How much actual muscle gain is possible to get from pilates/yoga?
MarianMarMoi
Posts: 87 Member
Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here 
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
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Replies
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I began doing Pilates last year (with a certified Pilates teacher) and it has made a noticeable difference for me in terms of core strength, stability and flexibility.
I also had been lifting weights (not really heavy lifting though) and had been doing light yoga (vinyasa) long before I began Pilates. I think yoga and Pilates compliment each other well. My teacher also practices yoga but her life is Pilates.
Here's a source (one of many) for some of the benefits, which touches briefly on the strength benefits: https://www.pilates.com/BBAPP/V/pilates/benefits-of-pilates.html0 -
Thank you so much for your reply! That sounds great! I will take a look at the link.
I really do hope it will be "enough" for me since I can see it being a permanent part of my lifestyle 0 -
You will get stronger - My question is - Why don't you want to lift weights? - Eastcoast Jim0
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MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
Yoga and pilates will be good for flexibility but not for muscle gains. And 50 to 60g is about half of what you actually want. You will want around 100 to 120g if you are working to build muscle and more specifically a lifting program based on progressive overload.7 -
You will get stronger - My question is - Why don't you want to lift weights? - Eastcoast Jim
The main reason as to why I don't want to lift weights is that it's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm incorporating things into my lifestyle as a part of a permanent change, and lifting weights is just not something I enjoy.MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
Yoga and pilates will be good for flexibility but not for muscle gains. And 50 to 60g is about half of what you actually want. You will want around 100 to 120g if you are working to build muscle and more specifically a lifting program based on progressive overload.
Then I guess I will end up very flexible instead! Jokes aside, I do hope I get a bit stronger from it in the way justlog described above. I know their focus isn't on muscle gain, but looking at myself now I feel that any type of activity would do something. I will not get muscle definition from it, that's not my goal either, but I really do hope they give something.3 -
MarianMarMoi wrote: »You will get stronger - My question is - Why don't you want to lift weights? - Eastcoast Jim
The main reason as to why I don't want to lift weights is that it's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm incorporating things into my lifestyle as a part of a permanent change, and lifting weights is just not something I enjoy.MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
Yoga and pilates will be good for flexibility but not for muscle gains. And 50 to 60g is about half of what you actually want. You will want around 100 to 120g if you are working to build muscle and more specifically a lifting program based on progressive overload.
Then I guess I will end up very flexible instead! Jokes aside, I do hope I get a bit stronger from it in the way justlog described above. I know their focus isn't on muscle gain, but looking at myself now I feel that any type of activity would do something. I will not get muscle definition from it, that's not my goal either, but I really do hope they give something.
You will gain a bit more endurance, but if you are going to gain some weight, it's going to be almost all fat.
The bigger thing is, it doesn't have to be one exercise or another. YOu can incorporate pilates/yoga, cardio and strength training if you have the time. Only limiting your workouts to one type is one going to give you limited results.
So i guess the bigger question is, what are you really looking for, and then you can design a plan to help you achieve that.6 -
MarianMarMoi wrote: »You will get stronger - My question is - Why don't you want to lift weights? - Eastcoast Jim
The main reason as to why I don't want to lift weights is that it's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm incorporating things into my lifestyle as a part of a permanent change, and lifting weights is just not something I enjoy.MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
Yoga and pilates will be good for flexibility but not for muscle gains. And 50 to 60g is about half of what you actually want. You will want around 100 to 120g if you are working to build muscle and more specifically a lifting program based on progressive overload.
Then I guess I will end up very flexible instead! Jokes aside, I do hope I get a bit stronger from it in the way justlog described above. I know their focus isn't on muscle gain, but looking at myself now I feel that any type of activity would do something. I will not get muscle definition from it, that's not my goal either, but I really do hope they give something.
You will gain a bit more endurance, but if you are going to gain some weight, it's going to be almost all fat.
The bigger thing is, it doesn't have to be one exercise or another. YOu can incorporate pilates/yoga, cardio and strength training if you have the time. Only limiting your workouts to one type is one going to give you limited results.
So i guess the bigger question is, what are you really looking for, and then you can design a plan to help you achieve that.
My goals... I guess I want to be stronger and feel less frail. I want my posture to be better and it would be fun if I could touch the floor with my hands without bending my knees.
The biggest reason why I want to start with yoga and pilates is the mental aspect. They've always seemed like my kind of thing, a way to relax and feel good in my body and mind, silly as it might sound.
I don't want to do things I don't enjoy. I feel no need to be very strong and have muscles showing, I will not start lifting weights and I will not double my protein, so if that is what I would have to do to experience some muscle gain, I guess I will have to live with what I got.12 -
MarianMarMoi wrote: »MarianMarMoi wrote: »You will get stronger - My question is - Why don't you want to lift weights? - Eastcoast Jim
The main reason as to why I don't want to lift weights is that it's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm incorporating things into my lifestyle as a part of a permanent change, and lifting weights is just not something I enjoy.MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
Yoga and pilates will be good for flexibility but not for muscle gains. And 50 to 60g is about half of what you actually want. You will want around 100 to 120g if you are working to build muscle and more specifically a lifting program based on progressive overload.
Then I guess I will end up very flexible instead! Jokes aside, I do hope I get a bit stronger from it in the way justlog described above. I know their focus isn't on muscle gain, but looking at myself now I feel that any type of activity would do something. I will not get muscle definition from it, that's not my goal either, but I really do hope they give something.
You will gain a bit more endurance, but if you are going to gain some weight, it's going to be almost all fat.
The bigger thing is, it doesn't have to be one exercise or another. YOu can incorporate pilates/yoga, cardio and strength training if you have the time. Only limiting your workouts to one type is one going to give you limited results.
So i guess the bigger question is, what are you really looking for, and then you can design a plan to help you achieve that.
My goals... I guess I want to be stronger and feel less frail. I want my posture to be better and it would be fun if I could touch the floor with my hands without bending my knees.
The biggest reason why I want to start with yoga and pilates is the mental aspect. They've always seemed like my kind of thing, a way to relax and feel good in my body and mind, silly as it might sound.
I don't want to do things I don't enjoy. I feel no need to be very strong and have muscles showing, I will not start lifting weights and I will not double my protein, so if that is what I would have to do to experience some muscle gain, I guess I will have to live with what I got.
So protein is very important even to help with strength, recovery and metabolism. Even if you don't double, you should probably get closer to 100g to benefit you improvements that you want from yoga/pilates. This doesn't mean you have to eat a ton of meat, but you should focus a bit more on protein based foods, including plant based sources.
You might find a mental aspect, but some don't. Largely, just like dieting, that is more about how the person is approaching it. When I did yoga, I never experience any additional mental improvements. But often it's power of placebo. The belief that you will receive those aspects, will drive those improvements. Its I am not saying that as a bad thing. Power of placebo can be huge.4 -
I think you're wise to know yourself well enough to craft a plan you can stick with for life, because you're right - you won't stick with things you won't enjoy. Doing ANY exercise program when you hadn't been exercising (or exercising much) previously is likely to increase muscle mass at least a bit. Pilates and Yoga both require strong muscles to do correctly. Lemon is right that you won't build as much muscle without some sort of strength training program and enough protein, but I absolutely love that you're being so true to yourself. You WILL get stronger. :flowerforyou:
Also - congrats on getting your nutrition in hand and moving on to the next step.5 -
I've seen some yoga practitioners who have very lovely muscles. Especially those who do the types of yoga where you hold the pose for a long time, or quickly switch between poses. I don't know the names. I've been to a total of six yoga classes, but I was impressed with the physiques of some of the really serious people. Those were the ones that really had a master on what they were doing, and it showed. I was just falling down in the corner hoping no one saw me.
Some of the more difficult poses take quite a bit of strength to work up to. So depending on the type of yoga you do, you should gain some strength. There are many different kinds of yoga. I think you should ask a proper yoga teacher which type would be best for your goals of gaining muscle and relaxing. There are classes for both, but I don't know about at the same time.
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MarianMarMoi wrote: »MarianMarMoi wrote: »You will get stronger - My question is - Why don't you want to lift weights? - Eastcoast Jim
The main reason as to why I don't want to lift weights is that it's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm incorporating things into my lifestyle as a part of a permanent change, and lifting weights is just not something I enjoy.MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
Yoga and pilates will be good for flexibility but not for muscle gains. And 50 to 60g is about half of what you actually want. You will want around 100 to 120g if you are working to build muscle and more specifically a lifting program based on progressive overload.
Then I guess I will end up very flexible instead! Jokes aside, I do hope I get a bit stronger from it in the way justlog described above. I know their focus isn't on muscle gain, but looking at myself now I feel that any type of activity would do something. I will not get muscle definition from it, that's not my goal either, but I really do hope they give something.
You will gain a bit more endurance, but if you are going to gain some weight, it's going to be almost all fat.
The bigger thing is, it doesn't have to be one exercise or another. YOu can incorporate pilates/yoga, cardio and strength training if you have the time. Only limiting your workouts to one type is one going to give you limited results.
So i guess the bigger question is, what are you really looking for, and then you can design a plan to help you achieve that.
My goals... I guess I want to be stronger and feel less frail. I want my posture to be better and it would be fun if I could touch the floor with my hands without bending my knees.
The biggest reason why I want to start with yoga and pilates is the mental aspect. They've always seemed like my kind of thing, a way to relax and feel good in my body and mind, silly as it might sound.
I don't want to do things I don't enjoy. I feel no need to be very strong and have muscles showing, I will not start lifting weights and I will not double my protein, so if that is what I would have to do to experience some muscle gain, I guess I will have to live with what I got.
So protein is very important even to help with strength, recovery and metabolism. Even if you don't double, you should probably get closer to 100g to benefit you improvements that you want from yoga/pilates. This doesn't mean you have to eat a ton of meat, but you should focus a bit more on protein based foods, including plant based sources.
You might find a mental aspect, but some don't. Largely, just like dieting, that is more about how the person is approaching it. When I did yoga, I never experience any additional mental improvements. But often it's power of placebo. The belief that you will receive those aspects, will drive those improvements. Its I am not saying that as a bad thing. Power of placebo can be huge.
Increasing protein is not something I will do. I am vegan and I feel like I am eating a lot of protein-foods. Legumes and quinoa/buckwheat/rice twice a day, oatmeal, hummus, seed crispbread, chia pudding and such for breakfast/snacks every day. If I aim at something it's 60g/day, because that's the amount I know I can eat without it feeling like I'm force feeding myself.
What others feel and do not feel when they exercise isn't really something I consider when I think about my own experience. I know I will feel good when I do yoga and pilates, I've tried it before and loved it, even though I wasn't very good. I have no beliefs that it will improve my mental wellbeing, I'm just saying that it will make me feel good, which is what I want in my life.
Thank you for your replies, I do hope I will notice a difference but if I don't it's not the whole world.JustSomeEm wrote: »I think you're wise to know yourself well enough to craft a plan you can stick with for life, because you're right - you won't stick with things you won't enjoy. Doing ANY exercise program when you hadn't been exercising (or exercising much) previously is likely to increase muscle mass at least a bit. Pilates and Yoga both require strong muscles to do correctly. Lemon is right that you won't build as much muscle without some sort of strength training program and enough protein, but I absolutely love that you're being so true to yourself. You WILL get stronger. :flowerforyou:
Also - congrats on getting your nutrition in hand and moving on to the next step.
Thank you!! I do hope you are right, I suppose only time will tell!LiveLoveFitFab wrote: »I've seen some yoga practitioners who have very lovely muscles. Especially those who do the types of yoga where you hold the pose for a long time, or quickly switch between poses. I don't know the names. I've been to a total of six yoga classes, but I was impressed with the physiques of some of the really serious people. Those were the ones that really had a master on what they were doing, and it showed. I was just falling down in the corner hoping no one saw me.
Some of the more difficult poses take quite a bit of strength to work up to. So depending on the type of yoga you do, you should gain some strength. There are many different kinds of yoga. I think you should ask a proper yoga teacher which type would be best for your goals of gaining muscle and relaxing. There are classes for both, but I don't know about at the same time.
That sounds awesome!
I'm not sure what type of yoga I want to do, I think I will try a few different types. Most of what I will do I will do at home, there are quite many instructions on youtube that I hope will work fine to start with.
It would be lovely to go to actual classes, though. I think that maybe after the summer I could afford it!7 -
I'm wondering why she would need more than 0.8 grams per lb of LBM? Given that she's not eating in a deficit or planning on doing intense strength training, I don't see why she would need more. At her size, that would equate to around 75 grams assuming she has around 90 lbs of LBM.MarianMarMoi wrote: »MarianMarMoi wrote: »You will get stronger - My question is - Why don't you want to lift weights? - Eastcoast Jim
The main reason as to why I don't want to lift weights is that it's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm incorporating things into my lifestyle as a part of a permanent change, and lifting weights is just not something I enjoy.MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
Yoga and pilates will be good for flexibility but not for muscle gains. And 50 to 60g is about half of what you actually want. You will want around 100 to 120g if you are working to build muscle and more specifically a lifting program based on progressive overload.
Then I guess I will end up very flexible instead! Jokes aside, I do hope I get a bit stronger from it in the way justlog described above. I know their focus isn't on muscle gain, but looking at myself now I feel that any type of activity would do something. I will not get muscle definition from it, that's not my goal either, but I really do hope they give something.
You will gain a bit more endurance, but if you are going to gain some weight, it's going to be almost all fat.
The bigger thing is, it doesn't have to be one exercise or another. YOu can incorporate pilates/yoga, cardio and strength training if you have the time. Only limiting your workouts to one type is one going to give you limited results.
So i guess the bigger question is, what are you really looking for, and then you can design a plan to help you achieve that.
My goals... I guess I want to be stronger and feel less frail. I want my posture to be better and it would be fun if I could touch the floor with my hands without bending my knees.
The biggest reason why I want to start with yoga and pilates is the mental aspect. They've always seemed like my kind of thing, a way to relax and feel good in my body and mind, silly as it might sound.
I don't want to do things I don't enjoy. I feel no need to be very strong and have muscles showing, I will not start lifting weights and I will not double my protein, so if that is what I would have to do to experience some muscle gain, I guess I will have to live with what I got.
So protein is very important even to help with strength, recovery and metabolism. Even if you don't double, you should probably get closer to 100g to benefit you improvements that you want from yoga/pilates. This doesn't mean you have to eat a ton of meat, but you should focus a bit more on protein based foods, including plant based sources.
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It is wise to know what activities you enjoy and don't. At my age, I refuse to do some sorts of activities that I hate. Nothing is sustainable long term if it is not enjoyed. Only you know best what you like best or find interesting.3
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MarianMarMoi wrote: »MarianMarMoi wrote: »You will get stronger - My question is - Why don't you want to lift weights? - Eastcoast Jim
The main reason as to why I don't want to lift weights is that it's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm incorporating things into my lifestyle as a part of a permanent change, and lifting weights is just not something I enjoy.MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
Yoga and pilates will be good for flexibility but not for muscle gains. And 50 to 60g is about half of what you actually want. You will want around 100 to 120g if you are working to build muscle and more specifically a lifting program based on progressive overload.
Then I guess I will end up very flexible instead! Jokes aside, I do hope I get a bit stronger from it in the way justlog described above. I know their focus isn't on muscle gain, but looking at myself now I feel that any type of activity would do something. I will not get muscle definition from it, that's not my goal either, but I really do hope they give something.
You will gain a bit more endurance, but if you are going to gain some weight, it's going to be almost all fat.
The bigger thing is, it doesn't have to be one exercise or another. YOu can incorporate pilates/yoga, cardio and strength training if you have the time. Only limiting your workouts to one type is one going to give you limited results.
So i guess the bigger question is, what are you really looking for, and then you can design a plan to help you achieve that.
My goals... I guess I want to be stronger and feel less frail. I want my posture to be better and it would be fun if I could touch the floor with my hands without bending my knees.
The biggest reason why I want to start with yoga and pilates is the mental aspect. They've always seemed like my kind of thing, a way to relax and feel good in my body and mind, silly as it might sound.
I don't want to do things I don't enjoy. I feel no need to be very strong and have muscles showing, I will not start lifting weights and I will not double my protein, so if that is what I would have to do to experience some muscle gain, I guess I will have to live with what I got.
So protein is very important even to help with strength, recovery and metabolism. Even if you don't double, you should probably get closer to 100g to benefit you improvements that you want from yoga/pilates. This doesn't mean you have to eat a ton of meat, but you should focus a bit more on protein based foods, including plant based sources.
You might find a mental aspect, but some don't. Largely, just like dieting, that is more about how the person is approaching it. When I did yoga, I never experience any additional mental improvements. But often it's power of placebo. The belief that you will receive those aspects, will drive those improvements. Its I am not saying that as a bad thing. Power of placebo can be huge.
OP already has her mind made up. Maybe in a few years once she realizes that she's been spinning her wheels and getting weaker from such low protein she'll come back and have a new perspective. In the meantime, I'm out of this impending train wreck.9 -
ForecasterJason wrote: »
I'm wondering why she would need more than 0.8 grams per lb of LBM? Given that she's not eating in a deficit or planning on doing intense strength training, I don't see why she would need more. At her size, that would equate to around 75 grams assuming she has around 90 lbs of LBM.MarianMarMoi wrote: »MarianMarMoi wrote: »You will get stronger - My question is - Why don't you want to lift weights? - Eastcoast Jim
The main reason as to why I don't want to lift weights is that it's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm incorporating things into my lifestyle as a part of a permanent change, and lifting weights is just not something I enjoy.MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
Yoga and pilates will be good for flexibility but not for muscle gains. And 50 to 60g is about half of what you actually want. You will want around 100 to 120g if you are working to build muscle and more specifically a lifting program based on progressive overload.
Then I guess I will end up very flexible instead! Jokes aside, I do hope I get a bit stronger from it in the way justlog described above. I know their focus isn't on muscle gain, but looking at myself now I feel that any type of activity would do something. I will not get muscle definition from it, that's not my goal either, but I really do hope they give something.
You will gain a bit more endurance, but if you are going to gain some weight, it's going to be almost all fat.
The bigger thing is, it doesn't have to be one exercise or another. YOu can incorporate pilates/yoga, cardio and strength training if you have the time. Only limiting your workouts to one type is one going to give you limited results.
So i guess the bigger question is, what are you really looking for, and then you can design a plan to help you achieve that.
My goals... I guess I want to be stronger and feel less frail. I want my posture to be better and it would be fun if I could touch the floor with my hands without bending my knees.
The biggest reason why I want to start with yoga and pilates is the mental aspect. They've always seemed like my kind of thing, a way to relax and feel good in my body and mind, silly as it might sound.
I don't want to do things I don't enjoy. I feel no need to be very strong and have muscles showing, I will not start lifting weights and I will not double my protein, so if that is what I would have to do to experience some muscle gain, I guess I will have to live with what I got.
So protein is very important even to help with strength, recovery and metabolism. Even if you don't double, you should probably get closer to 100g to benefit you improvements that you want from yoga/pilates. This doesn't mean you have to eat a ton of meat, but you should focus a bit more on protein based foods, including plant based sources.
If one wants to gain muscle 1.8 -2.8g/kg is recommended. That is around 90g+ of protein.
Being active and lean drives up protein requirements.
OP, being vegan doesnt change protein requirements. In fact, you can eat high protein as a vegan. Id look at increasing consumption of tofu and seitin or even replace some of you current sources. These sources have much higher levels of leucine with drive muscle protein synthesis.
If you dont want to increase protein or explore various other exercise routines, than you can only expect certain results. If you are fine with that, its ok.
And there are more ways to gain muscle than just plain lifting. Lifting is the most effective way but there is a variety of resistance based training protocols that allow for progressive overload.6 -
ForecasterJason wrote: »
I'm wondering why she would need more than 0.8 grams per lb of LBM? Given that she's not eating in a deficit or planning on doing intense strength training, I don't see why she would need more. At her size, that would equate to around 75 grams assuming she has around 90 lbs of LBM.MarianMarMoi wrote: »MarianMarMoi wrote: »You will get stronger - My question is - Why don't you want to lift weights? - Eastcoast Jim
The main reason as to why I don't want to lift weights is that it's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm incorporating things into my lifestyle as a part of a permanent change, and lifting weights is just not something I enjoy.MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
Yoga and pilates will be good for flexibility but not for muscle gains. And 50 to 60g is about half of what you actually want. You will want around 100 to 120g if you are working to build muscle and more specifically a lifting program based on progressive overload.
Then I guess I will end up very flexible instead! Jokes aside, I do hope I get a bit stronger from it in the way justlog described above. I know their focus isn't on muscle gain, but looking at myself now I feel that any type of activity would do something. I will not get muscle definition from it, that's not my goal either, but I really do hope they give something.
You will gain a bit more endurance, but if you are going to gain some weight, it's going to be almost all fat.
The bigger thing is, it doesn't have to be one exercise or another. YOu can incorporate pilates/yoga, cardio and strength training if you have the time. Only limiting your workouts to one type is one going to give you limited results.
So i guess the bigger question is, what are you really looking for, and then you can design a plan to help you achieve that.
My goals... I guess I want to be stronger and feel less frail. I want my posture to be better and it would be fun if I could touch the floor with my hands without bending my knees.
The biggest reason why I want to start with yoga and pilates is the mental aspect. They've always seemed like my kind of thing, a way to relax and feel good in my body and mind, silly as it might sound.
I don't want to do things I don't enjoy. I feel no need to be very strong and have muscles showing, I will not start lifting weights and I will not double my protein, so if that is what I would have to do to experience some muscle gain, I guess I will have to live with what I got.
So protein is very important even to help with strength, recovery and metabolism. Even if you don't double, you should probably get closer to 100g to benefit you improvements that you want from yoga/pilates. This doesn't mean you have to eat a ton of meat, but you should focus a bit more on protein based foods, including plant based sources.
If one wants to gain muscle 1.8 -2.8g/kg is recommended. That is around 90g+ of protein.
Being active and lean drives up protein requirements.
OP, being vegan doesnt change protein requirements. In fact, you can eat high protein as a vegan. Id look at increasing consumption of tofu and seitin or even replace some of you current sources. These sources have much higher levels of leucine with drive muscle protein synthesis.
If you dont want to increase protein or explore various other exercise routines, than you can only expect certain results. If you are fine with that, its ok.
And there are more ways to gain muscle than just plain lifting. Lifting is the most effective way but there is a variety of resistance based training protocols that allow for progressive overload.
I did not mean that being vegan means I can eat less protein. For sedentary individuals the recommended amount of protein is 0.8g/kg, which I guess is the lowest anyone should eat, for more active people it's 1.2g/kg and up, and at 60g I am close to 1.2g/kg, so I'm not seeing why my intake would be so bad. Eating more than I already do I feel would be hard to sustain.
Tofu is quite expensive around here, so when I buy it I typically use quite a small amount for one portion. It's less expensive to buy protein powder and take it once or twice a day tbh, but that would only get me up to ~70-80g per day, which still would be low according to your numbers.0 -
I see now that I didn't phrase the protein part in the OP as I recalled and a reply I made earlier might make things confusing. So to clarify:
I am trying to reach 60g per day when it comes to protein, I'd say that I'm usually a few g below. If I found a way to make it higher without it feeling forced I would. I set the goal to 15 % on here which is 68g, and I never reach that, but the 10 % is 45g, and I'm quite pleased that I'm never that low.
Maybe it would be an option to take one dose of protein powder every day to bring it up to around 68, but I still don't see why my protein intake would be considered terribly low, fine if it doesn't give me any muscle gain, but why would it make me weaker when I only intend on doing yoga and pilates? I'm sorry, but I do not understand.1 -
MarianMarMoi wrote: »That sounds awesome!
I'm not sure what type of yoga I want to do, I think I will try a few different types. Most of what I will do I will do at home, there are quite many instructions on youtube that I hope will work fine to start with.
It would be lovely to go to actual classes, though. I think that maybe after the summer I could afford it!
I would really recommend a couple of classes to start—check groupon for deals, they often have awesome studio discounts. That’s how I started—unlimited class for a month for $49. Regular individual class price was $19.
The nuances in the poses are very subtle and the adjustments instructors will make aren’t really ones you’d notice on your own. You want to have correct form to build the strength you need to get the strength (or lack of frailty) you want to build.
And I really would encourage more protein. There are some great vegan protein powders out there (pea, hemp) and vegan protein/fiber snacks. You may find your current diet limits your goal and abilities by not providing enough protein to even maintain muscles, let alone build strength. You’re not going to get bulky or muscular by eating a little more protein, if that’s a concern. But you will support your body in becoming less frail.
1 -
You do you, but keep in mind, as you are wanting to do this in a long term sustainable way, to look forward into your old age.
60g of protein will not help you sustain and retain as adequate bustle and bone mass as you age. Do you really want to be frail with brittle bones and lacking the strength to lift your grandchild out of the crib?
Just doing yoga and Pilates is great to begin with, but don't close your mind to progressing forward and, sometime in the future including programmes that will enhance your muscles and strength further.
Do you want to be fit and active at 65?
I most certainly do, and I will be 65 in August.
I started at 54 with probably the same protein, bare minimum, goal as you, and because I had never exercised aqua fit and walking was enough to build some strength.
As time moved on I realized I had to keep pushing my bounties, and as those boundaries were pushed I needed to be at least adequately fuelled.
Now, I don't have to count calories, I make sure I get ~100g protein a day to support what I do and keep my muscles and bones as strong as possible.
Now, through a gradual road of bodyweight exercise, dumbbell exercises, I lift weights.
My weight lifting is a very recreational approach. I am not pushing to increase weight every time I go to the gym, if the rack and bench are busy, I will do dumbbells or machines.
I am pushing to be as fit and healthy as I can be though, and only wish I had known what I know now 30 years ago.
You have no need to drastically up your protein all at once, but do look for ways to increase it over time.
You have no need to start lifting right now, but don't block it out. The time may come when you are ready for it.
We all evolve, be open to change.
Look to your future, don't stagnate in the now.
Cheers, h.
You have had some awsome advice on this thread, take it on board don't close your mind.8 -
Pilates was actually developed to keep dancers small and lean from my understanding. You won't gain much but you will increase strength and flexibility, of course. If it meets with your goals and you are able to do it as a lifestyle for the long term then that's probably the best thing you can do and then you'll just have to realize that you aren't going to gain much muscle from it.2
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MarianMarMoi wrote: »ForecasterJason wrote: »
I'm wondering why she would need more than 0.8 grams per lb of LBM? Given that she's not eating in a deficit or planning on doing intense strength training, I don't see why she would need more. At her size, that would equate to around 75 grams assuming she has around 90 lbs of LBM.MarianMarMoi wrote: »MarianMarMoi wrote: »You will get stronger - My question is - Why don't you want to lift weights? - Eastcoast Jim
The main reason as to why I don't want to lift weights is that it's not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm incorporating things into my lifestyle as a part of a permanent change, and lifting weights is just not something I enjoy.MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
Yoga and pilates will be good for flexibility but not for muscle gains. And 50 to 60g is about half of what you actually want. You will want around 100 to 120g if you are working to build muscle and more specifically a lifting program based on progressive overload.
Then I guess I will end up very flexible instead! Jokes aside, I do hope I get a bit stronger from it in the way justlog described above. I know their focus isn't on muscle gain, but looking at myself now I feel that any type of activity would do something. I will not get muscle definition from it, that's not my goal either, but I really do hope they give something.
You will gain a bit more endurance, but if you are going to gain some weight, it's going to be almost all fat.
The bigger thing is, it doesn't have to be one exercise or another. YOu can incorporate pilates/yoga, cardio and strength training if you have the time. Only limiting your workouts to one type is one going to give you limited results.
So i guess the bigger question is, what are you really looking for, and then you can design a plan to help you achieve that.
My goals... I guess I want to be stronger and feel less frail. I want my posture to be better and it would be fun if I could touch the floor with my hands without bending my knees.
The biggest reason why I want to start with yoga and pilates is the mental aspect. They've always seemed like my kind of thing, a way to relax and feel good in my body and mind, silly as it might sound.
I don't want to do things I don't enjoy. I feel no need to be very strong and have muscles showing, I will not start lifting weights and I will not double my protein, so if that is what I would have to do to experience some muscle gain, I guess I will have to live with what I got.
So protein is very important even to help with strength, recovery and metabolism. Even if you don't double, you should probably get closer to 100g to benefit you improvements that you want from yoga/pilates. This doesn't mean you have to eat a ton of meat, but you should focus a bit more on protein based foods, including plant based sources.
If one wants to gain muscle 1.8 -2.8g/kg is recommended. That is around 90g+ of protein.
Being active and lean drives up protein requirements.
OP, being vegan doesnt change protein requirements. In fact, you can eat high protein as a vegan. Id look at increasing consumption of tofu and seitin or even replace some of you current sources. These sources have much higher levels of leucine with drive muscle protein synthesis.
If you dont want to increase protein or explore various other exercise routines, than you can only expect certain results. If you are fine with that, its ok.
And there are more ways to gain muscle than just plain lifting. Lifting is the most effective way but there is a variety of resistance based training protocols that allow for progressive overload.
I did not mean that being vegan means I can eat less protein. For sedentary individuals the recommended amount of protein is 0.8g/kg, which I guess is the lowest anyone should eat, for more active people it's 1.2g/kg and up, and at 60g I am close to 1.2g/kg, so I'm not seeing why my intake would be so bad. Eating more than I already do I feel would be hard to sustain.
Tofu is quite expensive around here, so when I buy it I typically use quite a small amount for one portion. It's less expensive to buy protein powder and take it once or twice a day tbh, but that would only get me up to ~70-80g per day, which still would be low according to your numbers.
There is substantial evidence to suggest higher levels of protein is beneficial... Not only during a deficit but also when you are active and/or trying to build muscle. Hitting the bare minimum to not have a deficiency shouldn't be your goal.
And while you wont lose strength, it may lead to recovery issues, depending on the intesity of your workouts. It will certain impede muscle gains and it wont maximize your ability to see strength gains.0 -
MarianMarMoi wrote: »Tofu is quite expensive around here, so when I buy it I typically use quite a small amount for one portion. It's less expensive to buy protein powder and take it once or twice a day tbh, but that would only get me up to ~70-80g per day, which still would be low according to your numbers.
Maybe it's vegan heresy, but for protein, I generally find tofu to be pretty mediocre. If I need extra, I almost always opt for seitan -- just keep in mind that it has no tryptophan (the tryptophan in wheat is contained in the non-gluten parts).2 -
The OP is a little contradictory without realizing it, she wants to build muscles through yoga and with little protein. To build muscles, you need to hit heavy and continually add weight for progress and to give your muscles a reason to grow. With it, it needs to be combined with a high protein diet (the recommend minimum is 0.8 g of protein per pound of body weight). Now if you're vegan diet has that amount of protein and yoga gives you something heavy to lift (which I doubt), your wish will come true. Yoga does have benefits, but building strength and muscles overall is not something I've heard of and can be achieved unless yoga these days makes you lift heavy stuff. I would listen to psulemon if I were you, if not good luck with what you will be doing.
I sense you won't change anything that you are doing, if that is true, unfortunately the muscle gains you are looking for will be very limited, maybe even not noticable to the naked eye.4 -
MarianMarMoi wrote: »Hello! I am not very knowledgeable about these sort of things, so I thought i could ask here
I am a quite weak person, slightly underweight (168 cm/5'6" and 51 kg/112.4 lbs) and up until quite recently I didn't eat that well. I've gotten a hang of eating better now and I feel comfortable moving on to the next step which is yoga and pilates. They are both something I've wanted to do for years (yes, I am a slowpoke with starting things) and I'm now intending to do at least 30 min every day of one or the other.
Can I expect any muscle gain from those two alone? I know that most people would start lifting weights when they want muscle gain, but for someone like me, would it make a difference do only do yoga and pilates? I'm not talking immediate changes, but after a year of doing them, would there be a gain?
I'm not expecting any fast changes, but it would be nice to gain a few kg. Also, would 50-60g of protein per day be enough for me when I only do things like pilates/yoga?
I think my end goal would be to weight at least 4 kg more than now, Is that too much to hope for?
I really should consider doing yoga and pilates too, my flexibility especially in my hips is awful and those would help with core stability too which would help with free weight compound lifts. Consider using this to help you get into lifting weights you might enjoy doing both!0 -
I feel like such a pig eating 200-250g of protein a day. I am not even bulking. That’s just my maintenance protein.1
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I’m 245lbs and have a combined powerlifting total if 1145. I lift for strength and lift in the 90+% range on a regular basis to create the stress I need to push my lifts. The downside is recovery. I have tried different macros and found that a 30c/30f/40p works best for me. I tried the .8g thing and my lifts went down and DOMS went up. I’ve maintained at 245 for 3 months now and put about 50lbs in my total so it works for me.1 -
I’m 245lbs and have a combined powerlifting total if 1145. I lift for strength and lift in the 90+% range on a regular basis to create the stress I need to push my lifts. The downside is recovery. I have tried different macros and found that a 30c/30f/40p works best for me. I tried the .8g thing and my lifts went down and DOMS went up. I’ve maintained at 245 for 3 months now and put about 50lbs in my total so it works for me.
Oh ok gotya! Just curious. Makes sense for your weight too especially.1 -
I’m 245lbs and have a combined powerlifting total if 1145. I lift for strength and lift in the 90+% range on a regular basis to create the stress I need to push my lifts. The downside is recovery. I have tried different macros and found that a 30c/30f/40p works best for me. I tried the .8g thing and my lifts went down and DOMS went up. I’ve maintained at 245 for 3 months now and put about 50lbs in my total so it works for me.
I understand the psychological aspects, but if we took a look at your blood work you would be oxidizing a ton of leucine meaning you are overnutrienated for protein at that level. You will converting a lot to carbs so it's an expensive way to get carbs. There would be no actual difference in your lifts since you aren't synthesizing any more protein than you would at even lower than .8g/lb (that's for people that workout for hours everyday). But this is just an academic note, if you feel it works and it's not harming you then enjoy your diet and lifting and best of luck as your progress.
1
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