I'm not sure how stupid this is going to sound but I'll just ask anyway. I know that I need to be doing some weight training along with the cardio I am doing and except for the small hand weights (2# - 4#) I have no other way to do it. Is any anaerobic exercise considered weight training if you are toning your muscles? I am an exercise novice. My problem is in my hips and thighs. I would love to know of an exercise that some of you do to work this area. I just invested in a treadmill and better put more miles on it before I hit my hubby up for a weight set. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Hi there!

Have a look at my journal to see a link of what I'm lifting these days, and I'm really glad you're looking into some resistance exercise!

I suggest you DON'T combine resistance with cardio - it's not as effective as doing the resistance work FIRST, and THEN doing the cardio - builds more muscle (which is your fat-burning engine); and burns more fat than doing them together or the other way around.

Leg work - such as squats and lunges - can be done with just your body, progressing into dumbbbells and then onto heavier weights. When you are still heavy, you don't need to add any weight at all. You'll need to add more as you drop the weight - and resistance training will REALLY speed up your fat loss. Start with just a couple of reps (like two or three) and gradually work up to three sets of 12 with just your body. When this doesn't feel like anything anymore, start adding some weights.

I understand there are resistance bands you can get, but I don't have any sources for you.

Here's a website with some lifting information:
http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html
If you click on the left and look through the exercises, you'll see little movies that explain the movements.

In the beginning, almost ANY activity you do will help you lose fat.

As you get stalled, I would urge you to focus harder on the lifting - it really pays off.

Have fun! You'll love resistance work - it doesn't wear you out like cardio, and it really helps you burn fat.

You don't even need a resistance band for weight training. You can actuallly use your body for resistance. It's simply tightening the muscle while you do the weight training.... and it does feel like you are lifting something. It really helped me out about a year ago. We used it in a dance class I took. You should look into it.

The other alternative is water aerobics and other workouts in the water. Water provides a natural resistance that builds muscle and provides a cardio workout.

H

Yeah, I guess - but that's more cardio. I personallyy don't like to combine resistance work with cardio. I just find it's not as effective.

It IS fun to be in the water, though, and you don't get all hot and sweaty, which is a REAL plus!

Two basic exercises using your body weight are squats and push-ups. The "row" for the back is another basic exercise.
I bought bodylastics on-line ($50 total) . I suggest you buy them on Ebay-- there are always alot of them almost never used and cheap. I use a gym at work but there are many times when I use the bands. You can also take them when you travel.

Hi Jillinmo,

like has been suggested...I do all my "weight" training wih my own body weight now. I injured my knee a few months ago, so I have to be carefull. For lower body I do squats, lunges, and calf raises. At first I used a chair or desk to guide me in the lunges (to make sure I wasn't putting too much stress on weak legs). For upper body I do pushups and tricep dips. I started the pushups against the wall and now I am on the floor. The tricep dips I do on a chair, and the stronger I get the further out I can place my feet. I wish you much luck!




Freedom

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I am going to try everything mentioned.
jillinmo

There are a lot of people that suggest old style calestenics (sorry about the spelling). They feel that you gain real strength -- not artifical strength. If you travel alot on business (or for whatever reason) you don't have to worry about finding a gym on the road -- these exercises can be used anywhere.

If I stayed in town all the time and access to a gym -- then I would work out on weights. But I travel all the time and when I get home, I want to spend time with my girls instead of time at the gym. I wait till they go to sleep and then workout in front of the tv.

BTW, there are a lot of books that tell you how to exercise without weights. I probably have about a dozen of them. Check out Amazon or your favorite book site.

Hey Built.. are you saying it is better to do weights and then cardio? Last summer I was doing almost ALL weights and was losing great and my body was seriously toned. NOW... I was "told" to add cardio, so I have been doing about 40 minutes of cardio and then about an hour on the weights and haven't noticed SQUAT! Is that why? So do I ditch the cardio all together or what? I hate cardio BTW.

In an ideal world, you would do all kinds of exercise - and lots of it.

In the real world, any exercise you do is good.

In other words both cardio and weight training are both good choices. However, if you hate doing one -- perhaps you can change it. For example, I can't run due to a bad knee. I think that riding a bike around town is too dangerous. But I can hike and I like the woods. So I take my daughter on nature trails. Also, my treadmill is in front of the tv so I can watch tv and exercise at the same time.

If you don't like one type of exercise -- try to replace it with another that you do enjoy -- biking, swimming, walking, running, aerobics, dance, etc.

Okay, who TOLD you to add cardio?

Lifting is better for body composition. Cardio is for your heart.

Personally, I do my cardio recreationally - bike ride, walk when the weather is nice. But I lift like a son**ab**ch 3 or 4 times a week to turn my body into a fat-burning machine.


More than an hour of exercise at a time isn't a good idea because you start burning muscle.

And you should NEVER do ANY cardio before weightlifting, because you need whatever tiny bit of glycogen and blood sugar you have to do your lifts (the anaerobic part).

Oversimplifying a bit, if you do cardio FIRST, you will burn NO fat and build NO muscle. You WILL get all sweaty and hungry, though.
Do your weights for no more than an hour, and follow this by no more than 20 minutes of moderate cardio. You'll feel MUCH better, and burn more fat, to boot.

ahh thx so much! The people that told me were 1) an idiot and 2) a marathon runner (not exactlly in it for the muscle ;~) ). Yeah, I notice I get SO sleepy when I am lifting and now that makes since.. I spent all my energy doing cardio! thx so much. I guess I will be switching my routein... I was right all along! They should have left me alone!

It's hard to trust your own body when it's been your enemy for so long, but I find as I wander down this path, I listen to my body more and more.

I think you will find this is MUCH more comfortable for you, and you'll have GREAT workouts.

Oh, and becase SB diet is a little carby-er than what I do, take advantage of it: if you're going to do all your cardio on your lifting days, eat most of your carbs for the day in the part of the day BEFORE you lift, do your lifting, then your cardio, and then no more carbs for the rest of the day.

If you are splitting up your lifting and your cardio, eat more fat and less carbs on your cardio days, and the reverse on your lifting days.

The less blood sugar you have for cardio, the more fat you'll burn.

Have fun!

thx so much! Glad to have "found" you!