Long and Lean without pilates/yoga???

amelia_atlantic

Hi,

Just a random thought: Is it possible to acheive that long and lean look without doing pilates? I'm specifically interested in having definition in my arms, shoulders and of course, abs.

I belong to Planet Fitness gym which is legitmately the Wal-Mart of gyms. I pay a whopping $10/month which gets me decent cardio and weight machines 1/2 a mile away from my workplace. I can't complain there, really. There are no classes and I can't afford to pay for exercise classes elsewhere. I also hate working out at home!

Any ideas or new diet/exercise plans I could try?

Thanks!

beqy12

Does planet fitness have fitness rooms or stretching areas? You could do some downward dog transitions and side planks... I know of some really do free videos, but you'd have to do them at home... sometimes it's not so bad if you do quick 20 minute ones! I wish I had some better advice but everything else I've tried bulks me up.

Lusadi

Pilates does rock to get that long and lean look to be sure. However, given the limitations you currently have, I would suggest starting with push ups. Those will absolutely work your arms, shoulders, and chest. Push-ups also have the added advantage of requiring you to work your core (abs) to maintain stability. They are portable and easy to do about anywhere. If your gym has a mat area, that would be ideal.

You could also pick up about any fitness magazine to get a basic Pilates work out. The difficulty with doing Pilates not having a good instructor/trainer skilled in them is that you never learn how to breathe properly and therefore lose a lot of the ab workout. I was amazed at how much difference proper breathing technique makes. I came away from my first class having only practiced breathing and my abs were trembling like I'd done 100 sit ups. If you can just make the occasional class at a good studio, I would encourage you to do so.

Mindful_Trent

There are some great cheap workout dvds that you could do at home to get the kind of results you want. I use Biggest Loser weight loss yoga, which was $10 at walmart, I think - it's setup so that you start with the beginner program, but they have 2 additional levels you can add to your program (on the one DVD) if you are more advanced. Something like 30 day shred or a bootcamp dvd, which incorporates dumbbell work, pushups, etc. would be good, too - I got those for $10 each as well. They're also a great cardio workout at the same time (the bootcamp and 30 day shred).