SERIOUSLY! TONE UP!

fitfreakymom

whatever heavy is to you, you lift as heavy as you can.

danapenguin

i have done c25k before and loved it but with work it was hard to do it everyday =\ i will download fitness buddy tho! thanks!
i did the whole body workout on Pop Pilates =wow!!! im sore already!
and i think the 20 pound weights are a little too heavy for me. I tried to do a curl(?) and it hurt like heck and kinda went sideways! so i may have to invest in lighter weights... maybe 15 or 10

chrisdavey

There are women who can bulk up. I'm one of them. I gain weight relatively easily and it stays on -- either as fat or muscle. You used to see some body builders who are like this -- although there's fewer of them now that it's filled with steroids -- they still have female voices and their faces are still relatively feminine, but they are big girls. Not freakishly big, but significantly more so than the average woman.

I think it's genetics -- like the way some people have six-pack abs with little effort and others do everything they can to get them but can't.

Not if you are in a caloric deficit.

OP: google stronglifts, starting strength and all pros beginner routine. If you have one set of db's check out the thread in eat train progress about modding them for db's.

Heavy typically means the most amount of weight you can lift (with good form) in the less than 8 rep range. SL & SS are 5 reps, all pros is 8. The most important part is progressive tension overload which means adding more weight when you reach your desired sets and reps. Or doing more total reps than the week before. Obviously, you will need to keep a record of your progress to ensure this happens.

goblet squats, single leg romanian deadlifts, OHP, floor press, bent row and curls are what I would be doing with db's.

lenkearney

Google "body weight exercises" = there are a lot you can do with very little equipment- focus on full body movements for now.

start slow and build gradually- do NOT try to lift heavy until you have been exercising with light to moderate weights for three months. This gives your joints, tendons and ligaments time to get stronger before you heavily stress them.

Sorry, but this is not a quick fix, changes occurs over time with consistent effort and commitment. You don't need a lot of weights- but you do need advice to get the right intensity - and when you start working with weights it is critical you learn to do the exercises the right way. Seriously consider a session with a trainer to learn to get the most out of an exercise- and how to do it safely.

Light, medium and heavy is different for every person. For a beginner, as a rule of thumb, if you pick up a weight and can curl it 12 times or more - that's light. 7 to 11 is moderate, and 6 or less is heavy.


there is a lot more to it- lots of good resources here - good luck..

danapenguin

wow the last two posts were awesome! thanks guys! i will google those exercises mentioned. i have to get lighter weights for sure. i can't even do one curl with the 20 pound weights =\ i know i wont be all toned but mid October but I want to get started I want to be healthy and like what I see in the mirror!

I_Will_End_You

wow the last two posts were awesome! thanks guys! i will google those exercises mentioned. i have to get lighter weights for sure. i can't even do one curl with the 20 pound weights =\ i know i wont be all toned but mid October but I want to get started I want to be healthy and like what I see in the mirror!

If you're lifting, you can definitely see more definition ("toned") by mid October. And there probably are exercises you can do with your 20lbs dumbbells. Look up dumbbell lunges or bent over one armed rows, for example.

ninerbuff

My advice would be to work out with low weights and do more reps to develop lean muscle....if you want to bulk up then use heavier weights and do fewer reps.

Low weights and high reps develop "muscular endurance" (think of a long distance runner here). Heavier weights and lower reps develop strength (3-6 reps) and do a much better job of "hardening" up you muscle tone.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

There are women who can bulk up. I'm one of them. I gain weight relatively easily and it stays on -- either as fat or muscle. You used to see some body builders who are like this -- although there's fewer of them now that it's filled with steroids -- they still have female voices and their faces are still relatively feminine, but they are big girls. Not freakishly big, but significantly more so than the average woman.

I think it's genetics -- like the way some people have six-pack abs with little effort and others do everything they can to get them but can't.

I would say trying to bulk up on a calorie deficit would be a myth.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ProgressNotPerfection32

For what it's worth, I've seen a lot of toning from lots of people (myself included) who do Jillian Michaels 30 day shred DVD. It kicks your butt 20 min a day. That combined with her Ripped in 30 would be good for you. Personally, I've done 9 days and lost 5 inches so far. Comparison pics are in my profile. Granted I have lots of flab, but it is def working.

fultimers

From Lenkearney: start slow and build gradually- do NOT try to lift heavy until you have been exercising with light to moderate weights for three months. This gives your joints, tendons and ligaments time to get stronger before you heavily stress them.

This makes sense--this is the first thing I've read that suggests how to start out. I have access to weight machines and dumbbells but not barbells so I think I'm going to join a fitness center through my college and hope and I get someone to help a beginner start out.

lithezebra

My advice would be to work out with low weights and do more reps to develop lean muscle....if you want to bulk up then use heavier weights and do fewer reps.

NO, NO, NO! Using heavier weights will not bulk you up. Lower weight/more reps only builds muscle endurance. If you want to look good, keep working on losing fat and lift heavy. It will change your body like you won't believe.

So if muscle endurance is what I want, so I can climb all day, every day, for a week, I should be be doing huge sets of low weights?

ShadeyC

My advice would be to work out with low weights and do more reps to develop lean muscle....if you want to bulk up then use heavier weights and do fewer reps.

Not this. ^


Heavier weights with lower reps will NOT make you bulk up. It will get your the results you're looking for. Check craigslist & garage sales and get yourself a barbell & maybe a cheap bench.

+1

See the following threads for many many many examples of what can happen when women lift heavy weights:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1045433-women-lifting-heavy-with-pics
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/884447-do-you-lift-heavy-are-you-bulky
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/987513-lifting-is-the-most-horrible-thing-to-a-woman-since-twiggy?hl=twiggy

YES. This ^

chrisdavey

My advice would be to work out with low weights and do more reps to develop lean muscle....if you want to bulk up then use heavier weights and do fewer reps.

NO, NO, NO! Using heavier weights will not bulk you up. Lower weight/more reps only builds muscle endurance. If you want to look good, keep working on losing fat and lift heavy. It will change your body like you won't believe.

So if muscle endurance is what I want, so I can climb all day, every day, for a week, I should be be doing huge sets of low weights?

a mixture of both.

Think about it this way, 2 people have equal muscular endurance capabilities. One of them can do a chinup with 50kg of weight added and the other can do it with 20kg of weight added. (they are both the same weight) When climbing, the stronger one will be using much less force per "rep".

So you still want to get stronger outright but include higher rep stuff also. No need to focus on a single rep range IMO.

lithezebra

My advice would be to work out with low weights and do more reps to develop lean muscle....if you want to bulk up then use heavier weights and do fewer reps.

NO, NO, NO! Using heavier weights will not bulk you up. Lower weight/more reps only builds muscle endurance. If you want to look good, keep working on losing fat and lift heavy. It will change your body like you won't believe.

So if muscle endurance is what I want, so I can climb all day, every day, for a week, I should be be doing huge sets of low weights?

a mixture of both.

Think about it this way, 2 people have equal muscular endurance capabilities. One of them can do a chinup with 50kg of weight added and the other can do it with 20kg of weight added. (they are both the same weight) When climbing, the stronger one will be using much less force per "rep".

So you still want to get stronger outright but include higher rep stuff also. No need to focus on a single rep range IMO.

That sounds sort of like what I've been doing, a day of heavy lifting, and a day of lots and lots of body weight moves that challenge the same muscles in different ways. Getting toned is a nice bonus, but ultimately I want performance.

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

My advice would be to work out with low weights and do more reps to develop lean muscle....if you want to bulk up then use heavier weights and do fewer reps.

My advice would be to do exactly opposite of this. I've been using heavier weights with fewer reps for 8 months now and am waiting patiently on any sign of bulky.

So far, the bulky has failed me. But the results are killer.

BeachIron

My advice would be to work out with low weights and do more reps to develop lean muscle....if you want to bulk up then use heavier weights and do fewer reps.

My advice would be to do exactly opposite of this. I've been using heavier weights with fewer reps for 8 months now and am waiting patiently on any sign of bulky.

So far, the bulky has failed me. But the results are killer.

Is this the right thread? I'm trying to find where I can stumble into bulkiness. Please tell me I've found the right place! :sad:

MsJulielicious

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/womans_lean_sexy_bible.htm

taso42

I found this website extremely helpful for toning http://onlinetonegenerator.com/

stephanieluvspb

Sorry to ask a question on somebody elses thread but since you are discussing weight training what are everyone's thoughts on resting every other day? Ive heard you should rest a day between strength training to "give your muscles a rest". True?

I_Will_End_You

Sorry to ask a question on somebody elses thread but since you are discussing weight training what are everyone's thoughts on resting every other day? Ive heard you should rest a day between strength training to "give your muscles a rest". True?

Are you talking lifting heavy weights? Then yes, most people generally don't do it every day & allow the body time to rest & repair.