Weight lifting / increasing muscle mass for WLI weight loss and maintenance

[MeridaBrave]

Inspired by another thread, this is for those of us who are weight training for WLI maintenance or weight loss, or those who want support and handholding getting started with weight training

Good idea. Following for tips, I have been strength training throughout to maintain muscle mass, alongside running. Haven't lost much muscle mass according to the smart scales (2kg muscle lost), but have lost 34kg weight in total. Free weights for me as I only have a home gym (squat rack and dumbells). Still working on squat technique 💪

I’m also working on squat technique (depth), amazing to have a rack at home. I think a little muscle loss is inevitable as there is muscle tissue holding fat together etc

Can I join? I've lost almost 25kg so far but managed to maintain most of the muscle (what little there was!)

I'm going to small-group personal training once a week which is mainly weights work (range of free weights, body weight, and equipment) and I've just got a core balance thing and some dumbbells to start doing a little bit at home.

I can see a little bit of definition in my arms but I have a very wobbly core and need to do more (boring) planks and things to try to get that working. I am ok at squats but need to build on more weight, and need a strong core so I can do lunges properly without wobbling!

Try and do some weights at home to supplement the class, eg work towards push ups? Bodyweight Bulgarian split squats (back leg on sofa) is also great. It all takes time and persistence 😀💪🏻

I am working on Bulgarian squats - they also suffer from a wobble! If you can't hold yourself upright in the correct position with your core, you can squat all you like and it doesn't work the glutes...

Following! Lifting heavy (for me) weights has been a revelation. I have weighed less in my life when I was a regular distance runner, but my waist is the smallest it has ever been - despite being a post menopausal mother of 2! My biggest challenge at the moment is finding a time in the gym when the Smith machine isn’t commandeered by the ‘bros’ as their personal cross-training station….

I have to raise my heels to get full depth in a squat and i'm on basically no weight! I dont know if it's because I am short with long torso or just need to build more squat muscles? Am also working on my core as it is definitely in need of improving. I find glute bridges super tough too. I think I have a weaker side so do a lot one leg at a time (split squats, lunges etc) so I don't favour the strong leg all the time.

hello! I will join you soon, just had some minor surgery and not allowed to lift weights for 2 weeks. Very annoying, I can feel the gains disappearing (not really, you can have a little break).
Lifting weights really helps with the dieting mindset - food is not the enemy to be avoided, food is there to give enough fuel to grow muscle. And what a massive difference it makes to how we look and feel.

You can’t build muscle when you’re in a calorie deficit. I think people underestimate how difficult it is to build muscle to begin with but when you’re dieting you can’t do it.

if you are new to lifting AND have excess fat AND are eating enough protein AND the deficit isnt so big you probably can gain muscle in a deficit. But yes it’s very slow, and when dieting the goal might just be to maintain. I’m an experienced lifter now so I could not gain muscle in a deficit regardless how much protein I eat.

this article claims that body recomp is also possible for trained people: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2020/10000/body_recomposition__can_trained_individuals_build.3.aspx

in any case though, even if indeed you will get better gains when eating in surplus, weight training is clearly a good idea also while trying to lose fat.

Joining, im starting maintenance and Caroline Girvan iron serie. Im working on full push ups for now and on a headstand (for my yoga, like i used to be able to do 17 years ago!) - no running forme due to stress incontinence though im planning to see a women physio soon (yet again)

Joining, hello!

12 months on MJ, have trained throughout. At first I was training mix of cardio and weights 6 days a week, but now I’ve lost excess fat I’ve run out energy to train as much!

Now I train heavy with my PT once a week, and then do a few bedroom body weight reps through the week in between cardio on the peloton. I have dumbbells I haven’t touched since September. Need motivation to get up in the morning and use them like I did this time last year

I’ve maintained the same weight since Aug and lowered my dose to 2.5mg. For 2026 I’d like to gain a bit more muscle and have energy to train more, so I’m trialling 2mg to see if it helps me eat more so I can build strength back.

I’ve lost a little bit of strength along with my 20kg weight loss. Current 1 rep max is about 70kg on a sumo deadlift (used to be 80kg), and barbell back squat is 50kg (used to be 60kg). I weigh 58-59kg so if I could get back to 60kg I’ll be over 1 times my body weight.

Now I’m lighter I’m hoping to work towards an unassisted pull up. I’ve just started doing daily press ups (full body plank off the floor). Have managed 10, and will do this for a week and try to increase by a bit more each week. Any other tips for building pull-up strength between PT sessions?

I weight similar 58-60kg. I’m hoping to do a 120kg sumo deadlift by end of March and I benched 60kg this week 😀🏋🏻‍♀️ squat I’m stuck on 70kg because of depth. I mean I could do 90kg but pointless as not deep enough.

Re: pull up. Get a pull up bar at home and use resistance bands for assistance and practise every day. If you have access to a gym cable rows and lat pulldowns help. Pull ups are way harder than push ups. And I can’t think what would help at home other than a bar or rings. I can do about 5-6 unassisted but it took a lot of back work. I had a PT last year and I told him objective is 5 pull ups - we only did back.

I’m taking 2.5mg but have no problem eating enough. I always eat 150g protein a day. It’s possible I’m gaining a little fat but I’m gaining strength quite quickly so I figure go with it for now and can do a mini cut in the summer.

I’m a few pounds from my target weight and have been using weights at home regularly using YouTube videos. I do some which are just general weight exercises where I am building up to heavier weights and over the last couple of weeks have also started including some hiit based workouts using 5kg weights which are lighter but due to the intensity I still feel the burn.

I’ve got good arm definition and am really pleased with how my legs are looking with noticeable muscle in my thighs but building muscle in a deficit is definitely hard even with lots of protein.

The area I’m struggling with the most is my bum which is flat since losing weight, it was fairly flat even to begin with. I can feel some muscle building underneath but I think that area is going to take some time!

yes at some point, my bum basically disappeared. Teenage me would have been thrilled, current me not so much. Getting some back now (hip thrusts, deadlifts, bulgarians, cable kickbacks) but it's hard work. Have to say I am really enjoying training arms and back nowadays.

Wow @MeridaBrave you are #GOALS! I’d be over the moon if I could get to 100kg sumo.
Off to Google pull up bars…

Definitely need to increase my protein. I stopped tracking once I hit goal. My arms and legs are ‘toned’ now the fat has gone revealing just a hint of muscle, but I hate feeling like a weakling!

We have a bar outside - basically tension mounted between our house and neighbours. I have a band on it for assistance. We also have rings inside - attached to ceiling… rings are good as can lengthen and use for floor rows. Re: deadlift just persistence was a 80kg at end 2024 and did 110kg end 2025. Bench did 50kg end of 2024 and 60kg this week.

@DGmaintaining I have a Swedish ladder outside, attached to the house though so depends if you can do that. the top part can be used several ways, can do both pull ups and triceps dips. Can recommend.

I always shake my head thinking about women in our generation who were told to stick to cardio only and never to touch weights (maybe the little pink ones, you know, for toning), as you will immediately turn into Arnold. What a shame. I would have looked even more fabulous if I got into serious weights in my 20..

Thread is so inspiring… my issue is if i do a workout it often takes all my energy and i am useless for the rest of the day. How can i avoid this? I drink a protein shake after a workout but it doesnt seem to be enough

@Placestogo can you exercise later in the day? So it wouldn't matter if you don't have any energy left.

Or scale it back - if you’re doing so much that you’re wiped out, drop back to fewer exercises and do your workout across more days? I’ve pulled mine back to three sets of three exercises and have two upper body and two lower body routines that I cycle through. Means it takes less time (I gym on my lunch break), I’m not completely knackered and everything gets an extra day or two to recover.

Woke up this morning and did a Pilates class on my peloton app. Not quite picking up the dumbbells but a step in the right direction. Haven’t done one of those for a year.
The only core work I currently get is from bracing for deadlifts and squats.
My 10 morning press ups were v difficult after that, discovered a new vein in my left shoulder!

Will look into Swedish ladders @HeidiLite
my bedtime research on pull up bars had me thinking we don’t quite have enough indoor space for a rack, and the only doorways downstairs for a bar are into cramped spaces like the downstairs loo and the front porch. My peloton bike is already taking up a sizeable chunk of the kitchen diner.

@Placestogo If I’m doing a weekday session just do 20mins in the morning, sometimes 30 if I’ve managed to get up a bit earlier. Weekend I have an hour booked with my PT, but 20mins of that is mobilisation. I’ve found that my routine needs to be manageable and realistic.

Honestly I think it just takes body time to get used to it. Start with shorter workouts and eat enough protein (and carbs) after

@DGmaintaining how about TRX? Of course not exactly the same, but it certainly helps and you can put it anywhere.