lifting to much

nillapup

I am just curious and have a question for all you lifters.. I lift weights..Not a pro by any means.. But I do alot of dumbbell exercise routines that I find online.. Here is my question.. My arms/shoulders/back are getting large.. No not Popeye large just very large.. I look very muscular while this is ok.. I don't really care about having huge arms and such I am mostly lifting to *tone* I want to slim my excess flab from losing weight.. I know diet is half the battle and I am working on that.. I was just wondering if anyone could give me any ideas of lifts to do to help more with my core then my upper body.. thanks for any help.. if it helps I do most all of my dumbbell exercises with 40 pounds except flys i use 20's and I use about 90 for anything I do two handed.. should I just use lighter weights?maybe do something more like p90x with lighter weights? Also I only have dumbells.. No Bar ( If I had the money I would go get a trainer or a gym membership. but I am currently unemployed and poor.. any advice would be helpful sorry for the long rant..

Hendrix7

goblet squat
rear foot elevated dumbell split squat
Overhead squat
single leg dumbell deadlift

You could probably swing dumbell like a kettlebell depending on the type of dumbell

meshashesha2012

deadlifts, squats (back and front), pull ups, push ups, snatches. all of these will force you to engage your core to maintain proper form.

on a GOOD deadlifting day the next day i feel like i've done 5 minutes work of planks.

oh and there's also turkish get ups. those work the entire body and you will definitely feel it in your obliques

AntWrig

I 2nd the goblet squat. Great exercise, especially if you go deep and use a heavy DB.

ShreddedTweet

Agreed with squats and deadlifts, I really feel it in my core the next day.

nillapup

I am goggling all of these exercises right now ) thanks.. and I have used my dumbbells as a kettle bell before.. maybe I will start doing that again too.. Thanks everyone for some great ideas..

Yogi_Carl

Squats are said to be the prime quad exercise due to their "metabolic" effect - whatever that means - would you get the same effect with goblet squats if you go as heavy as you can go within your own limits?

Hendrix7

Goblet squats will emphasize the quads more as the weight is in front of you, however the overall workload is probably less than a normal barbell back squat as you will be limited by how much weight you can hold in that manor, however OP doesn't have a barbell.
as for

Squats are said to be the prime quad exercise due to their "metabolic" effect

I have no idea what that is supposed to mean.

nillapup

Goblet squats will emphasize the quads more as the weight is in front of you, however the overall workload is probably less than a normal barbell back squat as you will be limited by how much weight you can hold in that manor, however OP doesn't have a barbell.
as for

Squats are said to be the prime quad exercise due to their "metabolic" effect

I have no idea what that is supposed to mean.

I think he is talking about fat loss

JanieJack

I *LOVE* lifting weights for weight loss and keeping a shapely body. I know you asked about what can you *lift* that will slim out your core. I'd like to suggest adding an hour (or however much time you have) of pilates in place of at least one lifting workout each week. It both stretches you (which is good to counter the tightness of lifting) as well as engages the core with every muscle.

liznotyet

Second the pilates type moves .. brazilian dance is like standing up pilates or barre without the bar. Squats work best when you do a variety of different ones. The library is the best free source of old exercise DVDs and sometimes even VHS tapes. Lately I have been scanning around the house for the perfect piece of furniture to hold onto for squats. Sturdy dining chairs, bedposts...?

nillapup

I *LOVE* lifting weights for weight loss and keeping a shapely body. I know you asked about what can you *lift* that will slim out your core. I'd like to suggest adding an hour (or however much time you have) of pilates in place of at least one lifting workout each week. It both stretches you (which is good to counter the tightness of lifting) as well as engages the core with every muscle.

I just started doing a daily10 minute planking routine.. I also do 3 days a week of roller derby practice.. and 3 days of lifting.. I am not opposed to doing Pilates I am a little concerned about working out to much. Is that even possible? Should I do the Pilates on days I lift and not do the planking routine on that day maybe? ah you sad in place of so do 2 days lifting and 1 day Pilates.. gotcha

nillapup

Second the pilates type moves .. brazilian dance is like standing up pilates or barre without the bar. Squats work best when you do a variety of different ones. The library is the best free source of old exercise DVDs and sometimes even VHS tapes. Lately I have been scanning around the house for the perfect piece of furniture to hold onto for squats. Sturdy dining chairs, bedposts...?

Brazilian dance..samba? I am awful at all things dance.. maybe the Pilates will make learning to dance easier? There should be more days in the week so I can do more things.. hahaha

JanieJack

I do weights with cross fit every work day day (about 20-30 min) during lunch and then run, zumba or pilates/Cathe stretch for an hour after work and on weekends. Typically works out to 3-4 Zumbas and 2-3 running sessions and 1-2 stretch sessions...sometimes a rest day... just depends on how my body is feeling.

Before moving here I had a job where I couldn't work out during work and had no access to aerobics classes so I did Joyce Vedrals Bottoms UP with freeweights- alternating upper and lower body each day for about 30-45 minutes then either her abs, running, or a pilates/stretch routine. That was very effective too, but not quite as much fun as crossfit and zumba.

nillapup

I do weights with cross fit every work day day (about 20-30 min) during lunch and then run, zumba or pilates/Cathe stretch for an hour after work and on weekends. Typically works out to 3-4 Zumbas and 2-3 running sessions and 1-2 stretch sessions...sometimes a rest day... just depends on how my body is feeling.

Before moving here I had a job where I couldn't work out during work and had no access to aerobics classes so I did Joyce Vedrals Bottoms UP with freeweights- alternating upper and lower body each day for about 30-45 minutes then either her abs, running, or a pilates/stretch routine. That was very effective too, but not quite as much fun as crossfit and zumba.

I would dig crossfit it is so expensive though.. No way I can afford it

paijing

From Steve Troutman, a professional trainer:

In the beginning, even while dieting, strength training can invoke muscle growth. It’s just the way it is with beginners, and you’ve never trained like this before in your life. The bottom line is, though, that it’s not going to continue. Your upper body is not going to get hulking huge, nor is any other part of you. If it worked like that, your everyday male who’s lifting weights and eating a surplus would become enormous. You’re at the polar opposite end of the spectrum being female and dieting. Your level of hormones wouldn’t support large muscle gains even if you were eating in a surplus. This said, it’s something I wouldn’t sweat if I were you. There’s a reason why you see women deadlifting 2 and 3 times their body weights without having tree-trunks for legs.

Read the rest here: http://body-improvements.com/2011/12/15/question-from-a-client-measurements-going-the-wrong-way/

nillapup

From Steve Troutman, a professional trainer:

In the beginning, even while dieting, strength training can invoke muscle growth. It’s just the way it is with beginners, and you’ve never trained like this before in your life. The bottom line is, though, that it’s not going to continue. Your upper body is not going to get hulking huge, nor is any other part of you. If it worked like that, your everyday male who’s lifting weights and eating a surplus would become enormous. You’re at the polar opposite end of the spectrum being female and dieting. Your level of hormones wouldn’t support large muscle gains even if you were eating in a surplus. This said, it’s something I wouldn’t sweat if I were you. There’s a reason why you see women deadlifting 2 and 3 times their body weights without having tree-trunks for legs.

Read the rest here: http://body-improvements.com/2011/12/15/question-from-a-client-measurements-going-the-wrong-way/

Thanks for posting this and I will definitely give this a read... I didn't think I was going to hulk out or anything. I was just mostly looking for exercises less focused on arms ) which I have definitely found a ton thanks to so many great posts.. ya!