General Comment About People Who Don't Lift

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  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    No, I haven't seen all the pictures in the thread (and not the belly dancer posted earlier). I wasn't talking about every possible dancer anyway; I was talking about the dancers in my head. I have a DVD of belly dancers performing, and their bodies look very different from the bodies of weight lifters that I've seen posted around the forum here.

    Again - I haven't seen all of them, but I did know that there are hard muscled dancers and less hard muscled lifters. I've seen a few examples of both in this thread.

    If I didn't want to be able to dig out rocks and move heavy things around in the wheelbarrow to do landscaping projects, I don't think I'd do much weight lifting. I'd still practice belly dancing.
    belly dancer post:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/896786-general-comment-about-people-who-don-t-lift?page=8
    Not that I'm in immediate danger of either, but I'd rather have a dancer's body than a lifter's body.

    No reason you can't have both. I'm a bellydancer, and I also lift heavy.

    579090_10151265449473606_1646611516_n.jpg

    410_zpsa66ab7ab.jpg
  • ShmoozyQ
    ShmoozyQ Posts: 390 Member
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    I wish people would come to terms with the fact that a slightly higher body fat percentage will turn "OMG she's like SOOOOOO bulky!!!!!!! #Idontwannalooklikethat %whateverstupidtaggingthingpeoplearedoingthesedays" into "grace and tone and control" and all those other good adjectives people use for strong chicks that don't have super low BF%'s.

    This. A belly dancer and a figure competitor (in other words, the super tanned, super lean women flexing in bikinis on stage) might have the same exact muscle mass. One has a higher level of bodyfat, one has a very low level of bodyfat. The figure competitor might look just like your belly dancer image in the off season.
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
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    Also, started with the machines because I was a bit afraid of doing the free weights until my back got stronger. While I think this was a good plan and worked well, I can't believe how much difference I'm seeing since I progressed to free weights. It's like night and day. If you have a choice, use free weights.

    I am doing this too because of some lower back issues. I don't think I can go right into freeweight exercises on some of the lower body exercises. My back is too weak. I'm working up to it though. :bigsmile:
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I am doing this too because of some lower back issues. I don't think I can go right into freeweight exercises on some of the lower body exercises. My back is too weak. I'm working up to it though. :bigsmile:

    Careful, this could be a dangerous way to go. No machines will strengthen the stabilizers and antagonists the way actual lifting can. You should be doing freeweight exercises, starting light and very slowly moving up. If you build certain larger back muscles up without building the stabilizers around them, you can create an imbalance that can get you injured later on.

    The right way is to do the correct compound exercises from the beginning.

    Read the weakness, back recovery, guidelines, and inflexibility articles here:
    http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    I was talking about the dancers in my head.

    Well that certainly makes it crystal clear by any objective standard! lol
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    I am doing this too because of some lower back issues. I don't think I can go right into freeweight exercises on some of the lower body exercises. My back is too weak. I'm working up to it though. :bigsmile:

    Careful, this could be a dangerous way to go. No machines will strengthen the stabilizers and antagonists the way actual lifting can. You should be doing freeweight exercises, starting light and very slowly moving up. If you build certain larger back muscles up without building the stabilizers around them, you can create an imbalance that can get you injured later on.

    The right way is to do the correct compound exercises from the beginning.

    Read the weakness, back recovery, guidelines, and inflexibility articles here:
    http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html

    Talk to your doctor before you do any of that.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Talk to your doctor before you do any of that.

    That's a given. Rather, a physical therapist. Doctors generally know very little about this topic.
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
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    If your grandma or your daughter is thinking about doing an exercise program, but lifting at the gym is too overwhelming for them, or they are uncomfortable exercising around men for whatever reason and they want to try curves, why not? Just tell them to keep it month-to-month, because if they get the lifting bug, they will want to move on.

    I joined a small women's only gym. They have female trainers, the place isn't crowded all the time, and you don't ever have to unrack huge amounts of weight that guys have left on the bars. :smile:
    There are better options than Curves, though it's good that it helped you.

    I did Curves for 6 months before I gave up. I saw no difference.

    edited because I seem to spell better the second time around.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
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    I just want a slim body. I don't care if it's toned. I don't care if it's perfect. I just want to be slimmer then I am.

    I think people get too obsessed with body fat % and **** that I just couldn't care less about.

    My motto? To each his/her own! If you wanna lift - great! Good for you.
    If you don't wanna lift but are still trying to lose weight - great! Good for you!

    Either way you're going to be healthier then you are as an overweight person so go for it!!! I'll support people either way.
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
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    I am doing this too because of some lower back issues. I don't think I can go right into freeweight exercises on some of the lower body exercises. My back is too weak. I'm working up to it though. :bigsmile:

    Careful, this could be a dangerous way to go. No machines will strengthen the stabilizers and antagonists the way actual lifting can. You should be doing freeweight exercises, starting light and very slowly moving up. If you build certain larger back muscles up without building the stabilizers around them, you can create an imbalance that can get you injured later on.

    The right way is to do the correct compound exercises from the beginning.

    Read the weakness, back recovery, guidelines, and inflexibility articles here:
    http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html

    I'm doing both, but I'm lifting heavier for quads on some of the machines. My legs were pretty weak. I also do squats and lunges but with way less weight.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    I just want a slim body. I don't care if it's toned. I don't care if it's perfect. I just want to be slimmer then I am.

    I think people get too obsessed with body fat % and **** that I just couldn't care less about.

    My motto? To each his/her own! If you wanna lift - great! Good for you.
    If you don't wanna lift but are still trying to lose weight - great! Good for you!

    Either way you're going to be healthier then you are as an overweight person so go for it!!! I'll support people either way.

    How do you feel about having adequate lean muscle mass so as to avoid sarcopenia. Also, what about sufficient bone density to avoid osteoporosis. For you, as long as you are "slim" do those things not really matter?

    BTW, lifiting may be the most efficient way to accomplish those things but not the only way.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    I was talking about the dancers in my head.
    I would get that checked out. Next time, warn us when you stop talking about reality.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    No, I haven't seen all the pictures in the thread (and not the belly dancer posted earlier). I wasn't talking about every possible dancer anyway; I was talking about the dancers in my head. I have a DVD of belly dancers performing, and their bodies look very different from the bodies of weight lifters that I've seen posted around the forum here.

    Again - I haven't seen all of them, but I did know that there are hard muscled dancers and less hard muscled lifters. I've seen a few examples of both in this thread.

    If I didn't want to be able to dig out rocks and move heavy things around in the wheelbarrow to do landscaping projects, I don't think I'd do much weight lifting. I'd still practice belly dancing.

    There are belly dancers that include weight training in their exercise regiment too.

    But what you are basically saying is that nothing anyone says, shows you or proves to you matters. That realizing dancers of any type, including belly dancers, do weight training or that including weight training doesn't mean you are going to be "hard" or "bulky"...matters because the dancers in your head don't do that so you won't listen because you already have this notion of what you believe to be right.

    Okay..gotcha. Moving on....
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
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    I just want a slim body. I don't care if it's toned. I don't care if it's perfect. I just want to be slimmer then I am.

    I think people get too obsessed with body fat % and **** that I just couldn't care less about.

    My motto? To each his/her own! If you wanna lift - great! Good for you.
    If you don't wanna lift but are still trying to lose weight - great! Good for you!

    Either way you're going to be healthier then you are as an overweight person so go for it!!! I'll support people either way.

    How do you feel about having adequate lean muscle mass so as to avoid sarcopenia. Also, what about sufficient bone density to avoid osteoporosis. For you, as long as you are "slim" do those things not really matter?

    BTW, lifiting may be the most efficient way to accomplish those things but not the only way.

    I don't care. :) That's how I feel.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I don't care. :) That's how I feel.

    And if you do indeed get slim, which I get the impression won't happen given your attitude, you'll just stop there and be happy?
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
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    I don't care. :) That's how I feel.

    And if you do indeed get slim, which I get the impression won't happen given your attitude, you'll just stop there and be happy?

    You're so sweet.

    Yup. When I lose the weight I want to lose, I will be content where I am instead of constantly chasing perfection.
  • arnfolly
    arnfolly Posts: 79 Member
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    Davesurf20 had it correct. There are a ton of benefits, and you do not need to lift HEAVY stuff. Especially for women, the first thing that came to my mind was bone density. We need the weights to maintain proper bone structure! It is very important. adding strength training just 2 - 3 times a week will overall help you be a healthy person.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I don't care. :) That's how I feel.

    And if you do indeed get slim, which I get the impression won't happen given your attitude, you'll just stop there and be happy?

    You're so sweet.

    Yup. When I lose the weight I want to lose, I will be content where I am instead of constantly chasing perfection.

    Who is to say you won't have achieved perfection? How could anyone be perfect without contentment?
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
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    Top ballet dancers?

    ballet-dancer.jpg

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    ballet_dancer.jpg

    tumblr_mfipsddxSg1rtgacao1_500.jpg
  • meg7399
    meg7399 Posts: 672 Member
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    I don't care. :) That's how I feel.

    And if you do indeed get slim, which I get the impression won't happen given your attitude, you'll just stop there and be happy?

    You're so sweet.

    Yup. When I lose the weight I want to lose, I will be content where I am instead of constantly chasing perfection.
    Its not about chasing perfection as much as chasing a healthy lifestyle and looking out for your bodies future.

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