How to tone?

pinkraynedropjacki

Well, for me - it's not about weight loss (I'm at an acceptable weight) but about being able to do things, travel on my own and do things that I find challenging - in short, fitness.

The gym is a tool to serve me to refine myself to get to those fitness goals. It isn't an end to itself - although I enjoy it. For some, it is enough and the personal reacords one can acheive there are personal summits.

People use different tools - gym, yoga, body weight, outdoor work ot get to a physical level that meets their needs - much like your "toning" objective.

Just a tool - but a very effective tool. So I am reading what you are writing and its a lot like a conversation one might have about building a house:
- I need to hammer about 5 thousand nails but I don't want to use a hydraulic hammer gun.
- OK, well, how about a regular hammer.
- Nope hate them. Ballpeen? Maybe, I might have one.
- Sure about that regular hammer?
- Yep, swore off of them.
- Welllll....

What does one answer? It's a tool, it's effective. If you want to pound nails with a mallet or skillet, it might work. But it's going to be slow going - and the house you want to build - you might not finish from frustration.

I hope you find the tool that fits your need and that you enjoy it. Setting a barrier of swearing "never to go to a gym" just makes things that much harder for what seems arbitrary reasons to me - I'm sure they make sense to you.

What program are you deciding to use after all of this?

After all of this I'm going to have no choice but to use my own body weight as my gym. Cheaper as well in the end. I'll continue running & walking & doing all the other stuff I CAN do. Then I'll see if I can somehow workout on the playground opposite my place (if the kids dont kill me 1st...may have to get in early) and then just work something out with the stuff I have here.

Not going back to a gym is not just a personal reason... but a financial one. Unable to work because of my injury it kinda means that I can't afford it.

In your case then, yeah, bodyweight work is your best bet.

Cool. That's what I'm on a plan to do now. I got so much going on right now it's crazy..... I'm going to have to get an assistant to help me hahaha

tigerblue

It sounds like you have some real issues. I would check with a physical therapist to see if he/she could help come up with some exercises to increase strength that will not hurt your back. If back pain is a big issue, and it sounds like it is, I wouldnt want to chance it on some of the bodyweight exercises until I checked with a professional.

pinkraynedropjacki

It sounds like you have some real issues. I would check with a physical therapist to see if he/she could help come up with some exercises to increase strength that will not hurt your back. If back pain is a big issue, and it sounds like it is, I wouldnt want to chance it on some of the bodyweight exercises until I checked with a professional.

Can't do that now. No way to pay for it, not even getting any medical from 3rd Oct. Cut off completely. Right about now I don't care what happens to my back.... what a day. Find out that "nope sorry we do not class you as injured anymore"