym thing. Buying a rack, bench, barbells and weights and working out at home is going to be quite a bit more than a gym membership. Based on your restrictions, you'll probably be looking more at fat loss and a less at gaining muscle. Between the two, you may want to have a priority.

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I just priced this out and purchased at $750 (on Amazon).  Rack, Bench, Weight Stand, and 300lb Olympic starter set.  Not cheap, but really not that pricey considering the gym memberships in my town runs almost $50/month.  I will have to continue to add to it, but the pricey parts are rated at 800lbs.

You do need to find a decent bit of room (about a 7ft Cube) but no waiting on others or distractions.

[jkc27]

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@WavyDavey wrote:

I agree with that. Your 15 pound DBs aren't going to add much muscle, especially to the larger muscle groups like the legs and back.

I do prefer barbells to body weight exercises. I just mentioned calishenics because you're unwilling to do the gym thing. Buying a rack, bench, barbells and weights and working out at home is going to be quite a bit more than a gym membership. Based on your restrictions, you'll probably be looking more at fat loss and a less at gaining muscle. Between the two, you may want to have a priority.

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Ok, let's say that I go with just focusing on fat loss. Would cardio (HIIT, interval training, running) and resistance/bodyweight training be fine then?

[WavyDavey]

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@jkc27 wrote:

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@WavyDavey wrote:

I agree with that. Your 15 pound DBs aren't going to add much muscle, especially to the larger muscle groups like the legs and back.

I do prefer barbells to body weight exercises. I just mentioned calishenics because you're unwilling to do the gym thing. Buying a rack, bench, barbells and weights and working out at home is going to be quite a bit more than a gym membership. Based on your restrictions, you'll probably be looking more at fat loss and a less at gaining muscle. Between the two, you may want to have a priority.

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Ok, let's say that I go with just focusing on fat loss. Would cardio (HIIT, interval training, running) and resistance/bodyweight training be fine then?

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Definite yes on that. If you get good at HIIT sprints, your legs will get quite a workout.

[WavyDavey]

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@Dominique wrote:

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 Sometimes I wish I were a woman, because I’m kind of toned, though (as a guy) I’d prefer to be bulky . 

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What, there's no ROTFL emoticon? But seriously, try putting your protein in 40g portions instead of 25g. We geezers need more protein to kick off the muscle protein synthesis process. The traditional number of 20 grams protein and 5 grams of the amino acid leucine for MPS isn't enough for the over 40 crowd IME.

[Mukluk4]

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@WavyDavey wrote:

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@jkc27 wrote:

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@WavyDavey wrote:

I agree with that. Your 15 pound DBs aren't going to add much muscle, especially to the larger muscle groups like the legs and back.

I do prefer barbells to body weight exercises. I just mentioned calishenics because you're unwilling to do the gym thing. Buying a rack, bench, barbells and weights and working out at home is going to be quite a bit more than a gym membership. Based on your restrictions, you'll probably be looking more at fat loss and a less at gaining muscle. Between the two, you may want to have a priority.

---

Ok, let's say that I go with just focusing on fat loss. Would cardio (HIIT, interval training, running) and resistance/bodyweight training be fine then?

---

Definite yes on that. If you get good at HIIT sprints, your legs will get quite a workout.

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Does your school have a weight room that you could use?  The fat loss without any muscle gain will make you look like a weakling.  

If not, I would shop around various gyms, some are as low as $10 a month.

[Dominique]

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@WavyDavey wrote:

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What, there's no ROTFL emoticon? But seriously, try putting your protein in 40g portions instead of 25g. We geezers need more protein to kick off the muscle protein synthesis process. The traditional number of 20 grams protein and 5 grams of the amino acid leucine for MPS isn't enough for the over 40 crowd IME.

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Yes, I’m aware of the leucine threshold thing, and of the fact older folks are less efficient at absorbing protein, and should therefore consume more per sitting. 40 grams may be suitable for 200+ lbs guys, but I’m only 64 kg (140 lbs). I have a small frame, small bones and I’m 57, so I have realistic expectations regarding my mass gaining potential. I also prefer to be on the leaner side for health reasons, so I’m just fine being "toned" rather than "bulky" .

[OnlyRunning]

Eat heathy, that is the best way to loose fat and as long as you like the food its super easy. To gain some muscle do exercises  involving your arms. Weights are the best way to get muscle but doing exercises still will get you some.

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@jkc27 wrote:

WIth finals coming up, I don't have time to start exercising and working out. However, I plan on beginning to work out as soon as school ends. 

I do not have a gym membership and only have 3, 5, 10, and 15 lb weights at home. I might buy ankle weights and resistance bands. There's a park near my house where I can run laps. At home, I have a TV where I can use Youtube videos to do HIIT, Tabata, bodyweight, Pilates, etc... workouts. 

I've gained fat and lost muscle over the past year and really want to lose fat and regain my lean muscle. I plan on eating healthier, drinking a lot more water, and working out at least once a day. 

Is it possible to lose fat and gain muscle quickly w/o weights? I've read on the internet that basically weight training is the best way to do this, but I unfortunately can't get a gym membership. 

---

[Dominique]

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@OnlyRunning wrote:

Eat healthy, that is the best way to lose fat and as long as you like the food it’s super easy.

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Eating healthy is a good idea for ... health, but it will only result in fat loss if you’re also in a caloric deficit at the same time. There are foods considered healthy by most people (e.g. avocados, nuts, olive oil etc.) that are high in calories and therefore easy to overeat. 

[jkc27]

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@Dominique wrote:

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@jkc27 wrote:

I plan to do resistance training and other types of workouts to gain lean muscle and exercise muscle groups that aren't exercised through running.  

---

Yes, you’re using your legs when running. However, running won’t let you gain much muscle: if you’ve never run before, your legs will initially gain strength and size, but just enough to carry your body while running. Once they have adapted to that stimulus, the improvement will stop. In fact, if you are going to lose weight, there will be even less of an incentive, because your legs will be carrying a lighter weight. Bottom line: running is great for burning calories and improving fitness and cardio-vascular health, but less so for building muscular legs. For that, you need exercises such as squats, leg presses etc. that will create a progressive overload. If you can’t do the aforementioned exercises because of no access to the equipment needed, consider exercises such as lunges with dumbbells (provided you can increase the weight over time).

Women are often worried that lifting heavy weights will make them "bulky". That fear is unwarranted: it’s not going to happen. Lifting heavy (for you) will let you get that "toned" look most women are after. "Toned" just means that you have enough muscle, and not too much fat. Sometimes I wish I were a woman, because I’m kind of toned, though (as a guy) I’d prefer to be bulky . 

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I'm not worried about getting bulky. Honestly, I would definitely lift heavy weights if I had the opportunity to, but I don't have a gym membership :(. 

[jkc27]

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@Mukluk4 wrote:

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Does your school have a weight room that you could use?  The fat loss without any muscle gain will make you look like a weakling.  

If not, I would shop around various gyms, some are as low as $10 a month.

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Yea, but I'm a girl and only guys go to the weight room at my school. I'm also kinda insecure about the way I look, and the last thing I would want to do is be surrounded by muscular guys in a weight room (lol). I've checked out local gyms and they're all out of my price range (trust me, I've checked ALL of them).

[Dominique]

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@jkc27 wrote:

I would definitely lift heavy weights if I had the opportunity to, but I don't have a gym membership :(. 

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For upper body, you could get yourself a pull-up bar. They’re relatively inexpensive and easy to mount in door openings. Your own body should offer plenty of resistance (and if/when it starts to get too easy to lift it for reps, you can hold a dumbbell between your feet to add resistance). Chin-ups and pull-ups are great exercises for arms, shoulders and back. You can also do knee/leg raises for abs. Everything done holding the bar will also strengthen your grip.

For lower body, google "bodyweight squat variations".

[Mukluk4]

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@jkc27 wrote:

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@Mukluk4 wrote:

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Does your school have a weight room that you could use?  The fat loss without any muscle gain will make you look like a weakling.  

If not, I would shop around various gyms, some are as low as $10 a month.

---

Yea, but I'm a girl and only guys go to the weight room at my school. I'm also kinda insecure about the way I look, and the last thing I would want to do is be surrounded by muscular guys in a weight room (lol). I've checked out local gyms and they're all out of my price range (trust me, I've checked ALL of them).

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Buck the norm and start a new fad.  If there's a weight room use it.  I'll bet you $100 that those gym rats would be more helpful than hurtful.

[Heather-S]

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@Mukluk4 wrote:

Buck the norm and start a new fad.  If there's a weight room use it.  I'll bet you $100 that those gym rats would be more helpful than hurtful.

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@jkc27 I'm often the only female using the weight room in my gym and to be frank, my body has never looked better since picking up heavy weights 6 months ago.  No one cares what you look like at the gym.  I go with dirty hair and no makeup and just kill my workouts.  And, people are helpful!  If you're unsure of something, just ask.  Most people are more than willing to help someone out with their form or spot them real quick to make sure they can lift the weight.