But, what if I don't want to lift?

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  • hamoncan
    hamoncan Posts: 148 Member
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    spartan_d wrote: »
    You don't HAVE to lift... but if you want overall fitness, it would be foolish not to do so. (Bodyweight exercises are great, and I use them abundantly, but they're no substitute.)

    Pfft! Nonsense. Most people are just looking to get fit, not become body builders. You can gain plenty of muscle with a home workout of pushups, pullups, lunges and squats. A set of dumbells would help to add extra resistance for the squats.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    amberstarrcogle wrote: »
    spartan_d wrote: »
    You don't HAVE to lift... but if you want overall fitness, it would be foolish not to do so. (Bodyweight exercises are great, and I use them abundantly, but they're no substitute.)

    Yoga & the shred video I do commonly repeat planks, lunges & squats. I assumed they werent enough. The yoga especially, because my body is accustomed to it. Is adding weights (no more than 10lbs) a better strategy?

    No more than 10 pounds? Nah, besides for a very few exercises, you're going to need more than that. I'd just stick with body weight stuff if you're not going to pick up anything heavy.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    Do you get sore muscles doing what you're doing? If yes, you are probably toning/building muscle. If no, you may want to push it a little. Add hills/incline to your runs etc. Or just lift.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited January 2015
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    You most certainly don't need to lift but there's a lot of great reasons for doing it and you're right that you'll get better results if you do. Here's another way to look at it. It's easier to maintain the muscle you have than to build new muscle. The more extra weight you're carrying around, the more muscle your body has built to move that weight around on a daily basis. As you lose weight, you're going to lose some of that muscle. Wouldn't you rather simply maintain it now than have to work a lot harder for it later?

    Replace two of your 30 day shred sessions for weight sessions. If you don't have time for the gym right now buy some hand weights and resistance bands to start. You can even make your own weights with stuff around the house. A gallon milk jug filled with sand or water is pretty heavy!

  • AmberStarr_87
    AmberStarr_87 Posts: 1,291 Member
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    LyndseyLovesToLift wrote: »

    Four kids at 27? Dang, you've been busy.

    You don't say!
  • AmberStarr_87
    AmberStarr_87 Posts: 1,291 Member
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    goldthistime wrote: »
    Do you get sore muscles doing what you're doing? If yes, you are probably toning/building muscle. If no, you may want to push it a little. Add hills/incline to your runs etc. Or just lift.

    I do. My body hurts! Ive been dieting a month & added the shred video to my normal walk & daily Yoga 2 1/2 weeks ago- it's the same video everyday & I still wake up the next morning praying I'll find the ibuprofen next to the bed.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    You don't have to at all

    If you want to find something to do at home like that you could easily do bodyweight exercises nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

    If you don't, don't
    Agreed, and here's a success story for bodyweight exercises:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1428309/what-can-calisthenics-do-for-you-let-me-show-you
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    There is no "need" to lift. Lifting is very popular on this site, but obviously people survive without lifting and also obviously many people manage to have great bodies and be in good health without lifting. To lose weight, you need to control how many calories you eat vs how many calories you burn. To have an overall good health and look fit, you need to do some sort of exercise, preferably some combination of cardio and strength training. What form of exercise you choose, it is up to you, to your personal preferences, schedule and lifestyle. If you ask people around you in real life, ones who have bodies you like, you will get a variety of activities. Not everyone lifts, same as not everyone runs, or does pilates or swims or is into martial arts. Obviously there is nothing wrong with heavy lifting, same as there is nothing wrong with basketball, dancing or calisthenics, but heavy lifting is definitely not a requirement in general. Figure out what type of exercise works for you and go for it.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
    edited January 2015
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    amberstarrcogle wrote: »
    goldthistime wrote: »
    Do you get sore muscles doing what you're doing? If yes, you are probably toning/building muscle. If no, you may want to push it a little. Add hills/incline to your runs etc. Or just lift.

    I do. My body hurts! Ive been dieting a month & added the shred video to my normal walk & daily Yoga 2 1/2 weeks ago- it's the same video everyday & I still wake up the next morning praying I'll find the ibuprofen next to the bed.

    You're doing stuff. You'll look good. It's just a different look. My friend is a serious yoga instructor and she asked me how I got my arms (I lift heavy) and my response was "NOT yoga". I was just teasing her obviously, but it's true. She looks great too, just different.

  • MustLoveCats21
    MustLoveCats21 Posts: 137
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    Like others have said, you don't have to if you don't want to. I do it, but my goals are a bit different from the normal female who wants a toned, slender body. I don't just want to be toned, I want to look FIT. That means I want to be nicely cut. That requires a bit more effort.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    The best exercise is the one you enjoy. Some people are all into lifting. That's great for them. But that doesn't mean you have to do it.
  • MLLeFever
    MLLeFever Posts: 25 Member
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    I'm right there with you. I hate lifting heavy things. It bores me to tears. I rather spend time on the elliptical, treadmill, and that horrid stair climber. I just don't have it in me to start lifting... Yet. The first time I lost the weight, I eventually started lifting, it just took me a while to get there.
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
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    use machines not free weights if you hate lifting and work it in the routine.

    Worse case just don't lift and don't be as fit as possible
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    MrTolerable wrote: »
    Worse case just don't lift and don't be as fit as possible

    Sorry but this makes me laugh. It really depends on what you define as "fit". There is zero reason to lift weights if you don't want to. You can be amazingly "fit" without weights.
  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
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    glevinso wrote: »
    MrTolerable wrote: »
    Worse case just don't lift and don't be as fit as possible

    Sorry but this makes me laugh. It really depends on what you define as "fit". There is zero reason to lift weights if you don't want to. You can be amazingly "fit" without weights.

    Maybe my econ degree is kicking in remembering opportunity cost - she is loosing potential gains by skipping HIIT and lifting - the idea that you can walk and loose weight is asinine. - no offense.

    It is like the newbies I see at the gym that are like 50 lbs over weight walking on a treadmill for an hour and burn like 80 calories as they are throwing back a 100 calorie Gatorade full of sugar thinking they did some great workout and will be in shape in a few weeks.. its totally bonkers
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    I never said "walking only" will make you fit. That is your strawman. I simply said you don't need weights to be fit.

  • MrTolerable
    MrTolerable Posts: 1,593 Member
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    smh - talk about wasting time - you can hit goals a whole lot faster by lifting - period. No question asked, maybe not loose weight but def a reduction in that nasty body fat %.

    Sure you are right it is more than just walking, but discounting strength training is totally nuts - it is way more important than cardio. The only thing more important is prob sleep and diet.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    I guess that depends on your goal. If I wasted time lifting weights I certainly wouldn't get to where I want to be.
  • ErinK09
    ErinK09 Posts: 687 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    You don't have to at all

    If you want to find something to do at home like that you could easily do bodyweight exercises nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

    If you don't, don't

    Thanks for the link.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    edited January 2015
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    goldthistime wrote: »
    Do you get sore muscles doing what you're doing? If yes, you are probably toning/building muscle. If no, you may want to push it a little. Add hills/incline to your runs etc. Or just lift.

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