The last few pounds and gaining muscle definition

arains89
arains89 Posts: 442 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys. So I would like some advice. I workout at home. I have two small children and a full time job so the gym isn't very realistic for me. That being said, I have been doing TurboFire at home for my workout along with running 3 days a week and of course many playground walks pool days and other fun physical activities with my kids. Anyway, I am about 18 pounds away from what I assume to be an ideal weight for myself. I am already in a healthy weight range for my height but still have jiggle to lose (I promise). Anyway, my goal above all else is really to get stronger and gain muscle tone and definition. I know most people suggest lifting heavy to get rid of these last few pounds and start shaping the muscle but like I said, a gym isn't realistic for me. I was thinking of starting P90X after I complete my current program. I have really never tried to gain muscle I have just been so concerned with losing fat so I am a little lost and nervous. Does anyone have experience with losing the last few and toning up from home? Or with P90X? Thanks!

Replies

  • arains89
    arains89 Posts: 442 Member
    Bump
  • arains89
    arains89 Posts: 442 Member
    Well then boo on you guys! I have to think of better topic names for these things...
  • x3na1401
    x3na1401 Posts: 277 Member
    P90x is wicked.



    That is all.
  • arains89
    arains89 Posts: 442 Member
    I'm taking that as a good thing...
  • x3na1401
    x3na1401 Posts: 277 Member
    Yes. It's a good thing!


    Tony Horton is brilliant. The only thing with p90x is that it can be repetitive. And it takes 1 1/4 hrs a day.

    BUT it totally works and you will look and feel great.


    (Is that the answer you were looking for?)
  • hottamolly00
    hottamolly00 Posts: 334 Member
    I'm half way through Insanity. I've only lost 4 pounds, but I can tell the change looking at my 2 pics. PM your email to me and I'll send you a pic. I still feel like I have about 5 pounds of BF I need to lose.
  • sleibo87
    sleibo87 Posts: 403 Member
    p90x is great! But i have better results with Jillian Michaels Body revolution. Its a half hour a day which im sure is more reasonable for a mommy like you, plus adding in your runs and daytime fun you will have great results. It has more compound moves like squats with a press. With working lower and upper body at the same time I had better results then just doing static weight lifting. Check out my page and pics and feel free to add me or email me any questions you have. I swear by Body Rev and have also done insanity and p90x.

    O and in JMBR she uses 3's 5's and 8's but if your stronger the heavier you go the better. I use 8-15s depending on the move. probably need to up them soon too. If you buy the program on her website it comes with the bands. If you buy it at target or amazon its a little cheaper but you have the buy bands to use with it
  • timbrom
    timbrom Posts: 303 Member
    Have you thought about a home gym? I don't know what your restrictions are space/wallet wise, but I put together quite a nice one for well under $500. Check craigslist (assuming you live in the US), you can find great deals on used equipment.

    I've also done P90X, and it's intense. I switched to doing Stronglifts 5x5 since I couldn't make the time commitment to P90X (hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half every day just isn't an option for me), but there are people on here who have had great results with it, especially for dropping that last little bit of weight.
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    I am so totally with you here. And it doesn't get much easier for working moms when the kids get older. My kids are older, but now because of their activities and need for transportation I never have more than 45 continuos minutes to work out. If I go to the gym, then I have to subtract drive time, and suddenly I have less than 30 minutes. Sooooo. . . I would love some ideas also.

    As for what I do, I use a book called "Body For Life" for my strength training. It has weight training for use in a gym, but also has exercises with dumbbells that you can do at home. I currently have weights from 5lbs to 15 lbs, so that means my heaviest lifting is 30 lbs. I am slowly adding weights. I think you can get dumbbells up to 30 or 40 lbs at target, so soon I will buy 20 lbs, and then more as needed.

    The book is pretty easy to follow, and although it recommends a protein shake product that I believe is marketed by the author, the exercise section is still very good.
  • AML1982
    AML1982 Posts: 2
    Hi there! If you can't get to the gym something like P90X or Supreme 90 would be the way to go. Just make sure that the weights are challenging.

    Also really look at your diet. The last 5-10 pounds are the hardest because your body wants to hold onto it. You need to really feed your body the right amounts of protein, carbs & fats to shed it. It may also require taking in more calories of the right foods (weird concept, I know, I'm just getting used to it myself).

    Good luck. I think you're on the right track. I personally haven't done P90X but know people who have and they had amazing results. I used Supreme 90 (I call it a poor man's version of P90X, hehe) and I really liked it for beginner strength training.
  • squirrell79
    squirrell79 Posts: 154 Member
    If you're thinking, "P90X sounds awesome, but it's an hour a day" and if it seems a wee bit too intense for you at this time, I'd suggest Chalean Extreme (CLX). It's another Beachbody program, though I got mine used off Amazon. I think of it as sort of a junior varsity strength program, as opposed to the varsity level of P90X. It's a terrific introduction to weights and the workouts are about 35 minutes long (I substitute running or Insanity for the cardio). If you like it, you could follow it with P90X.

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