Getting Toned... Without Lifting Heavy?

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SarahMakePretty
SarahMakePretty Posts: 24 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello!

Right now in my weight loss I'm doing most workouts at home. I don't feel very comfortable in the gym yet, and honestly I kind of prefer home workouts to working out alone at the gym. (I like buddies). So while I have no buddy, home I stay.

I would love to lift heavy at some point, the rest of my home gym is not at my new home yet and wont be for several months. When that arrives I'll have dumbbells ranging from 5lb-75lb and a bench. Buuut that won't be here for some time, and at that time I'd like to do 5x5. And let's be honest, I need to get in some realm of shape prior. I feel, anyways.

In the meantime, I have resistance bands, 3, 5, and 10lb weights, 12lb kettle bell, and a ball. I've been working with those and body weight exercises.

I'm curious to hear what others' experience is getting fit and toned up without lifting heavy and being a regular gym rat. I mean, I know lifting some weight is better than none...... but will I see results like other serious iron pumping ladies?

What are your experiences?

Replies

  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    You'll see some results unless your muscles hardly register the weight. The 3 lb weights would have to be used on teeny or very out of shape muscles, lol.

    I think that if you aren't looking to build great strength or put on actual mass, lighter weights can be OK if you need to use them. It won't be as fast, but you'll see them doing something. Again, that's unless the weight isn't challenging at all.

    You'd have to do isolation exercises to get the biggest bang for little weights, too. In that case, you don't want other muscles helping out because the weight is low to start with. The session will take longer accordingly. If I have to use lower weights because they are all I have, I also hold the hardest part of the movement longer. I don't have enough weight at home to really do my glute bridges to failure, so that's my workaround until I can get the right weight for it :) It's not optimal, but I can tell it's better than just going it with no weight added. With no weight, I get nowhere near failure.
  • SarahMakePretty
    SarahMakePretty Posts: 24 Member
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    Thanks, I appreciate the reply. That makes sense. Just what I need..... longer workouts hahaha. But yeah, again that makes sense. I'll have to rearrange my workouts. I can burn out the upper body pretty easy because I just don't have much strength there- but the lower body I feel like I'm not doing enough. I do squats with the kettle bell, body weight squats, lunges.... ect. But I'm never really sore. I guess I need to just do more and burn it out. Ouch!
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    Yep! I do a UB/LB split so that I can take longer with my weights than I could if I did full body. I need to be doing something most days of the week anyway, so it's all good.

    A lot of the bodyweight moves can be incredibly effective, and small weights added in can make those even harder. That's another good place to use your current equipment. Just aim for failure (in pretty few reps, hopefully) with what you have if possible!
  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
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    If you have decent lean mass underneath the fat then you should be slightly toned after you lose whatever amount of weight you want. BUT, if you want that nice lean/toned body then you need to get into the gym.

    Don't think because you are overweight that you don't belong in the gym. I would much rather see an overweight person at the gym than out eating fast food. Plus, we don't really pay attention to that anyways.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    There are definitely benefits to lifting heavy but its not the only way to preserve muscle while you lose some body fat to get the tone look a lot of people want. There are plenty of body weight programs out there that will provide enough resistance to accomplish this.
  • MildredBarhopper
    MildredBarhopper Posts: 99 Member
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    Another thing you could try are the books "You Are Your Own Gym" or "Body by You" by Mark Lauren. It outlines bodyweight exercises by category, when to do them, how many, etc. I am using Body by You and it's great. I'm not putting on as much muscle as I probably would with lifting (don't feel like spending money at the gym, I used to but now love working out at home) but I am definitely seeing results and it's fun to come the realization that exercises that used to be difficult are now very easy. :) You very gradually move up through difficult exercises to build strength and get lean.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
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    I think it's next to impossible to BUILD muscle without progressively lifting heavier weights. However, I believe with the right diet (i.e. not too big of a deficit and adequate protein) and resistance exercises that can be done at home (body weight and the like) you can keep a higher percent of the muscle that you already have compared to cardio only and low cal diets. Keeping some muscle and cutting down on body fat percent will lead to a more "toned" look.
  • SarahMakePretty
    SarahMakePretty Posts: 24 Member
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    Thanks guys! I'll have to look up the "you are your own gym". I'd like a nice starting point before I start 5x5 in a few months. I don't wanna be flabby abby after losing weight and zero definition. It would be nice as the weight comes off to reveal some muscles.... they must be in there somewhere!
  • Chelkb
    Chelkb Posts: 65 Member
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    Thanks for this post! I have been wondering the same thing. The closest gym to me is a half hour away and with working full-time, having two school aged children with extracurricular activities and a husband that works out of town, getting to the gym is too difficult at this point. I also have another limitation. I had a multilevel cervical spinal fusion earlier this year (C4-C7). I will never be able to lift heavy. I have been working out to Lauren Brooks Kettlebell dvd's - Volume 1, 2 KB Lightning and KB Body. I am currently using 10, 15 and 18 lb bells. I probably will never be able to go beyond 22-25 lbs. Is this sufficient for tightening, toning and looking better?
  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
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    Thanks for this post! I have been wondering the same thing. The closest gym to me is a half hour away and with working full-time, having two school aged children with extracurricular activities and a husband that works out of town, getting to the gym is too difficult at this point. I also have another limitation. I had a multilevel cervical spinal fusion earlier this year (C4-C7). I will never be able to lift heavy. I have been working out to Lauren Brooks Kettlebell dvd's - Volume 1, 2 KB Lightning and KB Body. I am currently using 10, 15 and 18 lb bells. I probably will never be able to go beyond 22-25 lbs. Is this sufficient for tightening, toning and looking better?

    fusion doesn't mean you won't... I have had 4 back surgeries and I started lifting heavy this week... just have to do recovery time first :)

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