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How to add strength?

asbandr
asbandr Posts: 39 Member
in Social Groups
I'm new to the idea of EMTWL, but have always felt that surely eating 1300 calories wasn't very healthy. I'm ready to give this a shot and have read alot about focusing on weight training vs. cardio and watching the inches vs. the scale. Right now I'm doing 3 days of running, and plan to continue that, and also am doing the 100 push up challenge 3 days a week, and 6 days a week I do a 1 minute 15 second plank. I would like to gradually add more strength training but there's no way I can go to a gym, hubby and I are trying to get out of debt plus the closest gym is 20+ miles away. I currently have 5 and 8 lb dumbells, but would that do any good? I really can't afford right now to get anything else, so any body weight exercises would be appreciated. And if you have some suggestions can I get a general plan? Just in case you need it some other stats are:
age: 27
Female
weight: 127
BF%: 30%
height: 5'1.5"
I'm planning to try eating at 1650 calories for a month or so and see what happens.
I would really appreciate any advice on anything you could give!

Replies

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Make sure the calorie goal is honest for your activity level. If those are decent paced runs at 60 min each - you are in Moderately Active level already. Some strength training added should have you round up slightly.

    Sure that would do some good that kind of lifting, you can still probably get to failure in 20 reps and 3-4 sets.

    Make sure the running the day after lifting with the legs is kept in the Active Recovery HR zone (poorly called fat-burning zone) so you actually get repair of muscle, not killing that process by adding another hard load to them.

    So the run the day before a lifting day can be in the aerobic HR zone, and make that the long run. Though you still may be tired the next day and therefore can't get the most out of the lifting with legs.

    Here's programs, and within the exercise is section on body weight and dumbbell moves. You know which ones will require more weight.

    http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Instructions.html
  • asbandr
    asbandr Posts: 39 Member
    So would body weight and 8 lb dumbells be enough to change my body? Or will I not see much toning until raising the weight?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    So would body weight and 8 lb dumbells be enough to change my body? Or will I not see much toning until raising the weight?

    You look through that list of body weight and dumbbell exercises.

    Can you do 3 sets of 8 reps of pullups?

    Can you do 5 sets of 15 pushups?

    Can you do 3 sets of 10 dips?

    Your body improves when you put a load on it that it can't handle. Then if given nutrition to repair and rest, it repairs stronger.

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