Losing weight and toning up

ttoftwo

I know cardio is good to lose weight, but it won't shape you up. Does anyone have a toning exercise they are willing to share with a newbie? I love doing my cardio, but I want to tone my body too. Being my goal weight won't mean much if I still look like a marshmallow. I found a 10 minute boxing shape up video on Youtube, but I think it's more cardio than actually toning. I'd love any comments and help.

alaskaang

I agree. I don't want to just be a smaller version of the current me. I want to be stronger!
I've been doing squats, lunges, push-ups (against the wall cause I'm a wimp), and planks.
Just starting at a gym this week and doing a month long "boot camp" and want to learn how to lift weights.

californiagirl2012

Lifting weights is AWESOME!

Lifting weights is KEY. I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am.

Start lifting now, lift heavy and change it up often, find a lot of weight routines with free weights, make it fun, embrace it, make it part of your life. Only 3 days a week is all it would take. Crank up your tunes and learn to love it, because your body will love it and it will make your quality of life better in many ways, especially when you get older like me.

Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, and you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.

If you are female you don't have the hormones to get big naturally. I lift heavy and I'm still really tiny. My lean body mass is only 104 lbs and that is fairly heavy for a 5'1" female, and quite a bit of this is due to my having very dense bones from 30 years of lifting, not all muscle, and I'm still quite tiny.

Here is a sample of part of the weight program I use, but it's from a PDF file so the formatting is messed up, but you can get some ideas from it. I'm sure others have programs just as good on here.

The routine I do consists of weight lifting first and cardio second, but I still do cardio (mainly running). I change up everything all the time. My running is sometimes long easy runs, sometimes HIIT, sometimes shorter medium pace runs. My weight routine changes each day, each week, Circuits, Intermittent Super Sets, Fibonacci Pyramids, X-sets, Progress Venus Pyramids, and some splits, constantly changing it up, everything a variety of Strength, Hypertrophy, and Endurance.

Legs; In addition to Deadlift's, Stiff Leg Dead Lifts, Sumo Dead Lifts and Squats I do Bulgarian Split Squats, Lunges, Reverse lunges, Curtsey lunges, Step Ups, Crossover Bench Step Ups, One legged Deadlifts (T-Bend), Lunge Matrix, Bowler Squat, One Legged Get Ups, Bower Squat and Calf Raise, Bowler Squat + Stiff Leg Deadlift, Curtsey Lunge + Dumbbell Squat, T-Bend + Y-Squat, Reverse Lunge & Step Up, Curtsey Lunge + Step Up, Y-squat, Narrow Stance Squat

For upper body I do Standing Shoulder Press, Standing Dumbell Curls, Lying Tricep extension, Pullovers, Bent Barbell Row, Standing lateral Raise, Standing front Raise, Curl and Press, Shoulder Press + Curl, Dips, Lying Tricep Extensions + Flyes, Venus Raise (a type of snatch), Bent Row + Standing Lateral Raise, Pullovers, Pushup + Dips, Standing Dumbbell curls + Overhead Tricep Extension, Bent Lateral Raise + Pullovers, One Arm Dumbbell row, Flyes + Pushups, Seated Curl & Tate Press, Seated Curls + Overhead Tricep Extension, Pushups, Pullovers + Dips, Bent Barbell Row, Lateral Raise + Full Front Raise, Venus Raise + Dips, Standing Dumbbell curls + Lying Tricep Extension, Upright Row + Dips, Bent Barbell Row, Flat bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Bent Row Narrow, Bent Row + Kickback,

Then some upper and lower combos; Squat and Front Raise, Step Up & Press, Step Up + Standing Shoulder Press, Squat & Press, Squat & Swing, Curtsy Lunge + Standing Shoulder Pres, T-Bend & Row, Pike Front Rais + Curtsey Lunge, Flat Bench Press + Step Up.

Core: Bar Bell Rollouts (you can start out with Stability Ball Roll Outs), Swiss Ball Pikes (you can start out with Stability Ball Curl Ups), and planks. As you advance Swiss Ball Pike and pushup.

I probably forgot some but you get the idea. Not all of these at once, the routines I have are different every day and in various orders, various types of sets, always changing up, I just listed most of the exercises.

mmancini73

30 Day Shred has intervals of strength, cardio, and abs....I definitely tightened up by doing it for the full 30 days!

mustgetmuscles1

A strength training program is the best way to maintain muscle while you cut body fat. That and getting enough protein. There is really no such thing as "toning" but we all know what you mean. Weightlifting is a great way to get your resistance training but a body weight program can get you great results for a long time. Most of the so called strength programs out there are really just cardio/endurance training. They will give you strength training benefits at first but once your initial newbie period is over you will need to find ways to up the resistance to maintain the muscle retention benefits.

petiteLady89

Some of my favorites are Jari Love (compound strength training), Jillian Michaels (she is circuit style training), Body Barre, Jackie Warner, Pilates, yoga, Tae Bo, Insanity, TurboFire, Breathless Body, Brooke Burk. These are the main ones I use and I've gotten amazing results with them. I focus mainly on strength and circuit. I only do cardio once a week for 45-60 minutes. In circuit training you get short bursts of cardio in between strength. Compound strength training is great because you use more muscles, therefore, will burn more calories. (ex: lunges with curles, squats with military press. ect. Jari Love is the best that I've found that does this. I also did the butt bible along with other DVDs and my butt really lifted.

As you can tell I am huge workout DVD junkie, but they have given me great results. I normally make a six week routine that changes every two weeks. I am getting ready to start round three of a six week routine on Monday. I get most of my DVDs on amazon, or walmart.

Sarauk2sf

Do you have access to a gym or weights?

BlackTimber

Take a look at the 5x5 strong-lifts for women. It's simple and effective.

tinagn

Lift weights, strength training at the gym etc