Reta: weights or HIIT?

R

Robin18

Active member
I'm 35, on Reta for a month now, and I was pretty lazy because I wasn't feeling well. It's doing what it's supposed to, and I've already dropped the holiday weight. I used to do F45 (boot camp with a focus on weights) before the Reta, or just lift in the gym. I switched to F45 because I couldn't drop any pounds, and wanted a workout with more cardio. It worked, but I'm wondering if the Reta means I don't need the extra cardio. I don't want to lose muscle. I want to keep or gain muscle while losing fat. Thoughts?

the reta and extended fasting thread covers training and fasting windows
 
Weights 3x a week is key for maintaining/building muscle. The calorie deficit from Reta will take care of fat burning. You need to eat enough protein. For cardio, I'd just do walking and maybe one quick (under 20 mins) HIIT session a week where you push yourself.
 
I coached F45 for almost a decade. I used to love the workouts, and they were effective but I learned that the style of training isn't meant to be done forever, even the 'weights days'. I switched to old school heavy lifting (long rest), and my body feels better and is showing results. Lift heavy, and find a split that works for you. I do cardio on a stationary bike daily for like 30 mins to get me going, and one quick HIIT workout per week for fitness. But everyone is different so this is just what works for me.
 
HIIT is great for your VO2 max and good for heart health. It won't preserve muscle mass. Bodies adapt to regular exercise when it comes to burning calories. People who walk 20k steps compensate by doing less smaller movements throughout the day, and have similar total calorie burn to people who walk 5k and don't exercise.
 
The classes are fun and addicting. [@Bobby2005] Are you on a glp-1? I didn’t want to cancel my membership because it’s fun and the people are cool, but it sounds like weights are better, especially in a calorie deficit. Good insight from someone who knows!
 
I'm on Tirz and Reta in small doses for managing food cravings and for the anti inflammatory benefits. I'm also on ipamorelin. It was hard to leave the F45 community. But my body feels better now. I was running the classes early in the morning, and I'm glad I can focus on getting my kids ready for school. Old school weights are great. I was going really hard at F45 and eating well but I wasn't looking the way I wanted. It was the recovery and the stress. Now I am focusing on feeling strong. And the HIIT workout each week gives me the sweat and endorphins, and keeps my cardio fitness up.

Do what’s best for you. If you feel more benefits from the community, that is more beneficial! Enjoyment and fulfillment is important to sticking with something. I was ready for a change. Good luck!
 
The most important thing is being consistent. It can be hard to find the best balance between what works and what's easy. But figuring out what works best helps a lot.
 
Thanks for all the advice! I think I'm going to switch back to lifting and add in some extra walking. Maybe a HIIT session once a week. We'll see how it goes.
 
I agree with [@Drew14] that consistency is key. It took me forever to get comfortable enough just being in the gym. I was too worried about being judged. I wish every gym would ban cameras! Now I'm there all the time.
 
Losing weight can be a real mental game. I was so focused on the number on the scale that I forgot to celebrate other victories, like being able to lift heavier or run longer without getting winded.
 
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