Results with weight training (over weight person)?

Hi, I am a 28 year old female, about 50 pounds over my ideal weight for my height of 5'6. I have started a diet and exercise plan. My question is: How long did it take you to SEE results from the weight training? I go five days a week and work my upper body, lower body, back and stomach. I am not asking about weight loss, I am asking about seeing toned muscles and noticing the weight training is working. Any other over weight females who can relate?

I DO cardio 5 days a week as well! It is NOT just weights.

You should see or at least feel result in just a couple weeks. If not, you aren't working out correctly. You should be able to see more definition even though there is chub on top of it and you should definitely be able to feel the muscle growth. You probably aren't working out right, is my guess, if you don't see anything yet. You have to work the muscles to fatigue and it's best to do like 3 sets of 10-15 reps, increasing the weight every few times you go. Muscles actually grow because working out causes tiny tears in the muscle and the body will build new fibers to fill in those tears - that's how you get more muscle tissue. If you are just going to the gym and working out a little but not intensely, you are just wasting your time.

One more thing....
While cardio does burn fat, increasing muscle mass also helps to burn fat. Muscle burns fat - more muscle = less fat. So even if you did no cardio at all, as long as you are lifting weights, you are burning more fat than you were before even when you are just sitting on your butt watching tv. I'm not saying to drop the cardio, but I wanted to let you know that between the cardio and correct training, you should be seeing some result quickly - especially if all you have to lose is 50 lbs.

all you will see is the fat pushed out further- you need to do cardio to lose the flab- think about it?

It will take a while. Especially if you are overweight. You can tell if the weight training is working because it will become easier and easier to do your reps. And Bob D is right, you need to do aerobic exercise to get rid of the fat aswell becasue otherwise you will never see the muscle (muscles are underneath the fat).

As wight training will increase muscle size and strength, you wont be able to actually really see anything toned until most of the fat is gone.
I recommend the treadmill for at least an hour a day.

For me, I'm really strong but I kind of had a downhill slope
I'm not about 20 lbs over weight
I was about 30lbs december
..and I had no tone whatsoever
...but after weights and 2 hours a day of walking/running I'm actually seeing my muscles again

You'lll feel sore, I'm sure and within the next week or two you'll feel the the muscle under the fat is alot harder

I agree with the first guy. Although building muscle does burn fat, you will get faster results if you incorporate some cardio into your routine. I do aggressive cardio, kickboxing and then running, everyday. I am also 50lbs over my ideal weight. Once you do the two together you will get faster results, trust me.

Try some classes if your gym has them, or look for a studio. Spinning, kickboxing, and dance classes are fun ways to do your cardio workout. Or you can just hit up the treadmill or elliptical machine and go at it. Or both! lol

But keep up the weight lifting. Once the pounds melt off from the cardio, it will expose a nicely toned body. Some women make the mistake of doing just cardio-they lose inches and weight, but they dont come out of it looking toned and sexy ;-)

good luck!

My girlfriend has been dieting and lifting. She is starting to see results now.

You generally see toned muscle once you get to about 18% body fat for a female.

The key is diet and regular exercise. Also everyone's body is different, so change your routine to suit yourself. My girlfriend started doing less cardio and more weight training and her body fat started to go down much faster.

Also keep your lifting fresh, check out:

XerciseFactor (dot) com

They have tons of exercises you can add. Also check out their XGen feature to randomly generate fresh routines. You have to sign up, but it is free.

Its not as quick as we wish. But with consistency, in 3 months time you'll look good. And really cardio alone is not sufficient. We need strength training too.

Read below on how to change your routines, etc.
Good Luck.

The more % of muscle to fat you have the more you speed up your working and resting metabolism. Also you are almost
30 years old. Getting started now on weight training will build your bone mass which is important for everyone as they age but especially for women after 30. Remember muscle is more dense than fat, so weight loss won't be as rapid
when weight training. You should do 30 minutes of cardio 3 to 4 times a week for overall fitness. The cardio with some stretching will enhance your weight training and improve it.
Also, stretching strengththens muscles.