Is my workout routine a joke?

XiquiX
XiquiX Posts: 2
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all!
So five days a week, I do 200 crunches and 400 leg-butt exercises (200 each leg, they are leg pulses, leg mini circles, holding, leg pushups and leg lifts) plus basic stretching yoga-like I whip up at the moment, about 15 minutes a day. This along with a calorie restricted diet.

I don’t care about burning calories or fat, I just wanna have toned muscles (I don’t wanna look muscle-y, just toned); I don’t know anything about exercise, is this enough to see results in a while? Like, 2-3 months? Or is this lame and I should upgrade my workout routine?

Keep in mind that before this, I did nothing at all, so if you give me a strenuous workout I’ll slowly work up to it.
Thank you!!

Replies

  • taniasoccio
    taniasoccio Posts: 2
    Hey there!

    I am not great at exercise routines but I have picked up a thing or two along the way...
    If you are working out 5 times a week and doing what you are doing then this should be enough to get the results you want.
    But can I suggest that after you have done this routine for a couple of weeks that you push your limits a little more and try to push that 15 minutes into 25-30 minutes. Add on a few more different strength related work outs just to break up what you are doing.
  • fittestpal
    fittestpal Posts: 94 Member
    Toning muscle is losing fat
  • doodlecakes_07
    doodlecakes_07 Posts: 69 Member
    No, your workout routine is not a joke; it's a good start. After a few weeks of doing these exercises, they'll most likely become easier and not challenge you as much. Be sure to add in some variety of exercises and vary the amount of time you spend exercising (increase as you get stronger and more fit).

    I'd also suggest adding some cardio. I know you said you don't care about burning calories/fat and you just want to look more toned, but by burning calories and fat, you will resultantly be more toned. It all depends on what your goals for the future are and how your body is now. If you have a lot of weight to lose, then you will have to lose fat to reveal your toned muscles.

    Basically, what I'm saying is, you've got a great start, and to see results, make sure to know where you are now and where you want to be. Getting a toned body is a lot of hard work (for me at least!), but it is definitely worth it.

    If you have an smartphone, I recommend getting the Nike Training Club app. It's a great introduction to exercise for beginners, but still challenges those who are advanced.
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  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
    Two hundred sit ups a day cannot be good for your lower back...
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Hi all!
    So five days a week, I do 200 crunches and 400 leg-butt exercises (200 each leg, they are leg pulses, leg mini circles, holding, leg pushups and leg lifts) plus basic stretching yoga-like I whip up at the moment, about 15 minutes a day. This along with a calorie restricted diet.

    I don’t care about burning calories or fat, I just wanna have toned muscles (I don’t wanna look muscle-y, just toned); I don’t know anything about exercise, is this enough to see results in a while? Like, 2-3 months? Or is this lame and I should upgrade my workout routine?

    Keep in mind that before this, I did nothing at all, so if you give me a strenuous workout I’ll slowly work up to it.
    Thank you!!

    It is far from optimal and having a better grasp of how things work will help you choose a program. In order to get "toned" legs, you need to reduce the amount of fat on them and/or build some muscle. It takes a great deal of work to get "muscle-y" so you won't have to worry about that. I would greatly suggest following some sort of structured program, it doesnt neccessarily have to be anything complex.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Ditto....

    I wouldn't call any exercise a joke, but you could most definitely garner far greater results much more efficiently...and sit-ups really have to be one of the worst exercises in RE to working core...they don't really work the core that well and are really hard on the spine.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    you can do all the exercise you want but in order to see the muscles you are currently working you have to get rid of the fat on them...and you can't do that without a calorie deficet...

    So if your goal is to get lean without looking too defined eat at a reasonable calorie deficet, do resistence training and you have it.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Add in 100 pushups, 100 inverted rows, and a crap ton of stair climbing and you'll be fine, assuming you have your calories in order.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    I'm assuming that you are restricted to working out at home for right now.

    You might want to check out the book "You Are Your Own Gym"

    I've also heard good things about programs like P90x or Insanity
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    Add in 100 pushups, 100 inverted rows, and a crap ton of stair climbing and you'll be fine, assuming you have your calories in order.

    Don't forget burpees. 200 burpees.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    If you can't do pushups, you can either start against a wall and then progress to a table top or stairs down to the floor.

    Or you can do the modified knee pushups.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Ditto....

    I wouldn't call any exercise a joke, but you could most definitely garner far greater results much more efficiently...and sit-ups really have to be one of the worst exercises in RE to working core...they don't really work the core that well and are really hard on the spine.

    I agree with this and everyone else. Even when I was in the military, they told us that crunches/sit-ups work your hip flexors more than any ab muscles.

    Don't assume that you'll get super muscles from working out. It takes a great deal of effort and commitment to do that.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Hi all!
    So five days a week, I do 200 crunches and 400 leg-butt exercises (200 each leg, they are leg pulses, leg mini circles, holding, leg pushups and leg lifts) plus basic stretching yoga-like I whip up at the moment, about 15 minutes a day. This along with a calorie restricted diet.

    I don’t care about burning calories or fat, I just wanna have toned muscles (I don’t wanna look muscle-y, just toned); I don’t know anything about exercise, is this enough to see results in a while? Like, 2-3 months? Or is this lame and I should upgrade my workout routine?

    Keep in mind that before this, I did nothing at all, so if you give me a strenuous workout I’ll slowly work up to it.
    Thank you!!

    if you want to look 'toned' then you need to care about burning fat....
  • XiquiX
    XiquiX Posts: 2
    Should've expressed myself better, it's not that I don't understand the correlation between 'burning calories' and 'toning muscles' and as I said, I am doing calorie deficit... I just meant I don't need to know exact numbers of how much I'm burning is all.
    I'm gonna take your suggestions and keep pushing myself, also work in cardio and resistence .

    k9education, by progression do you mean varying the type of exercise? I'm a newby, sorry if this is obvious!

    cwolfman13, do you think crunches are bad even if my back doesn't hurt? What would you recommend for abs?
    I'm switching my regular crunches with this workout http:// blogilates.zippykid.netdna-cdn. com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/absonfire.png which at least is more varied.
  • lizafava2
    lizafava2 Posts: 185
    Speaking as a midwife here.... crunches and situps in high quantity are also hard on your pelvic floor (the muscles that support the uterus and bladder). If you are working out at home, do check out some of the aps out there that will help guide you through a program. You are your own gym is great!

    Lifting heavy weights will not make you bulk up and neither will more challenging (and possibly less time consuming) body weight exercises.
  • luadams2
    luadams2 Posts: 122
    Maybe you should join a gym and talk to one of the fitness trainers to come up with a good exercise routine since you say you don't know anything about exercise.
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    Doing 1,000s of crunches won't get you abs. Gotta drop BF.
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  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    Some great advice for newbies is on this site: www.nerdfitness.com
  • mrsiCkstar
    mrsiCkstar Posts: 3
    I think you should consider allowing your muscles more time to recover and then build new muscle between workouts. Muscles don't grow as you work out, they contract. Your muscles contract while you workout and then they recover to their normal state and eventually build new muscle while you are resting. If you work out those muscles before they have a chance to grow new muscle they'll simply contract again and then recover to their normal state, then contract again as you work out and then recover to their normal state and so on and so on and you'll never grow new muscle. Eating enough protein to fuel your muscle recovery and growth is key also.

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