To lift or not to lift that is the question?

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viragoeap
viragoeap Posts: 107
in Fitness and Exercise
Is it really necessary to lift weights to lose weight and become toned? I don't do the gym and lifting weights doesn't cut it for me. I do a bit of resistance work in the plank. push ups and squats but that's about it. I appreciate that weights are a very effective way of toning and building muscle, but are there other exercises I can do which would do the job? I'm pretty active in walking, running, dancing and cycling.

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  • viragoeap
    viragoeap Posts: 107
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    bump! :-)
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    I was super-ripped for years doing nothing but martial arts.

    I know loads of surfers who are super ripped and haven't even looked sideways at a weight or entered a gym in their life.

    Dancers and gymnasts are some of the strongest people pound for pound. I grew up during the breakdance craze and some of my mates were incredibly ripped from just dancing alone.

    There are plenty of activities that can make you look and feel amazing, but what you do in the kitchen will ultimately determine your ascetic results.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    you can do bodyweight exercises like push-ups, i.e. progressively more difficult versions of them. You can find quite a lot on you tube, also there are books like "you are your own gym". What's important is that you have progressive overload, i.e. as you get stronger you're challenging yourself with more resistance... in the case of weights that means doing the lifts with heavier weights, in the case of bodyweight programmes it means moving to a harder version of the exercise. So basically it's the same principle as for lifting weights, but you increase the resistance by adjusting how you do the exercise, rather than adding weights.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    lifting weights is not necessary. strength training is.

    what jimmer said is correct, dancers and gymnasts are very strong. so are surfers. but those people are working out doing their activity, hoisting their body weight, moving, shking, heart racing.

    i've never surfed, but i've snowboarded. and let me tell you, you get a work out doing that. you need to keep your core and your legs tight for balance, and loose to react to your surroundings, arms swinging, head on a swivel. it's fun.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    lifting weights is not necessary. strength training is.

    what jimmer said is correct, dancers and gymnasts are very strong. so are surfers. but those people are working out doing their activity, hoisting their body weight, moving, shking, heart racing.

    i've never surfed, but i've snowboarded. and let me tell you, you get a work out doing that. you need to keep your core and your legs tight for balance, and loose to react to your surroundings, arms swinging, head on a swivel. it's fun.

    Proficiency in these activities leads you to do be able to do more extreme moves with your body and thus disrupt homeostasis and provide stimulus for change.

    I take it by "toning" the OP wants to retain existing LBM and reduce BF %..... if I assume this correctly then any activity that includes challenging body movements and a builtin pathway for progress will help you achieve what you want (assuming your diet's in check, of course).

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