Muscle Conditioning and Toning

thirtyby40

I am about 12 pounds from my initial weight loss goal, I am planning on adding in some muscle condition soon. I lost all this weight by sticking to the elliptical mostly. I do 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. I am looking for 2 things...

1) Is it okay to replace 2 days a week of cardio with conditioning ( I would most likely do 30 shred or another Jillian DVD), or should I stick to 5 days cardio and do conditioning on my 2 days off

2) What type of muscle building exercises do you like?? I find weights boring, boring, boring. I hate squats, lunges, and crunches. I can get on board with yoga but I am not sure that is enough for me. I will do the other things I mentioned I hate, but it will be much easier to stick to something I love.

I would be happy for any and all tips and suggestions. Thanks in advance.

cjjohnson

Try the Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown DVD. I do it every morning, and its a great workout for muscle toning,and you'll feel great all day. I would start with your non cardio days and them move up to add it to the cardio.

robynbirdy

Hi-
I think if you stick with three days of cardio and two days of toning you should still lose weight and firm up at the same time. Plus you do need those rest days. I do 30 day Shred and it really does firm up your body. This is the first time I actually have muscle definition in my shoulders and arms and I can detect some abs under my layer of stomach fat! You burn a decent amount of calories doing Shred. I also bought Jillian's Burn Fat and Boost Metabolism dvd. It's about 50 minutes of cardio. I have her No More Trouble Zones as well which is about 50 minutes of toning. Unfortunately I've found that you have to do the lunges and squats and other boring floor exercises to really tone your muscles. At least Jillian makes you want to do it!
Good Luck!

alisaperry74

It is absolutely a good idea to replace a couple days a week of cardio with weight/resistance training. I understand your aversion to squats, lunges, weights, etc but there is no denying their effectiveness. Why don't you try a little circuit training a couple times a week when you are alternating resistance training (squats, lunges, push-ups, etc) with short bursts of cardio like jumping jacks, running in place, elliptical, or jumping rope. You can get a killer workout in a short amount of time.

Best of luck to you! :flowerforyou: