I've realized how easy it actually is to get in shape recently.
Basically by doing nothing but some basic strength exercises and Yoga 30 minutes every other day, I've gained about 10 pounds of muscle and lost about 4 pounds of fat (I'm 6'0", Gone from 160 to 166ish)
I was told by a friend who regularly works out at the gym in more intense regimens than mine to ignore the scale, and look at the mirror.
This came about because after doing 30 minutes of Aerobics and then another 30 minutes of strength building exercise for a few days a week, I found myself gaining weight, the opposite of what I wanted. However, I forgot the age old saying "Muscle weighs more than fat".
As I looked in the mirror, I saw my stomach flatter, my arms more defined. It's quite a confidence builder.
What ensured me I was on the right track was I was showing my horridly sunburnt shoulders to a friend of mine who commented then on how my trigs for arms were looking pretty good.
6 weeks now and staying strong, working out on average 40 minutes a day every other day.
Anyone else have some weight loss / strength building success stories?
Comments (8)
The best thing I ever did was enroll in a yoga class. I like my weight and I gain muscle mass easily for a female; yoga improved my muscle tone and flexibility, making me look and feel (the only word for it is) sleek! It also encourages a reduced calorie diet of mostly raw fruits and vegetables, which is how I got into the habit of eating how I do now :)
Pilates are awesome. Chair squats. Side-lunges. Regular lunges, too. There's all sort of effective things that don't require a gym.
Hooray for you, btw. That's impressive.
What exactly is your workout routine? I could use some easy training...I usually only have about a 1/2 hour here or there...40 minutes every other day wouldn't be too hard to do though. I usually burn off more with cardio myself...but I know sometimes strength training can burn just as much.
For the last three months I've been eating one meal a day (usually about 1200 calories) and sweating regularly for about 6 hours five times a week and I've lost three inches off my waist and gained some more muscle tone in my arms. Fast food cook has some perks lol
@calsidle - that doesn't seem healthy Cal!
@bLuEmOOnSuNdAe - Wii Fit does most of it for me. However, for me the most effective thing for building muscle in my upper body and core are planks and pushups.
@RaVnR - Yoga is great for tone and flexibility, and I just feel better.
@Blue__Summer - I have yet to try Pilates, I will have to look into it sometime. Lunges are great and wear me out, even though my calves and quads are huge already. (So much tennis) Thanks for the compliment
@calsidle - Are you sure those aren't the side effects of slavery? Sounds harsh.
Good for you!