Has anyone "transformed" their body WITHOUT lifting heavy?

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Jen800
Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just thought I'd ask. Currently, there's no way I can sign up and pay for a gym. Therefore, I can't really be lifting heavy either! :sad:
Right now the only strength I really get in is body-weight work and 3-8 pound weights(I do lots of jillian micheals) and cardio.

I have build a small amount of muscle in my arms (then again, this is large to me seeing as all that used to be there was flab!) just from doing Jillian, but I'm just wondering if anyone has ever been able to really fat-reduce without joining a gym/getting into lifting heavy.

Note: I definitely respect anyone who can and does lift heavy weights. Keep up the great work! I just don't have that option right now :sad:
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Replies

  • icec_venna
    icec_venna Posts: 2 Member
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    I run and do the jillian videos at well and am quite content with this! I think since you are a woman - are you? - your own bodyweight is enough for lifting, so just try all these exercises :)
  • dhakiyya
    dhakiyya Posts: 481 Member
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    I lift heavy and haven't joined a gym. When I lived in Saudi, I had no choice, all the gyms in my area were men only, and the nearest women only gym was hundreds of miles away in another city (there are no mixed gyms in Saudi Arabia). So I bought myself heavy dumbbells and trained at home. I now live in Bahrain and there's a mixed gym really close by and loads of gyms in my city (mixed and women only), and my decision right now is whether I join a gym, or buy myself a barbell set because my dumbbells are now too light for some exercises. I'm probably going to do both ultimately, but right now I think I'll buy myself the barbells.

    Like the person above says though you can do a lot of strength training exercises without actual weights, but personally I prefer to combine the two, so I do a mix of bodyweight and dumbbell exercises. I need the barbell for the ones where my dumbbells are too light like squats, deadlifts and bench press.
  • johloz
    johloz Posts: 176 Member
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    Yes! I have been lifting more lately because 1) my goals have changed and 2) I have the resources, but I've been shredded using nothing more than consistent body weight exercises (and the use of a sandbag -- priceless!) You don't need weights if you don't have them. There are so many body weight exercises that can shred you if done correctly.

    Also, please keep in mind that not everyone has the same fitness goals, so people who lift heavy (while it is certainly good for your physique) may not be trying to accomplish the same things you are. They are going to try to sell you their fitness plan like its the only way -- runners, cyclists, P90x-ers, Crossfit-ers, and anyone else who has found success in their program -- will too, but every body is different, and we are all trying to accomplish different things.

    Jillian Micheals DVD's usually have a lot of body weight exercises, but do a little research on your own and supplement if you are really trying to increase strength.

    Good luck!
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    I run and do the jillian videos at well and am quite content with this! I think since you are a woman - are you? - your own bodyweight is enough for lifting, so just try all these exercises :)

    Definitely - woman or not, you can adjust bodyweight exercises to keep up the intensity enough to see MODERATE strength gains and still get the metabolic effect that lifting heavy provides. It's just more of a challenge keeping up the intensity of the exercises, but I like the challenge.
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
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    Thanks! Last time I checked I was indeed a woman :laugh:
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
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    dhakiyya:

    Thanks for replying, this seems like a good idea. How heavy of weights did you use when you were at home without the barbell?
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
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    johloz: Great advice, thanks!

    It's good to remind myself that other people have different goals than myself once in a while, too :laugh:
  • BohemianCoast
    BohemianCoast Posts: 349 Member
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    You might look at "You Are Your Own Gym" -- basically showing you how bodyweight exercises can be as 'lifting heavy' as you like.
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
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    http://hundredpushups.com
  • emily_bird
    emily_bird Posts: 236
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    Yes! I have been lifting more lately because 1) my goals have changed and 2) I have the resources, but I've been shredded using nothing more than consistent body weight exercises (and the use of a sandbag -- priceless!) You don't need weights if you don't have them. There are so many body weight exercises that can shred you if done correctly.

    Also, please keep in mind that not everyone has the same fitness goals, so people who lift heavy (while it is certainly good for your physique) may not be trying to accomplish the same things you are. They are going to try to sell you their fitness plan like its the only way -- runners, cyclists, P90x-ers, Crossfit-ers, and anyone else who has found success in their program -- will too, but every body is different, and we are all trying to accomplish different things.

    Jillian Micheals DVD's usually have a lot of body weight exercises, but do a little research on your own and supplement if you are really trying to increase strength.

    Good luck!

    great advice!


    Yep ! You can. You should check out body resistance videos and ghetto workouts if you want something really hard. These guys on Youtube who I think call themselves "Bastardz" are incredible ripped and use their own resistance. You should check out the Inansity program as well. This is one of the reasons why I am doing it.
  • dhakiyya
    dhakiyya Posts: 481 Member
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    dhakiyya:

    Thanks for replying, this seems like a good idea. How heavy of weights did you use when you were at home without the barbell?

    the ones I've got, loaded up with all the weights that come with them, weigh 21.4lbs each, so using them for lifts that require two dumbbells together that's 42.8lb. However you can make them a lot lighter, and even the empty bar is quite heavy, so you can adjust the weights to your ability (very important) and increase them as your strength increases, and also increase or decrease the weight for different exercises.

    Mine look rather like this: http://www.amazon.com/Cap-Barbell-40-Pound-Dumbbell-Set/dp/B000VCDXNS/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1 (different brand and colour, but same type)
  • snowbike
    snowbike Posts: 153 Member
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    There is loads of body weight routines if you google them.

    This is the sort of thing ...

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

    The object of a weight lifting exercise is to get to failure, basically the last repetition of each set needs to be the last one you can do.
    It doesnt matter if it takes 50 squats to do this with body weight or 6 squats with 300lb barbell, the same change will take place in your muscles.
    The only cavet is doing higher reps takes longer to do the whole routine.
  • bdamaster60
    bdamaster60 Posts: 595 Member
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    It really depends on your personal goals. My perspective of heavy weights is very different so this gets a little weird for me, but as a female, your small physiological structure means you don't need to be lifting heavy (when i say heavy i mean 500lbs at 75kgs). Your body weight should be sufficient enough to stimulate a myofibrillar hypertrophy response until you are able to perform all body exercises with relative ease. If you want nice shape and curves on you, then you may have to add a little more resistence.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    The object of a weight lifting exercise is to get to failure, basically the last repetition of each set needs to be the last one you can do.
    It doesnt matter if it takes 50 squats to do this with body weight or 6 squats with 300lb barbell, the same change will take place in your muscles.
    The only cavet is doing higher reps takes longer to do the whole routine.

    I tend to agree with you, especially with squats, on this one and I know this will set the fur flying among the lift-heavy-low-reps fraternity on here and that's fine because each to their own path I say.

    All I would add is with bodyweight it is possible to increase the intensity of the exercise by increasing the difficulty - so for squats for instance once you can push out 3 sets of 20 in good form, maybe go to a single leg squat with your up leg resting on a chair behind you or just held off the ground.

    What bodyweight excels at is improving balance and co-ordination as well as seeing good strength gains compared to the average active person.
  • CupcakeRunner6780
    CupcakeRunner6780 Posts: 5 Member
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    I have lost over 100 lbs total and I am the same way. I don't want to get bulky but I have skin left over. I run.... it tighten everything except for my arms. :flowerforyou:
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,358 Member
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    I do not lift heavy, I do not have weights i have 3 lb dumbbells. I've lost 123 lbs. I do plan on investing in some weights cus I wanna have some ripped arms and a nice v lol wouldn't mind some abs. I don't wanna bulk but I wanna have a sexy fit body.

    Went from this
    250.jpg

    To this
    DSCF9304.jpg
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    ^^^ that is just - well, "Wow!"
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
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    beautiful pictures! You look amazing!

    And to everyone else: thanks so much for your replies. You've all helped :)
  • Mguilmot
    Mguilmot Posts: 232 Member
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    Only used a bicycle ... No gym needed for that. A used bike that I bought for 70 € (90$), and done this for almost two years. :-)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    The object of a weight lifting exercise is to get to failure, basically the last repetition of each set needs to be the last one you can do.
    It doesnt matter if it takes 50 squats to do this with body weight or 6 squats with 300lb barbell, the same change will take place in your muscles.
    The only cavet is doing higher reps takes longer to do the whole routine.

    I tend to agree with you, especially with squats, on this one and I know this will set the fur flying among the lift-heavy-low-reps fraternity on here and that's fine because each to their own path I say.

    All I would add is with bodyweight it is possible to increase the intensity of the exercise by increasing the difficulty - so for squats for instance once you can push out 3 sets of 20 in good form, maybe go to a single leg squat with your up leg resting on a chair behind you or just held off the ground.

    What bodyweight excels at is improving balance and co-ordination as well as seeing good strength gains compared to the average active person.

    Hi :wink:

    I actually agree that you can get a great workout doing body weight exercises. It really depends on your goals. The challenge with doing body weight exercises is that you are generally not doing compound lifts that are more efficient as they work more than one muscle group at a time. Also, at some point you will be having to do more and more reps to get fatigued which puts you in the endurance range and out of the hypertrophy range and definitely out of the strength range.

    That being said, you can totally make good progress doing body weight exercises and the benefits from it may well meet your goals. If they are not, then you can always change to weights.

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