suggestions wanted :)

bcmom_1980
bcmom_1980 Posts: 33
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, I'm a 34 yr old mom to two toddlers, I've lost 40 lbs since September and I want to lose the last bit of fat to show the muscle beneath (I can FEEL the abs there!). I've been lurking on the forums and I've read NROL4W, so I know I need to (start) lifting. What I've done to lose the weight: calorie deficit with MFP, along with treadmill cardio and mostly Jillian Michaels DVDs (30DS, RI30, etc). I started out using mostly 3 lb weights (some movements I had to do bodyweight only!), and have progressed to heavier weights. I'm currently on week 4 of Body Revolution. Before I started I had read NROL4W, so I've been trying to progressively up my weights.... I'm using mostly either 8 lb weights or holding both the 8 lb and 3 lb weights at once.

So what I'm looking for.... will I be able to continue slowly changing my figure, losing the last bit of fat that's accumulated in the mom paunch, if I continue with this program (BR?) and progressively upping my weights? I'd like to join a gym but cost is so prohibitive.... the gyms in my area with childcare are $60/month (including childcare), the ones that are cheaper have no childcare options and the hours suck, so I'd be pushing a lot of childminding to my husband (who works 10 hr days at a physical job, and I don't really want to sic the kids on him as soon as he gets home, just so I can go to a gym)..... This is why I've been using DVDs.

Realistically, if I were to buy a set of adjustable dumbbells, can I continue on like this? I've looked at SS, SL5x5, etc but they all seem more geared to gym goers. Sorry if I'm rambling or all over the place, it's 11 PM and I'm trying to compile a whole bunch of thoughts into one (reasonably) coherent post. :-)

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Replies

  • mrphil86
    mrphil86 Posts: 2,382 Member
    Whoa. okay...

    So first of all, welcome to MFP.

    Now, we all have busy lives and using home DVD's is a good option. Now, you are asking about programs like SS, SL5x5... Yes, they are more ment for gym people but you could do them at home. Not only should you have a dumbbell set, get a pull up bar too.

    Look into programs like P90x and Insanity too. Insanity you won't really need any equipment and you will get good results. (Sorry if you get swamped with the 100000+ beach body coaches in your inbox.)
  • bcmom_1980
    bcmom_1980 Posts: 33
    Thanks for the reply. I have tried T25 and Insanity, but I have a bad hip (congenitally prone to arthritis) that gets very inflamed from doing too much plyo. I can't make it more than 4 days on either of those programs before I'm needing ibuprofen for pain relief. I'll look into P90x, thanks for the suggestion!

    Bumping for any other replies
  • bcmom_1980
    bcmom_1980 Posts: 33
    Anyone???
  • amybg1
    amybg1 Posts: 631 Member
    I'd go with adjustable dumbbells (they have some that can go up to 50lbs) maybe invest in a bar and some plates, you won't be able to find an Oly bar at your sports store - the ones you will find are lighter but even then with a few plates to start off with you'll be able to do some more than just the DBs and such. P90x is also a good option if you want to stick to the DVD's. There's no way to spot-reduce so don't be surprised if you don't lose teh paunch as fast as you'd like, for some that's the last place to slim down
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    My .02: paying $60 a month for access to a well equipped gym AND have someone trustworthy watch your kids while you get some time to yourself is a deal deal deal. Lift, swim, sit in the sauna.....for $4 a day (assuming you go 3-4 times per week)
  • Curtruns
    Curtruns Posts: 510 Member
    I liked the insanity workout when a friend of mine introduced me to it; unfortunately I am a bit on the cheap side. I usually do a circuit style workout using exercises that I look up online. This is one of my favorite sites for looking this up and you can search exercises based on the equipment you have.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/

    hope it helps
  • lmhbuss
    lmhbuss Posts: 282 Member
    Perhaps check out craigslist for a weight bench and weights? You could probably pick up a good beginner set up for the cost of two or three months of your local gym membership (the pricey one with the daycare).
  • bcmom_1980
    bcmom_1980 Posts: 33
    If I stick with BR and just keep upping my weights each time, will I get somewhat similar results? I don't want to flit around from one program to the next and get frustrated when I don't see results. That's why I've been hesitant to try NROLFW, etc without gym access, as I've heard you can only go so far at home before you need a gym or proper setup with squat rack, etc. I don't want to start a strength program and be stuck 3-4 weeks in because I can't progress w/o a gym setup. I'm trying to use the basic theory of the strength training books and apply it to this JM program, I know my results likely won't be as good as if I had a gym membership and did the actual program, but I'm hoping I can get close enough to it at home? Does that make sense?

    I think I'm going to search around a bit and maybe start a new thread about the weights, as I have a few more questions about adjustable weight systems vs bar & plate setups.

    Thanks :-)

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