Strength training at home
learningtolove
Posts: 288 Member
How does one do this? Do I need to invest in a bunch of weights?
I need to build muscle while losing weight!
( Female 5ft3 currently 145 lbs)
Ive always been a cardio bunny in the past.
I need to build muscle while losing weight!
( Female 5ft3 currently 145 lbs)
Ive always been a cardio bunny in the past.
0
Replies
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If you are eating at a deficit you won't build much muscle at all (perhaps slight newbie gains). But strength training is great to keep the lean muscle mass you already have.
Start with body weight exercise....something like You Are Your Own Gym or Convict Conditioning. I like videos....this one is all bodyweight: http://www.collagevideo.com/products/kelly-coffeys-30-min-to-fitness-body-training
Fitness Blender is a really popular youtube channel for fitness.
Don't do what I did and buy weights too quick....3 pound...5 pound dumbbells are such a waste, you will grow out of them too quickly. Look into adjustable dumbbells2 -
Depends on your goals. If you want to be really strong, you'll need to invest in weight eventually.
Body weight exercises (in some cases much less efficient, as far as training economy goes) will get you pretty far.0 -
I mean I dont want to become an Olympic athlete,but im doughy,I have a mummy tummy,and a muffin top and back rolls. Cardio isnt going to make any of that go away!
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just need a leg press machine0
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I really like the beach body workout Charlene extreme - but it's expensive if you cannot get it second hand or know someone to borrow it off. But basically start low (or with a band) and build up. No real limit to how heavy you can go. Heavy is best in terms of seeing progress and getting that nice women shape most of us want x0
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I only work out at home. I started with 3 lb weights, then invested in 5 lb weights and now incorporate 10 lb weights as I can. If you do it a little at a time it helps. You can also start with resistance bands, which I found online for cheap. and Yes, I am building muscle. I do the 21 day fix workouts, or in the past Jillian Michaels workouts. They incorporate weights but also use your body weight as well, which is huge. You might also look into the BBG workout by Kayla Itsines. I found her book online and it seriously kicks your trash in the best way possible. Look her up on insta!0
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I use a pull up bar. It works surprisingly well. I have a very basic "Iron Gym" model that hooks onto a doorframe and uses your own weight to keep it in place while you do the various chin up grip exercises. It works good on the floor too, I can do push ups and dips on it, and overall it's my favorite piece of workout equipment. My kid hooks up a resistance band and she can do assisted pull ups, too!2
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By the way, weights > cardio0
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learningtolove wrote: »I mean I dont want to become an Olympic athlete,but im doughy,I have a mummy tummy,and a muffin top and back rolls. Cardio isnt going to make any of that go away!
Actually cardio will help make that go away! This summer I spent burning fat. Cardio and calorie deficit. Lost 28lbs in 2.5 months. Now I'm reverse dieting to get back to a regular amount so I can gain some muscle and I'm strength training at the gym again. Not sure how much strength training can be done at home. Body weight exercises are great, like push-ups and pull-ups as mentioned about... the only problem I have with that is I'm not strong enough to do a pull up yet! lol!0 -
PowerBlocks makes adjustable dumbbells in two sizes; 10 to 50 pounds and 3 to 24 pounds. The 50 pound set can be added to up to 90. Compact with enough weight to keep you busy for a long while. Might want to give them a look.0
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StevieFishwick wrote: »learningtolove wrote: »I mean I dont want to become an Olympic athlete,but im doughy,I have a mummy tummy,and a muffin top and back rolls. Cardio isnt going to make any of that go away!
Actually cardio will help make that go away! This summer I spent burning fat. Cardio and calorie deficit. Lost 28lbs in 2.5 months. Now I'm reverse dieting to get back to a regular amount so I can gain some muscle and I'm strength training at the gym again. Not sure how much strength training can be done at home. Body weight exercises are great, like push-ups and pull-ups as mentioned about... the only problem I have with that is I'm not strong enough to do a pull up yet! lol!
Last time I went from 140-109 I was still skinny fat!0 -
Cardio and calorie deficit for the fat. My gal "had" exactly what you describe and she's a hair shorter than you. She went from 145 to 115. Took several months, no crash diet stupidity. Life change in eating plan. She did almost all cardio. At least in the sense that she didn't lift weights per say. Body weight moves were her weights. It worked. She lost the weight and looks cut. She has more strength and feels "empowered" as she puts it.
Workout at least 45 minute routines about 5 times a week. Mix in 2 rest days. Then do other activities around it like walk, hike, bike, etc... Something fun that also burns calories.
She dropped her diet to 1,200 cals/day. 40/30/30 split. Use MFP and logged everything.
Now we do actually weights a couple of days/week. Adjustable dumb bells rock. I have 3 sets since both of us lift together and can do things in parallel. Saves a lot of time.
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StevieFishwick wrote: »
Actually cardio will help make that go away! This summer I spent burning fat. Cardio and calorie deficit. Lost 28lbs in 2.5 months. Now I'm reverse dieting to get back to a regular amount so I can gain some muscle and I'm strength training at the gym again.
You go girl! My gal did exactly that!. It works.StevieFishwick wrote: »
Not sure how much strength training can be done at home. Body weight exercises are great, like push-ups and pull-ups as mentioned about... the only problem I have with that is I'm not strong enough to do a pull up yet! lol!
Why yes you can Stevie. My gal could do 0 pull-ups, a couple of chin-ups. Get an "assist" just for the pull-up bar. You adjust the bands to give you as much or little help getting up. It helps with the worst part getting from the bottom the of the move. She started with it. Now does 6 unassisted, full length, pull-ups. You cna too.0 -
learningtolove wrote: »StevieFishwick wrote: »learningtolove wrote: »I mean I dont want to become an Olympic athlete,but im doughy,I have a mummy tummy,and a muffin top and back rolls. Cardio isnt going to make any of that go away!
Actually cardio will help make that go away! This summer I spent burning fat. Cardio and calorie deficit. Lost 28lbs in 2.5 months. Now I'm reverse dieting to get back to a regular amount so I can gain some muscle and I'm strength training at the gym again. Not sure how much strength training can be done at home. Body weight exercises are great, like push-ups and pull-ups as mentioned about... the only problem I have with that is I'm not strong enough to do a pull up yet! lol!
Last time I went from 140-109 I was still skinny fat!
That's the problem with all cardio. You lose fat+lean muscle. Dieting alone is fat+lean muscle loss too. Strength training is one of the things that helps you lose a larger % of fat (moderate deficit & lots of protein are the other helpers). All cardio was my mistake the first time I lost weight too. I was at goal with the soft, doughy look. Ugh.
Regaining lost muscle is eating at a surplus & really hard work (especially for women). Try to keep more of what you have.2 -
learningtolove wrote: »StevieFishwick wrote: »learningtolove wrote: »I mean I dont want to become an Olympic athlete,but im doughy,I have a mummy tummy,and a muffin top and back rolls. Cardio isnt going to make any of that go away!
Actually cardio will help make that go away! This summer I spent burning fat. Cardio and calorie deficit. Lost 28lbs in 2.5 months. Now I'm reverse dieting to get back to a regular amount so I can gain some muscle and I'm strength training at the gym again. Not sure how much strength training can be done at home. Body weight exercises are great, like push-ups and pull-ups as mentioned about... the only problem I have with that is I'm not strong enough to do a pull up yet! lol!
Last time I went from 140-109 I was still skinny fat!
That's the problem with all cardio. You lose fat+lean muscle. Dieting alone is fat+lean muscle loss too. Strength training is one of the things that helps you lose a larger % of fat (moderate deficit & lots of protein are the other helpers). All cardio was my mistake the first time I lost weight too. I was at goal with the soft, doughy look. Ugh.
Regaining lost muscle is eating at a surplus & really hard work (especially for women). Try to keep more of what you have.
Thank you,thats a really good way of looking at it! Really helpful
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That's the problem with all cardio. You lose fat+lean muscle. Dieting alone is fat+lean muscle loss too. Strength training is one of the things that helps you lose a larger % of fat (moderate deficit & lots of protein are the other helpers). All cardio was my mistake the first time I lost weight too. I was at goal with the soft, doughy look. Ugh.
Regaining lost muscle is eating at a surplus & really hard work (especially for women). Try to keep more of what you have.
It depends on what you call "cardio". Just doing cardio in the sense fast movements that get you sweating. Say like spinning or jumping rope or running etc. Doing "cardio" when you do P90X, T25, Insanity etc.. There is a lot of body weight moves like pushups, pullups, burpees, squats and jumps and so on. While cardio they also require strength and conditioning.
That may not be squating your body weight with barbells but it isn't pure cardio either.
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Personally, i'd try and find a way to get to the gym and ask a trainer to put together a workout regime.
Not only is the advice going to excel your initial progress but I find seeing other fit people around me makes me set the bar higher and pushes my competitiveness, stops me just settling half way through a diet. Also seeing the opposite sex makes you think "damn I'd love them to check me out" and pushes you on.
I notice you have a child, some gymss actually have child care areas, mine in the UK costs around £4 an hour to use so I can drop my kid in for an hour, do a workout, then take them swimming after?
In my experience, home working out is the HARDEST way to do it, as finding the motivation is tough!!
But yeah, what previous posters have said is true, a combination of cardio and weights is GOOD. I have two rest days between runs, in those rest days I hit the gym on a two day split. So I end up doing something every day.
Also with weights, your body demands more protein, making highly protein based meals, means you fill up and your body uses most of it for muscle growth, its basically free food as it doesnt get converted to fat! 0 -
kanebrewer88 wrote: »Personally, i'd try and find a way to get to the gym and ask a trainer to put together a workout regime.
Not only is the advice going to excel your initial progress but I find seeing other fit people around me makes me set the bar higher and pushes my competitiveness, stops me just settling half way through a diet. Also seeing the opposite sex makes you think "damn I'd love them to check me out" and pushes you on.
I notice you have a child, some gymss actually have child care areas, mine in the UK costs around £4 an hour to use so I can drop my kid in for an hour, do a workout, then take them swimming after?
In my experience, home working out is the HARDEST way to do it, as finding the motivation is tough!!
But yeah, what previous posters have said is true, a combination of cardio and weights is GOOD. I have two rest days between runs, in those rest days I hit the gym on a two day split. So I end up doing something every day.
Also with weights, your body demands more protein, making highly protein based meals, means you fill up and your body uses most of it for muscle growth, its basically free food as it doesnt get converted to fat!
hehehe,Im actually gay but the motivation could go with hoping the SAME sex will notice me.
I actually just cancelled my membership as I hadnt gone in months and need to tighten my budget up to save for my sisters wedding away next year. But there is yoga studios and a studio that does TRX classes and some other class nearby so I may look into these 2 -
learningtolove wrote: »
hehehe,Im actually gay but the motivation could go with hoping the SAME sex will notice me.
I actually just cancelled my membership as I hadnt gone in months and need to tighten my budget up to save for my sisters wedding away next year. But there is yoga studios and a studio that does TRX classes and some other class nearby so I may look into these
Haha, well Its common knowledge girls check eachother out more then they do us blokes so im sure that'll workout
.. Fair one, it is difficult for lasses as there isnt much emphasis on muscle growth and its mostly on cardio, idk what to suggest other then to join the blokes in the free weights area.
That said, I found in the past when I wasnt going to the gym, it wasnt the right gym for me, I moved and found myself going much more regular.
Congrats on the sis's wedding free bar hopef 0 -
learningtolove wrote: »How does one do this? Do I need to invest in a bunch of weights?
I need to build muscle while losing weight!
( Female 5ft3 currently 145 lbs)
Ive always been a cardio bunny in the past.
You most likely won't make significant gains without investing in serious in-home gym equipment. If you are looking for simple strength training, body weight focused exercises are the way to go. Get an ab roller, resistance bands and an exercise ball. Maybe a stack as well for jumps and squat variations.0 -
do some research on "recomposition" basically switching body mass from high fat low muscle mass to high muscle mass low body fat. it is more time consuming and positive results take longer to achieve. The Bonus here is that food is only an issue insofar as you fuel the "machine' properly and pay attention to your macros. IE eat as much as you want so long as you spend time in the gym converting those ingested calories into muscle mass... So.. strength training at home can be done with your own body weight, there are dozens of different versions of sit ups, push ups, pull ups, squats, lunges, that will only require gravity to build strength... the BIGGER question is train for muscle strength or muscle endurance? IE would you like to be able to do 100 pull ups with just your body weight... or would you rather do 1/2 dozen pull ups with a 50 lb weight strapped to you? run a marathon? or run a Spartan sprint?... BEST advice... start with body weight exercises... try circuit training ala Tabata... and if that gets you gains and you find yourself looking for bigger challenges...THEN see about investing in a Full Rack with an Olympic bar, plates and bench... OR get a gym membership,, but not to planet fitness because I hear that's JUST wrong 0
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Choose a beginners strength training program that appeals to you and follow it. I'd disagree with the statement that you can't make significant gains without equipment, or that it can't be done at home. There's lots of bodyweight programs that are great (personally, I like Convict Conditioning). Bodyweight is totally doable; I've just found that weights makes progressing much easier. I started with a set of adjustable dumbbells off craigslist. This way, you can just buy more 1" plates(cheap and easy to find used) when you need more resistance. I've heard good things about TRX/suspension trainers as well, but never tried it myself.1
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I've had 3 kids, and I've lost all the weight, but for a long time I still looked "skinny fat." What I was looking for was a tight, toned, strong looking body. And plugging away at the cardio machines doesn't get you there. I started strength training with manageable sized weights - which for me are Dumbbells between 7.5-20lbs! Cardio is good in moderation - high intensity is even better! Eventually, I'd like to join a gym and start lifting heavier, because I know I'll see more gains that way! But for now, I'm loving my body and the changes that are happening so far! You can totally do it from home with just a few simple weights!0
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learningtolove wrote: »How does one do this? Do I need to invest in a bunch of weights?
I need to build muscle while losing weight!
( Female 5ft3 currently 145 lbs)
Ive always been a cardio bunny in the past.
You can do A LOT with a TRX and a kettlebell...
Combine those two pieces of equipment with some smart body weight training and you will look, feel and act like a badass!
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adamblake007 wrote: »learningtolove wrote: »How does one do this? Do I need to invest in a bunch of weights?
I need to build muscle while losing weight!
( Female 5ft3 currently 145 lbs)
Ive always been a cardio bunny in the past.
You can do A LOT with a TRX and a kettlebell...
Combine those two pieces of equipment with some smart body weight training and you will look, feel and act like a badass!
Love TRX. I think TRX is more fun that bodyweight and you can progress the difficulty as you go without buying more equipment. It is a good idea to get some training on it before attempting on your own.
Kettlebells present the same issue as dumbells, you need lots of sizes to do a full range of exercises, but I like doing it at the gym. I did find a 25# at Goodwill that works well for quite a few exercises.0 -
All you really need is something that will provide resistance to your muscles, be it body weight, resistance bands, dumbbells or barbells. Resistance bands are good for starting out [helps to teach the proper forms when performing exercises].0
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You may like barbell training. You can make fast strength gains on SL5x5 then progress to other programs. If this interests you, you will need a cage, a bench and an Olympic bar and weight set. If you don't have room for a cage, you can get a Landmine sleeve and train in a smaller place.
If you like circuit training, you may like "Strong Curves". This program has more variety and illustrations of various exercises like rotation, unilateral, band, dumbell, kettlebell, barbell and bodyweight work.
Your calorie deficit is going to help you lose the fat. And the weight training can help with your physique.0 -
Here is a post that lists established lifting programs: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
Take a look at the programs (BodyWeight Routines, Dumbbell Routines, Beginner Lifting Programs) to get an idea of the kind of equipment you will need.0
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