Ok, I need some muscle

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kimber607
kimber607 Posts: 7,128 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
HELP!
Silly question, but I assume the best way to help with some muscle mass and definition is to lift weight/strength training?

Are there any good/easy ways to accomplish this at home and avoid the gym
My only form of exc is walking/treadmill and am happy to have lost and maintained my weight but am now in the land of skinny fat (small, but very little muscle definition)

Thanks, kim

Replies

  • kimber607
    kimber607 Posts: 7,128 Member
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    HELP!
    Silly question, but I assume the best way to help with some muscle mass and definition is to lift weight/strength training?

    Are there any good/easy ways to accomplish this at home and avoid the gym
    My only form of exc is walking/treadmill and am happy to have lost and maintained my weight but am now in the land of skinny fat (small, but very little muscle definition)

    Thanks, kim
  • natalie424
    natalie424 Posts: 320
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    Kimber... I don't belong to a gym either. I do a lot of brisk walking outdoors and riding my stationary recumbent bike for cardio. For strength training, I have been doing the Biggest Loser Power Sculpt DVD. I can really tell that it is helping. I feel so much stronger than I did 4 weeks ago. Today I added heavier weights, and ohhh do I feel it! Good luck! :happy:
  • calatibo
    calatibo Posts: 289 Member
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    push ups (pectoral, triceps, deltoids and others), crunches (all ab muscles depending on the type of crunches, bicycle crunches or work on a swiss ball are good), bench dips (triceps), squats (glutes, hamstring, quads, but also some abs- with or without weight, also lunges, one leg squats etc are good), pilates is also good for core strength and i think there must be good pilates work out tapes out there..

    you can use bags of sugar or cans of stuff as weights easily enough. do sets of repetitions (12 repetitions is a nice number, 3 sets) if the kilo bag is too easy...find something heavier :smile:

    Gaining muscle and tone is all about working the muscle more than you would necessarily otherwise do, so your goal should be the determining factor.

    Eg, Muscle mass = high loads and small numbes of reps.

    toning = low loads and greater reps.
  • kimber607
    kimber607 Posts: 7,128 Member
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    Thanks for the tips/suggestions

    Hopefully I can post some sculpted pics soon :)


    Kim
  • calatibo
    calatibo Posts: 289 Member
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    no problem, i'm sure Banks will be a long to give better advice though, he looks like super man, i'm more like super ted.

    superted-1a.jpg
  • clairegl
    clairegl Posts: 82
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    My latest and favorite is at home as well with Harley Pasternack's 5 Factor Fitness book where he lays out a 25 minute workout 5 days per week.
    Easy and quick!
  • richardwelch
    richardwelch Posts: 38
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    I'm not sure if you have ever explored Yoga, but there are some very strenuous sanas/ poses that are really quite a workout. The best part about yoga, to me, is that all the dvd's that I have include a nice cool down and relaxation period at the end of the practice. It is VERY relaxing and you feel great after your workout.

    Hope that helps
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    no problem, i'm sure Banks will be a long to give better advice though, he looks like super man, i'm more like super ted.

    superted-1a.jpg

    LOL! right. Not me, I use the free gym at our work.

    I do resistance at home, but not really any building stuff.

    Oh and yeah, Yoga and pilates are both excellent for toning and sculpting, not really all that great for building muscle, but great for shape.
  • calatibo
    calatibo Posts: 289 Member
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    yeah, i use the gym at my work too, just tried to figure out what could cross over into the home. The weights i ahve at home are not big enough any more, and i don't yet have a bench to load up the bar bell properly (eg, would put too much stress on my back picking up the weight fromt he ground).
  • TNTPete
    TNTPete Posts: 701 Member
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    Use your body weight! You can do squats, you can do chair supported leg lifts, get some resistence bands.. all will tone. As far as building bulk you may want to think about investing in some weights for home, don't need really heavy ones.. or use a kid like I have before:laugh: lift up, put down, lift up, put down.
  • Katy009
    Katy009 Posts: 579 Member
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    Pilates DVDs....there are tons of them. It will also tone rather than actually putting on muscle. If you want more muscle definition, you can do the taebo boot camp with the resistance bands.
  • kimber607
    kimber607 Posts: 7,128 Member
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    Thanks everyone..
    And special Thanks to Super Ted or Bear..of whatever you name is :)

    Kim
  • AlbertSchwartz
    AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
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    Do they have super ted in the states? You guys missed out if not lol
  • AlbertSchwartz
    AlbertSchwartz Posts: 810
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    Hi Kim,

    I was google'in to find some training techniques for you.

    I've not found any yet but this is an interesting read and will give you a very good idea :wink:

    http://www.buzzle.com/articles/resistance-training-basics.html

    Hope you agree

    Al
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Strength training is what you need - how are you looking to build muscle? Are you looking to tone? To get buff? Do a little of both? These can all affect your lifting regimen as they require some slight changes in how you lift.
  • calatibo
    calatibo Posts: 289 Member
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    Thanks everyone..
    And special Thanks to Super Ted or Bear..of whatever you name is :)

    Kim

    thanks

    :blushing:
  • kimber607
    kimber607 Posts: 7,128 Member
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    Thanks again everyone
    I've never in my life done any sort of weight training or 'lifting'
    Ummmm....the only exc I've ever done up until recently was a Jane Fonda aerobic tape in the late 80's...

    Thanks for the link/info..it's all a little overwhelming, but I'll figure something out :)

    Ms. buffed and toned...here I come!

    Kim

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