Anyone getting in shape?

donsterRN, ASN, BSN · Jul 15, 2007

Nothing more than handweights (5 lb each) during the last 20 minutes of cardio.

My long term goal was initially to lose about 75 lbs. Since beginning the exercise about 3 mos ago, and now SBD x3 wks, I've lost about 40 lbs. I could be happy with another 35-40 lbs loss.

I know that building muscle will help to increase the BMR, but I've never been a weights kind of guy. I know they'll help, and I do have resistance bands in addition to the hand weights.

Cinqly, BSN, RN · Jul 15, 2007

Nothing more than handweights (5 lb each) during the last 20 minutes of cardio.
My long term goal was initially to lose about 75 lbs. Since beginning the exercise about 3 mos ago, and now SBD x3 wks, I've lost about 40 lbs. I could be happy with another 35-40 lbs loss.
I know that building muscle will help to increase the BMR, but I've never been a weights kind of guy. I know they'll help, and I do have resistance bands in addition to the hand weights.

Congratulations on your success so far! I can totally understand that you're not a "weights kind of guy"!!! A lot of people can feel that way about one thing or another (cardio, resistance training, or healthy eating). I for one have to make cardio interesting or I don't get very excited about doing it!

However, if you really want to get over the plateau and jumpstart your weight loss again, you might really want to consider adding some form of resistance training. You don't have to have a gym membership, and you don't even have to use weights. You can use resistance bands at home and can still get good results. You can also use body weight if you wish (push ups, sit ups, pull ups, squats, etc). You might try incorporating a full body routine 2 or 3 days a week. It sounds like you are already doing well on eating and cardio, so adding this last thing it will get to your goal much faster. More muscle=faster metabolism=faster fat loss. It works---I promise!! Also, keep in my that if you want to actually change your shape you have to incorporate some resistance training. You want to lose all that fat and reveal a well-sculpted body.

Take a look at this book: http://www.amazon.com/Resistance-Band-Workout-Strengthen-Muscles/dp/1856487245/ref=sr_1_14/104-1596823-8539162?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184465072&sr=8-14

You could pick one exercise for each body part, and a good starting routine might be 3 sets of 30 seconds for each exercise (That's just a suggestion...!). Good luck with the rest of your weight loss!

donsterRN, ASN, BSN · Jul 15, 2007

Congratulations on your success so far! I can totally understand that you're not a "weights kind of guy"!!! A lot of people can feel that way about one thing or another (cardio, resistance training, or healthy eating). I for one have to make cardio interesting or I don't get very excited about doing it!
However, if you really want to get over the plateau and jumpstart your weight loss again, you might really want to consider adding some form of resistance training. You don't have to have a gym membership, and you don't even have to use weights. You can use resistance bands at home and can still get good results. You can also use body weight if you wish (push ups, sit ups, pull ups, squats, etc). You might try incorporating a full body routine 2 or 3 days a week. It sounds like you are already doing well on eating and cardio, so adding this last thing it will get to your goal much faster. More muscle=faster metabolism=faster fat loss. It works---I promise!! Also, keep in my that if you want to actually change your shape you have to incorporate some resistance training. You want to lose all that fat and reveal a well-sculpted body.
Take a look at this book: http://www.amazon.com/Resistance-Band-Workout-Strengthen-Muscles/dp/1856487245/ref=sr_1_14/104-1596823-8539162?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184465072&sr=8-14
You could pick one exercise for each body part, and a good starting routine might be 3 sets of 30 seconds for each exercise (That's just a suggestion...!). Good luck with the rest of your weight loss!

Thank you so much for your tips, suggestions and your encouragement! This is definitely one of the most difficult undertakings to start, but I've found that sharing the experience and really just doing it are key to making it more enjoyable.

I really appreciate your help! We'll keep in touch here, OK? Take care.

apnea · Jul 17, 2007

cinqly...can you get me buff? i'm a total weakling, my legs are pretty strong from ballet but my upper body is completely embarassing i can do THREE pushups. Three. And then i want to sink into the floor and groan for a while. i'm such a powderpuff

Also...thank you. All of you. i don't pretend to understand it...but thank you for caring, thank you for trying...and thank you for stopping.

Cinqly, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2007

cinqly...can you get me buff? i'm a total weakling, my legs are pretty strong from ballet but my upper body is completely embarassing i can do THREE pushups. Three. And then i want to sink into the floor and groan for a while. i'm such a powderpuff
Also...thank you. All of you. i don't pretend to understand it...but thank you for caring, thank you for trying...and thank you for stopping.

You are welcome!

As for getting you buff, no I can't get you buff (only you can do that), but I can make some suggestions that might help. Ballet usually means a lot of lower body strength, but not a lot of upper. For you, I would suggest doing functional type training as well as plyometrics (body weight). Push-ups are great for your chest. Try starting with 3 sets of 10, 2-3 times a week (non-consecutive days, of course). A couple of other exercises you could throw into a three day a week routine: pull-ups (for your back), standing bicep curls, overhead tricep, squats, standing deadlift (I promise even these will help your ballet!), and a shoulder exercise (side lateral raise, for example). Basically, if you hit each muscle group once during a workout, you'll start to see good results in as little as 2-3 weeks. If you can only do three push-ups at first, that's ok. Take short breaks and try to get as close to 10 as possible. Anything you do is improvement over what you were doing before, right?!? So start small, and once you start to see small changes, you can graduate to the next level!

That was really jumbled, but I hope it helps. PM me if you have any specific suggestions.

apnea · Jul 27, 2007

haha...ok...well let's just say, HYPOTHETICALLY...that i'm too much of a weakling to do ONE pushup i'll do the knees to the floor thing a time or two and then i want to croak it's fun.

For pull ups...well, i can sort of dangle there for a while. Really. You have absolutely no concept of the weakness you're dealing with here.

Cinqly, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2007

haha...ok...well let's just say, HYPOTHETICALLY...that i'm too much of a weakling to do ONE pushup i'll do the knees to the floor thing a time or two and then i want to croak it's fun.
For pull ups...well, i can sort of dangle there for a while. Really. You have absolutely no concept of the weakness you're dealing with here.

Hey, I used to be weak too! But you have to start somewhere... I used to not even be able to do one push up (on knees), and now I can do three sets of 10 (normal pushups)! If I can do it, anyone can! You just have to start. You'd be surprised at how much progress you'll make doing a strength training routine just 2 or 3 times a week. Give it a try for a few weeks and see what happens!

trainer2070 · Jul 29, 2007

You are welcome!
For you, I would suggest doing functional type training as well as plyometrics (body weight). quote]
Just curious as to why you would recommend plyometrics to this person? Even if she is a dancer with as she states pretty good lower body strength, that doesnt necessarily mean shes ready to incorporate plyos into her workout. Not to mention plyos need to have a structured phase with decreased overall training intensity and volume to account for the increased demands and recovery period for the plyos themselves. The main concepts of maximal force prodcution, rate of force production and the overall advantage of the SSC isnt something to be taken lightly by any one let alone someone who hasnt used them before or may not have the recommended baseline strengths before incorporating them.
And no I'm not trying to start a training war here, I'm just curious as to why you would recommend them.

Cinqly, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2007

You are welcome!
For you, I would suggest doing functional type training as well as plyometrics (body weight). quote]
Just curious as to why you would recommend plyometrics to this person? Even if she is a dancer with as she states pretty good lower body strength, that doesnt necessarily mean shes ready to incorporate plyos into her workout. Not to mention plyos need to have a structured phase with decreased overall training intensity and volume to account for the increased demands and recovery period for the plyos themselves. The main concepts of maximal force prodcution, rate of force production and the overall advantage of the SSC isnt something to be taken lightly by any one let alone someone who hasnt used them before or may not have the recommended baseline strengths before incorporating them.
And no I'm not trying to start a training war here, I'm just curious as to why you would recommend them.
Yes, you're are correct in stating that she may not be ready for this type of training. To be frank, I am slightly surprised that even in a dancing school they do not address whole-body training as part of creating a core body strength. That aside, I was simply making some very basic reccomendations that would get her started on a path towards more strength. I agree that plyometrics could be considered a more advanced technique that needs planning to be succesful. However, there is merit in the idea that plyometrics could be extremely useful for a dancer, considering the types of explosive movements they use on a reagular basis (think jump squats). However, it is not my place to construct a specific program for her, as I am not her trainer, and it is out of my scope to give her any kind of specific routine, as she is not my client. I was simply making reccomendations that could be a helpful place to start, and are by no means the end-all. If you would like to elaborate on plyometrics, please feel free, or if you have any other suggestions to add that might be helpful in answering her original question, I'm sure she (and the rest reading) would be very appreciative. :)

trainer2070 · Jul 30, 2007

I agree 100% that at some point plyos would be of great use to her. Initially however, the focus should be on increasing limit and absolute strength and creating a solid foundation before advancing to more complicated exercises and focusing on other forms of strength ie accelatory, speed-strength, starting and reversal to name a few.

As far as low levels of initial absolute/limit strength and the inability to do a single push up. Thats easily corrected through the ladder system 1-2-3-2-1. The pull ups can be solved by doing hangs where you try and increase the eccentric phase of the pull up and hold yourself up as long as you can. Since initialy strength gains are mainly increased neruological efficiency then simply repeating the exercise over and over with relatively frequency is usually the best way to go about it. Then again you can go into the gym and use free weights and machines to help improve strength as well.