Do I need to lift weights or can I use my body weight?

aoifebos1

I have a question in regard to being a female trying to gain some nice muscle tone. Do I need to actually lift weights or will I get the same effect from training such as yoga, trx, pilates etc where I am just using my own body for resistance? I'm so confused on this issue. I feel like I would like to weight train but have no idea how to start even though I am a gym member. My husband is horrified at the thought thinking I am going to end up looking like a body builder though I have assured him thats definatly not the case lol

Yanicka1

Lift heavy. Look at my avatar. Lifting heavy gave me this results. To be totally frank, I never tried yoga and that kind of stuff. What I can tell you is that lifting heavy changed my body in ways nothing else did. I suggest you order the book " new rules of lifting for women. The information in that book are invaluable and the best 15 $ I ever spent.

Jynus

resistance is resistance. there is nothing special about a piece of iron where the body is like zomg, it's metal weights, I must turn into hulk now.

You can achieve the resistance through using your body weight. Or you can achieve it through using heavy iron. Your choice. Just note however, the goal of weight training is to get stronger as a beginner. Which means increasing the resistance on the body. With iron it's easy as adding more weight. With bodyweight it's about doing a movement differently, or a totally different movement. And not near as easy to do.

And tell your husband you want to go for a bike ride, but you're afraid you'll end up in the Tour De France if you do so are avoiding it.

kdiamond

I second "New Rules of Lifting for Women". GET IT!

Not only does lifting *heavy* weights work to alter your body shape, you'll have more energy, maintain youthful looks, you won't have brittle bones...the list goes on and on. I weigh 112 pounds and I lift heavy 4-5 times a week and have done this and maintained my weight for 2+ years now, and I'm about as far away from bulky as they come. But I can help my husband carry a couch down the stairs (backwards I might add). My strength comes in handy!

aoifebos1

Thanks for your reply, i will defiantly look into this book. I dont have major weight to lose but want to get fitter and stronger. A few years ago I did 90 mins power yoga three times a week and was the most "toned" I've ever been but not fit. I looked good in a bikini but could not run for more than a minute or two without being breathless. I feel If I continue with a little cardio but start to lift I should get the results I want.
Again I really appreciate your response!

aoifebos1

And tell your husband you want to go for a bike ride, but you're afraid you'll end up in the Tour De France if you do so are avoiding it.
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Hahaha I love this response!!!!

paijing

Lift heavy! It'll change your body in amazing ways.

I love yoga, and it's made me more flexible, but it's really done nothing for the way I look.

Jennifer_Lynn_1982

Lift heavy, I agree!! My body may have been light when I was focusing on running and cardio, but I find that now that I'm lifting (bodyweight, weights, TRX, etc) I've become fitter and my cardio has improved from the circuit training. Much more so then when it was cardio alone...Good luck!!

Werglum

I'd love to try out 'lifting heavy' but am too poor to go to a gym or buy equipment. I have had good results doing exercises with my own bodyweight - check out the book 'You Are Your Own Gym' (can't quite remember the author off the top of my head) but it has some great routines and the ebook doesn't cost much at all.
Hopefully one day I'll have the $$ to be able to afford to lift heavy, but for the moment this is working well for me!!

crazy_ninja

You dont need more than bodyweight! But you have to choose the right exercise. Yoga/Pilates wont be that good to tone your body....both can, but you cant hold postures as long as you should .....

But whilst doing push ups, pull ups, sit ups, lunges...etc. (wont write em all, hehehe) you can have an excellent body without paying with more than sweat!

And thats the bottom line......

nml2011

Lift weights and do yoga!

Yoga will help with an increase in strength, balance (very important for lifting) and stretching out the muscles effected by the weight training.

Weights will have the greatest overall effect to body composition.

appleseeds

Here is a beginners bodyweight workout for you. It's all you need. I even have a personal trainer and although I do do a lot of stuff with weights - heeeaps of what we do together is bodyweight.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

rybo

The reality is it boils down to personal preference. Also this is slightly different since it's a guy's perspective.
Lifting heavy weights is great, I did it for a lot of years and loved it.
After a long break I resumed strength training using body weight only fairly recently and I am also finding it very effective. You can give yourself quite the workout by varying exercises to make the difficulty much higher.
Now I don't really consider yoga/pilates true strength workouts, but they aer still good to do. The bodyweight strength stuff I do is along the lines of You are your own gym, and things like that. I've never tried it, but I have heard great things about TRX.

mfpcopine

I have a question in regard to being a female trying to gain some nice muscle tone. Do I need to actually lift weights or will I get the same effect from training such as yoga, trx, pilates etc where I am just using my own body for resistance? I'm so confused on this issue. I feel like I would like to weight train but have no idea how to start even though I am a gym member. My husband is horrified at the thought thinking I am going to end up looking like a body builder though I have assured him thats definatly not the case lol

It depends on your body and your goals. If you want basic strength, body weight exercises will be sufficient, and what's more, exercises like body weight triceps dips are very effective -- many women are concerned about firming that area. To get bigger, defined arms, like those of, say, Michelle Obama, you'll have to use free weights or machines.

If you are near your goal weight and pear-shaped, I would be careful about applying direct weight resistance to your lower body because you may end up looking even more pear-shaped.

mfpcopine

Now I don't really consider yoga/pilates true strength workouts, but they aer still good to do.

I agree. They're both excellent for balance and flexibility and perhaps for building smaller muscles that aren't called on as much during some weight workouts and neither is easy but I don't think of them as strength workouts. You'll get stronger, but not as strong as from doing weights.

mfpcopine

Thanks for your reply, i will defiantly look into this book. I dont have major weight to lose but want to get fitter and stronger. A few years ago I did 90 mins power yoga three times a week and was the most "toned" I've ever been but not fit. I looked good in a bikini but could not run for more than a minute or two without being breathless. I feel If I continue with a little cardio but start to lift I should get the results I want.
Again I really appreciate your response!

If you're breathless it sounds like you need more than a little cardio. Get a heart rate monitor and watch your progress.

vannahcometrue

I would start lifting. It's very hard to get bulky. I'm lifting when I can! Using your body weight is GREAT too!
Like push ups. Pull ups. Lunges etc. Adding more weight on top of that is only going to burn more fat and tone
you up!

Helloitsdan

Yes