I do DVDs so I don't need to strength train

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  • gothicprophet
    gothicprophet Posts: 189
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    Saving this to finish reading later; lots of great information in here though!
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    Thanks for tuning in guys!
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I LOVELOVELOVE lifting heavy. Right now I'm nursing an injured shoulder though, and haven't been able to lift heavy for almost 3 months now. :sad: When I was, some of my exercises my trainer had me lifting so heavy I could barely do 6 reps. Others, I would go to 10, others 15. Once it becomes too light, I go up. I could tell I was getting stronger and within just a couple weeks of lifting like this, I could more easily do my regular push ups and I'd lost half an inch off my upper arms. Can't wait 'til I'm lifting heavy again! *sigh* I miss it.
  • ambermichon
    ambermichon Posts: 404 Member
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    Great post! For so long I was focused on a number on the scale and not the inches I was losing from lifting. I started out light and now lift pretty heavy 2-3 times a week....now that more weight has come off I have muscle definition which is much easier on the eyes in my opinion than being skinny with none. :-)
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    I LOVELOVELOVE lifting heavy. Right now I'm nursing an injured shoulder though, and haven't been able to lift heavy for almost 3 months now. :sad: When I was, some of my exercises my trainer had me lifting so heavy I could barely do 6 reps. Others, I would go to 10, others 15. Once it becomes too light, I go up. I could tell I was getting stronger and within just a couple weeks of lifting like this, I could more easily do my regular push ups and I'd lost half an inch off my upper arms. Can't wait 'til I'm lifting heavy again! *sigh* I miss it.

    What happened to your shoulder?
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    Great post! For so long I was focused on a number on the scale and not the inches I was losing from lifting. I started out light and now lift pretty heavy 2-3 times a week....now that more weight has come off I have muscle definition which is much easier on the eyes in my opinion than being skinny with none. :-)

    Congrats. In my opinion, that's what it's all about for most people.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I LOVELOVELOVE lifting heavy. Right now I'm nursing an injured shoulder though, and haven't been able to lift heavy for almost 3 months now. :sad: When I was, some of my exercises my trainer had me lifting so heavy I could barely do 6 reps. Others, I would go to 10, others 15. Once it becomes too light, I go up. I could tell I was getting stronger and within just a couple weeks of lifting like this, I could more easily do my regular push ups and I'd lost half an inch off my upper arms. Can't wait 'til I'm lifting heavy again! *sigh* I miss it.

    What happened to your shoulder?

    I've been popping my neck for about a decade and it's finally gotten screwed up enough that it started affecting my shoulder. I have 2 discs (I guess?) that are twisted instead of laying straight and on top of each other... my shoulder got so bad, I couldn't even lift it to where my elbow was about parallel with my chest. It's a lot better now but I'm slowly trying to rebuild my strength. The other day I did 5 regular pushups but couldn't do anymore. Yesterday I could only do 2. I'm stuck doing 30 Day Shred with 3 lb weights. 5s are still too heavy. :grumble: I'm ready for my 12.5s! :sad:
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    I LOVELOVELOVE lifting heavy. Right now I'm nursing an injured shoulder though, and haven't been able to lift heavy for almost 3 months now. :sad: When I was, some of my exercises my trainer had me lifting so heavy I could barely do 6 reps. Others, I would go to 10, others 15. Once it becomes too light, I go up. I could tell I was getting stronger and within just a couple weeks of lifting like this, I could more easily do my regular push ups and I'd lost half an inch off my upper arms. Can't wait 'til I'm lifting heavy again! *sigh* I miss it.

    What happened to your shoulder?

    I've been popping my neck for about a decade and it's finally gotten screwed up enough that it started affecting my shoulder. I have 2 discs (I guess?) that are twisted instead of laying straight and on top of each other... my shoulder got so bad, I couldn't even lift it to where my elbow was about parallel with my chest. It's a lot better now but I'm slowly trying to rebuild my strength. The other day I did 5 regular pushups but couldn't do anymore. Yesterday I could only do 2. I'm stuck doing 30 Day Shred with 3 lb weights. 5s are still too heavy. :grumble: I'm ready for my 12.5s! :sad:

    Did you go through therapy at all?
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    Here's a great extension to this thread from a Q&A I was having with a fellow MFPer:

    http://body-improvements.com/2011/07/22/what-happens-when-you-reach-your-goal-weight-unsatisfied/
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    bump
  • FabCheeky
    FabCheeky Posts: 311
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    Great info! Bumping for later reading. I'm always looking for more ways to make my strength training more efficient.
  • makena78
    makena78 Posts: 162 Member
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    I do DVD's for strength training. I use Chalene Extreme which is all about building muscles. Then I add my cardio boosting videos everyday. So yes, you can use a DVD for muscle building. I started with 5lbs and now I'm at 12-15. I have learned proper forms and am so much stronger. No need for a gym.
  • Lanfear
    Lanfear Posts: 524
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    Bump for reading tomorrow
  • mercyyuen
    mercyyuen Posts: 21
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    I'm a little bit confused. I agree that resistance training is necessary. But are you saying that using my own body weight for strength training is not enough? ... I don't have time to be lifting weight at the gym... I do have 8 pound wight sat home. Is that not enough?

    Does picking up a 22lb toddler every day and walking up and down the stairs with her count as strength training? =P

    Seriously... do I HAVE to use weights to properly train my muscles?
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    I do DVD's for strength training. I use Chalene Extreme which is all about building muscles. Then I add my cardio boosting videos everyday. So yes, you can use a DVD for muscle building. I started with 5lbs and now I'm at 12-15. I have learned proper forms and am so much stronger. No need for a gym.

    Let me be very clear. I never said you need a gym. I said you need sufficiently heavy load to maximally stimulate your muscles. In other words, if you're to optimally improve your body composition (physique), you must lift sufficiently heavy weight with adequate volume.

    What's sufficiently heavy for you obviously won't be what's sufficiently heavy for me and what's sufficiently heavy for me won't be sufficiently heavy for s powerlifter. But it has to be heavy enough for YOUR muscles. For a complete novice, the simple act of walking can present enough of a muscular challenge to stimulate muscle growth. Put differently, walking can be a form of "strength training" for a novice.

    Eventually though, in order to optimize results, people are going to have to use loads that are too heavy use in a circuit fashion. It's that simple. And it's not meant to discredit improvements you or others obtain from circuit training. But I assume you... squats with 12 lbs or whatever are well below the level of tension that your leg muscles are capable of producing.

    You said you gotten "so much stronger" but at the same time you said you went from 5 to 15 lbs. I'm currently training a woman - we started with body weight squats. We progressed each week by doing goblet squats until we reached 45 lb DBs at which point we started doing barbell squats. That was 6 months ago. Today she's squatting 145 lbs for 5 sets of 5 reps.

    This isn't about "right" or "wrong." It's just that some people are missing the point I'm trying to make... which isn't a knock on them. It's likely my poor communication.

    Anyhow, thanks for furthering the conversation.
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    I'm a little bit confused. I agree that resistance training is necessary. But are you saying that using my own body weight for strength training is not enough?

    Enough for what? Everything in context.

    If you're looking to get stronger and to maximize your muscle maintenance (while losing fat) or growth (while eating in a surplus)... then eventually your body weight won't be sufficient.

    Think of it like this...

    Your muscles respond to challenges they're unaccustomed to by getting stronger and getting bigger (or maintaining while dieting). If the load isn't a challenge... then you won't see the associated adaptations.

    Most people around here are in the process of losing weight. Therefore the load or challenge is decreasing over time. That's the exact opposite that's required to improve muscle quality. To improve muscle quality, we need to progressively apply greater challenges to the muscles as it gets accustomed to higher and higher loads.

    Sure, you could increase the load by doing more reps over time. Eventually though you'd be doing cardio. Sure, you might be squatting for instance... but it's not the movement that makes something effective at improving muscle quality... rather it's the load. As you get used to your body weight, which shouldn't take very long at all... maybe a few weeks at most in general... what was once a stimulus for muscle quality will eventually become a stimulus for muscle endurance. Which is fine if you're looking for muscle endurance.

    But most people in the physique improvement game aren't shooting for that.

    Does that clarify things?
    ... I don't have time to be lifting weight at the gym... I do have 8 pound wight sat home. Is that not enough?

    Again, as I noted in the previous post... I never claimed you need to be going to the gym. You do need progressively heavier loads over time though for optimal body composition results. So 8 lbs might be enough right now. But next month or whatever it likely won't be as your body gets used to the load.
    Does picking up a 22lb toddler every day and walking up and down the stairs with her count as strength training? =P

    Haha, sure.

    See the story of Milo of Croton:

    http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/blog/2008/01/milo-and-bull.html
  • change_happens
    change_happens Posts: 491
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    bump
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
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    Haha, sure.

    See the story of Milo of Croton:

    http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/blog/2008/01/milo-and-bull.html

    I love the story of Milo. Although it is potentially fabricated, it is a perfect example of progressive overload.
  • TTHdred
    TTHdred Posts: 380 Member
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    Steve, I was hanging on to every word of this thread as if it were a new mystery novel!

    First let me say I am so glad to finally stumble upon a thread that is not about arguing semantics or hashing out some blanket rules with no explanations. Real constructive "support"

    Thank you so much for the information. And, I am actually glad that someone disagreed with you because it made you explain more and helped me better understand.

    I am a DVD/video kinda girl, so in addition to circuit training, I do have some that are true strength training. Where, there is no cardio in between and plenty of time for rest between sets. Each one focuses on different parts so upper, lower, chest etc and these are where I usually learn about form. BUT since I am usually not exerting myself (feeling dead tired), and the calories burned are so low, I tend to not do them as often. I feel sort of felt like it was a waste. So post times I pick the circuit or cardio training videos.

    My question: I tend work out around 5 times a week. Based on this and my new found knowledge, how often do you think I should do strength training….2/5?? Each week I try to make it more than 5times, but I really never go over this. Maybe I can’t do 6 times a week because I am burned out form so much cardiovascular and I can make it to 6 once strength training is added? Dunno.

    Thanks in advance (p.s. I can post to the Q&A on your website too if you prefer)
  • Lanfear
    Lanfear Posts: 524
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    I have been focusing on cardio, but am aware that I really need to start strength-training if I am going to tone up the body fat that I have. According to my scales at home (which I know are not the most accurate things on the planet, but the only thing I have!) my BF% is 25.3 (or it was this morning). I am about 137 lbs and I don't want to lose much more weight (maybe another 5lbs) but I sure as hell want to sort out that fat!!!!!

    My question is, at the moment I don't have and can't afford gym membership. Like others here, I own resistance bands (set of 5, graded from 10-50lbs resistance) and I have various workout DVDs including ChaLean Extreme. I currenlty own one teeny-tiny kBell (haha) and a set of 3 dumbells, the biggest of which is only 2.2kg. Thing is though, the bands don't feel like they really do the ChaLean workouts justice, and sometimes I find it difficult to get them in the right place to do the exercises in time.

    What sort of thing can I be looking at doing at home, without having to spend a lot of money on weights? My main problem areas are my upper arms (triceps) and stomach. I know you can't "spot reduce" fat but can you "spot tone"???

    Thanks for any advice you can give :smile:

    PS - thought this article was interesting/funny!!

    http://www.mikemahler.com/articles/things_that_are_good_for_you.html

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