Strength training ideas? cardio is not cutting it.

chrtyA
chrtyA Posts: 39
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone do kettle bells? I need to add more strength exercises to my routine. I love cardio:running and elliptical and all that but my body is really used to it. Last time I lost weight well it has been months. I am working on my calories and I do cardio regularly(it's a habit and has been for years) I feel great but no pounds lost. After my firstborn was born I lost all my baby weight with running because I was new to it but now my body is pretty used to it. Any direction for strength training and weights to my routine is appreciated.

Replies

  • chrtyA
    chrtyA Posts: 39
    I have little 10 pound weights and exercise bands I do squats and a bit of strengthening but it's the same o'l stuff I need to add more.....
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    push-ups
    pull-ups
    lunges
    deadlifts
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    I like to run - and I've found that strength training actually improves my performance.

    I'd recommend looking into Strong Lifts 5x5. Or look for the book "Starting Strength". Both are great choices for getting started.
  • Bamacraft
    Bamacraft Posts: 175 Member
    What Jacksonpt suggested is a good start. you can do all in one workout or split into upper/lower. A medicine ball and a set or two of DBs will help. Vary your cardio too. Sprints or 1/4 mile repeats are great. you can also combine both, cardio and strengthening. Without stopping...Start with crunches, do 12 push ups and then sprint 50 yards, do 12 pull ups and then 40 JJ, 12 lunges and then jog 100 yards, 12 deadlifts and sprint again, finish with a plank. rest ~1.5 - 2 minutes and repeat ~4-5x. Do this twice per week with your long runs or eliptical on alternate days. If you do the routine correctly (very taxing to give 100%) i would take the following day off completely to rest. Change it up every 2-3 weeks and mix in new exercises to target certain muscles more explicitly (curls, tricep extensions etc..) and dont always make it a cardio work out. Sometimes focus on strength alone and rest between sets while going heavy if your equipment allows.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    I like to run - and I've found that strength training actually improves my performance.

    I'd recommend looking into Strong Lifts 5x5. Or look for the book "Starting Strength". Both are great choices for getting started.

    I've found this to be true as well.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Can't out train bad eating. Start by making sure you are eating enough, but not too much and make sure you weigh or measure everything.

    Like the other suggestions Strong Lifts or New Rules of Lifting for Women. You can also check out some of the free programs on Bodybuilding.com
  • vorgas
    vorgas Posts: 741 Member
    Another +1 for Strong Lifts 5x5
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    Lift as heavy as you can.
  • Abells
    Abells Posts: 756 Member
    push-ups
    pull-ups
    lunges
    deadlifts

    This guy always wins :)

    WITH kettle bells - you can do thrusters, squats, push presses, turkish get-ups, american swings, alternating russian swings, cleans, clean and press ---stay awesome!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Diet for weight control and nutrition...exercise for fitness. If you want to change body composition, you have to do more strength training...calisthenics are great...and I love kettle bell exercises; both are great options if you're unable to get to the gym and lift and/or don't have equipment at home. They are limited though and you'll have to change things up to increase resistance.
  • chrtyA
    chrtyA Posts: 39
    Thanks for all the input. No, I don't live close to a gym ( closest is 90 miles round trip).
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Thanks for all the input. No, I don't live close to a gym ( closest is 90 miles round trip).
    Check into used weights on craigslist. If there aren't any there now, there will be some by mid january / early february. Just starting off with a bar, a bench, and a plate of each would get you a long way.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
    push-ups
    pull-ups
    lunges
    deadlifts

    Add squats and rows IMO
  • annepage
    annepage Posts: 585 Member
    Maybe more core? Crunches, oblique crunches, full planks, side planks, tba presses, wood chops, trunk rotations...
  • Skeels
    Skeels Posts: 929 Member
    push-ups
    pull-ups
    lunges
    deadlifts


    This
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    push-ups
    pull-ups
    lunges
    deadlifts

    Add squats and rows IMO

    Oh, yea... definitely rows.
  • SenshiV
    SenshiV Posts: 131 Member
    I do (not a professional or anything just commenting):

    Bicep/hammer curls, Dumbbell row, kickbacks, overhead press. Along with what others have suggested too :). That's because I only had hand weights but I got some cheesy bench and bar weights yesterday only to add some other variety.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Thanks for all the input. No, I don't live close to a gym ( closest is 90 miles round trip).

    Bodyweight exercises are a good choice then - pushups, tricips dips, squats, lunges, planks, etc. If you don't have access to weights you can use a backpack filled with bottles/cans/etc. to add weight. And/or do more reps.

    Also, you could switch up your straight cardio for HIIT workouts a couple of times a week to increase calories burned and endurance. There are a lot of great HIIT running programs available for free on the internet. Plyometrics are great for HIIT as well. YouTube is a great resource for free bodyweight and HIIT workouts.
  • chrtyA
    chrtyA Posts: 39
    Thanks for all the input. No, I don't live close to a gym ( closest is 90 miles round trip).

    Bodyweight exercises are a good choice then - pushups, tricips dips, squats, lunges, planks, etc. If you don't have access to weights you can use a backpack filled with bottles/cans/etc. to add weight. And/or do more reps.

    Also, you could switch up your straight cardio for HIIT workouts a couple of times a week to increase calories burned and endurance. There are a lot of great HIIT running programs available for free on the internet. Plyometrics are great for HIIT as well. YouTube is a great resource for free bodyweight and HIIT workouts.

    Thank You!
  • stljam
    stljam Posts: 512 Member
    Also, you might try varying the elliptical a lot. With mine, I'll vary it by pushing resistance very high and keeping the same strides per minute or keeping resistance the same and upping the strides per minute goal by 30% or doing it going backwards or doing it while squatting or any other way I can think of. It keeps changing it up and keeps my body from getting used to it and getting as efficient at it.

    Sure, eventually the elliptical will not challenge me - say when I can do the highest resistance at the highest incline at 300 strides per minute forwards, backwards, while squatting, not holding on, etc but that is a long day from today, lol.
  • JosieJo2000
    JosieJo2000 Posts: 162 Member
    Have you had a look at the TRX? Amazing workout using bodyweight, my husband was deployed overseas and lots of the guys kept in shape with it. You change the angle of your body to change the workout. Easy to throw over a door, or tie to just about anything.

    I also do bodyweight exercises with a fitball (eg push ups with feet on the ball, and from this position you can pull your knees in and get a killer ab workout). I also do lunges and squats around the house using anything heavy I can find. I like triceps dips off the stairs too.
  • chrtyA
    chrtyA Posts: 39
    Have you had a look at the TRX? Amazing workout using bodyweight, my husband was deployed overseas and lots of the guys kept in shape with it. You change the angle of your body to change the workout. Easy to throw over a door, or tie to just about anything.

    I also do bodyweight exercises with a fitball (eg push ups with feet on the ball, and from this position you can pull your knees in and get a killer ab workout). I also do lunges and squats around the house using anything heavy I can find. I like triceps dips off the stairs too.

    All great ideas! Thanks everyone!
  • chrtyA
    chrtyA Posts: 39
    Can't out train bad eating. Start by making sure you are eating enough, but not too much and make sure you weigh or measure everything.

    Like the other suggestions Strong Lifts or New Rules of Lifting for Women. You can also check out some of the free programs on Bodybuilding.com

    I guess I am trying to find my magic calorie number to lose weight. I have averaged around 1500-1750 calories a day. MFP puts me at 1840 daily to lose a pound a week. Should I start at 1200 and then eat part of my calories back from exercise and increase every few weeks? I don't have a food scale I guess I should invest in one. I hear the eat more weigh less concept concerning metabolism trying to understand the concept completely.

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