Weights- Toning

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  • ahmadfahmy
    ahmadfahmy Posts: 214 Member
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    Soo I've cut back on cardio with the advice of some people on here :) and now I'm lifting. Lifting, as in not heavy weights, because I don't have access to a gym (neither can I afford it).

    I bought two of those eight pound weights from Walmart and I do exercises every day with them from this site http://wholelifestylenutrition.com/articles/the-full-workout-library-of-the-free-30-day-dumbbell-challenge/

    I do thirty five reps of some exercises, and for others I can only muster strength for around 20 reps total.

    If I do this every day for thirty days will I really be able to see a difference? And followup question: if I keep doing this forever, will it let me *stay* toned? Tips on strength training with the resources I have access to are much appreciated. Thank you everyone :)

    Oh, and also I know lifting heavy won't make me bulk up- I just want to lose the last few pounds by incorporating more strength training. (At 131.2 lbs now-want to get to 124 but with a toned flat tummy)

    pls use a structured strength training program..lifting a weight for 20+ reps is not 'strength' training...thats endurance training.
  • genchan
    genchan Posts: 28
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    If you aren't going to lift heavy, you should find a more productive hobby.

    WTF?
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    If you aren't going to lift heavy, you should find a more productive hobby.

    WTF?

    And this all or nothing attitude is why people rage quit.
  • onedayatatime12
    onedayatatime12 Posts: 577 Member
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    Thank you for all the supportive and useful comments! I will look into bodyweight exercises and try to get some heavier weights, ones that will challenge me in 8-10 reps. :)

    I absolutely cannot do pushups or pullups so I think the suggestion one of the commenters provided me with is very helpful! I'll set goals like those, and that should increase my strength over time. :flowerforyou:
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,651 Member
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    If you aren't going to lift heavy, you should find a more productive hobby.

    The OP has just said why they are unable to do that, why the negativity?
  • reach4thestar
    reach4thestar Posts: 174 Member
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    Bump
  • jhc7324
    jhc7324 Posts: 200 Member
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    Some places don't have cheap gyms, but, if you can't afford $10, your dedication is lacking. If u want to workout at home u can do a lot with body weight and resistance bands. Then again. a used barbell is like $40 and plates are .50 cents a pound or less.

    Haha I can very well afford $10, but I'm not lacking dedication. I'm a student and my schedule is rather busy, but I'm giving equal importance to my studies and health/fitness, so it's kind of time-consuming. But thanks for the good part of the advice anyways. =)

    If you're a student, don't you have access to the college gym for free? Look up "starting strength," scope out the weight room and teach yourself how to lift.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    If you aren't going to lift heavy, you should find a more productive hobby.

    The OP has just said why they are unable to do that, why the negativity?

    Wasn't really a solid reason though. They bought dumbbells, just really light ones.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    Great job on starting strength training! I'm sure what I'm going to say has already been said, so forgive me. I just woke up after a bad night's sleep and didn't feel like reading the whole thread.

    If you can do 35 reps of some exercises, you're lifting too light. 8lbs isn't a bad place to start, but could you invest in some heavier weights as well? If you had a range of 8-20 or so pound weights, that would be way more helpful for you. Then aim to do 3 sets of 6-12 reps of each exercise. If you can't manage 6 reps, you're probably going a little too heavy; if you can easily do 12, you're going too light.

    As far as "staying toned" yes lifting regularly can help you with that. But progression is key. Again, once it gets to the point where you can do 12 reps of an exercise easily, you need to increase the weight! This is the quickest and easiest way to see your body change and stay strong.

    Also check out bodybuilding.com because they have a ton of amazing free lifting programs! A lot of them require gym equipment, but you can totally modify and do the programs at home with dumbbells. I've done this several times when I couldn't afford a gym membership, and I did see great results :) I hope that's helpful and good luck!
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    Some places don't have cheap gyms, but, if you can't afford $10, your dedication is lacking. If u want to workout at home u can do a lot with body weight and resistance bands. Then again. a used barbell is like $40 and plates are .50 cents a pound or less.

    Haha I can very well afford $10, but I'm not lacking dedication. I'm a student and my schedule is rather busy, but I'm giving equal importance to my studies and health/fitness, so it's kind of time-consuming. But thanks for the good part of the advice anyways. =)

    I don't know. I have a full-time job, I'm preparing for the CPA exam, I don't have a gym membership, and I still manage to lift heavy. When you want something badly enough, you make it happen.

    And yeah, don't give up the cardio if you're only lifting 8 lb weights 35 times. You're not going to lose weight like that.
  • onedayatatime12
    onedayatatime12 Posts: 577 Member
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    Wow, lots of responses long after the original post. Thanks everyone for the constructive criticism and advice!!!

    I'll definitely put more time into it. And as for the last poster, above me, it's weird, I kept losing weight even when I didn't do cardio or weights (for a week and a half I didn't do any exercise AT ALL, sadly). But I'm definitely going to invest in some heavier weights, and increase the #-age (I know it's not a word, brainfart hah) of my weights as I get stronger.

    Yes there is a college gym, but I live off-campus so it's quite the transit. Either way I'll find a means to lift heavier, whether it be at the gym or with my own weights.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    Read this: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/muscle-tone/
  • MsAnn07
    MsAnn07 Posts: 172 Member
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    Bump for later
  • onedayatatime12
    onedayatatime12 Posts: 577 Member
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    Read this: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/muscle-tone/

    Thank you! This article was quite useful. I'm aiming for the second category (burning fat, and having a lower BF%). Gaining muscle is definitely of use, but for now, I think having a lower BF% should serve the purpose of a leaner look for me. Though I may try to gain some muscle later on.

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