Personal trainer thinks I might be losing muscle (workout, body, shape)

[Davachka]

I also agree that you should be lifting weights more, 4 times a week or so. Lifting weights increases metabolism better than cardio and will help with your goal of losing body fat more in the long run.

[pitt_transplant]

Originally Posted by yayoi

Ok, so my gym had a table where they were doing "free" body fat measurements with a handheld device. Well not suprisingly, my body fat was well into the obese category. The personal trainer asked me about my eating and workout plan and how they were going. I told him they were going great and that I had already lost about 25 pounds. Anyways, he said that it was rare for a person to have a body fat percentage as high as mine and therefore would be extremely rare to have an even higher body fat percentage before the weight loss. He seemed to be concerned that I was losing muscle instead of fat.

Now here's my question. How could I be losing muscle if I'm eating right and exercising? I don't think I'm overtraining because I only do cardio 3 times a week and I take a weightlifting class once a week. I'm on the south beach diet, which I should add is low glycemic NOT "low carb". I get most of my carbohydrates from whole grains, beans, and fruits.

I lost the 25 pounds over a period of three months. This averages to a little over 8 pounds/month. As far as I'm concerned, I'm right on track. My clothes are looser and I can feel my body firming up.

So was I right to call BS on this one, or should I really be concerned about losing muscle?

Weightloss takes muscle and fat in my experience. But you don't really need as much muscle at a lower weight.

but more info on acc.:
Body fat percentage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"The Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) method is a more affordable but less accurate way to estimate body fat percentage. The general principle behind BIA: two conductors are attached to a person's body and a small electrical current is sent through the body. The resistance between the conductors will provide a measure of body fat, since the resistance to electricity varies between adipose, muscular and skeletal tissue. Fat-free mass (muscles) is a good conductor as it contains a large amount of water (approximately 73%) and electrolytes, while fat is anhydrous and a poor conductor of electrical current. Factors that affect the accuracy and precision of this method include instrumentation, subject factors, technician skill, and the prediction equation formulated to estimate the Fat Free Mass. Criticism of this methodology is based on where the conductors are placed on the body; typically they are placed on the feet, with the current sent up one leg, across the abdomen and down the other leg. As technician error is minor, factors such as eating, drinking and exercising must be controlled since hydration level is an important source of error in determining the flow of the electrical current to estimate body fat. As men and women store fat differently around the abdomen and thigh region, the results can be less accurate as a measure of total body fat percentage. Another variable that can affect the amount of body fat this test measures is the amount of liquid an individual has consumed before the test. As electricity travels more easily through water, a person who has consumed a large amount of water before the test will measure as a lower body fat percentage. Less water will increase the percentage of body fat. Also reducing the reliability of this method is the variation between models of the BIA devices: for instance when comparing outputs from a Tanita scale to an Omron Body Logic handheld device the Tanita scale overestimated the percentage body fat in college-aged men by 40% and in college aged women by 55%.[8]. Bioelectrical impedance analysis is available in a laboratory, or for home use in the form of body fat scales and hand held body fat analyzers."

[yayoi]

Thanks everyone for all of the good info. I was wondering how accurate the device that I used could be. Apparently not so much.

To those who think I should add more weightlifting days, should I add another day even if I'm still sore from the last workout? I know that you're supposed to wait at least 48 hours before exercising the same muscle group but I was under the impression that you should also wait until you're not sore.

[Rggr]

Originally Posted by yayoi

Thanks everyone for all of the good info. I was wondering how accurate the device that I used could be. Apparently not so much.

To those who think I should add more weightlifting days, should I add another day even if I'm still sore from the last workout? I know that you're supposed to wait at least 48 hours before exercising the same muscle group but I was under the impression that you should also wait until you're not sore.

Good question. I think it would be okay to add a second day and progress to a third. You may want to do Monday and Thursday for weighlifting for a few weeks and then move on to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you're a little sore, it's okay to lift again but don't push too hard. Sometimes the workout will help ease the soreness. If you're extremely sore, continue to rest and don't overdo it next time. Some people will do a heavier day and a lighter day.

[Gplex]

Originally Posted by Davachka

I also agree that you should be lifting weights more, 4 times a week or so. Lifting weights increases metabolism better than cardio and will help with your goal of losing body fat more in the long run.

4 times a week is a bit much,
Try and train 1 - 3 times a week on weights, no more, unless you are trying to be the next mr universe.

[Gplex]

Originally Posted by yayoi

Thanks everyone for all of the good info. I was wondering how accurate the device that I used could be. Apparently not so much.

To those who think I should add more weightlifting days, should I add another day even if I'm still sore from the last workout? I know that you're supposed to wait at least 48 hours before exercising the same muscle group but I was under the impression that you should also wait until you're not sore.

If you are sore, still do the cardio, but leave the weight training to next time. You should give a min of a week preferably 2 weeks between doing the same muscle groups when weight training. You will over train if you do more.

[TXRunner]

You will always lose both muscle and fat. Usually more fat than muscle. When you get to a point where your body fat is so low then you will start losing more muscle. Those machines are really innacurate. If you're overweight, just losing weight in general is good as long as you're exercising. Don't worry anything about it. He's overanalyzing it.

[pitt_transplant]

I think it works best to let the sore start to go down but it does not need to go totally away and then lift again. If you are really out of shape you are going to be kinda sore until you are up to speed. Lifting 1x a week is just not enough. Any time I trained with a PT they told me to lift at least 2 times a week and pay attention to any issue I had painwise in the joints. If the muscle was sore I just dealt with it. But I would skip it if there was joint pain. If it is really sore the whole time reduce weight down and see how it is. You can add it back later.

[Gplex]

Originally Posted by pitt_transplant

I think it works best to let the sore start to go down but it does not need to go totally away and then lift again. If you are really out of shape you are going to be kinda sore until you are up to speed. Lifting 1x a week is just not enough. Any time I trained with a PT they told me to lift at least 2 times a week and pay attention to any issue I had painwise in the joints. If the muscle was sore I just dealt with it. But I would skip it if there was joint pain. If it is really sore the whole time reduce weight down and see how it is. You can add it back later.

You shouldn't train them again till they have stop hurting, eg if you work chest, and you are still sore, work you back out, if both of them are sore, do legs, if all 3 do shoulders etc etc.

[LaoTzuMindFu]

Originally Posted by Gplex

4 times a week is a bit much,
Try and train 1 - 3 times a week on weights, no more, unless you are trying to be the next mr universe.

Not true. 4 times a week would be great for her (or anyone). I lift at very high intensity levels at least 4 days a week and I am no where near a "mr universe" build. You know why? Because I dont eat 5000-8000 cals per day AND take 5-10 different supplements AND many other things that goes into looking like a bodybuilder.

You are spreading totally incorrect information that could lead to people NOT achieving their goals because they will fear something happening that is quite IMPOSSIBLE to happen.