Female exercise help needed please?!

naomibabes3
naomibabes3 Posts: 23
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay so I'm looking for some exercise advice, it's not exactly my strong point unfortunately! I'm currently doing C25K week 4 and I'm really enjoying running, I want to do it for fitness and weightloss as much as enjoyment though and at the minute, running 3 times a week and eating approximately 1600 calories (my TDEE minus 20%) I'm having a nice steady weight loss of 1-1.5lb a week.

So what I want help with is what else I can/should be doing exercise wise to see the best results. I'm currently still 200lb and have approximately 40lbs still to lose, I want to be curvy/womanly but realtively fit/strong i.e. no bulging muscles but no flab either! Should I just be focusing on cardio for weightloss or should I be lifting weights/doing strength training too? I realise I will at some point need to incorporate this but should that be now while I'm trying to shift the weight or once the weight has gone and I want to tone up?

Also what are effective moves/exercises for a woman? I hear lots about squats being important for girls to get a nice bum lol! Areas I want to work on are the usual, bum, legs particuarly thighs, stomach, hips, upper arms.

Any advice would be much appreciated! Thank you :)
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Replies

  • farsteve
    farsteve Posts: 157 Member
    I think everyone can benefit from a full body resistance training program and you're not going to get bulging muscles unless you start taking steroids so you're safe there. I just read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/686963-large-collection-of-info-for-beginners

    that has some great info.

    Best exercises for bum, legs/thighs, hips - squats, step ups, lunges, deadlifts, straight leg deadlifts. Upper body bench press (barbell or dumbbell), lat pull downs/seated rows, shoulder press, upright rows.

    Good luck and have fun!
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    Exactly same as men. Women have the same muscle.
  • ValerieMomof2
    ValerieMomof2 Posts: 530 Member
    Definitely add in strength training. You won't get bulky so don't worry about that, but the benefits of strength training are amazing!

    And totally agree with both of the above. There are no different moves for women!
  • leilaphoenix
    leilaphoenix Posts: 839 Member
    You need to drop fat. Personally, I found running the most effective way to burn calories and drop off the fat.
  • purpleroxmysocks
    purpleroxmysocks Posts: 137 Member
    Girl, you need to eat more! Start playing some tennis or go for long walks, anything to be active. If you have pinterest ha look up commercial workouts or workout to do during your favorite show! I have one for The Walking Dead and I love it! ha anyway good luck!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    You need to drop fat. Personally, I found running the most effective way to burn calories and drop off the fat.

    Burn calories sure, but fat loss comes from a caloric deficit, you can do that from diet alone with no cardio, or you can do cardio till you are blue in the face but if you out eat the exercise you won't have any weight loss.
  • BrownEyeAngel
    BrownEyeAngel Posts: 331 Member
    You should do both strength and cardio.
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    Strength and cardio both!!!!!!! The combination can be amazing.:smile:
  • susannahsutton1
    susannahsutton1 Posts: 372
    Find exercise you enjoy and do it. If exercise feels like a chore, it will go by the wayside.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Girl, you need to eat more! Start playing some tennis or go for long walks, anything to be active. If you have pinterest ha look up commercial workouts or workout to do during your favorite show! I have one for The Walking Dead and I love it! ha anyway good luck!

    ??? Why should she eat more than TDEE minus 20%??

    OP, yes add strength/resistance training. Weights, body weight, resistance bands, whatever you prefer. That plus running should give you a great fat burning regimen.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    Accidental double post.
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
    Girl, you need to eat more! Start playing some tennis or go for long walks, anything to be active. If you have pinterest ha look up commercial workouts or workout to do during your favorite show! I have one for The Walking Dead and I love it! ha anyway good luck!

    She's eating her TDEE -20%, how much more would you like her to eat?! That's a healthy amount, do some research :)
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    Even serious heavy weight lifting with a surplus won't give you bulging muscles. You're in little danger with C25K.

    Oh, and this ^^^ is your best exercise.
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
    We can do all the same exercise that men do....unless they're lifting weights with their ****s.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    We can do all the same exercise that men do....unless they're lifting weights with their ****s.

    I just snorted coffee.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    I'm allergic to the gym :ohwell: but I love my exercise DVDs I've got some great whole body tone-ups as well as for upper and lower body and I do those in with the aerobic stuff. I've only been doing this for less than 8 weeks, but the last 3 weks I've ramped up my evening workout and it is noticing - even though actual inches may still be in certain places clothes are hanging better (and in some cases loose where they were unattractively tight).

    Find ones which break into small sections and you can owkr them in easily as part of the day. I would not go to a gym for an hour in the evening, but by mixing things in my day (bit of walking here, but of DVD there) I'm doing at least 1 1/2 hours a day.
  • sportyredhead01
    sportyredhead01 Posts: 482 Member
    We can do all the same exercise that men do....unless they're lifting weights with their ****s.

    I just snorted coffee.


    And we have a winner!:drinker:
    I just snorted protein shake..bahaha.
  • rc322
    rc322 Posts: 22
    I would STRONGLY recommend Zumba! It is a great way to burn fat and tone up the flab. I have been doing it for about 4-5 years and have been instructing for 1. I have lost about 20 lbs. from doing Zumba a few times a week. I have also thrown into the mix Spinning at the gym, which is a great cardio and tone workout as well!!
  • rc322
    rc322 Posts: 22
    I work out during the Walking Dead also!!! :) And during spinning I pretend zombies are chasing me!
  • purpleroxmysocks
    purpleroxmysocks Posts: 137 Member
    she says she eating 1000 a day, I don't feel like that's enough. All I'm saying is, when I was eating 1000-1200 calories a day I quit losing weight, when I brought it up to 1500 I started losing again.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    Exactly same as men. Women have the same muscle.

    YUP!
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    Exactly same as men. Women have the same muscle.

    This!
  • SlvrBluGoddess
    SlvrBluGoddess Posts: 239 Member
    We can do all the same exercise that men do....unless they're lifting weights with their ****s.

    lol
    Oh that sounds like it would HURT!
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    We can do all the same exercise that men do....unless they're lifting weights with their ****s.

    This is very snort worthy! Love it! :laugh:
  • zealousmissjj_wechange
    zealousmissjj_wechange Posts: 445
    Exactly same as men. Women have the same muscle.

    Yep, 100% agree!! Don't worry, you won't get bulgy, I promise!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    she says she eating 1000 a day, I don't feel like that's enough. All I'm saying is, when I was eating 1000-1200 calories a day I quit losing weight, when I brought it up to 1500 I started losing again.

    No, she said she was eaing 1600 calories per day.
  • zealousmissjj_wechange
    zealousmissjj_wechange Posts: 445
    You need to drop fat. Personally, I found running the most effective way to burn calories and drop off the fat.

    On a personal note; I did almost only cardio and lost 10kg's. Did that mostly through running. Would I do it again?

    HELL NO. I lost so much lean mass along the way and it left me a squishy mess!! Also, I plateaued at 1200 calories. Started eating 1600 calories and doing nearly no cardio but a lot of strenght training and in the second week I started losing weight again.

    Do a combo, and when you to strenght training lift serious! Leave the Barbie-dumbells!
  • mstjmack26
    mstjmack26 Posts: 121 Member
    Find a weight training program. Perfect your form so when you start to lift heavy, you will have control over the weights. Do cardio to lean out . Training with the weights will give you amazing results.
  • naomibabes3
    naomibabes3 Posts: 23
    Thank you everyone for the very helpful (and amusing replies!).

    I think I'll add some strength on the days I don't run so at least 3 times a week! I don't want to end up squigy from just doing cardio, I want to keep stuff tight lol! I did 30DS so have some strength movements I can do and I'll do some research on some other ones to get a routine in place!

    I'm not actually a member of the gym, I'm doing it all at home myself (I live in the countryside with no gym anywhere near me!) so what sort of weights should I be lifting to start out? I used to only use 1kg for 30DS as I was so out of shape but I've recently brought 3kgs to do some strength moves with, should I be going heavier than that with few reps?

    Thank you!
  • naomibabes3
    naomibabes3 Posts: 23
    Bump...


    Any ideas on starting weights?

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