Jillian Michaels or simple lifting?

bsbprincess · January 2016

Hello all!

I lost quite a bit of weight before with Jillian Michaels videos. I LOVED them! I got down to about 11 from my goal weight and felt.. fat still. I guess they call that skinny fat. Basically I felt big and saggy in all the same places, just less. I'm not sure if I was doing the right stuff and gave up too soon (scale was stuck and I gave up like an idiot lol) or if I should have been lifting heavier.

With her videos she recommends you usually stick to 5 lbs or maybe a bit more but not much. You are usually moving around a lot and doing sometimes two things at once, so she keeps weights lower.

On here I've seen people say to "lift heavy" to really lose stubborn fat. Should I be focusing more on slower work, but heavier weights? Or sticking to her method where you use less weight, but it's also good for cardio too as your heart rate is up like crazy with her circuit training type stuff.

I should also note her stuff got to be a bit easy for me at my best.. and I moved on to Bob Harper's Pure Burn Super Strength and it was killer. Longer and harder than her videos. I think I should have stuck with that longer, but then what? I would have had no idea where to go once that became easier, and it was getting there when I gave up and quit.

I know I could get to that point again, and I'm not sure if I should worry about it then, or if I was doing stuff wrong back then. Meaning, was I setting myself up to not reach goals, both with weight and overall fitness?

Any advice is appreciated, and sorry I ramble :P

Sumiblue · January 2016

I've never done Jillian Michaels videos but if you want to get leaner I can vouch for lifting. I started with Stronglifts 5x5. I ate at a small deficit and dropped fat & inches. Can always do some cardio afterward or on days you don't lift. I only do 1 cardio session/week.

FemmeFireRL · January 2016

I am starting to follow the Stronglifts 5x5 today as well. Can't wait to see my waist shrink!

bsbprincess · January 2016

Sumiblue wrote: »

I've never done Jillian Michaels videos but if you want to get leaner I can vouch for lifting. I started with Stronglifts 5x5. I ate at a small deficit and dropped fat & inches. Can always do some cardio afterward or on days you don't lift. I only do 1 cardio session/week.

Wow... so you never have to do something faster? Cardio one day a week, lifting the rest, and losing fat and inches. Sounds amazing!!

Cause I always felt Jillian was a way of doing both, because I thought I had to do both. She has you doing things quickly and two things at once so your heart rate is up. It would be kinda nice to be able to focus more on muscle than on lifting light weights around while doing lunges or leg lifts.

AdrianChr92 · January 2016

Strong lifts is good program for begginers. Any program that has squats, deadlifts, bench, over head press and rows is good. These are prime movements. Also there is nothing sexier than a women that can squats heavy *kitten* weights

Unknown · January 2016

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AdrianChr92 · January 2016

Lifting heavy will do more for you fat burn that cardio ever will. Breaking muscles takes a toll on the body and increases your metabolism to repair them. Also I find it more fun to lift heavy things than run for 30 minutes. Just don't fall into the high reps thing

Sumiblue · January 2016

I did not have a lot to lose-20lbs or less. I'm still determining where I want to be. I had a good base of muscle to begin with. I don't like cardio much so I try to do short intense cardio like HIIT. Or Kettlebell circuits. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat so it pays off to work & preserve muscle. I upped my protein to preserve the muscle I have. For me it's 5 days of lifting (I'm doing a split routine now) and one day of cardio. Maybe.

bsbprincess · January 2016

Thank you very much all!! I don't have very much knowledge on fitness.
I see strong lifts is a free app... unfortunately I don't have access to a gym yet, but would like to once I can afford it. I'll save this link

bsbprincess · January 2016

One more question please??

Before I have access to the gym and this equipment.. how about something like this? https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/bodyweight-training-you-are/id416981420?mt=8

Have any of you heard of it?

spkout2005 · January 2016

Too many ladies are afraid of weights..embrace them you will not get big or bulky do to very low wmounts of testerone so tone up dont be intimidated to lift, light or heavy

bsbprincess · January 2016

By "lift heavy" could I do that at home with just weights or are we talking gym equipment?

Sumiblue · January 2016

I work out at home but had to buy a power cage and Olympic bar & weights. I converted a small extra bedroom into my weight room. I bought it all used in craigslist. I haven't done the body weight program but I know others on MFP have. I saw someone asking about it in the weight loss or fitness forum very recently. I don't have a link for it but if you search should show up.

Sumiblue · January 2016

To answer your question better-yes, you can do it at home. My power cage has safeties so I can lift without a spotter. Better than my gym experience, for real!

Lleldiranne · January 2016

I've done both Jillian Michaels and more traditional lifting (as well as a variety of other DVDs). In my experience/opinion, Jillian and most of the others are more of cardio and endurance rather than strength training (you do work muscles, but in more of an endurance way).

I prefer, by far, the "heavy lifting" in the gym. Like others have said, "heavy" is relative. Strong Lifts has a great reputation as a beginner program, so that might be a good place to start. I like the powerful feeling I get when I can move increasingly heavy weights, and I am able to lift/carry things at home, the store, and other places that would have been much harder for me if I wasn't building strength in the gym.

I still do some cardio, but my big focus is the lifting. YMMV, but it has done more for my body composition than all of the JM videos I tried. (I don't say weight, because that comes from the calorie deficit, which can be achieved with or without any kind of exercise ... but the composition and look is what I'm really wanting)

bsbprincess · January 2016

Thank you!!! Love how helpful everyone is here

Changes in composition are so important to me, even more so once I get closer to a goal weight. With those videos I wasn't very happy with my changes. I hadn't really changed much in ages and that's why I gave up.

Can't wait until I can get better equipment and/or join the gym!!

arditarose · January 2016

Lift heavy. Jillian Michaels is basically cardio. It won't give you the results you want.

Sumiblue · January 2016

Cardio is a great calorie burner but I feel like I end up the same shape just smaller. Lifting (and you can add cardio after) can change your shape. I'd say look at your goals and decide what you want.

bsbprincess · January 2016

Yep. I had the same shape but smaller at 161 (I'm 5'9")

I definitely want to change my shape. Bless you all for your help

kgeyser · January 2016

bsbprincess wrote: »

Thank you!!! Love how helpful everyone is here

Changes in composition are so important to me, even more so once I get closer to a goal weight. With those videos I wasn't very happy with my changes. I hadn't really changed much in ages and that's why I gave up.

Can't wait until I can get better equipment and/or join the gym!!

Do you have heavier weights at home? It sounds like you didn't add weight once things felt easier, and increasing weight is part of progression. You can still do some weight training exercises at home, and "lift heavy" means heavy for you. There are plenty of exercises you can do with dumbbells, especially if you aren't at the point where you can lift the barbells at the gym. No sense waiting around for a gym membership if you already have some of the tools.

bsbprincess · January 2016

I started off with 3s as she recommends, then 5s then 7s

5s are a struggle now, but they work for the videos I have access to. So I suppose Ill make a point to lift heavier without videos, as I can't do her stuff with 15s LOL. My fiance has 10s I can work up to. After that, I suppose I'll get 15s and so on.

bsbprincess · January 2016

The biggest thing for me is not knowing how high to keep going up to. And how much do I increase... and could I get hurt if I do certain moves with high weights? I dunno. LOL. I need a trainer or something.

JoRocka · January 2016

Anything you can do on a DVD at home is going to be more Cardio than anything else. They aren't the same thing and comparing a comprehensive proven beginner lifting program to a JM DVD is like comparing apples to squirrels.

bsbprincess · January 2016

So what can someone like me do at home? With just hand weights and my body weight? Is that never going to be enough to be really fit?

And then we have legs, and abs... do I need machines for those or just increase reps of squats and bicycle crunches etc?

If I need to "lift heavy" to get where I want, does that mean heavy machines or can I do this all with heavier weights?

I'm sorry, I'm so lost guys lol

I really want to get started soon, not wait until I can get to a gym. That's months away.

EDIT: I did get good recommendations of getting equipment at home, but that's way down the road too, for financial reasons.

JoRocka · January 2016

Well you can get your own power cage if you want.

Otherwise I would direct you to
You are your own gym
Body by you
Convict conditioning
And the website strengthunbound.com

bsbprincess · January 2016

Great. I had heard about You are your own gym and wasn't sure if it was well liked or not, by people who know their stuff anyway.

I'll start there I think. Thanks so much JoRocka!!!!!

Mellie289 · January 2016

I've done a lot of Jillian videos and I'm currently doing her 90 day Body Revolution program. This one is quite different with 6 workouts a week, 4 of which have virtually no cardio. It might be a good compromise if you're interested in going that route.

Each week is two different strength videos (day 1 - chest, quads and triceps, day 2 - back, gluts and biceps) both with some abs and a little cardio (maybe 4 minutes of the entire 30 minute workout), and a third video of cardio for day 3, then you repeat and have one rest day.

For me, this IS lifting heavy with the body weight exercises as I can barely do a military-style push-up. I usually don't get through all the exercises with as many reps as Jillian's crew - and I'm left with shaking muscles! I love doing these videos and there is potential for increasing my strength so much more with each stage increasing the level of intensity. She also has some of her super fit people demonstrate how to make the exercises even more challenging (adding weights or resistance, using only one foot instead of two) - and yes, you can always increase the weights (I'm often using 3 or 5 lbs when they are using 8s on the video)!

I love Jillian's other videos, but as a program, I like this a little better that the exercises are swapping around the muscles targeted rather than the same video repeated over and over for a week or more. I have no interest in going to a gym and lifting weights so this suits me. You've gotta do what works for you!

daremightythings · January 2016

+1 for both convict conditioning and you are your own gym. the 5x5 app makes weight lifting in the gym so easy, once you have access to one. CC or YAYOG will get you a great foundation in the meantime!

gothchiq · January 2016

You can alternate days... cardio one day, lift the next. I do them both.

CharlieBeansmomTracey · January 2016

also, if you want to do the jillian workouts you still can. I do and I lift heavy also; when I do her workouts,I use heavier weights on the moves I can do and lighter ones on the others I cant control or keep proper form on.if you feel its gotten too easy then she will tell you to add weight/heavier weights(well at least on most videos she does).I have a weight bench,bar,weights,as well as dumbbells(hand weights) and some kettle bells as well as resistance bands.I dont belong to a gym and there isnt one in my area(nearest one is over 60miles one way). you can do all the above(what others mentioned) if you want.totally up to you.free weights in my opinion are better than machines.

Jillian Michaels or simple lifting?

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