Strength / Weight Training Help?

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sunshine5512
sunshine5512 Posts: 39 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I keep reading about the importance of weight training and strength training. I dont have a gym nearby, well I have a community center, but their machines are pathetic and ancient and Im scared to use them for fear of getting hurt from them not working properly.

I have been actively trying to lose weight and tone up for three weeks now. I have lost about 4 pounds so far. I was hoping to have lost a little more by now, but I will take what I can get. Patients is not my forte but Im learning that I need to get it quick if I want to see results. Im not giving up on this anytime soon because I am loving the way I feel so Im sticking with it this time.

So my workouts have been a mixture of running betweet 1.5 and 2 miles 3 -4 days per week. And on those days I work out, I either do a zumba toning or fitness video, or a jillian michaels video. I rotate between 30 day shread, boost metabolism burn fat, 6 week 6 pack, or killer buns and thighs. Depens on what kind of mood Im in to which video I do. Sometimes I do One video in the morning and one at night after my run.

The 30 day shread and the zumba toning I am using 5 lbs weighs with the workout and I like the results I am seeing in my arms already. But I am thinking, beacuse I keep reading how everyone says lift heavy, that Im not doing enough weighs.

So my question is....

What can I do at home with 5 lbs weights, or 10 lbs that will be benificial? Can anyone recomend a workout video, because that is what I do best with.
How much weight training and with what amount of weights is recomended for toning. I absolutely do not want any bulk. I just want the jiggly in my arms and thighs to go away.

Thanks,
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Replies

  • xidia
    xidia Posts: 606 Member
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    Does your community centre gym have a free weights area? That would be preferable.

    If not, I'll let others who know more about home/bodyweight workouts than I answer.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    There isn't much you can do with weights that light in terms of actual strength training because you're relegating yourself strictly to isolation work. Actual strength training requires compound movements, and for that you would be better off putting those 5-10 lb dumbbells away and doing strictly bodyweight work. The only use those dumbbells are for you is in doing circuit training style workouts, which is more cardio with weights (it works, don't get me wrong, but it won't build much strength), such as the Spartacus workouts and Rushfit.

    Also, adding significant muscle mass can only be done if you are eating at a calorie surplus. Regardless of how you train it will not happen (except an initial period commonly referred to as noob gains) when in a calorie surplus.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    Look for body weight exercises...better idea...and no equipment needed. Pushups, situps, pullups (go to your local playground and use the monkey bars) squats, planks, mountain climbers, burpees, tricep dips.

    All free, all brilliant & ALL strength training.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Look for body weight exercises...better idea...and no equipment needed. Pushups, situps, pullups (go to your local playground and use the monkey bars) squats, planks, mountain climbers, burpees, tricep dips.

    All free, all brilliant & ALL strength training.

    Basically this: If all you have to work with are light weights, then you're better off foregoing the weights completely and sticking to 100% bodyweight based workouts.
  • sunshine5512
    sunshine5512 Posts: 39 Member
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    Im not interested in building muscle mass at all.

    I guess I was confused between what everyone was talking about between strength training and weight training. I can do a lot of the strenght training and do so with the Jillian michaels training.

    And yes my community center has some free weights, but I dont know what to do with them.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Im not interested in building muscle mass at all.

    .....Then don't eat a big calorie suplus, take in massive quanties of protein, strength train several hours a week, all the while hoping that you gain a fraction of a pound of muscle this week.

    Lifting 5-10 lb weights (not to be confused with using them to add weight to bodyweight exercises) is cardio with weights, with no benefits above and beyond what you get from walking or using the elliptical.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Im not interested in building muscle mass at all.

    I guess I was confused between what everyone was talking about between strength training and weight training. I can do a lot of the strenght training and do so with the Jillian michaels training.

    And yes my community center has some free weights, but I dont know what to do with them.

    The Jillian Michaels stuff isn't strength training. That's what I was talking about before in the way of circuit training, which is a form of cardio that includes light weights. Actual strength training involves working out with weights that cause you to hit fatigue/exhaustion in much fewer reps, usually in single-digit rep amounts.

    If you want to try what most of the strength training success stories on this site have done, and what they're referring to when they say strength training, go to your community center and look into an ebook-based program called Stronglifts 5x5 or New Rules of Lifting For Women. These are strength training based fitness programs that, because of the way the formats are structured, require the type of equipment you will typically find only in a gym. In order to do them properly you have to increase the weight you're using regularly, and when you follow the format your strength will grow at such a quick pace in the beginning that it isn't long before you are working with over 100 lbs for some lifts.
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
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    If the community center has free weights, read up on starting strength, stronglifts 5x5, or new rules of lifting for women. you don't need machines. I did stronglifts, and you won't get definition, you will pretty much just get strong as heck.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Heavy weights won't make you bulky. I have been using free weights (I bought them on Craigslist and use at home) for a couple of months now, and my body is losing fat like crazy and my size is shrinking. This is guaranteed THE fastest way to "tone up".

    Edit: I did Jillian Michaels and similar for a year, and I saw more progress lifting heavy for 3 weeks than I did a year with that.
  • wolfpack77
    wolfpack77 Posts: 655
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    You can't build muscle if you are in a calorie deficit, so as long as you are dieting don't worry about that. The function of strength training while dieting is to preserve the muscle you have and burn off excess fat.

    When it comes to burning fat, intensity matters. So you're not going to accomplish much with light weights. You're going to have to work with weights that cause you to reach failure on the exercise in the 6-10 rep range to be see any results.

    Also when it comes to strength training, progression is important. Working with the same weights all the time will eventually stop working as the body adapts. You should be continually challenging yourself with each workout. If you become used to a certain weight you should continually increase it to keep it challenging.
  • KimPratt222
    KimPratt222 Posts: 36 Member
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    Im not interested in building muscle mass at all.

    .....Then don't eat a big calorie suplus, take in massive quanties of protein, strength train several hours a week, all the while hoping that you gain a fraction of a pound of muscle this week.

    Lifting 5-10 lb weights (not to be confused with using them to add weight to bodyweight exercises) is cardio with weights, with no benefits above and beyond what you get from walking or using the elliptical.

    Totally agree! Women are so afraid of building muscle and getting bulky! I just don't think most women realize how really difficult it is to put on muscle mass!!! Lifting 5-10 lb weights is a waste of time, IMO. Go for heavy lifting, sticking to compound movements - pull ups, deadlifts, squats, overhead presses and bent over rows. Trust me, you will NOT get bulky!
  • sunshine5512
    sunshine5512 Posts: 39 Member
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    Im not interested in building muscle mass at all.

    .....Then don't eat a big calorie suplus, take in massive quanties of protein, strength train several hours a week, all the while hoping that you gain a fraction of a pound of muscle this week.

    Lifting 5-10 lb weights (not to be confused with using them to add weight to bodyweight exercises) is cardio with weights, with no benefits above and beyond what you get from walking or using the elliptical.

    I meant I dont want to bulk up on muscles. I guess that came out wrong and I see how it did. Sorry.

    I see what you all are saying. Last night I looked up some strength training videos on you tube and found some videos with just weights and tried some of those and it really got my heart rate up. I didnt feel like I did much, but it did get my heart rate up which totally surprised me, and left me winded.

    I will totally look into that book. Can I download it to my iphone? So that I can take it to the gym with me?

    I guess I have a fear of weights I never have been a real fan of them. I feel so exhausted with the Jillian Michaels videos and sore afterwards I thought I was doing good with toning and with cardio, but everyone keeps saying do more weight training.
  • sunshine5512
    sunshine5512 Posts: 39 Member
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    Im not interested in building muscle mass at all.

    .....Then don't eat a big calorie suplus, take in massive quanties of protein, strength train several hours a week, all the while hoping that you gain a fraction of a pound of muscle this week.

    Lifting 5-10 lb weights (not to be confused with using them to add weight to bodyweight exercises) is cardio with weights, with no benefits above and beyond what you get from walking or using the elliptical.

    Totally agree! Women are so afraid of building muscle and getting bulky! I just don't think most women realize how really difficult it is to put on muscle mass!!! Lifting 5-10 lb weights is a waste of time, IMO. Go for heavy lifting, sticking to compound movements - pull ups, deadlifts, squats, overhead presses and bent over rows. Trust me, you will NOT get bulky!

    But using my 5-10 lbs weights when Im doing the jillian michaels dvds is still ok?
  • KimPratt222
    KimPratt222 Posts: 36 Member
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    Honestly, I don't do Jillian Michaels dvd's so I can't comment on that. If you are lifting weights correctly, you should also be getting an amazing cardio workout from it! I am a sweaty, wiped out mess when I am done working out with weights. Especially with just doing compound movements!
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Im not interested in building muscle mass at all.

    I guess I was confused between what everyone was talking about between strength training and weight training. I can do a lot of the strenght training and do so with the Jillian michaels training.

    And yes my community center has some free weights, but I dont know what to do with them.

    You will not get bulky...it is no in our genetics to do so unless you work hard for years and eat at a surplus the entire time (or if you are a genetic outlier, I guess).

    Check out Stronglifts 5x5 or New Rules of Lifting for Women. They both give routines and explanations how to do each move.
  • jmack27
    jmack27 Posts: 10
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    It is nearly impossible for females to "get bulky"--it takes years and years of dedication and usually supplementation of some sort. Most of us just don't have the testosterone needed to gain that much muscle mass.

    WHAT LIFTING HEAVY WEIGHTS WILL DO FOR YOU IS:
    Increase lean muscle mass which in turn burns fat, so you will slowly replace fat with muscle.
    Increase resting metaboilc rate, so you burn more calories at rest.
    Continue burning calories up to 48 hours after lifting weights.


    What doing nothing but steady-state cardio will do for you:
    teach your body to conserve energy and fat in the long run
    potentially ruin your metabolism and hormonal balance.

    My advice: pick up some heavy weights and lift 3 days a week! Do cardio on your off days. Eat plenty of clean whole foods and watch your body transform!

    I'm a former cardio-junkie and lifting weights changed my life!!! I am so happy with how much my body composition has changed and how much I can eat now without being afraid of getting fat!
  • mikejholmes
    mikejholmes Posts: 291 Member
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    Im not interested in building muscle mass at all.

    I guess I was confused between what everyone was talking about between strength training and weight training. I can do a lot of the strenght training and do so with the Jillian michaels training.

    And yes my community center has some free weights, but I dont know what to do with them.

    You DO want muscle mass. For every lb of muscle you add, you'll lose an inch or two, and improve muscle definition (which is what I assume you mean by "tone"). And let me be clear, you can do this WHILE losing weight. So you'll gain a lb of muscle, and lose a lb of fat, and see the benefits I listed above.

    I'd look into StrongLifts, Starting Strength, or New Rules of Lifting for Women. Stronglifts (the one I know most about) is simple, starts with light weight and builds up, and has videos demonstrating how to do each exercise.
  • TrainerRobin
    TrainerRobin Posts: 509 Member
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    Look for body weight exercises...better idea...and no equipment needed. Pushups, situps, pullups (go to your local playground and use the monkey bars) squats, planks, mountain climbers, burpees, tricep dips.

    All free, all brilliant & ALL strength training.

    Yes, yes, yes. Just google "body weight workout" and you'll find a myriad of workout routines and exercises that'll let you get a total body workout without a single piece of equipment. :)
  • KimPratt222
    KimPratt222 Posts: 36 Member
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    You might want to chek out this girls website:

    http://muffintop-less.tumblr.com/

    She lifts heavy...I don't see any major muscle mass or bulkiness on her! :) Website has lots of great info on it.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    Look for body weight exercises...better idea...and no equipment needed. Pushups, situps, pullups (go to your local playground and use the monkey bars) squats, planks, mountain climbers, burpees, tricep dips.

    All free, all brilliant & ALL strength training.

    Just be careful, they'll produce bulk.

    ETA - ok, to be nice, you won't bulk, high levels of estrogen will prevent it, so you can actually do weight lifting without really worrying.

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