@nasa321 Your body will adapt to the stimulus that you subject it to. It has no reason to waste resources building muscle it doesn’t need, which is why we simulate the necessary environment to encourage growth. That’s what lifting heavy shit does. It’s a slow process even under optimal conditions. You aren’t going to build an appreciable amount of muscle otherwise.
@nasa321 I've been to some F45 classes and my takeaway is...since they try to everything (cardio & strength), they excel at nothing. Is it still good for you? Yes - any type of movement is better than sitting on the couch. But it is not necessarily an efficient way to get stronger.
I totally get that you love the class and community. Maybe keep going on cardio and/or hybrid days to stay involved. But if you want to get stronger, try lifting in a different setting with a different focus (heck - invite some of your friends from class to join you to keep that social feel).
For losing weight, or at least not gaining - Based on your numbers, I'd wonder if you're feeling hungry after class and overeating/overcompensating. Tracking your food is the only way to know.
@nasa321 Your effort is commendable! For muscle gains, nutrition is key. Are you eating enough protein? Aim for 1.6-2.2g/kg of body weight daily. Also, ensure you're in a slight calorie surplus or at maintenance. Strength-focused classes or adding 2 days of lifting could also help. Consider a check-up for hormonal imbalances affecting results. Keep embracing what you love; just tweak the approach!
@saseearay Since OP is untrained at a high bf%, they are in the rare situation of being able to lose fat and build muscle at the same time. But they’d need to eat enough protein, eat very near maintenance calories, and follow a resistance training program with progressive overload. But after they’ve gone through the noob gains period then yeah, pick a goal.
@nasa321 F45 classes are great for burning calories. If you work hard in them you can make a huge dent in your calorie needs for the day (or add to them depending how you look at it). But you can also kid yourself. Most people I’ve seen in F45 don’t work as hard as they might and even if they do - at most you’re gonna burn anywhere from 300-900 cals depending on your size, weight, gender etc.
Im 6’2 and around 90kg and I’ll knock off about 600-700 every class according to my watch (not F45 but similar). Every part of me is sweat drenched afterwards. 700 cals is like 4 beers and I drink 4 beers pretty much every day because that’s part of my job (hence all the workouts). I also walk around 15-20k steps every day though and lift on the off days.
Bottom line - You might not be burning as many calories as you think. Those body scans are really variable. The easiest way to lose weight (for me) is just to stop drinking those four beers.
@nasa321 Those scans aren't especially accurate - if weight loss (with some muscle gains) is your goal, you should use a waist measurement as your marker.
But apart from that, it sounds like you're trying to use exercise to solve a diet problem, and trying to use cardio to solve a muscle building problem.
@nasa321 I had the exact same issues with OrangeTheory. Being an ex athlete, i loved going to their classes. But- I was tracking my macros literally with a fkn scale every meal, obsessing about calories, etc. Because I didnt go to a dietian or someone who specializes in diets for WOMEN, I think I was severely undereating for the amt of calories I was burning.. I honestly think my body was so stressed out I raised my cortisol levels causing water weight gain. I went back to just incline walking this week and im already so much less bloated and more toned. Going to start getting back into lifting and sauna as well as my walking next week I think. I am just trying to give my body a rest right now.
@nasa321 I know a guy who right now can squat almost 700 pounds. He looks like he couldn’t squat 300. I know another guy who can squat 700 lbs who looks like he could stand to lose about 200 pounds and you can’t see one defined muscle on his body.
If you have a physique goal you need to find the best (or one of the best) trainers in your town and get with them. I’d guess you’ll be even on the money with F45 if you see a trainer 1x/week. Tell them your goals and work from there. You’ll be amazed at the results once you have someone who knows how to program, programming for you.
@nasa321 More protein, less calories.
You can eat a metric ton of fruit and veggies to feel full and it’s like 9 calories. (Exaggerating, but you get it)
