tummy toning

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2

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  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    I think the best thing you can do is work on fat loss for now and keep trying to do crunches as best you can. You're lifting a lot more weight off the ground than someone who is lean and thin doing a crunch. Your muscles have to work much harder as a result, making situps difficult.

    Just keep trying and focus on fat loss first. Keep doing your cardio and bustin your bum. It'll get better in time, I promise. :flowerforyou:
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    I do lots of cardio.. dancing 20 min a day 7 days a week.. 10 min wii fit every other day.. walking 10 min everyday.

    Try to build up to doing more as you go along. Keep pushing yourself as best you can and keep your eating under control, and you'll see the pounds come off in time.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I do lots of cardio.. dancing 20 min a day 7 days a week.. 10 min wii fit every other day.. walking 10 min everyday.

    That is good work if you're just starting out! Keep it up and eventually you'll be able to do more and more ;)
  • 2April
    2April Posts: 285 Member
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    This is really embarrassing but I cant do a sit up I get a few inches off the ground and cant pull myself up any higher... I try but it just don't work. Is there something I can do to tone my tummy other than sit ups? This girl needs abs lol
    Hold in your stomach whenever you think of it. You can lie on your back and raise one leg at a time or march (high knees). I wouldn't try planks yet.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    Hey jelly bean,

    I can't do a sit up. I'm in a healthy weight range and decent body fat %. I seem to be fit when people look at me. But I can't run very fast and I can't do a situp and I can't do a pull up, either. I can barely do 1 pushup. But I can do other things really well.

    Find things you can do really well and focus on those. Then, when you get to the end of the weight loss and into the fitness / toning part of this whole thing, then you can work on trying to get abs to show and leaning out more specifically to work on muscle definition.

    For now, that is awesome you are doing wii fit and 20 mins cardio. I remember trying to beat my own record on the wii fit jogging every single day. Just keep doing things you feel good at, make exercise fun and something to look forward to. It will take time but you can get this done. Stay focused.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    eat at a calorie deficit
  • LiftHuff
    LiftHuff Posts: 131
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    meh if I were you I'd knock off the cardio and start lifting, but a lot of people like to ignore that as viable advice. Do yourself a favor, whatever you decide, and read this:

    http://startingstrength.com/articles/abs_rippetoe.pdf
  • HisJellyBean
    HisJellyBean Posts: 112
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    Hey jelly bean,

    I can't do a sit up. I'm in a healthy weight range and decent body fat %. I seem to be fit when people look at me. But I can't run very fast and I can't do a situp and I can't do a pull up, either. I can barely do 1 pushup. But I can do other things really well.

    Find things you can do really well and focus on those. Then, when you get to the end of the weight loss and into the fitness / toning part of this whole thing, then you can work on trying to get abs to show and leaning out more specifically to work on muscle definition.

    For now, that is awesome you are doing wii fit and 20 mins cardio. I remember trying to beat my own record on the wii fit jogging every single day. Just keep doing things you feel good at, make exercise fun and something to look forward to. It will take time but you can get this done. Stay focused.

    thanks :) right now I dance... I love to dance! I do Zumba 1 & 2, just dance 3, country dance, MJ Experience, and Soon Im going to get the Black eyed peas experience, the rest of the just dance's, and country dance 2.. It really works I just don't think its enough
  • HisJellyBean
    HisJellyBean Posts: 112
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    meh if I were you I'd knock off the cardio and start lifting, but a lot of people like to ignore that as viable advice. Do yourself a favor, whatever you decide, and read this:

    http://startingstrength.com/articles/abs_rippetoe.pdf

    I want some muscle but there's two things.. Muscle weighs more than fat and I really need the weight off good weight or bad weight its still weight. and two I want a little muscle but I don't wanna look like those chicks that have so much muscles they look like men.

    I have muscle.. I'm stronger than my dad... But its surrounded in fat and that's the problem.
  • BJPCraig
    BJPCraig Posts: 417 Member
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    Hey, JellyBean! Sounds like you're looking for alternate ways to strengthen your abs. Here's a YouTube video for a standing ab workout (so no situps/crunches):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK6mKUEY09o

    The video is @ 4 minutes. You're supposed to run through it 3 times for a 12-minute ab workout, but if you feel your abs are too weak for that, I don't see why you can't start off doing it once and then slowly work your way up to 3.

    For the record, I currently work my abs 3 times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri), only for @ 10 mins each time, and I feel I'm getting some decent definition and definitely feel that they've gotten stronger. As much as we'd like this to be the case (and as much as some programs may give you this impression), I've found that you can't just work your abs once a week and get any kind of results.

    Good luck!
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    Try incorporating Tae Bo Insane Abs into your routine.

    http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-video/billy-blanks-tae-bo-insane-abs-5939
  • LiftHuff
    LiftHuff Posts: 131
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    *sigh*

    You are not going to get muscled enough to look like a man unless you take steroids. it will NOT happen. your body does not have enough natural testosterone to do that.

    If you eat at maintenance or at a slight deficit, without adjustment, and do something like Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5, and stop worrying about cardio nonsense to create a bigger deficit etc etc...I PROMISE you that the results will be exactly what you want. Your body will cannibalize the bodyfat stores in order to generate muscle needed to keep up with the training program, and it will only take you about 3 hours a week for the first month or two. After that it may take you 4.5 hours a WEEK.

    Feel free to blow me off, it happens all the time, but it works.
  • HisJellyBean
    HisJellyBean Posts: 112
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    *sigh*

    You are not going to get muscled enough to look like a man unless you take steroids. it will NOT happen. your body does not have enough natural testosterone to do that.

    If you eat at maintenance or at a slight deficit, without adjustment, and do something like Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5, and stop worrying about cardio nonsense to create a bigger deficit etc etc...I PROMISE you that the results will be exactly what you want. Your body will cannibalize the bodyfat stores in order to generate muscle needed to keep up with the training program, and it will only take you about 3 hours a week for the first month or two. After that it may take you 4.5 hours a WEEK.

    Feel free to blow me off, it happens all the time, but it works.

    Thanks for the advice.. the thing with my body is that I have PCOS with means I have a higher level of male hormones that's why Im worried about looking like those buff man chicks. as for the advice I will do more strength training.. But As for my cardio I can stop with that.. I do dance cardio I love to dance
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    *sigh*

    You are not going to get muscled enough to look like a man unless you take steroids. it will NOT happen. your body does not have enough natural testosterone to do that.

    If you eat at maintenance or at a slight deficit, without adjustment, and do something like Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5, and stop worrying about cardio nonsense to create a bigger deficit etc etc...I PROMISE you that the results will be exactly what you want. Your body will cannibalize the bodyfat stores in order to generate muscle needed to keep up with the training program, and it will only take you about 3 hours a week for the first month or two. After that it may take you 4.5 hours a WEEK.

    Feel free to blow me off, it happens all the time, but it works.

    Thanks for the advice.. the thing with my body is that I have PCOS with means I have a higher level of male hormones that's why Im worried about looking like those buff man chicks. as for the advice I will do more strength training.. But As for my cardio I can stop with that.. I do dance cardio I love to dance
    I have PCOS too and believe me I have higher testosterone but still didn't get bulky.
  • HisJellyBean
    HisJellyBean Posts: 112
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    *sigh*

    You are not going to get muscled enough to look like a man unless you take steroids. it will NOT happen. your body does not have enough natural testosterone to do that.

    If you eat at maintenance or at a slight deficit, without adjustment, and do something like Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5, and stop worrying about cardio nonsense to create a bigger deficit etc etc...I PROMISE you that the results will be exactly what you want. Your body will cannibalize the bodyfat stores in order to generate muscle needed to keep up with the training program, and it will only take you about 3 hours a week for the first month or two. After that it may take you 4.5 hours a WEEK.

    Feel free to blow me off, it happens all the time, but it works.

    Thanks for the advice.. the thing with my body is that I have PCOS with means I have a higher level of male hormones that's why Im worried about looking like those buff man chicks. as for the advice I will do more strength training.. But As for my cardio I can stop with that.. I do dance cardio I love to dance
    I have PCOS too and believe me I have higher testosterone but still didn't get bulky.

    That's good to know.. Thanks for sharing
  • Jesse535
    Jesse535 Posts: 2 Member
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    Muscle *doesn't* weigh more than fat. 1lb of muscle = 1lb of fat. Muscle is more dense than fat though.
  • 2April
    2April Posts: 285 Member
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    Muscle *doesn't* weigh more than fat. 1lb of muscle = 1lb of fat. Muscle is more dense than fat though.
    So muscle does weigh more per unit volume.
  • sarah44254
    sarah44254 Posts: 3,078 Member
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    I want some muscle but there's two things.. Muscle weighs more than fat and I really need the weight off good weight or bad weight its still weight. and two I want a little muscle but I don't wanna look like those chicks that have so much muscles they look like men.

    I agree you won't end up looking like the chicks you are referring to.
    I believe that if you are curious about weight lifting, you should by all means start now. It will encourage your body to drop fat, which will result in a lower weight for you and overall better health. Adding muscle weight and losing fat weight won't be so dramatic that it will halt your weight loss, instead it will likely do quite the opposite and really show some outstanding changes in your shape as the loss continues on its merry way.

    So if you are interested, give it a try! Yanicka I would have had no idea you have PCOS - you look outstanding and like you have no struggles at all :laugh:
  • grapenutSF
    grapenutSF Posts: 648 Member
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    I agree with the suggestion to lift weights. Its a fabulous fat burner, that's the main reason. I've noticed a dramatic difference in the amount of fat on my body since I've started. And I've read the details about why (see New Rules of Lifting).

    But it's also wicked motivating. I love cardio classes (shhhh, dont tell), but the truth is i see less improvement from those, both in terms of weight loss but also just straight up advancement. But when i lift, i get a rush from getting to lift a little more this time than last time. and a little more the next time. and i get to brag about it (on here mainly). it's all very reinforcing. And the best exercise is one you'll stick with.

    And I don't look like a boy cuz I stay away from the juice.
  • Clarisse0304
    Clarisse0304 Posts: 77 Member
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    Try Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred, its a total body workout and it tones your tummy at the same time. It's just great!! Try it and you will never regret it!

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