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Starting "stronglifts 5x5", would it be ok to not go with heavy weights?

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tracerit

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I'm currently 5'8" 170lbs with a belly. I'd like to lose some fat and get in shape but want to avoid putting on a lot of muscle. My main goal is to lose as much fat as I can then decide to see if I want to put on mass.

I was going to buy a gym pass to 24hour but figured I'd pick up a 100 lb barbell set from Walmart for $45 and see how I fare with maintaining a workout routine before I spend the $350 for a 2yr 24hr membership pass from Costco.

I'm thinking about using the 100lb barbell set for 2 months and see how I can go from there, if I notice improvements I might actually just keep it at that weight and forgo the gym. What are your thoughts?
 
If your goal is fat loss, you can skip the gym entirely. Read the fat loss sticky, because diet is your option, not a lifting program.

I advocate lifting (heavy or not), but that is because even if you lose a lot of weight, you will look much better with some muscle.
 
Heavy, is a relative term. The point of 5x5 is that you load muscles to a high level. A high load to me might be much heavier than your high load, but either way we are both still loading the same amount.

But since you don't want to put on muscle, I'd avoid 5x5 all together.
 
Why do people hate putting on muscle so much? I'd love to just have muscle show up when I get near weights (it doesn't).
 
1) Find a gym that does monthly memberships.

2) What is your goal? Your goal is to loose weight.

Why not do running? It burns calories. Is great for your health. And it won't put on a lot of muscle.

Then when you hit your goal weight, then think about weights.
 
Phanuel said:
Why do people hate putting on muscle so much? I'd love to just have muscle show up when I get near weights (it doesn't).
Click to expand...

Most people think that lifting heavy will make you into Arnold if you're not careful. They don't realize all the big guys they see are putting in a lot of work to get that way. It isn't something you just wake up with one day like "wow! I've been going to the gym too much, I am huge!"
 
smackababy said:
Most people think that lifting heavy will make you into Arnold if you're not careful. They don't realize all the big guys they see are putting in a lot of work to get that way. It isn't something you just wake up with one day like "wow! I've been going to the gym too much, I am huge!"
Click to expand...

Had this discussion with a co worker. Older woman, and she was afraid of touching weights because she didn't want to get big. I showed her this image (hypertrophy training) from http://simplesciencefitness.com/ and her reply was, "Oh, I'd love to look like that".

It just confirms how out of touch everyone is with how weights work.
 
tracerit said:
I'm currently 5'8" 170lbs with a belly. I'd like to lose some fat and get in shape but want to avoid putting on a lot of muscle. My main goal is to lose as much fat as I can then decide to see if I want to put on mass.

I was going to buy a gym pass to 24hour but figured I'd pick up a 100 lb barbell set from Walmart for $45 and see how I fare with maintaining a workout routine before I spend the $350 for a 2yr 24hr membership pass from Costco.

I'm thinking about using the 100lb barbell set for 2 months and see how I can go from there, if I notice improvements I might actually just keep it at that weight and forgo the gym. What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

You don't need to fear putting on muscle as you probably won't put a lot of muscle on anytime soon. It takes year and years of very hard, dedicated focused training to put on a lot of muscle and a lot of eating.

I always recommend people to do weights as well as sort their eating out to lose fat. If you don't do weights you will just get skinny fat. You will weigh 150lbs but won't be much better shape than you were at 170lbs. You lose the fat and will probably lose what muscle you have and end up skinny fat.

5x5, start with a weight you feel comfortable with. Learn how to do the exercises and then progressively add weight over time as you get more use to the movement, and as you get stronger. I would not recommend doing *heavy* to start with as this will just get you injured.

Koing
 
Great advice everyone!

I've lost 10 lbs in two months since cutting out fast food. I wouldn't say my eating habits are that much better but I'll have to reassess that after making consistent meal plans which I will research further.

I guess the concensus is to progressively increase the weights if I were to go with a lifting program.
 
Phanuel said:
Why do people hate putting on muscle so much? I'd love to just have muscle show up when I get near weights (it doesn't).
Click to expand...

^^this... don't want to get "too" big. but if they made a magic pill that instantly made you huge, those same people would take it.

I've been training for 20 yrs chasing that ever elusive "too big" status... pretty sure it doesn't exist
 
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