Best STS 2 workout rotation to lose fat (pounds) and gain muscle

[tmcrose]

Hi Cathe,

Thank you so much for all of your great workouts!

I currently lift weights 3 days a week and do cardio for 2 with the extra day for mobility/yoga/rest. I'm excited to do your new rotations with STS 2 and was wondering which rotation would be best to help me lose fat and gain muscle. I started the STS 2 and low impact for now but would love some advice!

Thank you!
Tammy

 

[Kellyro77]

Not Cathe, but any workout routine where you're pushing heavy on your weights and staying consistent is pretty much guaranteed to help you gain muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, which, ideally can assist with fat loss. However, typically when it comes down to fat loss, you'll really need to take a look at your diet and make necessary adjustments there. There's an old saying that goes "You can't out-exercise a bad diet."

I'd also suggest staying away from the scale since heavy weight training typically means you're not going to necessarily see significant changes on the scale, unless you have quite a bit of weight to lose. You're building muscle, after all, which means increasing the density of your body composition. Overall, it's better to gauge your success by taking measurements and observing how your clothing is fitting and just noting overall howe you're feeling energetically.

For me, my goal is build muscle. I also need to reign in my diet a bit, but not too drastically. I know once I get back on track with consistent workouts, basically any of the STS 2.0 rotations will aide me. However, because of my personality, I'm finding I do best when I have long-term rotations to work on, so I'm doing the 12-week rotation. That rotation asks of me to stay focused for 12 weeks, instead of maybe just four, eight, or 10.

I'm sure others will have great suggestions, too.

 

[tmcrose]

Not Cathe, but any workout routine where you're pushing heavy on your weights and staying consistent is pretty much guaranteed to help you gain muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, which, ideally can assist with fat loss. However, typically when it comes down to fat loss, you'll really need to take a look at your diet and make necessary adjustments there. There's an old saying that goes "You can't out-exercise a bad diet."

I'd also suggest staying away from the scale since heavy weight training typically means you're not going to necessarily see significant changes on the scale, unless you have quite a bit of weight to lose. You're building muscle, after all, which means increasing the density of your body composition. Overall, it's better to gauge your success by taking measurements and observing how your clothing is fitting and just noting overall howe you're feeling energetically.

For me, my goal is build muscle. I also need to reign in my diet a bit, but not too drastically. I know once I get back on track with consistent workouts, basically any of the STS 2.0 rotations will aide me. However, because of my personality, I'm finding I do best when I have long-term rotations to work on, so I'm doing the 12-week rotation. That rotation asks of me to stay focused for 12 weeks, instead of maybe just four, eight, or 10.

I'm sure others will have great suggestions, too.

Thank you! I agree that diet and consistency are what are going to get me there!

 

[Debinmi]

Here's a related article - seems similar to what Cathe writes in her blog articles:

How To Lose Fat And Gain Muscle At The Same Time

How To Lose Fat And Gain Muscle At The Same Time

www.forbes.com

 

[Lady Vol Fan]

The water recommendation in that article would require I take restroom breaks to finish my workout

 

[Lady Vol Fan]

I just want to add to pick a rotation that is different from what you normally do.

 

[Debinmi]

The water recommendation in that article would require I take restroom breaks to finish my workout

2 cups just prior to a cardio workout would jostle around in my belly too much ( but I could easily drink that much after ....)

 

[Kellyro77]

I didn't read this water recommendations. Holy cow. I thought there were lots of studies out there debunking that whole 6-8 8oz. glasses of water a day, anyway, ie: you get your fluid from stuff you eat, too, and from other drinks like tea, etc. This article recommends 11 cups??? Maybe, I guess, if you're a serious athlete you need that much.

I'd get some serious stomach cramps if I filled up on 2 cups of water just before a workout.

 

[nickisteen]

Here's a related article - seems similar to what Cathe writes in her blog articles:

How To Lose Fat And Gain Muscle At The Same Time

How To Lose Fat And Gain Muscle At The Same Time

www.forbes.com

Thank you for sharing this! It would be hard for me as well to consume 16 oz of water before and after a workout!

 

[Debinmi]

Obviously none of us are Cathe (hope you get a response from her!), but I find the question interesting & have read a few articles. Here's another with more specific advice than the previous: https://www.cnet.com/health/fitness...d-gain-muscle-at-the-same-with-this-strategy/

So it appears that a rotation that includes some cardio is your best option. But nutrition appears to be most critical.

 

[tmcrose]

Obviously none of us are Cathe (hope you get a response from her!), but I find the question interesting & have read a few articles. Here's another with more specific advice than the previous: https://www.cnet.com/health/fitness...d-gain-muscle-at-the-same-with-this-strategy/ So it appears that a rotation that includes some cardio is your best option. But nutrition appears to be most critical.

Obviously none of us are Cathe (hope you get a response from her!), but I find the question interesting & have read a few articles. Here's another with more specific advice than the previous: https://www.cnet.com/health/fitness...d-gain-muscle-at-the-same-with-this-strategy/ So it appears that a rotation that includes some cardio is your best option. But nutrition appears to be most critical.

Thanks for the articles and replys! All very helpful!