[helpforgym]

hey i have the same worry :/ it's my only concern really?

[ironandwine]

Tone is such a pointless word. Don't reduce your food, increase if you start exercising a lot, and you won't lose weight. Recommend light weights (it's extremely ****ing hard to gain muscle especially being female), crunches and squats. Cardio (running or swimming, etc) twice a week would probably also be beneficial.

[zKlown]

(Original post by FitnessQuestion)
Created a new account for this, don't want to attract loads of perverts.

Basically, I have an hourglass shaped body (32D chest, 24.5 inch waist and a big bum) but I really want to tone up but preferably accentuate my curves at the same time? Like I don't want to look ACTUALLY toned, but just for things to look smoother? If its not possible then I'll stay the way I am, because I don't want to lose any weight and I don't want muscle to show. I guess the main focus would be my bum, as everything else I'm happy with.

Anyone help?

You signed up to a student website for a fitness question? Odd logic tbh

You seem to have your definition of toned muddled up a little. Toned basically means lean which sounds like the look you are looking for. In which case a bit of cardio with some lunges/squats etc should keep you in shape.

That's what I'd advise, there's plenty more informed people than me on here, so don't take my word for gospel lol.

[hutsulka]

(Original post by such_a_lady)
The workouts in the first post look great, but is there anything for absolute beginners like me to ease myself in? I don't have any weight goals; I just want to get fit and actually use my muscles. So for example, are there any specific weight measurements to start off with (for free weights or butterfly press, for example) or should you go for what you can manage comfortably, or go for something that's a little bit of a challenge? And is there a good way to start on cardio/HIIT without completely overshooting myself? I'm starting from the bottom here. What's the best thing to strengthen abs without completely killing myself with cramps at first? A beginner like me would probably do the traditional sit ups and crunches wrong and ruin my back If this kind of beginners' thing has been answered anywhere else, you can just link me to it. I'm not fussed about getting a gap between my thighs or a six pack, I just want to train up, get fit, increase the intensity and difficulty gradually until exercise and staying fit is an integral part of my life. (And keeping my boobs would be nice, too.)

I am a complete beginner and couldn't possibly claim to know about these things... but I followed the advice in the first post and it seems to be going much better than my previous attempts at fitness! I had been to the gym before and done a mix of weights and cardio but not seeing any change, so clearly I was just fannying about. I have found that pushing myself past the comfortable stage gets results!

Ha it sounds so stupidly obvious when you write it down.

I read another thread on here where women were lifting pretty much the equivalent of my body weight... I had zero upper body strength so could only dream of that! I asked the guy at the gym what weights I should be aiming for, he said it should be low enough so you could lift without doing yourself a mischief, but high enough so that it gets challenging towards the end of your reps. It's a bit of experimentation at first but soon enough you will improve and be able to bump it up.

Same with HIIT. I have been pretty unfit for all my life and had a bit of a fear of running, so I wasn't sure how to approach it. I just started at a bit of a power walk on an incline and then psyched myself up to run (well, more like a jog, I still have a long way to go) for a certain period of time, say a minute. Then knock the speed down to a walk again when I feel like passing out. Clearly this is by no means as scientific as what those in the know on this thread advise, but I thought I would take the general principles and see how I go. I feel like I have improved quite a bit, and I have been quite surprised at how quickly I am noticing the change.

My goal is to get my general stamina and strength up first, and then I hope to be able to try these suggested routines with gusto.

The trainer guy at my gym is very helpful if I ask "Am I doing this right?", and is happy to come up to me if he sees me doing something completely moronic and advises how to do it properly. If you're at a gym and not sure how you are supposed to do something, just ask them.

At the end of the day, the only thing you can do to start off is just start off. Listen to your body and don't hurt yourself, but work hard. Once I stopped over-thinking it I lost the fear! I guess no one could really advise what specific weight/speed/etc anyone should do, because everyone is different.

Anyway that's how I have approached it and found this thread has helped.

[TEFLONCHEST]

Contriboooting, I found this pretty useful myself although I'm a guy - http://sickshape.com/best-cardio-training-for-women/

[such_a_lady]

(Original post by hutsulka)
I am a complete beginner and couldn't possibly claim to know about these things... but I followed the advice in the first post and it seems to be going much better than my previous attempts at fitness! I had been to the gym before and done a mix of weights and cardio but not seeing any change, so clearly I was just fannying about. I have found that pushing myself past the comfortable stage gets results!

Ha it sounds so stupidly obvious when you write it down.

I read another thread on here where women were lifting pretty much the equivalent of my body weight... I had zero upper body strength so could only dream of that! I asked the guy at the gym what weights I should be aiming for, he said it should be low enough so you could lift without doing yourself a mischief, but high enough so that it gets challenging towards the end of your reps. It's a bit of experimentation at first but soon enough you will improve and be able to bump it up.

Same with HIIT. I have been pretty unfit for all my life and had a bit of a fear of running, so I wasn't sure how to approach it. I just started at a bit of a power walk on an incline and then psyched myself up to run (well, more like a jog, I still have a long way to go) for a certain period of time, say a minute. Then knock the speed down to a walk again when I feel like passing out. Clearly this is by no means as scientific as what those in the know on this thread advise, but I thought I would take the general principles and see how I go. I feel like I have improved quite a bit, and I have been quite surprised at how quickly I am noticing the change.

My goal is to get my general stamina and strength up first, and then I hope to be able to try these suggested routines with gusto.

The trainer guy at my gym is very helpful if I ask "Am I doing this right?", and is happy to come up to me if he sees me doing something completely moronic and advises how to do it properly. If you're at a gym and not sure how you are supposed to do something, just ask them.

At the end of the day, the only thing you can do to start off is just start off. Listen to your body and don't hurt yourself, but work hard. Once I stopped over-thinking it I lost the fear! I guess no one could really advise what specific weight/speed/etc anyone should do, because everyone is different.

Anyway that's how I have approached it and found this thread has helped.

Thankyou so so so much!!!


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[alexmagpie]

First of all - please don't shout at me, last time I attempted to post in the fitness forums I got shouted at (I know I was saying stupid things, but still, you people scare me).

I'm female, 5'4" and around 120lbs.

I'm fairly curvy - 32DD but still more pear shaped as I carry most of my body fat on my thighs. I don't want to lose weight though, I like my shape (a little would be okay, but not below 110).

I am probably skinnyfat, and my aim is just to get fitter - feel better and improve my stamina a little etc, and hopefully learn to like exercise more than I currently do. I've started doing cardio (30 mins a day, 5 days a week - aerobics, but quite intense aerobics), and eating healthier. When I get home from university I'll probably start alternating it with swimming and cycling. I'm not going to obsess over my diet, but just try to eat more fruit and veg and less junk.

Basically, my question is that I know I should be pairing this with resistance training... however until I find a job, I simply can't afford to join a gym, and I'm reluctant to buy freeweights to use at home because I don't know if I would take to lifting. So is there any resistance training I can do without equipment? I'm not looking for huge results or very visible muscles - just enough that the cardio doesn't make me lose muscle mass, and if I lose a little body fat I might look a little leaner. I've read things about yoga - would this be sufficient for now, or am I screwed without access to weights?

[sconter]

(Original post by alexmagpie)
First of all - please don't shout at me, last time I attempted to post in the fitness forums I got shouted at (I know I was saying stupid things, but still, you people scare me).

I'm female, 5'4" and around 120lbs.

I'm fairly curvy - 32DD but still more pear shaped as I carry most of my body fat on my thighs. I don't want to lose weight though, I like my shape (a little would be okay, but not below 110).

I am probably skinnyfat, and my aim is just to get fitter - feel better and improve my stamina a little etc, and hopefully learn to like exercise more than I currently do. I've started doing cardio (30 mins a day, 5 days a week - aerobics, but quite intense aerobics), and eating healthier. When I get home from university I'll probably start alternating it with swimming and cycling. I'm not going to obsess over my diet, but just try to eat more fruit and veg and less junk.

Basically, my question is that I know I should be pairing this with resistance training... however until I find a job, I simply can't afford to join a gym, and I'm reluctant to buy freeweights to use at home because I don't know if I would take to lifting. So is there any resistance training I can do without equipment? I'm not looking for huge results or very visible muscles - just enough that the cardio doesn't make me lose muscle mass, and if I lose a little body fat I might look a little leaner. I've read things about yoga - would this be sufficient for now, or am I screwed without access to weights?

dont buy free weights, and a monthly gym membership shouldnt be more than £30.


dont use your inability to access a gym as an excuse, you arent screwed, do what you can until u can afford it.

[rlw31]

(Original post by alexmagpie)
First of all - please don't shout at me, last time I attempted to post in the fitness forums I got shouted at (I know I was saying stupid things, but still, you people scare me).

I'm female, 5'4" and around 120lbs.

I'm fairly curvy - 32DD but still more pear shaped as I carry most of my body fat on my thighs. I don't want to lose weight though, I like my shape (a little would be okay, but not below 110).

I am probably skinnyfat, and my aim is just to get fitter - feel better and improve my stamina a little etc, and hopefully learn to like exercise more than I currently do. I've started doing cardio (30 mins a day, 5 days a week - aerobics, but quite intense aerobics), and eating healthier. When I get home from university I'll probably start alternating it with swimming and cycling. I'm not going to obsess over my diet, but just try to eat more fruit and veg and less junk.

Basically, my question is that I know I should be pairing this with resistance training... however until I find a job, I simply can't afford to join a gym, and I'm reluctant to buy freeweights to use at home because I don't know if I would take to lifting. So is there any resistance training I can do without equipment? I'm not looking for huge results or very visible muscles - just enough that the cardio doesn't make me lose muscle mass, and if I lose a little body fat I might look a little leaner. I've read things about yoga - would this be sufficient for now, or am I screwed without access to weights?

Ross Enamait's blog and forum has useful ideas for training at home/without equipment. His book 'Never Gymless' (this can be found for free on the internet if you're resourceful) is full of exercises and routines that can be followed without access to weights and will serve you well until you can get to the gym.

[Scoobiedoobiedo]

(Original post by alexmagpie)
Basically, my question is that I know I should be pairing this with resistance training... however until I find a job, I simply can't afford to join a gym

Do you live in a city?

If so I'm sure you can find an affordable gym. If you look around you can usually get student discount, £15 a month or so maximum, for a decent gym. Alternatively you can just go mega budget..
Thegym is only £10 a month, with no contract, and no joining fee if you have NUS - Admittedly it isn't a very good gym in the grand scheme of things, but it will suit your needs.

[Ocarinaoftime]

Hi, I'm a complete beginner here and I've decided that I have to push my laziness aside and get active! I'll be honest, I've never been to the gym before in my life and I have zilch money to get a membership though I hope to join one when I move to uni in about 2 months-ish. I used to play football in development teams and such till I was 15 and I was training 5/7 days of the week so I still have a lot of leg strength. My dad used to do body building and has lot's of weights which I have access to now. My first question is this, how do I know what I should be lifting? is it just trial and error till I find out what pushes me but not enough to injure? I really do no exercise so I was hoping to ease into a good exercise plan. I've went cycling a couple of times for an hour in the past month so I'm gonna do that twice a week with a mixture of weights (probably 2 nights a week) and having a kick around with a football till I can hopefully join the uni team. Does that sound ok? That would be at least 4 nights a week of doing something for definite. Any suggestions of what to do would be great and very appreciated!

[Colour Me Pretty]

Ok, first year at university has ruined me a little bit, and I'm aiming to get back the figure I had before going, albeit a little more "toned" (I'm sorry! I know that word is hated here!).

Anyway, I have drastically cut down on the booze, I'm pretty much tee total now and I'm doing about an hours cardio at the gym 5-6 times week.

I do resistance training, about 10-15 fifteen minutes on the weight machines, but I have heard free weights are superior to weights machines. I'm just wondering how much time I should dedicate to free weights and if anyone could give me some example exercises I'm booking a personal trainer session in September as I am away for all of August ( I will still be working out) but I'd like some starting points


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[ShahMW]

Free weights are so much more beneficial; the balancing and form is harder to do therefore you can only do lighter weights than that on a machine which does a lot of the work for you.

Of course you could do a full body free weights workout, but personally I tend to use machines mainly for back and triceps and legs, and some for chest, with little for biceps.

However its completely your decision and how you feel about it, but free weights are way harder and much more beneficial.

[sil3nt_cha0s]

(Original post by Colour Me Pretty)
Ok, first year at university has ruined me a little bit, and I'm aiming to get back the figure I had before going, albeit a little more "toned" (I'm sorry! I know that word is hated here!).

Anyway, I have drastically cut down on the booze, I'm pretty much tee total now and I'm doing about an hours cardio at the gym 5-6 times week.

I do resistance training, about 10-15 fifteen minutes on the weight machines, but I have heard free weights are superior to weights machines. I'm just wondering how much time I should dedicate to free weights and if anyone could give me some example exercises I'm booking a personal trainer session in September as I am away for all of August ( I will still be working out) but I'd like some starting points


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Which machines? How much weight? How many sets/reps? Are you struggling on the last reps or completing them comfortably?

[Colour Me Pretty]

(Original post by sil3nt_cha0s)
Which machines? How much weight? How many sets/reps? Are you struggling on the last reps or completing them comfortably?

Leg press: 3 sets, I do one at 30 and then 2 at 40 for 25 reps each.
Abductor: 2 sets, for 25 reps at a weight of 20
LAT: 2 sets, for 25 reps at a weight of 20
Chest press: 2 sets for 25 reps at a weight of 10
Shoulder press: same as the chest press.


I do them comfortably in the sense that I can feel the burn but I am not straining anything.


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[HFerguson]

Your resistance training to cardio ratio is off; 6 hours a week compared to maybe 1 or 2 hours tops of resistance training is a joke.

There's no hard and fast rule on it, but you should aim to get at least two 1 hour sessions in per week, if not 3 i.e. at least 2 hours of resistance training per week. Cardio needn't take hours either, if you started doing HIIT which is far less mentally tiresome, more effective, enjoyable, and generally more awesome.

Resistance training is not something you can tack on to the end of your workout for 15 minutes. Do it properly, or don't do it. For energy and performance's sake, you're best off doing your cardio separate from your resistance training i.e. have separate resistance training sessions.

You get out what you put in - freeweights are harder, but yield better results. Read the stickies, everything you could want to know is in there, specifically Powerlifter's thread on "getting toned" for the ladies. In order to improve muscle definition ("get more toned"), you need to decrease your bodyfat % level, and maintain what muscle mass you currently have, if not slowly aim to increase your lean muscle mass over the next couple of years (a slow and arduous process for women).

On a positive note though, good job on cutting down on the alcohol - that stuff is poison

[HFerguson]

(Original post by Colour Me Pretty)
Leg press: 3 sets, I do one at 30 and then 2 at 40 for 25 reps each.
Abductor: 2 sets, for 25 reps at a weight of 20
LAT: 2 sets, for 25 reps at a weight of 20
Chest press: 2 sets for 25 reps at a weight of 10
Shoulder press: same as the chest press.
I do them comfortably in the sense that I can feel the burn but I am not straining anything.

"The burn" means nothing, it's a useless indicator, and illustrates that you're doing too many reps. 25 reps is excessive, and you should not be comfortable doing resistance training; not saying you should be in pain, but it should not be comfortable - it should be highly strenuous. Read the stickies, run a caloric deficit, get yourself on a weightlifting program for a beginner, doing 3 sessions per week, with 3 or more barbell compound movements (bench press, overhead/military press, deadlift, bak squat, chinups/pullups, dips) per session, doing 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 12 repetitions (i.e. 4x12, 3x8, 3x5, 4x8, etc), with a weight that is challenging and so that you cannot complete another rep and that your last rep is very difficult, but not to the point of sacrificing good form, and do cardio as many times a week as you want or your body will allow you to recover from (this won't be as much as you want, if you're lifting sufficiently heavy). If you want to use freeweights, you're going to need to understand the lift you're trying to perform - lifting is not something you unfortunately just do, although a lot of people do. You're really best off educating yourself and spending a decent amount of time researching lifting before doing it, and never stop learning about it.

Resistance training is the best thing a woman can do for their physique IMO.

[Colour Me Pretty]

(Original post by HFerguson)
"The burn" means nothing, it's a useless indicator, and illustrates that you're doing too many reps. 25 reps is excessive, and you should not be comfortable doing resistance training; not saying you should be in pain, but it should not be comfortable - it should be highly strenuous. Read the stickies, run a caloric deficit, get yourself on a weightlifting program for a beginner, doing 3 sessions per week, with 3 or more barbell compound movements (bench press, overhead/military press, deadlift, bak squat, chinups/pullups, dips) per session, doing 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 12 repetitions (i.e. 4x12, 3x8, 3x5, 4x8, etc), with a weight that is challenging and so that you cannot complete another rep and that your last rep is very difficult, but not to the point of sacrificing good form, and do cardio as many times a week as you want or your body will allow you to recover from (this won't be as much as you want, if you're lifting sufficiently heavy). If you want to use freeweights, you're going to need to understand the lift you're trying to perform - lifting is not something you unfortunately just do, although a lot of people do. You're really best off educating yourself and spending a decent amount of time researching lifting before doing it, and never stop learning about it.

Resistance training is the best thing a woman can do for their physique IMO.

I think you misunderstood me when I said comfortable, I just meant I am not putting my back out when I am doing them. I can do them and I know the next weight up would simply be too heavy for me.

Thanks for the advice I will probably invest in a personal trainer session in the beneath future then to ensure I am doing them correctly


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[Colour Me Pretty]

(Original post by HFerguson)
Your resistance training to cardio ratio is off; 6 hours a week compared to maybe 1 or 2 hours tops of resistance training is a joke.

There's no hard and fast rule on it, but you should aim to get at least two 1 hour sessions in per week, if not 3 i.e. at least 2 hours of resistance training per week. Cardio needn't take hours either, if you started doing HIIT which is far less mentally tiresome, more effective, enjoyable, and generally more awesome.

Resistance training is not something you can tack on to the end of your workout for 15 minutes. Do it properly, or don't do it. For energy and performance's sake, you're best off doing your cardio separate from your resistance training i.e. have separate resistance training sessions.

You get out what you put in - freeweights are harder, but yield better results. Read the stickies, everything you could want to know is in there, specifically Powerlifter's thread on "getting toned" for the ladies. In order to improve muscle definition ("get more toned"), you need to decrease your bodyfat % level, and maintain what muscle mass you currently have, if not slowly aim to increase your lean muscle mass over the next couple of years (a slow and arduous process for women).

On a positive note though, good job on cutting down on the alcohol - that stuff is poison

Bearing in mind my primary goal at the moment is to lose weight, and thus burn fat and then start building the muscle.

Also, I don't stick it on the end of my workout. I usually warm up first by doing cardio for twenty minutes, do the weight machines then finish off cardio thanks for the help though!


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[silent ninja]

(Original post by Colour Me Pretty)
I think you misunderstood me when I said comfortable, I just meant I am not putting my back out when I am doing them. I can do them and I know the next weight up would simply be too heavy for me.

Thanks for the advice I will probably invest in a personal trainer session in the beneath future then to ensure I am doing them correctly


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If you're doing 25 reps then it's not heavy enough. You're just doing endurance.