I had a read through some of the stickies and stuff, but could not quite find the answer to my question. So, if this has been asked and answered before and I missed it, I apologise.

My question is the following:

I am about a month into my weight-loss journey now. I am doing only light exercise at the moment, 45 - 50 minutes on the bike and some walking every day. I am wondering if I should add some strength straining already, build a bit of muscle and tone up as good as I can, or should I stick with the cardio for the time being, lose some more weight, and then start with strength training?

I am really not sure what would be the better thing to do, so any kind of advice would be appreciated!

I'm not an expert so I don't know what's optimal, but when I started working out I began with cardio and strength training. I started both slowly because I was extremely out of shape. Some strength exercises I did without weights, because I was too weak to do them even with 3lb weights in each hand.

Now I can do most of them with 10lb weights, but my shoulders are still weak and I struggle with 5lb weights on most of those exercises.

I don't think you need to wait to lose weight to start strength training, because strength training while losing weight helps preserve muscle mass that might otherwise be lost to caloric deficit. Steve, please jump in if I'm wrong! I don't want to misguide anyone.

Just curious why you think you would need to wait before starting strength training?

When you're eating at a caloric deficit (god I feel so pretentiously stupid when i use that term ) your body loses muscle -it can't be helped.. .By doing strength training -you're helping to maintain the muscle you do have.

You will not get big and bulky -unless you're injecting, or eating at a caloric surplus

Thanks for the answers! Looks like I can have a look around and see if I can find something to start slowly with!

As for why I thought I had to wait....well, mainly because in a lot of diaries and post I stumbled across people saying 'Now that I lost the weight I'll start toning up', or something to that degree. Kind of made me think that maybe there was a good reason to weight, and to do the weight loss first and the muscle thing later.....but thinking about it...it makes a lot of sense to do it at the same time.

Anyway, guess I'll add some weights to my little bike then....now....does anybody have any suggestions in regards to strength training for absolute beginners?

spend some time reading the stickied threads then ask questions based on your reading.

you don't have to bench press 100lbs - you can start with body weight exercises... and do what you're capable of doing and progress from there...

I would also NOT add weights to your bike -and im not sure you meant it that way - keep strength training seperate fromc ardio -I've seen a lot of people walk while carryin weights and most orthopedists wil tell lyou that's bad for you because it throws off your natural alignment...

Oh, if only it were that easy.

What equipment do you own or have access to?

Nah, I meant adding strength training to what I do already...not doing both at the same time! *lol*....even though, the thought with the weights would probably have crossed my mind.

What exercise equipment do I own? Uhm...a little fitness bike, that's it. I don't have access to anything else, but I'm willing to invest some money into the whole thing and buy what I need. Several people suggested a rowing machine, would that be of any use?

I know I probably ask the most stupid questions, but I never really tried to lose weight, or do something exercise wise.....

Off to check on the stickies again!

rowing machine is probably more cardio than anything...

your better off - with the absense of a gym membership - is a weight set...

because your body will adapt to weights - and you want that continual progression - you're better off getting weights that either adjust

1)Get a gym membership

2)buy some resistance bands and/or adjustable dumbbells

3) do body weight based strength training

Good job checking the stickies.

okay...so....rowing machine for cardio...maybe instead of a treadmill (which I was planning on getting). Not sure yet.

As for the gym, that'sa no go. Not around here, not in a million years. There isn't a gym in a 50 mile radius that isn't stuffed to the hilt with anabolic-fuelled low-brainers and their respective female company, whose only reason to be there is to show off their new gym outfits. I had a look into a couple, and I actually had to show one of the so-called trainers how to change the weight on one of the machines. So....erhm.....nope. I will do whatever I can - at home.

I will check for those resistance bands and the dumbells, and there is also some old stuff that my husband used to use, loads of weights that I might be able to bring back to life - just have to clear out the shed I guess.

And I'm reading through a few threads at the moment, making notes about some of the stuff people do, trying to find something that I can make work for myself. Keep in mind, I'm extremely overweight, so pushups and squats aren't exactly something that I am capable of doing. But I found a few things already, so....I might just get there.

Thanks for all the help so far, guys (and girls of course!!)

OK but you keep in mind that that is a bunch of crap. You may not be able to do those movements currently but you are capable of them. You will just need to use progressions. Do wall push ups, progress to 60 degree pu, progress to 30 degree, progress to pu, progress to 1 arm, progress to plyo,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

You can do the same for pretty much every movement. Consider yourself lucky. Right now you can do a complete body maximal strength WO with only your body weight and maybe a 10$ band for assistance. Some people need thousands of dollars of equipment to do that.

It took me almost a year to master doing a squat... (i was about 65lbs heavier than you are and probably older too and there were moments of absolute frustration when my body just didn't want to cooperate and I really wanted to just give up - because there were no options for the squat challenged.. yes, you can use a stability ball against your back using teh wall as support but it's not quite the same thing...

I'm now 6 months into trying to do a pushup... and no where near there yet...

Don't overwhelm yourself - Do one thing at a time and you'll eventually get to where you want to be

There are ways to do an assisted body weight squat. You could do a box suat using a bench. Or if you can simply get up and down from a chair or bench or if that is still to hard you could move that bench or chair near a pole, handrail, doorjamb, anything that can off a little arm assistance.

yeah thanks - wasnt helpful and i'm over it because i eventually got it...

my point was start with what you can do and don't listen to people telling y ou what you shoudl be doing - just keep in the back of your mind where you want to get to

I know you got it. I was posting that for the op.