Will Pilates help me tone up if I'm skinny fat???

surfergal9988
surfergal9988 Posts: 36 Member
edited November 13 in Fitness and Exercise
Okay, so i heard time and again. And, from many helpful people on this board that i should focus on strength training. Again I'm short and 105llbs.I eat healthy, but my bodys at a plateau.

Thing is its hard to find videos online/DVD's that aren't cardio focused.
I researched Chalean Extreme but that workout system looks like i need many variety of weights.
I don't go to a gym, and I'm a kind of person that likes to follow along with a video program.
Sooo far i found
Jillian Anderson- NO MORE TROUBLE ZONES DVD which looks great and she use's weights.

Now Pilates there a zillion types of dvds.
Is it possible to tone up myself with Pilates????
I was thinking 2 times a week HIIT
then.Pilates 3 times a week.
then Jillian NMTZ -2 times a week.

Replies

  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    edited March 2015
    Yes, pilates is great for that. I used to do it when I belonged to a gym. I am going to start doing it at home again.

    It will really help you get stronger...especially the core muscles. And you don't need equipment.
  • surfergal9988
    surfergal9988 Posts: 36 Member
    Yeah, I've been researching so much. I think in looking at my whole system. I eat healthy and exercise, but there hasn't been any "TONAGE" haha if thats a word.

    I lose weight in my stomach fast but i guess Pilates is good for all over too. So, I shall try that for March:)
  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
    I love Pilates, I do go to a class but we don't use any equipment. It will lean you out and help you feel strong!
  • surfergal9988
    surfergal9988 Posts: 36 Member
    Thanks! For anyone who does it, would you say it has lowered your body fat?
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    surfergal9988 wrote: »
    Thing is its hard to find videos online/DVD's that aren't cardio focused.

    Um, no it's not? Try FitnessBlender for example, or HasFit. Plenty of options, many of them (including those) are free.

  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    surfergal9988 wrote: »
    Yeah, I've been researching so much. I think in looking at my whole system. I eat healthy and exercise, but there hasn't been any "TONAGE" haha if thats a word.

    I lose weight in my stomach fast but i guess Pilates is good for all over too. So, I shall try that for March:)
    It is good for all over...but just about everything it does also hits the core. There are a ton of sites online that have free pilates workouts if you don't want to commit to a specific dvd.

  • surfergal9988
    surfergal9988 Posts: 36 Member
    I know of Fitness Blender- Its just I like , a set program.
    I like some of their HIIT workouts And, Ive seen their Strength Videos which are good.
    But for instance with Brazilian Butt Lift- theres 5 videos and their is a set schedule of what to do, etc.
    I'm just a person who likes a program that has a schedule. That's all. I don't have fun looking for 30 min which video on youtube i should do for the day.
    Their a handful of youtube strength vids i watch well watching shows, where i can do lower body workouts followed by upper body workouts.
  • surfergal9988
    surfergal9988 Posts: 36 Member
    Thanks!! Yeah i know where to find many Pilates Dvds online.
  • TCO76
    TCO76 Posts: 242 Member
    If you are skinny fat, you either need to continue on calorie deficit until you get to desired bodyfat. Or you need to eat at a slight surplus and incorporate a good weightlifting routine to build muscle. I wish I could get toned just doing pilates tho. A lot of people strip the fat and are not happy because they don't have much if any muscle to work with. But if your just trying to break a stall, step up your cardiovascular game
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Pilates is a great work out. Enjoy! I know I do!
  • surfergal9988
    surfergal9988 Posts: 36 Member
    thanks! Yeah Im at 24.6% Body Fat( most of it in my lower body). I've noticed while tracking for the last few weeks I don't eat over 1,100 calories alot( for 2 weeks I cut out grains/dairy/legumes). But, 95% of my food is homemade from breakfast to Dinner. I have the occasional Think THin Bar which im addicted too and Vegan Protein Smoothie Mix. So, I've probably been doing "LOW CARB", but I eat protein most of the time at every meal with a veggie or in a salad. And snack on nuts. So, I know when you eat too much low cal your body goes into "starvation mode" right and holds on to fat. ahhh

    I calculated to lose weight i need to eat around 1,300 cals. Of course I just want to tone. If i do days where I have grains like Quinoa and Oatmeal and Starchy Veggies with days I dont have carbs then maybe that will help me. ahhhhh no wonder there so many darn books and videos. Theres no one solution lol.
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    If you like a set program, and are interested in pilates, you should check out Blogilates. This is the program I'm doing, and I love it!

    You start with the Beginner 2.0 Calendar. Every day, you consult the calendar, do those videos.

    Then you join everyone else on the monthly calendar. She makes up a new calendar every month, and each day has a theme, and she schedules several videos to make up your day, so there's A LOT of variation. Every day feels totally new to me, with repeats popping up occasionally, where I can see how much stronger I've gotten!

    (It is worth noting that the Beginner calendar is maybe 20-45 mins of work each day, but the regular calendar is more like 55 give or take. But because it's several short ones, you can break up your workout if you need to.)

    Plus, she is doing layered challenges as well. March will be thighs! So she makes up a poster + gifs of her doing the exercises for good form, and you progress through the exercises, increasing reps each day.

    It's all free. You go to her website and sign up for the newsletter, which gives you passwords to the calendars. The videos are free on YouTube.

    Cassey Ho, the trainer, is really positive and funny and upbeat but also she really WILL work you. It would be worth trying for awhile anyway!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I did pilates 3 days per week while I was losing weight and while I did build a small amount of strength it didn't do much of anything to lower my body fat percentage. Or at least, I still got to goal weight with a lot higher body fat percentage than I would have liked. I saw much faster progress once I started lifting weights.

    Pilates is a great workout if you're looking for core strength and flexibility, but I don't think you're going to build large amounts of muscle with it. For that I'd look into some home strength training programs like You Are Your Own Gym or Convict Conditioning. Either of those uses only your body weight. Alternately you could get some adjustable dumbbells that will last you awhile and lift at home.
  • Dragn77
    Dragn77 Posts: 810 Member
    I actually only just did my first pilates workout today.. Ive had the Rael Pilates 7, 17, 27 DVDs for almost two years and never cracked them open... Yesterday, I pulled out my videos and started doing research, everything had great things to say about pilates so I decided to give it a try this morning.

    For what its worth...I FELT it today! The moves are so slow and deliberate, that I seriously felt like Id done a million crunches, not to mention my thighs were feeling it too. I can already understand why so many say great things about how it strengthens your core and strength.

    Im only one day in, but already super impressed and looking forward to my results from doing this.
  • surfergal9988
    surfergal9988 Posts: 36 Member
    Thank you for all ur advice.
    Yes BLOGILATES!! I've actually been doing her vids on and off for 3 years but sadly never followed her calender. But, I'll relook at that. Because I remember she had lots of good strength segments.
  • Dragn77
    Dragn77 Posts: 810 Member
    Ohh, yeah, I heard about Blogilates yesterday! I decided to use my DVDs first since well, I paid for them, may as well use them...plus all the reviews sounded great. But I checked out her Youtube and saw the calendar on her website, and I was so tempted. I will do that after I finish the DVDs (or if I get bored with them) ... She just seems like *such* an awesome "workout partner"...!
  • klund13
    klund13 Posts: 98 Member
    I follow the Blogilates calendar. It's great. All of her videos are free on YouTube.
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