Weight-lifting/Toning
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vancemarylln
Posts: 16 Member
Ok. I am not very knowledgable when it comes to lifting weights. I am currently using 2 machines for my arms and 2 for my legs, plus an ab solo workout and cardio on an elliptical.
The machines I am using are:
seated biceps curl 20 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
triceps press 40 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
hip adduction 100 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
hip abduction 100 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
ab solo 5 lb ball 3 sets 10 reps
Am I doing enough? Right now I am just wanting to boost my metabolism to lose weight and tone. I do not want to bulk up. Any advice would be fantastic! Thanks
The machines I am using are:
seated biceps curl 20 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
triceps press 40 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
hip adduction 100 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
hip abduction 100 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
ab solo 5 lb ball 3 sets 10 reps
Am I doing enough? Right now I am just wanting to boost my metabolism to lose weight and tone. I do not want to bulk up. Any advice would be fantastic! Thanks
0
Replies
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I do not want to bulk up.
FYI, you can't "bulk up" until you have 5% or less body fat.0 -
You could do more, but I would drop your reps to 10, and up the weight.0
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I do not want to bulk up.
FYI, you can't "bulk up" until you have 5% or less body fat.
....?0 -
FYI, you can't "bulk up" until you have 5% or less body fat.
I guess i will never "bulk up" then..0 -
12-15 reps will get you 'muscle activity' and good exercise without building muscle. If you are in the 8-10 reps and burning/struggling during the lift, then you will increase muscle mass.
You wont see any benefits if you dont feel any resistnace (or fatigue by the end of the rep).0 -
I do not want to bulk up.
FYI, you can't "bulk up" until you have 5% or less body fat.
....?
For women it doesn't matter what your body fat is.. Without testosterone we can not bulk up... We can tone and have some muscle definition but without drugs we can never look like Arnold... SO dont be scared of that lower your reps and increase the weight and you will burn more.0 -
12-15 reps will get you 'muscle activity' and good exercise without building muscle. If you are in the 8-10 reps and burning/struggling during the lift, then you will increase muscle mass.
You wont see any benefits if you dont feel any resistnace (or fatigue by the end of the rep).
In addition, in place of machines try using free weights, there's a lot more diversity of activity. I.e. Free weight press, shoulder press, kickbacks, bicep curls, flys, etc. It gives you a lot more to work with so you're not working the exact same muscle every time.0 -
I do not want to bulk up.
FYI, you can't "bulk up" until you have 5% or less body fat.
....?
Women don't bulk up...0 -
Ok. I am not very knowledgable when it comes to lifting weights. I am currently using 2 machines for my arms and 2 for my legs, plus an ab solo workout and cardio on an elliptical.
The machines I am using are:
seated biceps curl 20 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
triceps press 40 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
hip adduction 100 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
hip abduction 100 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
ab solo 5 lb ball 3 sets 10 reps
Am I doing enough? Right now I am just wanting to boost my metabolism to lose weight and tone. I do not want to bulk up. Any advice would be fantastic! Thanks
One of my favorite websites is exrx.net.
Like someone else said, lower rep higher weight. For example, when I do squats, I usually only do 5 reps, if that. You will NOT bulk up. Lifting heavy, even for women, is where you begin to transform your body.0 -
In answer to your question: YES you should do more machines.
First- you can build, strengthen and tone muscle without bulking at all... Basically you make your muscles denser. The advice about doing 12-15 reps for this is spot on.
Second - Dense muscle burns more calories whatever you do: be it walking, running, sleeping - whatever. And its proportional to muscle size - so if you want to loose fat, build up your big muscles: i.e. your legs.
Third - I would say a good gym circuit would consist of at least 5 arm, 5 leg and 3 core exercises... I do two sets of each - a 'light' set to warm up and a heavy set where I want to struggle to do more than 12 - if I hit 15 its time to up the weight. I would try and vary the exercises a little too... try doing free weight biceps curls for 4 sessions then machine for 4, or go from barbells to dumbbells... you get the idea.0 -
Ok. I am not very knowledgable when it comes to lifting weights. I am currently using 2 machines for my arms and 2 for my legs, plus an ab solo workout and cardio on an elliptical.
The machines I am using are:
seated biceps curl 20 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
triceps press 40 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
hip adduction 100 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
hip abduction 100 lbs 3 sets 16 reps
ab solo 5 lb ball 3 sets 10 reps
Am I doing enough? Right now I am just wanting to boost my metabolism to lose weight and tone. I do not want to bulk up. Any advice would be fantastic! Thanks
also a really good book to read is ... The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess .. It is a great book and will give you alot of info on what you can do to improve.0 -
Free weights. Compound exercises (squats, deadlifts, shoulder/bench presses, etc).
Unless you are actively working towards bulking (and working HARD), you won't bulk up unless you're a genetic anomaly. Women don't have the testosterone for it.0 -
TO WHOEVER SAID 5% BODYFAT:
That is not possible. 5% bodyfat for a woman = hospitalization and possible death. For women the average amount of ESSENTIAL fat is 12%, meaning the lowest you can go and still be healthy.
Read:
Your Ideal Body Fat Percentage
The absolute perfect body fat percentage does NOT exist. Age and gender make a big contribution to the ideal value, but most importantly...
Everyone is an individual. Some people might feel and perform better at a higher or lower body fat percentage than others of the same age and sex. And that's why...
Ranges and guidelines exist. Have a look at the tables below. The first table gives the ideal body fat percentage ranges for the general population. The second table is the average body fat percentage for different athletes. The important thing to remember is...
Anywhere inside the range is good. Staying below the upper limit should be your target but as you'll soon see lower is not necessarily better.
Body Fat Percentage for The Average Population
Age Up to 30 30-50 50+
Females 14-21% 15-23% 16-25%
Males 9-15% 11-17% 12-19%
Average Body Fat Percentage of Athletes
Sport Male Female Sport Male Female
Baseball 12-15% 12-18% Rowing 6-14% 12-18%
Basketball 6-12% 20-27% Shot Putters 16-20% 20-28%
Body building 5-8% 10-15% Skiing (X country) 7-12% 16-22%
Cycling 5-15% 15-20% Sprinters 8-10% 12-20%
Football (Backs) 9-12% No data Swimming 9-12% 14-24%
Football (Linemen)15-19% No data Tennis 12-16% 16-24%
Gymnastics 5-12% 10-16% Triathlon 5-12% 10-15%
High/long Jumpers 7-12% 10-18% Volleyball 11-14% 16-25%
Ice/field Hockey 8-15% 12-18% Weightlifters 9-16% No data
Racquetball 8-13% 15-22% Wrestlers 5-16% No data
OK, have you worked out the ideal range for you? Great. You've probably already know the risks associated with falling significantly above the upper limit of this range. But what about the lower end of the scale?
Lower is Not Necessarily Better
A certain amount of body fat is vital for the body to function normally and healthy. In fact striving for a body fat percentage that is too low can be dangerous. Here's why...
Measuring your body fat percentage calculates your TOTAL body fat. This total body fat can be split into 2 categories...
Storage Fat -- This consists mainly of fat deposited just under the skin or subcutaneous fat. Storage fat for men and women is fairly similar. For the average man 12% of bodyweight is storage fat and for the average woman 15% of bodyweight is storage fat.
Essential Body Fat -- For the body to function normally and healthily a certain amount of body fat is required. This is called essential fat. For women the average amount of essential fat is 12% of bodyweight and for men it is 3%.
Trying to achieve a body fat percentage that is so low it affects your essential fat stores is NOT good for your health.
Some storage fat is also required for good health. It's used to protect internal organs in the chest and abdomen. So remember...
Aim to stay within the range for age and gender and rest assured you are taking one of the most positive steps to life-long health you can.
(the above is taken from http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/bodyfatpercentage.html but a google search will result in a hundred pages saying the same stuff)0 -
You cannot bulk up like a man, read "Breaking The Myth - Women Who Lift Heavy Will Look Like Men":
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/myth-of-women-lifting-heavy.htm
16 rep is too much. I personally targeted at 10-12 rep (sometimes 8-10 req)0 -
FYI, you can't "bulk up" until you have 5% or less body fat.
Not sure if srs.0 -
TO WHOEVER SAID 5% BODYFAT:
That is not possible. 5% bodyfat for a woman = hospitalization and possible death. For women the average amount of ESSENTIAL fat is 12%, meaning the lowest you can go and still be healthy.
Read:
Your Ideal Body Fat Percentage
The absolute perfect body fat percentage does NOT exist. Age and gender make a big contribution to the ideal value, but most importantly...
Everyone is an individual. Some people might feel and perform better at a higher or lower body fat percentage than others of the same age and sex. And that's why...
Ranges and guidelines exist. Have a look at the tables below. The first table gives the ideal body fat percentage ranges for the general population. The second table is the average body fat percentage for different athletes. The important thing to remember is...
Anywhere inside the range is good. Staying below the upper limit should be your target but as you'll soon see lower is not necessarily better.
Body Fat Percentage for The Average Population
Age Up to 30 30-50 50+
Females 14-21% 15-23% 16-25%
Males 9-15% 11-17% 12-19%
Average Body Fat Percentage of Athletes
Sport Male Female Sport Male Female
Baseball 12-15% 12-18% Rowing 6-14% 12-18%
Basketball 6-12% 20-27% Shot Putters 16-20% 20-28%
Body building 5-8% 10-15% Skiing (X country) 7-12% 16-22%
Cycling 5-15% 15-20% Sprinters 8-10% 12-20%
Football (Backs) 9-12% No data Swimming 9-12% 14-24%
Football (Linemen)15-19% No data Tennis 12-16% 16-24%
Gymnastics 5-12% 10-16% Triathlon 5-12% 10-15%
High/long Jumpers 7-12% 10-18% Volleyball 11-14% 16-25%
Ice/field Hockey 8-15% 12-18% Weightlifters 9-16% No data
Racquetball 8-13% 15-22% Wrestlers 5-16% No data
OK, have you worked out the ideal range for you? Great. You've probably already know the risks associated with falling significantly above the upper limit of this range. But what about the lower end of the scale?
Lower is Not Necessarily Better
A certain amount of body fat is vital for the body to function normally and healthy. In fact striving for a body fat percentage that is too low can be dangerous. Here's why...
Measuring your body fat percentage calculates your TOTAL body fat. This total body fat can be split into 2 categories...
Storage Fat -- This consists mainly of fat deposited just under the skin or subcutaneous fat. Storage fat for men and women is fairly similar. For the average man 12% of bodyweight is storage fat and for the average woman 15% of bodyweight is storage fat.
Essential Body Fat -- For the body to function normally and healthily a certain amount of body fat is required. This is called essential fat. For women the average amount of essential fat is 12% of bodyweight and for men it is 3%.
Trying to achieve a body fat percentage that is so low it affects your essential fat stores is NOT good for your health.
Some storage fat is also required for good health. It's used to protect internal organs in the chest and abdomen. So remember...
Aim to stay within the range for age and gender and rest assured you are taking one of the most positive steps to life-long health you can.
(the above is taken from http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/bodyfatpercentage.html but a google search will result in a hundred pages saying the same stuff)
Educate 'em Bunny...That's my girl...yes I left the WHOLE post in case anyone missed it...LOL0 -
Free weights. Compound exercises (squats, deadlifts, shoulder/bench presses, etc).
Unless you are actively working towards bulking (and working HARD), you won't bulk up unless you're a genetic anomaly. Women don't have the testosterone for it.
this. at least for me. I don't want to do a million reps and 20 different exercises. I do squats, leg press, bench press, triceps extensions, biceps curls, leg curls and mix one or two different ones in there and I alternate upper body, round of crunches, lower body until I have gone through all my exercises. when the last two lifts of a set are easy it is time to up your weight.
Are your bicep curls on a machine? Because I do those with free weights and 20lbs is the highest I have ever gotten for them. Try some free weights and see the difference but for the squats, bench press and deadlifts start out light and make sure you understand the proper form because you can really hurt yourself.0 -
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