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MyFitnessPal Community

Am I in the right place, doing the right thing?

ambsnic17

I guess I'm in need of some reassurance here...a lot of doubting going on. I've seen/read a lot of people in this group lift weights. Almost every person in the testimonials thread have all lifted/lifts weights. I feel like I'm in the wrong place! I don't have gym membership, I workout at home doing mostly Jillian Michaels DVDs. Cardio involves walking, pushing a 50 lb stroller (kids included) around our hilly neighborhood. I don't enjoy cardio other than walking. The weights I have are 10lb dumbbells using them for JM workouts. Am I in the right place? Are there others out there eating more to weigh less and not lifting that have seen success and/or met goal?

Replies

XavierNusum

Are you sweating? Is your heart rate elevated? Do you feel like you've done a workout? I'm sure all of those answers are "yes", so yes you're in the right place for you right now. Pushing that stroller on inclines is the same as incline walking on a treadmill which is really good for building muscle in the legs and boo-tay. The Jillian Michael's videos are much like P90x and similar programs. They are mostly muscular endurance, but you can get hypertrophy (muscle building) from those types of programs especially with the body weight movements as a beginner. I think you're in a perfect place for you right now. You will progress and need more challenges and when that happens you'll a new place for you. Maybe that will be in a weight room and maybe it won't. It's your journey.

mymodernbabylon

You can still do this and not lift weights. It's just that weight lifting or body weight exercises will help you better maintain your muscles - but you can do what you can do. Even w/o a gym or weights, you can do a body weight workout that will help muscles remain...I like the You are your own gym app.

llbennett74

I also do not have a gym membership. I do crosstraining and bodyweight exercises. It's all good!

heybales

The weight lifting is encouraged to help bring back some of what was lost through many yo-yo diets.

Helping to get the metabolism back to where it may or could have been.

Besides, with transforming the body while losing fat, it's usually found at some point more weight loss isn't needed, enough fat is gone.

But not needed. Some resistance training is beneficial though as stated above - helps to retain muscle mass.
That, and eating enough protein, and reasonable deficit - each has been shown on it's own to help retain muscle - do all 3 and no concerns about it at all.

ambsnic17

What is cross training? Home workout/phone app?? Is there anything you use llbennett to help in your body weight exercises?

Xavier-yes, I certainly am sweaty, dripping with some workouts. And something is always sore the next morning, lol. JM workouts do incorporate maybe 1/2 of her workouts to using weights/resistance/body weight exercises. I wouldn't really say I was a yo-yo dieter, but certainly have the fat to lose. Thanks for the responses!

ambsnic17

Haybales- I have been trying to get more protein in my meals. It's definitely something I have to work on!

XavierNusum

Crosstraining can be defined many different ways. Often it's some sort of functional movement orr movements with a particular sport, form or function as the basis.

Apps.. there are several out there that will give you different body-weight circuit exercises to do. Whether it's a push-up, sit-up, or calisthenic style workout. (high jumps, burpees, jumping jacks etc.)

Some folks, like myself, need more structure than that. I have to have a program that carries me through several weeks so I can track progress and success.

heybales

@XavierNusum - Congrats on twins. Hopefully you get no additional stress of sleepless nights.

ambsnic17

I am like you Xavier as I need the structure in a workout, so maybe the apps aren't a good idea! Lol I'll see where I am in the second 6 weeks of my program and go from there. Thanks!

llbennett74

I get a lot of ideas from pinterest and I also take an outdoor bootcamp class once a week. Lots of lunges, squats, pushups, cardio, kettleballs, all kinds of stuff. And I found a great free download on Pinterest called 100 No-Equipment Workouts by Neila Rey.

XavierNusum

heybales wrote: »

@XavierNusum - Congrats on twins. Hopefully you get no additional stress of sleepless nights.

Thanks @heybales !!

ambsnic17

Thanks llbennett!! I'll have to check it out!

llbennett74

You're welcome!