Lifting Weights vs Just Cardiovascular

Kytee19
Kytee19 Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have previously asked the question of why I am supposed to eat back the calories I burn and I now understand this. My new question would be....

I understand that if I sit on my butt I am going to lose weight but I will be "weak". Well I don't have a way to workout weights. I am actually using my Just Dance 4 Wii game to work out and burn calories. Is that ok or enough? I don't want to be "skinny" with no muscle. I want to be skinny but look healthy.

Replies

  • sokkache
    sokkache Posts: 220 Member
    There's always bodyweight exercises which I love doing. On youtube, blogilates does some really good workouts and I would also check out flaviadelmonte's videos but she mostly works out in the gym but she does show some good bodyweight exercises once in a while. These exercises may take a little longer than weight training to show results but they will give results.

    This would mean lunges, squats, crunches, pushups and different variations of all of them. If you can, go buy resistance bands and dumbbells. They'll help if you don't want to go to the gym.
  • DragonSquatter
    DragonSquatter Posts: 957 Member
    There are a lot of programs available that you can use for bodyweight resistance training. A program called, "Convict Conditioning" has been recommended a few times here though I have no direct experience with that program.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    My recommendation for a solid strength program that requires no equipment is "You are your own gym". I think the book is around $10 on amazon, and it's a worthwhile investment.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Highly recommend doing some sort of strength training if lean body mad is one of you're concerns. The heavier you lift the better the results. If you're problem with equipment is money I recommend looking at classified sites for cheap or free equipment
  • candylilacs
    candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
    I agree. You can use cans if you don't have weights -- that's Old Skool but still works. Do pushups (against the wall if you're not up to floor ones yet), lots of leg work and basically pilates is all about working muscles and strengthening your core. And we all want a tighter core, right? As people have said before, resistance bands are the cheapest kind of workout.
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
    Cardio is great for your heart and overall health, mental and physical. 30 minutes three times a week is enough.

    Lifting weights during weight loss helps you to maintain your lean body mass (the muscle you already have) and maximize your body's fat burning potential. It also allows you to eat a little bit more, because the more lean body mass you have, the higher your BMR (basal metabolic rate). Your body needs more fuel to maintain (feed) that muscle. Does that make sense?

    So the goal is to lose as much fat as possible while holding on to as much muscle as you can.

    Body weight exercises are enough to maintain lean body mass at the beginning of any exercise regime, in my personal experience. But again, going from my personal experience, as I got stronger I needed to do more and lift heavier weights. But I am also a complete exercise junkie, so... :smile:

    Edited for typo.
  • schintak
    schintak Posts: 2 Member
    Cardio is great for your heart and overall health, mental and physical. 30 minutes three times a week is enough.

    Lifting weights during weight loss helps you to maintain your lean body mass (the muscle you already have) and maximize your body's fat burning potential.

    I am looking for advise on the same. I do 3 times a week running/jogging as part of half-marathon training with NO strength training. Strangely, my weight is just between 67 to 68 kgs, it does not ever come down.

    From your reply, I understand that lifting weight can help me here? can you help understand what might be going wrong with me?
  • jakedner
    jakedner Posts: 186 Member
    I have found the following website to be helpful. http://calisthenicsdaily.com/

    I signed up for the email newsletter, it offers great workouts that can be done at home using your body weight. I like to change things up a lot, so I rarely do the workouts three times a week as suggested, but it is a great little workout when I am camping or traveling and the hotel doesn't have a fitness room. I like to add in some plyometrics too.

    There are many other body weight or resistance band workouts that you can do at home with little or no equipment.

    I hope you find something that works for you.

    Best wishes and much success!
  • IsisRosa
    IsisRosa Posts: 57 Member
    I also dance to Just Dance 4 for my cardio. One way to get some strength training in during your workout is to do squats and lunges between songs. I only dance to certain songs and while I select my next song (I use the Xbox controller to avoid any Kinect confusion), I do lunges or squats. By the end of my workout, I’m blazing through those song pictures trying to find my next song because my muscles are so tired.

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