stop overdoing cardio and hit the damn weights!!!
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I think a lot of people don't understand how intimidating it is for a woman to start lifting. I do some body weight exercises at home and will work on weight machines in the gym but the free weight room is full of huge guys, I just don't feel welcomed and my efforts were sometimes laughed at. Additionally I feel to properly lift heavy you really need instruction, or can risk some serious injuries, and I definitely cannot afford a personal trainer!
Can you do one session with a personal trainer to get them to show you around and help you do a routine? A lot of people will do that.0 -
As you gain muscle the weight will be easier to lose. Cardio only burns fat while you are doing it. Muscle burns fat even after you have left the gym or set the weights down.0
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I am actually doing three forms of exercise and loving it. For cardio, I am either swimming, fast walking or doing elliptical most days of the week. I am going to the gym and doing lifting three days a week. And I recently added yoga for one hour per week for flexibilty. The only problem I have is finding the right workout for my lower body. I have bad knees and cannot do lunges or squats. Anyone have any ideas to help me out?
That is why I gave up jogging -- Dr. said it was the worst possible exercise for my knees and to absolutely not do it. :frown:
I have damage from the neck down due to car accidents (apparently, cars decided to gang up on me 10 years ago so several in a row destroyed me: neck, back, hips, knees, ankles PLUS a motorcycle accident that destroyed the muscle in my right thigh). I was told I would "never" be able to do a lot of things & surgery was the "only" option. Then I discovered exercise & freedom from pain (as well as refusing pain meds from the start, I've avoided them for over a decade!). It's taken a LONG time, but starting slowly, building up the strength of the muscles & flexibility of the joints, ligaments & tendons around the damage, I've been able to lunge, dip, squat, thrust, deadlift - starting with only body weight & short-step form to going to heavy weights & full-form. Get with a Physical Therapist & Physical Therapy Trainer - they can get you on the right path to increasing the strength around your weaknesses. My knee only popped out once last year & that was dipping with 90lbs & not paying attention to my own form (I usually do these in front of a mirror to monitor my form, but my eyes & mind wandered that day & I was my own downfall!). I recovered & a month later was dipping with 95lbs & excellent form...0 -
Lifting will maintain the muscle hidden behind the fat.... just losing weight first means you lose everything. ... fat and muscle...0
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Umm, no. I will not hit the weights. And not because I think it'll make me bulky.
1. I don't want to.
2. I reeeaallly enjoy walking and jogging.
3. I have no intentions of paying for a full gym membership to have access to weights.
4. I'm still working on losing fat, toning is for when I'm closer to my goal. I can barely do many squats or lunges right now.
I don't get why so many people think everyone should lift. People are going to do what they enjoy.
#4 is where I am at, it may be bass ackwards but I don't understand toning muscle that is hidden behind 70lbs of fat. Once I am closer to my goal weight I will tone up my body as I do enjoy lifiting and doing cardio
Muscle is the best fat burner you can have. That's why it's good to start yesterday.0 -
I started 2 weeks ago with a weight program on my doctors recommendation. For those of us ladies that have pushed further into our "years of experience" it is important for our overall health to incorporate a strength training progam to prevent deteriation of our bones and muscles through life's cycles. The peri-menopause through post-menopause trials will be quite taxing on our minds, bodies and souls!! I still do my cardio as a warm up for strength training but am glad I have added another dimension to my workout routine. It has only been 2 weeks but I see a difference in my arms, legs and belly area (so does my husband) I have more energy and I am sleeping better than I have in years! I am sure it is not for everyone, but you can at least try.0
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Bump0
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I LOVE lifting weights and I regret not doing it earlier on in my weight loss journey. I saw more overall fat loss w/ weight lifting than with any type of cardio. I try to lift 2-3 days a week. I had some health setbacks in 2013 and two major surgeries, so I've had to slow down for a while on the heavy lifting, but I still do moderate weight and high reps 2-3 days per week. Cardio alone will not decrease body fat. You will lose weight, but still look soft and flabby and have loose skin. Building muscle allows the muscle to burn fat continously and not just during the duration of the work out. Also weight lifting allows you more caloric intake because the muscles have to be fed.
One major mistake people make is waiting til they get to their goal weight or close to goal before they start lifting weights. This is not wise at all. Muscle building should be a part of every workout regimen, beginner or advanced, from start to finish.0 -
I lift weights with a personal trainer 4x / week, and love what it is doing for my body. My PT is male - I had only worked with female trainers before - and I love working with him because he pushes me to lift as much weight as I can. My arms and legs look so much better - very toned but definitely not bulky. My main incentive for lifting is that my mother has osteoporosis. She broke her hip at a relatively young 68 years of age, and has never fully recovered from that. Lifting weights increases bone density, and I really need that as does any woman with a family medical history that includes osteoporosis. I also do cardio, but I do circuits. I get bored on machines, although I do those as well, and 5 surgeries on my foot prevents me from running or doing cardio that puts constant pressure on that injured foot. As my trainer says, the best workout is the one you will keep doing, so if you love cardio and that's your thing keep doing it. I just happen to love both. Anything you do is better than doing nothing!
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The best thing I ever did for myself is swap 80% of my cardio nonsense for weights. REAL weights, not Barbie barbells and hip abductor machines.
Im still overweight but my god, I feel so much healthier, have so much more energy and I can see & feel my body reshaping it.
You DO NOT NEED CARDIO to lose fat- a steady healthy diet and good weight training will do that. I do plenty of HIIT, and am starting out with CrossFit.
Bye bye elliptical nonsense, hello a real healthy fit physique!0 -
Hey, buddy! :smooched:
It's just not something every damsel is cut out to do. Believe me when I say I've tried explaining the biz over and over to real life family and friends.
In this pic I look this way only because I'm flexin'. I'm otherwise, a very, extremely petite female with 6" wrists benching 115x5 when I weigh 118-120lbs. Squatting 135lbs 6-10x depending on whether or not my pinched nerve is buggin'. I still hope to progress.
Females still wanna spot train. That'll never change. Don't waste your breath more than once on the same person. Some girls goal really is to be stringy thin. That's their goal and we gotta repect it.
Eta: spelling0 -
Ok, here is a question from someone who knows absolutely nothing about lifting. Don't you use your knees when you lift weights? I have badly arthritic knees and hips so I figured lifting was out for me. Also have had lower back issues. Was I wrong? Can I lift without making my knees worse? If so, should I wait until I get closer to my goal weight to start?0
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I think a lot of people don't understand how intimidating it is for a woman to start lifting. I do some body weight exercises at home and will work on weight machines in the gym but the free weight room is full of huge guys, I just don't feel welcomed and my efforts were sometimes laughed at. Additionally I feel to properly lift heavy you really need instruction, or can risk some serious injuries, and I definitely cannot afford a personal trainer!
Can you do one session with a personal trainer to get them to show you around and help you do a routine? A lot of people will do that.
Most gyms offer a free introductory personal training session so that you can get acclomated w/ the gym equipment.0 -
i understand cardio is important(depending on what kind you're doing), but where are women getting the idea that lifting weights will make them aminly and bulky from? for the ladies that do lift...can you PLEASE share with us how lifting weights have made a difference to your physique and health?
The title of this post and the content don't really 'jive'.
If you want to tell women that lifting weights won't likely turn them into hulk monsters, okay, that's cool.
But there's no one MFPer. Different people have different goals, abilities, lifestyles and tastes. There's really no "one size fits all" and there's no need to try to control anyone else.
I don't lift because I don't like it and I'd prefer using my own resistance.
I'm perfectly fine with the fact that you won't be attracted to me.0 -
Lifting helps to reduce injury and improves my running. But the real reason i want to lift is because I think muscles are sexy.0
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Umm, no. I will not hit the weights. And not because I think it'll make me bulky.
1. I don't want to.
2. I reeeaallly enjoy walking and jogging.
3. I have no intentions of paying for a full gym membership to have access to weights.
4. I'm still working on losing fat, toning is for when I'm closer to my goal. I can barely do many squats or lunges right now.
I don't get why so many people think everyone should lift. People are going to do what they enjoy.
#4 is where I am at, it may be bass ackwards but I don't understand toning muscle that is hidden behind 70lbs of fat. Once I am closer to my goal weight I will tone up my body as I do enjoy lifiting and doing cardio
Because lifting isn't just about how you look. It's about preserving what you will LOSE if you don't incorporate it at a deficit (particularly if you're eating at a steep deficit). It's about looking what you dream of at a higher weight than you thought you could.
That's just aesthetics. Health-wise, as women, we run the risk of losing bone mass when we're older. Well, you can't expect to "wait until I'm in my 50s" to try and stave off that bone density loss. You should start... now. Yesterday. Etc.
If you don't enjoy lifting, I get that. I don't enjoy various things that I do for my health. And lifting can be varied, too, so don't get bogged down in, "Ahh, barbells!" But the idea of, "Putting things off" for health and/or appearance is bizarre. "I don't want to do one thing for my body until this other thing is done." Your body's not a serial processor--it can accomplish both reducing body fat % and at least maintaining/strengthening LBM while you're losing 10 lbs, 70 lbs, whatever.0 -
Ok, here is a question from someone who knows absolutely nothing about lifting. Don't you use your knees when you lift weights? I have badly arthritic knees and hips so I figured lifting was out for me. Also have had lower back issues. Was I wrong? Can I lift without making my knees worse? If so, should I wait until I get closer to my goal weight to start?
Upper body lifting won't affect your knees at all. There are weight machines such as the leg press machine, that will allow you to build leg muscle without putting pressure on your knees. Also most gyms has incline/decline benches that allow you to sit while doing your upper body work. Also you can do wall squats, wall pushups, etc. that take pressure off your knees because you are using something stationary to balance on.0 -
I believe that we all need a mix of both, weights and cardio. I compare it to our eating diets... You should not consume all of your cals off of just one source... we have to have a mix / blend of different sources. Same goes for people who just do nothing but weights with no cardio. I think that trend is getting to where more and more females are lifting because I have seen the increases in my gym of females lifting. And not only the small 3-5 lb weights but the big weight. People will do what they choose to do so but choosing not to do something based off of false facts / statements is a shame.0
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I get that some people only want to lose body fat. But the more muscle tone/mass that you have, the more results you will see from your cardio. I prefer to do both. Strength train to increase my muscle tone and mass, and cardio to put that new muscle to good use. You burn more calories doing the same things when you have more muscle.
If you operate with a calorie deficit and haven't increased your protein intake and incorporated strength training, you're actually encouraging your body to metabolize is own muscle since it's running in starvation mode. Seems counterproductive if the goal is to lose body fat.0 -
Perfectly happy with skinny fat? So you're perfectly happy with having all the same health risks and problems as an overweight/obese person, but because you weigh less on the scale it's ok?Umm, no. I will not hit the weights. And not because I think it'll make me bulky.
1. I don't want to.
2. I reeeaallly enjoy walking and jogging.
3. I have no intentions of paying for a full gym membership to have access to weights.
4. I'm still working on losing fat, toning is for when I'm closer to my goal. I can barely do many squats or lunges right now.
I don't get why so many people think everyone should lift. People are going to do what they enjoy.
+1
I'm just not interested in weight lifting at this time. Some people, girls and guys seem to talk about how "skinny fat" is just wrong, or something about how we look bad naked? Idk I get confused. Anyways, I am perfectly happy with "skinny fat" and I find cardio easier and more accessible, I can walk, jog, use elliptical, bike etc. whereas the only weights I have are 5lb hand weights. No gym membership for me. Out of our price range. Cardio is just easier, I may do some weight stuff later when I hit goal, but honestly, probably not.
Yes, I have no problem with that. I don't see many runners that have health issues like obese people though, and I don't see many skinny fat girls that need to have breathing devices on when they sleep.... or have heart issues or are diabetic, I am confused? So if I am 5'6 and weigh 130 (my goal) you are saying you are healthier then me because you lift? Big deal, good for you. Lifting or not lifting weights has no significant impact on your health alone. There are many other factors involved. So lift your weights, I will do my cardio. Just because I may not have an ab popping out to show off to the world all my vanity, who cares.
Let me repeat: lifting has a tremendous effect on someone's health. For women in particular, hormone regulation and bone health are huge.
You can do cardio AND do weights, but to say lifting has no benefit outside of aesthetics is completely false.0
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