Kind of puzzled on this question

Pickledpeppers

So I decided I needed to eat healthier and gain 10 lbs to put me at my ideal weight. My big thing is I want to eat healthier in general and get away from the fast food. So I was telling a friend this on the phone and she goes

'Are you going to do weights and build up muscle mass?' When I told her I hadn't planned on it she told me I wasn't doing it right then.....

I do exercises and I have two young children. I don't really want or see the need to build up muscle mass. I will be happy just getting to my ideal weight and working to keep at it. But then I got to thinking.... am I doing it wrong?

I would love some input.

hroush

I think you'd be happier with your body if you lifted heavy weights, it would give you strength and muscle definition. And no, strength training will not make you bulky.

jimmie25

well, its usually healthier to combine healthy nutrition with workout, makes the body work better.

JennsLosing

most people ideally would like to have some definition to their muscles, but not everyone i guess. I would rather be fit, than be skinny fat though. You do what makes you happy though.

melizerd

Everyone looks better with lean muscle mass. No woman is going to bulk up unless she's doing steroids.

So yes you should be building some muscles. Some muscle mass protects us from osteoporosis, and other things. Plus the workouts are good for your body for long term health.

Don't be that skinny fat.

sophjakesmom

some strength training will help protect you from osteoporosis and injury. You don't have to lift heavy weights to accomplish that, though, light weights will also help.

jonikeffer

If you're trying to GAIN weight, adding muscles will make you burn more calories ultimately, so it may be harder for you to keep up the new weight. The question that came to my mind is "do you want to gain curves or just mass"? Are you looking to gain 10 to get a more curvaceous/womanly figure? If so, I don't know that weights will be the answer for you. If you just feel you are too "skinny", then more muscle definition might be what you're looking for.

Ali_TSO

I hate people who think they're "fitness experts" when they're not. :grumble: There's no right or wrong way - if you want muscles, then lift weights - if you don't, then don't. It's MY Fitness Pal, so do what you want.

KPFOLSOM

I am a huge advocate for weight lifting. I have been going to the gym with my husband for a year. The gym I go to is small, the owner makes his own equipment, there is no a/c and the people there work out and go home. Since I have been there I have gone from 26% body fat to 20% and it feels great. I think muscle is important, especially when you have kids. You want to be able to pick them up, run with them, and do whatever they want to play. If you gain weight...it should be muscle in my opinion, otherwise you are gaining fat, which is not good. I'm, not saying that you should look like one of those bodybuilding women (which is really hard to do), but muscle is much healthier than fat. (in my opinion)

missblackberry9630

So you want to eat right and exercise. . . sounds like a really good plan. However, you may not actually gain weight, unless you plan on gaining muscle. But in the end, I think being healthy is the most important thing, no matter how much you weigh. That's all that really matters.

funkyspunky871

There's really no wrong way to do it, but if you're trying to gain weight... Building up muscle mass is the best way to go about it. Do you really want an extra ten pounds of fat? I bet not. Even at 130 pounds, you'd be what they call "skinny fat".

Pickledpeppers

I do exercise is the thing. I do Tai Chi twice a week as well as yoga. I have two children who I haul around too who are 40 and 50 lbs. I also do sit ups as often as I can. I have some physical problems that would likely make it very unlikely for me to do much weight training of any sort.

'If you're trying to GAIN weight, adding muscles will make you burn more calories ultimately, so it may be harder for you to keep up the new weight. The question that came to my mind is "do you want to gain curves or just mass"? Are you looking to gain 10 to get a more curvaceous/womanly figure? If so, I don't know that weights will be the answer for you. If you just feel you are too "skinny", then more muscle definition might be what you're looking for. '

I would prefer just a more womanly figure really. I'm pretty happy with my body shape and I like how I look. I'd love a little more butt and a little more boob though LOL

hroush

I do exercise is the thing. I do Tai Chi twice a week as well as yoga. I have two children who I haul around too who are 40 and 50 lbs. I also do sit ups as often as I can. I have some physical problems that would likely make it very unlikely for me to do much weight training of any sort.

'If you're trying to GAIN weight, adding muscles will make you burn more calories ultimately, so it may be harder for you to keep up the new weight. The question that came to my mind is "do you want to gain curves or just mass"? Are you looking to gain 10 to get a more curvaceous/womanly figure? If so, I don't know that weights will be the answer for you. If you just feel you are too "skinny", then more muscle definition might be what you're looking for. '

I would prefer just a more womanly figure really. I'm pretty happy with my body shape and I like how I look. I'd love a little more *kitten* and a little more boob though LOL

As far as the little more bum, exercise can help with that, meaning heavy squats and deadlifts. By performing these two exercises you will increase the muscle in your posterior and achieve what you are looking for.

As far as upstairs, exercise can make them "perkier" (bench press, dumbbell fly), but size comes from fat and only your body chooses where to deposit that.

TateFTW

If you're gaining weight then it will come in one of two ways; muscle or fat. The exercises you are doing are great, and will help you to be a healthier person, but as you gain weight you'll want at least some of it to be muscle. I'd highly recomend doing some resistance training, to make sure that the extra calories you're taking in will go into some muscle and not just fat alone.

Don't be afraid of weights. "bulk" won't sneak up on you, and no one gets huge muscles accidentaly. Instead, you body shape will change a bit. Proportions will become better, and you'll feel amazing. There's nothing in this world like the feeling of becoming stronger, and you will love it.

Most people who do the exercises you do use them to get leaner, but they aren't trying to gain weight like you are. Just remember, when you gain body mass it will either be fat alone or fat and muscle. Adding some training with a resistance focus will make sure it's healthy weight that's being added, not to mention all the other amazing benefits of resistance training.

melizerd

Just like you can't pick where you lose fat you can't pick where you gain it either. I've lost 64lbs and only one bra size, where other women lose tons of boobage I lost almost none

Pickledpeppers

I'm really not 'afraid' of weights. I have nerve damage in my left arm and left leg as well as back issues from where I had my L4 and L5 fused together. That's the worry about weights. I have problems gripping knitting needles and pencils. So I'm not sure weights would be physically a good thing for me right now.

I don't want to injure myself again in some way. A lot of the exercises that hroush pointed out would have some problems with my physical limitations.

Maybe someone out there can make some suggestions on exercises that may not involve too much weight on my back and lifting things over my chest (which could be bad if I can't grip things) I really do appreciate all the thought and information I'm getting

TateFTW

I'm really not 'afraid' of weights. I have nerve damage in my left arm and left leg as well as back issues from where I had my L4 and L5 fused together. That's the worry about weights. I have problems gripping knitting needles and pencils. So I'm not sure weights would be physically a good thing for me right now.

I don't want to injure myself again in some way. A lot of the exercises that hroush pointed out would have some problems with my physical limitations.

Maybe someone out there can make some suggestions on exercises that may not involve too much weight on my back and lifting things over my chest (which could be bad if I can't grip things) I really do appreciate all the thought and information I'm getting

Ah. . .I can definitely appreciate that. Hmm, normally I'm NOT a fan of machines, but it seems like they would be perfect for your situation. Most of them provide good back support, along with ways of limiting range of motion along with other ways of keeping you safe if something slips out of your hand.

You can keep it quick and simple and still reap the benefits. Choose one machine where you push to the front (bench press), one where you pull towards your chest (row), and one where you push overhead. Do 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps of each movement 3 times a week, all 3-5 sets with the same weight. Start with a relatively light weight, so you have room to follow the next rule; each time you do an exercise, add more weight than you used last time. You can usually go in either 2.5 or 5 lb. increments. Once you can't add any more weight and still complete all 3-5 sets, go back down in weight a bit and do the same thing, but this time only add weight once a week. (don't assume a weight is too much for you to finish. . .give it a try before you go back down again)

I'm not sure how limited your are on lower-body movements. I'd assume you can't do squats, and it's possible that you get a good lower-body workout from yoga, depending on what type you do. If you can, however, you should add leg presses to the routine above. Don't waste your time with any isolation movements for the lower body (or any muscle, for that matter). Keep all of your exercises natural pushing and pulling movements. You'll hit more muscles in a shorter amount of time that way, and your body will respond more positively when you use multiple muscles for each movement.

TateFTW

sorry, double post.

Pickledpeppers

TateFTW Thank you so so much!! As per squats our gym has a Hack Squat Machine which I can probably do without any damage to my back. I've got great leg strength just my back is what is broke lol

'Choose one machine where you push to the front (bench press), one where you pull towards your chest (row), and one where you push overhead.'

I will definitely definitely try out what you suggested Thank you so so very much

TateFTW

TateFTW Thank you so so much!! As per squats our gym has a Hack Squat Machine which I can probably do without any damage to my back. I've got great leg strength just my back is what is broke lol

'Choose one machine where you push to the front (bench press), one where you pull towards your chest (row), and one where you push overhead.'

I will definitely definitely try out what you suggested Thank you so so very much

No problem. It's all part of my 5 year plan to get everyone in the world lifting weights.

Remember, you have to add weight! That's what forces your body to react and add muscle.

I figured your were strong. . .yoga will do that. I did a bit of it when I did P90X, and it's great stuff.