Toning up with household objects. :)

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  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
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    Your own bodyweight is the most effective and free thing you have at your disposal. Soup cans weigh less than your purse. You carry your purse all day but you're not toned.

    Reduce body fat with a caloric deficit. Eat plenty of protein to help preserve the muscles you have so when you lose the fat there is still some muscle to expose underneath.

    Save up to buy a weight set off Craigslist or join a gym.
  • coyoteo
    coyoteo Posts: 532 Member
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    A vibrator? No, seriously, orgasms burn lots of calories....and if you do unique positions it could be a good muscle workout. But really, I just did body weight resistance stuff at first. Or, as a good friend of mine says, "find something heavy and lift it"...the couch, your spouse, a tire....
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    Textbooks are finally good for something! Get a hardcover college-level science textbook or two.
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
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    http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
  • dolldreams
    dolldreams Posts: 245 Member
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    You guys really don't think the equivalent of lifting nothing will build muscle, do you?

    Am I getting trolled?

    Lifting body weight and household objects is not lifting nothing. People built muscle before there was fitness equipment and gallon jugs of water do weigh something.
    I'm sure the original gladiators lifted things a lot heavier than water bottles.

    Well, gee, I don't think she said she wants to look like a gladiator. :huh:
  • darlilama
    darlilama Posts: 794 Member
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    You guys really don't think the equivalent of lifting nothing will build muscle, do you?

    Am I getting trolled?


    I believe she stated "tone", not "build". I don't know what she looks like, but if she's never done anything starting with 1 or 2 lbs is better than doing nothing and I applaud her for her effort. My profile pic shows miniscule biceps to some... but you didn't see where I STARTED from! I'm quite proud of my little bumps. I hope to make them bigger - and yes, I do use "real" weights.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    Dumbbells at target are really not expensive....
  • MelMena
    MelMena Posts: 152 Member
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    You guys really don't think the equivalent of lifting nothing will build muscle, do you?

    Am I getting trolled?


    I believe she stated "tone", not "build". I don't know what she looks like, but if she's never done anything starting with 1 or 2 lbs is better than doing nothing and I applaud her for her effort. My profile pic shows miniscule biceps to some... but you didn't see where I STARTED from! I'm quite proud of my little bumps. I hope to make them bigger - and yes, I do use "real" weights.

    Maybe not "real" enough for some people. :grumble:

    I'm from the school of thought that I would rather see someone putting some kind of effort into MOVING instead of saying eff it and sitting on the couch.
  • mommy2ans
    mommy2ans Posts: 93 Member
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    Dumbbells at target are really not expensive....

    Girl i am SO broke :) Hopefully I can get some in a few weeks though ;)
  • dawnberndtson
    dawnberndtson Posts: 7
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    You guys really don't think the equivalent of lifting nothing will build muscle, do you?

    Am I getting trolled?

    Why are you so rude? A can of soup is more than i'm doing now, which is nothing...so it can't be worse.

    I like the idea of using household items and then working to other things. Not everyone is trying to bulk up, some of us just want to tone and smooth trouble areas. And doing "something" is always better than nothing. =)
  • imnotyourpal
    imnotyourpal Posts: 162 Member
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    I got a set from Walmart for 19.99 and .97 shipping. I use them all the time. They go up to 20lbs each, which is good for me, since I'm currently only up to 15 lbs each. :)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    You guys really don't think the equivalent of lifting nothing will build muscle, do you?

    Am I getting trolled?


    I believe she stated "tone", not "build". I don't know what she looks like, but if she's never done anything starting with 1 or 2 lbs is better than doing nothing and I applaud her for her effort. My profile pic shows miniscule biceps to some... but you didn't see where I STARTED from! I'm quite proud of my little bumps. I hope to make them bigger - and yes, I do use "real" weights.
    There's no such thing as "toning." There is building muscle, or not building muscle. In order to achieve the look people call "toned" you need higher muscle mass and low body fat.
  • MelMena
    MelMena Posts: 152 Member
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    You guys really don't think the equivalent of lifting nothing will build muscle, do you?

    Am I getting trolled?


    I believe she stated "tone", not "build". I don't know what she looks like, but if she's never done anything starting with 1 or 2 lbs is better than doing nothing and I applaud her for her effort. My profile pic shows miniscule biceps to some... but you didn't see where I STARTED from! I'm quite proud of my little bumps. I hope to make them bigger - and yes, I do use "real" weights.

    And your suggestion for doing that with household items is.....
  • darlilama
    darlilama Posts: 794 Member
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    mommy2ans... If you really are starting from point "A" (no strength training), you can do a lot of "toning" without any weights. There are a million (well, a lot) of ways to do pushups, for example, that work a lot of the muscles in your arms, back, and shoulders. Same for situps/crunches... LOTS of ways to punish your abs. Same for legs... you can squat without weights and tighten up those hind quarters. :happy:

    P.S. Don't be afraid of pushups. I personally hate them, but they have been effective. Start out on your knees and don't let any "bullies" make fun of you! That's where I started and while I'm certainly NOT a killer pushup fiend, my husband walked in while I was doing military pushups (boy style) this morning and said "You go, girl!" It shouldn't make me laugh when I can so readily fall on my face. :laugh: I have not yet accomplished a one-handed push-up. :ohwell:
  • dawnberndtson
    dawnberndtson Posts: 7
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    I really wish they had a "like" button on here for posts....lol :flowerforyou:
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    I believe she stated "tone"

    That really is the crux of the issue now, isn't it? "Tone" is one of those terms so vague and ambiguous as to be virtually meaningless.
  • dolldreams
    dolldreams Posts: 245 Member
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    I have nice biceps too and wow, I got them lifting only 3-5 lb dumbbells. If I wanted to use 3-5 lb water jugs, I would have had the same result.

    I also still have a very high body fat percentage, so not sure that is the be all end all in being "toned". I'm carrying the fat around my middle, it's not evenly distributed around my body so my limbs look pretty good.
  • momma2Lulu
    momma2Lulu Posts: 74
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    thank you i needed ideas too :)
  • darlilama
    darlilama Posts: 794 Member
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    Googled "ways to do pushups". Got a lot of hits. Here are some advanced push ups in a you-tube video. I didn't keep looking, but I'm sure you can find more basic ones, too. ALong with pretty much anything else!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdxO1TpMgDA
  • sexforjaffacakes
    sexforjaffacakes Posts: 1,001 Member
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    Use a food scale. Weight your food, eat at a deficit, lose fat, and expose the muscle underneath. That's what "toning" is.

    To preserve lean muscle mass, add in strength training. Pick up heavy things and put them down again, 5-10 times each. If you can easily do more than that, you're wasting your time.

    This. You can use household objects but they need to be heavier!

    I dunno, bed side table, chairs, suitcase or sports bad filled with stuff, for dumbell exercises milk bottles filled with water (big ones!)

    Just anything heavy you can get you hands on!

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