Strong Curves - Body Weight Modifications?

rosestring

I am all for Strong Curves, but do not have the time to go to a gym due to taking a bus that takes forever to get anywhere. I really, really want the results of Strong Curves, though.

Before I go ahead and buy the book, I must ask people who know of/have read the book: Can you do the Strong Curves' exercising using just modifications through body weight or even dumbbells?

kikichewie

You're not going to get the same results without eventually getting up to some pretty heavy weights. (I'm on week five.)

But on the other hand, you will get some results - it just depends on where you are, what your expectations are, and how determined you are to make modifications and use heavy dumbbells. You will also learn a LOT about form and activating your glutes, which is valuable. If at some point you feel you want to push farther, then maybe you'll decide it is worth it to you to join the gym.

I love it. I do it at the gym, but I'm not into the super heavy stuff yet and I still can feel a difference. Can't see it, but I can definitely feel it. And I feel like it's much better than the old advice to just do squats and lunges. Most women are so quad dominant that their glutes don't do any of the work with those moves until they're trained by SC to activate!

jemhh

There is a bodyweight strong curves program in the book.

kikichewie

jemhh wrote: »

There is a bodyweight strong curves program in the book.

Yes! How did I miss that? Okay, it's still important to realize the results won't be the same as working up to hip thrusts with 100+ pounds on them, but it's the next best thing out there. It looks like it builds to be extremely challenging in its own right. (chapter 12 of the book)

rosestring

I mean, I already have a pretty shapely lower body, which I am for the most part happy with. A nice lower body runs in my family, so I have some curves.

Also, I have a bit of a muffin top with a pretty noticeable curve inward into my lower waist, but not as much of a curve from my chest downward. Still, I have also always had good sized breasts, though not quite top heavy. I don't know if I quite have an hourglass figure; I seem to gain weight throughout my entire body from head to toe, but that also includes my waist (or gut).

That was a long way of leading up to asking whether Strong Curves can whittle your waist a bit while keeping curves elsewhere, because that would be really great.

jemhh

Your waist's shape is going to be affected by a combo of genetics (i.e., your body's natural shape), fat (too much or not), and then can be shaped somewhat with strength training. You can't change your genetics so don't dwell on that one. Losing fat on your waist is possible when you lose fat in general--you can't spot reduce there. Instead, you just have to work on losing fat and at a certain point (for some people sooner, for some later) you'll see a reduction in that area. As far as strength training goes, a full body program like Strong Curves will certainly help your waistline. But if you have excess fat, chances are it will override (visually) what SC can help.

rosestring

Okay, I guess I will have to try SC and see what happens! Thank you to everyone for your replies!