Fitness Questions

[Tiffani929]

So, I'm wanting to know if any members can help me out with a fitness question. I know a lot of you are in the military and/or fitness enthusiasts.

How does one tone up when they don't have much fat to lose? I'm 118 and 5 foot even. I've had doctors and personal trainers tell me very different things.

I've had some pretty bad knee injuries, but can do light impact. I'm also a vegetarian, but do manage to incorporate protein in my diet.

Any help would be awesomely appreciated, since my last PT is the one who assisted in causing my ACL and meniscus tear.

Thanks all

Edited February 1, 2012 by Tiffani929

[chilli24]

Resistance training, light weight, lots of reps 3 days a week, cardio at least 2 days a week

[Nadita]

Tiff,

I believe you look great the way you are right now, 5 feet 118 lbs, you don't have much fat to lose. I would do some weight lifting and hire a personal trainer for a few sessions and then do you own program that will fit your lifestyle.

Good luck

[blue42colts]

So, I'm wanting to know if any members can help me out with a fitness question. I know a lot of you are in the military and/or fitness enthusiasts.

How does one tone up when they don't have much fat to lose? I'm 118 and 5 foot even. I've had doctors and personal trainers tell me very different things.

I've had some pretty bad knee injuries, but can do light impact. I'm also a vegetarian, but do manage to incorporate protein in my diet.

Any help would be awesomely appreciated, since my last PT is the one who assisted in causing my ACL and meniscus tear.

Thanks all

Check out visalus I have been using there core kit in there 90 day challenge ... google it or let me know if you want more info.

[win1mich]

From a female perspective...I would say lift weights. You can do light weights with higher reps, and/or work up to heavier weight with less reps.

Cardio burns fat which you don't need so much (and w/your knee would have a hard time doing) although cardio also strengthens your heart & will increase your stamina. (I hate cardio myself).

But to tone up, weightlifting definitely is the answer as you are building muscle... and you won't get too bulky as a woman unless you train SUPER hard, go SUPER heavy, and supplement like crazy.

I work out 5x a week, 3-5 different exercises per body part:

Mon: chest;

Tues: back

Weds: legs

Thurs: shoulders

Fri: biceps & triceps

Or you could do Mon, Weds & Fri and hit every body part with one exercise; this is a good way to start the first week or two.

Hope this helps!

[KiaKaha]

Yoga is low stress but great for fitness. Pilates is fun... I actually do a combo of the two, yogalates. Not difficult but does the job when I take the time to do it.

KK

[Tiffani929]

From a female perspective...I would say lift weights. You can do light weights with higher reps, and/or work up to heavier weight with less reps.

Cardio burns fat which you don't need so much (and w/your knee would have a hard time doing) although cardio also strengthens your heart & will increase your stamina. (I hate cardio myself).

But to tone up, weightlifting definitely is the answer as you are building muscle... and you won't get too bulky as a woman unless you train SUPER hard, go SUPER heavy, and supplement like crazy.

I work out 5x a week, 3-5 different exercises per body part:

Mon: chest;

Tues: back

Weds: legs

Thurs: shoulders

Fri: biceps & triceps

Or you could do Mon, Weds & Fri and hit every body part with one exercise; this is a good way to start the first week or two.

Definitely helps, thank you! So did the other answers. I hired a personal trainer, and he kept telling me to go harder when I told him my knee was killing me. After 3 months of seeing him, I ended up in the ER with ACL tear and meniscus tear. Then again, last year, due to my amazing grace, fell down cement steps and landed on my knee, on the corner of the step. Cracked the cap, but don't think I need surgery.

I guess when it comes to the workout, I can do 3 reps of 12 or whatever, but I feel like if it doesn't take at least 30 minutes I didn't work out. Am I wrong on this? I do power walk 2+ miles a day though

Hope this helps!

Edited February 1, 2012 by Tiffani929

[wiles]

So, I'm wanting to know if any members can help me out with a fitness question. I know a lot of you are in the military and/or fitness enthusiasts.

How does one tone up when they don't have much fat to lose? I'm 118 and 5 foot even. I've had doctors and personal trainers tell me very different things.

I've had some pretty bad knee injuries, but can do light impact. I'm also a vegetarian, but do manage to incorporate protein in my diet.

Any help would be awesomely appreciated, since my last PT is the one who assisted in causing my ACL and meniscus tear.

Thanks all

My wife just tried this last week and got such amazing results I joined the company. Take a look for yourself. WWW.trynow.itworks.net.

[fox]

Check out www.healthyenergy.vemma.com.

They have great products that have essential minerals and vitamins that help promote healing, give you energy, and improve your immune system and general health. Everything they have is liquid so if you are like me and hate pills, that is a plus. Try the Bode drinks. They are packed with protein, fiber, and will help you have energy. The Bode Burn drink is helping people who need to lose weight and improving people's muscle tone as well. Check out a video that talks about it:

www.meetmarla.com

At first it seems expensive, but if you switch from pop (which is terrible for you) and don't have to buy other vitamins, it really isn't that much. For me it is definitely worth the money. I haven't felt this good in years. They also have a great tasting pop substitute called Verve, which contains mangosteen juice, aloe vera, and all the antioxidants, vitamins, and essential minerals that you need to feel great. They also have another product for athletes called Thirst that you might like.

[Markinsa]

My wife just tried this last week and got such amazing results I joined the company. Take a look for yourself. WWW.trynow.itworks.net.

Having arthritis myself, I would start out with Dumbbells (10-15lb) or Resistance Bands. I started doing that when I bought Beachbody's P90X workout. Talk about a workout! I eventually just got the P90 series, and stayed in the 2nd Level and lost 25 lbs. and toned up pretty good. Don't forget to stretch before you workout!

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[Tiffani929]

Having arthritis myself, I would start out with Dumbbells (10-15lb) or Resistance Bands. I started doing that when I bought Beachbody's P90X workout. Talk about a workout! I eventually just got the P90 series, and stayed in the 2nd Level and lost 25 lbs. and toned up pretty good. Don't forget to stretch before you workout!

-

Whoa, awesome! I have heard P90x and 30 minute shred give good results

Edited February 1, 2012 by Tiffani929

[Redwizard]

Light weight, a lot of reps will build tone. Heavy weight will build bulk and strength. You dont have fat to burn.

[Markinsa]

Whoa, awesome! I have heard P90x and 30 minute shred give good results

This is the one I use the most.

Power 90

-

[win1mich]

I usually do 4 sets of 10 or 12 reps.

Sometimes I'll do the 4 sets and increase the weight with each set but then the reps decrease as the weight increases: 12. 10, 8, 6.

If you are just getting back into lifting after time off, do 2 or 3 sets with maybe 8 reps and gradually increase after a week or two. It won't take much at first to get sore! I always want to be at least a little sore the next day. Never work the sore body part until it stops being sore because that is when the muscle is repairing/growing.

That's why I do the split I mentioned in that particular order (Mon/chest... tues/back...weds/legs...thurs/shoulders...fri/bi's & tri's). This order allows you to still work out each day even if you get a bit sore.

Or the every-other-day hit everything should give your muscles time to heal before being worked again. (One or two exercises per body part).

Doing 3-5 exercises per body part, 4 sets each, equals 12-20 sets...with at least a couple of minutes rest between...(the older or more out of shape you are, the longer the rest between sets). So I spend 45 minutes to an hour just lifting. I rarely only do only 3 exercises per body part, though...usually I do 5.

[win1mich]

Light weight, a lot of reps will build tone. Heavy weight will build bulk and strength. You dont have fat to burn.

A woman just isn't going to get bulky like a man. UNLESS she goes SUPER heavy, trains SUPER hard, and LOTS of "supplements". Most women are so afraid of being "too muscular" (I used to think that way, too) but reality is very few women COULD, even if they tried to.

And I've kind of gotten where I hate that word "tone". To me that means basically no muscle because the person is stuck on 5 lb dumbells forever.

However, Redwizard, your statement is not incorrect, and no offense intended

[Markinsa]

Saw this on Faebook and thought it was relevant.

[Redwizard]

A woman just isn't going to get bulky like a man. UNLESS she goes SUPER heavy, trains SUPER hard, and LOTS of "supplements". Most women are so afraid of being "too muscular" (I used to think that way, too) but reality is very few women COULD, even if they tried to.

And I've kind of gotten where I hate that word "tone". To me that means basically no muscle because the person is stuck on 5 lb dumbells forever.

However, Redwizard, your statement is not incorrect, and no offense intended

No offense taken, your right most women wont build bulk unless they really try and will take many years and suppliments. Same thing with tread mills and stair climbers etc...., Females can use these machines and there legs will lok great, men on the other hand, they do nothing for us, then it is just called Cardio lol

[DiveDeepSix]

So, I'm wanting to know if any members can help me out with a fitness question. I know a lot of you are in the military and/or fitness enthusiasts.

How does one tone up when they don't have much fat to lose? I'm 118 and 5 foot even. I've had doctors and personal trainers tell me very different things.

I've had some pretty bad knee injuries, but can do light impact. I'm also a vegetarian, but do manage to incorporate protein in my diet.

Any help would be awesomely appreciated, since my last PT is the one who assisted in causing my ACL and meniscus tear.

Thanks all

Hey Tiff I read your post but not all the follow ups, honestly if you have knee or joint issues the all time best full body exercise you can do is swim. This works your entire body, all muscles, burns fat, tones your entire body, helps lung capacity and heart, and has no impact on stressed joints. I lift weights 3 times a week, swim 2 times a week, and love the martial arts, that being said, swimming is by far the best total body keep you in shape workout you can do at any age. It's kinda funny as I swim with a bunch of elderly peeps early in the mornings and some have trouble walking but can swim like crazy. I like martial arts because it helps with flexibility all the muscle in the world does you no good if you pull a muscle every time you go to wipe your rear! When it comes to exercise however anything is better than nothing. You are right protein is the key to a great bod and you can get tons of protein being a veggie from beans and especially lentils. Also don't forget to eat the right types of fat, nuts, avocados, etc. as it takes fat to burn fat. Good luck!

[smee2]

There is a technique I used to instruct some of my clients in (massage clients) that was a "new fangled" thing when I was just a teenager. No, it wasn't lifting a calf every day from the time it was born to build muscle but that was one of the things people used to do and it actually worked, to a point.

Anyway ... let me try to explain it. My brother wanted to be more muscled up ... at the age of about thirteen most boys do. He and I both got into this technique but it is easier to explain it by example than try to give a definition ... wish I could remember the name associated with it.

Okay, lets carry on ... Jim, my brother, would lie in bed at night on his tummy and reach down to the side of the bed, grab the rail of the spring on which the mattress was set, and pulled up. Of course he wasn't pulling anything up, just working that muscle. He would do that with small rests between pulls until he fell asleep. Then one day we looked at him and one arm was far more developed than the other. It was the arm that was doing the pulling without moving anything. He switched head and foot of bed and did the same with the other arm. Voila, muscle bulges on both arms.

In the mean time, I was going to bed on my back. I would reach up to the head board and grab and push, while reaching down with my feet, planting them against the foot board, and pushing there too. Little rest every couple of minutes and back to the pushing, moving nothing, and before you knew it I had built up the leg muscles enough that it showed, and I was able to try out for the volleyball team ... and made it !!!!!

We expanded on a lot of this over the years. Watching TV? Sit there and grab the arms of the chair and pull up during the commercials. Or push down. Driving? At the red lights grab the steering wheel hard and push as if you are trying to fold it in two. Let go when the light changes. In an office? Getting a middle bulge? Sit upright in your chair clench your abdominal muscles and hold for a count of ten or twenty and then let go. Do this about fifty times a day, spread out in groups of ten or so, and before you know it a few things happen. Strengthening the tummy muscles will make it easier to sit with good posture and you will find you don't get as many sore or stiff necks, and fewer sore backs at the end of the day and more energy when you leave your office.

You can do this in pairs, holding pulling and pushing with or against another person. It all works the muscles, causes them to use up oxygen and although that burns fat, for you it would be trimming the layer of fat that you need around the muscles to the appropriate level for a healthy muscular and skeletal frame.

One of my clients reported he would do this in church of all things. While the sermon was being given he would have his feet up on the back of the pew in front of him and push and release and push and release. He had a torn meniscus that the doctors did not want to operate on unless they absolutely had to. He worked his leg muscles in this way, as hard or as easy as was comfortable, and in three months the doctors said it was mostly healed and scrapped the surgery idea.

So, it might be something to try. Simple, no equipment, no trainers, no trips to the gym, no work out clothing or club memberships ... pretty ideal. It is also the technique that is, or was, used by the Italian rowing team a few years ago. I don't know if they still do it. But in their case it was rowing without the oars moving ... just the pulling and pushing agains an immovable object. When the went to the oars ... which moved ... they found they had not only more strength in each pull or push, but more stamina. They could row longer without becoming tired, did not become as dehydrated (don't know the connection there, but it is interesting)

Anyway, if I remember the name of this, the name it had in the sixties, I'll let you know. It may be a technique that is used today under a different name. But since I have not been involved in the strengh and movement scene for some time, I am not up to date.

Hope you can accomplish what you are trying to do. Your height and weight are actually ideal for physical health, unless of course your butt is about twenty pounds of that ... a pear shaped lady. Good Luck.

smee2

Anything worth doing, is worth doing to excess!