General Comment About People Who Don't Lift
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Example Misty Copeland, very famous ballet dancer:
Oh.
My.
God.
Thom's new celebrity crush.
Yes, I just referred to myself in the 3rd person. Deal with it.0 -
I've thought about lifting but I don't have weights and I belong to Curves for Women and don't want to join another. Curves says I'm getting strength training because their equipment works with resistance not weights. I also do strength training on my WII fit which includes lunges, pushups etc. And incase I'm not getting enough I also downloaded YAYOG. I did that on Saturday for 16 minutes and discovered the muscles I'm missing (I mean that I haven't exercised!). I'll probably try that once every 2-3 days as well. So do I still need to lift?
I belonged to Curves a few years ago. It didn't do squat for me. I'm in better shape now after only a month and a half of lifting than I was after a year of curves.0 -
A dancer who lifts, will look different that someone that only lifts.
Yes, because the dancer will be concentrating on certain movements, doing things like jumps and toestands hours every day.
But if you think you can't replicate that look with targeted workouts in the gym, you're dead wrong.
I don't believe I am. You need the stretching and cardio of dancing, along with the strength training to get a dancers body. You need to dance.
And a lifter and dancer's body would look different how?
In general the dancer would likely be more lithe.0 -
I belonged to Curves a few years ago. It didn't do squat for me. I'm in better shape now after only a month and a half of lifting than I was after a year of curves.
This is a common refrain, isn't it? Everyone who has gone from cardio bunny to lifting regularly raves about how much more effective it is.
Have we seen anyone in the thread go the other way? I am waiting for one person to say "Yeah, you know, I lifted heavy for a few months and just never got the results that I get now from using pink dumbbells on a Stairmaster."
Truth is it'll never happen. The results from lifting speak for themselves. Look through the pictures of "lifting" girls that have been posted in this thread. They look fantastic and healthy, every last one of them.0 -
In general the dancer would likely be more lithe.
No, this makes no sense. It's simply not true.0 -
I don't really understand why people make it like you have to do one or the other. I do both. I don't see a problem with either, I enjoy both and I feel like I am getting what I need from both sides of it.
Agreed. I do both as well, but I don't lift heavy just what I can manage. If I'm not mistaken, lifting heavy is how you get the "hulk" look. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
To be blunt, you're wrong. Unless you get a lot of pharmaceutical help an average woman will never be able to match the amount of muscularity that an average man has naturally. Even genetic outliers (which are FAR less common than you hear 'I bulk up really easily') won't be able to match a guy who's training without a TON of consistent effort (this is barring some weird ailment I've never heard of that jacks a woman's test levels by like 300% or something).
Lets say the person in question is a genetic anomaly, and has buku test for a chick. All she'd have to do to lose the 'hulk look' is stop lifting.
Look at guys who lift and are jacked. They have to keep lifting or they lose it. It's not some permanent change that you're stuck with. Try it out (give it more than two days), and if you don't like it, stop. Don't worry, atrophy takes care of the rest.0 -
I belonged to Curves a few years ago. It didn't do squat for me. I'm in better shape now after only a month and a half of lifting than I was after a year of curves.
This is a common refrain, isn't it? Everyone who has gone from cardio bunny to lifting regularly raves about how much more effective it is.
Have we seen anyone in the thread go the other way? I am waiting for one person to say "Yeah, you know, I lifted heavy for a few months and just never got the results that I get now from using pink dumbbells on a Stairmaster."
Truth is it'll never happen. The results from lifting speak for themselves. Look through the pictures of "lifting" girls that have been posted in this thread. They look fantastic and healthy, every last one of them.
Not to mention that a lot of the people that lose weight doing cardio go from having extra pounds to skinny fat.0 -
In general the dancer would likely be more lithe.
No, this makes no sense. It's simply not true.
^While in a way a dancers body would be more "lithe". That is because they stretch like crazy and train to look graceful. However, I lift heavy and I am VERY VERY flexible. Yoga instructors stop me to ask why I am so flexible! The only way I lose any of my felxibility is when I stop stretching. Lifting weights does not equal less flexibility........less stretching equals less flexibility.0 -
I do cardio and weights, and honestly, I get mad at myself when I think of all the MONTHS of just cardio I have done with verly little progress. I'm talking maybe 1 - 2 pounds a month at a time. This was while doing cardio for an hour 3 - 4 times a week and staving myself!
When I found MFP and saw the posts about weight lifting I was intrigued and did a TON of homework. Feeling very nervous to try things out myself, I got a personal trainer 3 weeks ago. In 3 weeks I have seen more progress then the last 8 months of cardio. I've lost 3 lbs and .5 - 1 inch everywhere! 3 lbs seems slow when I concentrate on the scale, but I have to remember that I'm gaining muscle at the same time. The best progress is in the tape measure, every increase in weights, and my clothes getting looser. I also feel more energized, stronger, and more confident... in just 3 weeks! Oh, and I get to eat more!
I know I'm not going to constantly see progress, but lifting weights has reinvigorated my goal to get healthy. I also do a mix of different things, so I may have muscle confusion helping me out. But one day I'll do weight machines, one day is still cardio, but now I incorporate HIIT, one day is free weights (and I'm still low on these, but heavy to me), one day is a combination of HIIT and weight machines... you get the picture.
The only thing I see differently then other people is that I'll have two weight days back to back before my rest day. I don't want it to remain this way forever, especially as I see people advising against this, but it's what works out for me right now. My personal trainer has not discouraged this, but I haven't asked her directly if it is okay, so I'm not advising anyone to do this, just explaining what has worked for me personally.
I think with everything in life it comes down to personal preferences and what works for them. A combo of cardio and weights currently work for me, where just cardio did not. If this stalls out, I'll look into switching things up again and trying something else for awhile. I think what most people need however is a combination of perservance and patience! It will happen; it does improve!0 -
People need to understand that the only tissue types you have control over via exercise and diet are muscle and fat.
You can either build, maintain, or lose fat. You can either build, maintain, or lose muscle.
That's it. Those are the only options. There isn't some magical "lean" or "lithe" or "toned" muscle you get from doing one thing but "big" or "bulky" muscle you get from doing something else.
Your muscles are like balloons. You can either inflate them or deflate them. If you work on making them bigger and they get too big for you, which trust me will never happen, then stop working them so hard. End of story. That's the beginning and end of it.
Using light weight is TERRIBLE for building muscle. It's just awful. Using heavy weight is GREAT for building muscle. That's the long and short of it.0 -
I belonged to Curves a few years ago. It didn't do squat for me. I'm in better shape now after only a month and a half of lifting than I was after a year of curves.
This is a common refrain, isn't it? Everyone who has gone from cardio bunny to lifting regularly raves about how much more effective it is.
Have we seen anyone in the thread go the other way? I am waiting for one person to say "Yeah, you know, I lifted heavy for a few months and just never got the results that I get now from using pink dumbbells on a Stairmaster."
Truth is it'll never happen. The results from lifting speak for themselves. Look through the pictures of "lifting" girls that have been posted in this thread. They look fantastic and healthy, every last one of them.
Not to mention that a lot of the people that lose weight doing cardio go from having extra pounds to skinny fat.
Yeah. It's depressing when you see a girl who goes "I lost 50 pounds by running every day!" and you realize that they probably sacrificed 15 lbs of solid muscle mass in the process. If that same girl had lifted more instead of running so damn much, that would be 15 lbs of fat that would be muscle instead. She'd be 1-2 sizes smaller, much firmer, and much more toned. And certainly not bulky.0 -
I belonged to Curves a few years ago. It didn't do squat for me. I'm in better shape now after only a month and a half of lifting than I was after a year of curves.
This is a common refrain, isn't it? Everyone who has gone from cardio bunny to lifting regularly raves about how much more effective it is.
Curves is not strictly cardio. It's a circuit of strength machines and cardio. It can give a good workout, depending on how intensely you work. It would not be the same as lifting heavy, but that doesn't mean it would be inferior. It provides enough resistance to maintain bone density and build strength.0 -
In general the dancer would likely be more lithe.
No, this makes no sense. It's simply not true.
^While in a way a dancers body would be more "lithe". That is because they stretch like crazy and train to look graceful. However, I lift heavy and I am VERY VERY flexible. Yoga instructors stop me to ask why I am so flexible! The only way I lose any of my felxibility is when I stop stretching. Lifting weights does not equal less flexibility........less stretching equals less flexibility.
I never suggested lifting weights equaled less flexibility.0 -
Curves is not strictly cardio. It's a circuit of strength machines and cardio. It can give a good workout, depending on how intensely you work. It would not be the same as lifting heavy, but that doesn't mean it would be inferior. It provides enough resistance to maintain bone density and build strength.
Using machines will give you a small fraction of the benefit of freeweights. Machines deprive you of the benefits of antagonists, stabilizers, dynamic stabilizers, balance, and coordination. Even if you managed to work all the muscles that get used in a squat by using machines, you wouldn't get the same results. And you'd be using 6 different machines.
YOU are the machine. All you need to do is add weight.0 -
Curves is not strictly cardio. It's a circuit of strength machines and cardio. It can give a good workout, depending on how intensely you work. It would not be the same as lifting heavy, but that doesn't mean it would be inferior. It provides enough resistance to maintain bone density and build strength.
Using machines will give you a small fraction of the benefit of freeweights. Machines deprive you of the benefits of antagonists, stabilizers, dynamic stabilizers, balance, and coordination. Even if you managed to work all the muscles that get used in a squat by using machines, you wouldn't get the same results. And you'd be using 6 different machines.
Um yeah, that's why I said it wasn't the same workout as weights. Although, you could do squats in a Curves workout if you wanted.0 -
Curves is not strictly cardio. It's a circuit of strength machines and cardio. It can give a good workout, depending on how intensely you work. It would not be the same as lifting heavy, but that doesn't mean it would be inferior. It provides enough resistance to maintain bone density and build strength.
Using machines will give you a small fraction of the benefit of freeweights. Machines deprive you of the benefits of antagonists, stabilizers, dynamic stabilizers, balance, and coordination. Even if you managed to work all the muscles that get used in a squat by using machines, you wouldn't get the same results. And you'd be using 6 different machines.
Um yeah, that's why I said it wasn't the same workout as weights. Although, you could do squats in a Curves workout if you wanted.
If there is a squat rack in Curves I'd be astonished.0 -
In general the dancer would likely be more lithe.
No, this makes no sense. It's simply not true.
Ditto! WTF is lithe?? And did this poster read the responses from an acutal dancer?0 -
This is a 17 time World Champion Powerlifter.
OMG. I have a new fitness role model!0 -
In general the dancer would likely be more lithe.
No, this makes no sense. It's simply not true.
^While in a way a dancers body would be more "lithe". That is because they stretch like crazy and train to look graceful. However, I lift heavy and I am VERY VERY flexible. Yoga instructors stop me to ask why I am so flexible! The only way I lose any of my felxibility is when I stop stretching. Lifting weights does not equal less flexibility........less stretching equals less flexibility.
I never suggested lifting weights equaled less flexibility.
Sorry, I took lithe to mean "supple, limber, or flexible". I take back what I said if that's not what you meant!
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If there is a squat rack in Curves I'd be astonished.
I just looked up some pictures of Curves centers. I don't get it. I don't see any weights of any kind. No dumbbells, no barbells, no plate-loaded machines. I see a bunch of contraptions that look like they have no weights of any kind on them.0
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