Weight Training for Fitness

[Maria D]

In a different thread, several of you mentioned weight training. I would love to hear about your programs! Here are some prompts:

-How much and how often?
-Do you work with a trainer?
-What do you know about dead lifting? I've read that this can actually *help* if one has back issues, but I'm wary?
-Is it possible to change the shape of your butt? What about old lady "bat wings" on your arms? (I think the answer to these two questions are "a little" and "no.")

I do cardio group fitness classes two times a week, walk every day, and 25 minutes of free weight exercises at home two or three times a week. I used to do weight training group fitness classes years ago but then stopped because of back issues. I started doing a bit on my own at home about a year ago and have seen a ton of improvement in back and leg pain (IT band).

I don't know the ages of the women that talked about weight training in the other thread, but I think you are younger than me (I'm in my mid 50's). Perhaps there are older women here that weight train as well?

Let's hear your routines!

 

[jaaron]

In a different thread, several of you mentioned weight training. I would love to hear about your programs! Here are some prompts:

-How much and how often?
-Do you work with a trainer?
-What do you know about dead lifting? I've read that this can actually *help* if one has back issues, but I'm wary?
-Is it possible to change the shape of your butt? What about old lady "bat wings" on your arms? (I think the answer to these two questions are "a little" and "no.")

I do cardio group fitness classes two times a week, walk every day, and 25 minutes of free weight exercises at home two or three times a week. I used to do weight training group fitness classes years ago but then stopped because of back issues. I started doing a bit on my own at home about a year ago and have seen a ton of improvement in back and leg pain (IT band).

I don't know the ages of the women that talked about weight training in the other thread, but I think you are younger than me (I'm in my mid 50's). Perhaps there are older women here that weight train as well?

Let's hear your routines!

I'm slightly, (but not a lot) younger than you, and not an expert by any means. My exercise of choice is running, but over the years, I've come to accept that if I want to prolong my running life, I have to do other, less enjoyable to me, forms of exercise. I've cut down from about 50k a week to 25-30 and now do work with a trainer twice a week.

We do combined cardio, strength, core and flexibility (since muscle tightness is a big issue for me--upper shoulders, lower back/groin, and IT bands, so I hear you on that), but focus mostly on the last three, as I do still get a lot of cardio from running. We do circuits with a lot of body weight bearing exercise, with TRX cables, planks, squats, kettle bells, etc. Not tons of traditional weights or machines, except some upper body stuff. We do deadlifts, and I would say that for deadlifts and squats it's absolutely *essential* that you learn to do them with someone who really understands the proper form-- done right, yes, they can help all manner of problems, done wrong, they'll exacerbate them. And in my own experience, if you have any back issues at all, you should never do them with speed in order to get cardio- they should be slow, deliberate, and done with perfect form.

I also do pilates once a week, and that's helped my back issues a ton. Have you tried that at all?

As for bat wings, I think the answer is that it depends on whether it's from flab or from skin that losing its elasticity (which I try not to think about too much). Butt shape, I think squats and running or walking up hills.

 

[telephone89]

I'm a bit rusty on working out myself, but my husband does, 5-6 days a week lol.

Deadlifts are good for your entire backside (back, hips, butt, legs) but need to be done correctly and worked up slowly in weight. When I first start up again, H starts me with just the bar (our Olympic style bar weighs 45lb). Get the posture right, and add 5lbs each time.
You absolutely CAN change the shape of your butt. There are various butt exercises you can do. Everyone says that's squats are the best, but I also like lunges. Your butt is 3 different muscles. Just do various exercises that activates each muscle and you'll see improvement. Because they are muscles, they work the same as others. You tear them apart with your workout, then during the rest they rebuild, a little bigger, a little stronger.
For your arms, it depends on if its fat or skin. Saggy skin you'll likely not be able to do much about, but fat you can tackle. I found boxing actually helped my arms the best - better than any singular arm workout, because it works so many different muscles in your arms. (we also have a boxing bag at the house lol)

I need to start working out again lol.

 

[soxfan]

I follow the "Chalean Extreme" program from beach body. I LOVE it. It's about 4-5 days a week, and I walk or ski the other 2 days.....

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I don't care for weight lifting (have a hernia from weights on legs!). Instead I run in waist or chest level water (pool) , pushing the water as I go. Running against the current in a "lazy river" provides great resistance but running in deeper water works well, also. Great work out all round--develops core strength and muscle definition and if you fall" you don't hurt yourself. You need aquasox for grip.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Maria D]

I've never heard of the Chalean program - will have to look that one up.

It is saggy skin on my arms. I'm not sure if it's the result of years of being overweight or just genetic, but even with fairly toned biceps, triceps and deltoids, I've got some flapping going on there.

I stopped doing group fitness weight classes after I threw out my back pretty severely. After months of physical therapy I tried going back to it but I felt like I couldn't focus on from well enough. The instructors liked to set up stations with groups of 3 or 4 rotating around the room. I felt pressure to keep up rather than going at my own pace. So I stopped those classes but still did cardio. Now that I've gone back to doing a bit of weight training (by myself) I am amazed at how much easier it is to maintain my weight and how much better I feel. I can't say I look forward to lifting weights, the way I do look forward to aerobics class, but I definitely like the results.

As for the butt - I have been doing squats and lunges like crazy and I hardly see any improvement!

 

[LLJsmom]

I have found that Bar Method 3 times a week has helped me stay lean. I combine it with running 3 times a week. I miss the heavy weight training which kept me stronger, but bar method helps me stay lean, esp in my core, legs. When I was heavy weight training, lots of lunges, squats, chest work, bicep and tricep, I bulked up more than I liked. Running also causes me to bloat and gain weight. My body wants to store a lot of water and glucose. Bar method does small range of motion isometric exercises until your muscles are completely worn out and shaking, lots of stretching, and lots of ab work. Weights are very light for the upper body. All the lower body work uses the body weight only. It is best to do this in a class where the instructors are constantly correcting you. I'm 45 and run 20-30 miles a week when not training for a race. But most importantly, cutting out processed sugar has made the biggest difference in my appearance. Even the cottage cheese in my legs seem to go away when I can cut that crap out. Eating clean has been the most effective, yet the most difficult part of it all.

 

[Queenie60]

I do weight training - moderate and not too heavy. And work with a personal trainer. He puts me on a program/schedule for two weeks and we meet two times per month. This works with me, along with walking several times per week. When it warms up again, I'll go back to the crossfit gym and do a "circuit" style training.

 

[CJ2008]

I work out with a trainer once a week for 30 minutes (I used to do twice a week but can't afford it right now.)

He's awesome because he cares about form and is always correcting me. We do either whole body, or just upper or just lower. Sometimes we go as heavy as I can deal other times we focus more on speed or metabolic.

When I am disciplined - and I haven't been for the last few months due to a combination of things - not sleeping well, feeling a bit unmotivated and lazy, etc. - I supplement that one day with at least one other day of weight training. When I am super disciplined I do two other days of weight training. Sometimes I go to the gym, other times I just use the weights I have at home. I'll do single leg Romanian deadlifts, bicep curls, sumo squats, calf raises, push ups, things like that. I have 15s and 10s and 5s (rarely use the 5s except for shoulder raises.) I like to lift as heavy as I can.

But form is the most important thing. If you're lifting so heavy that a. can't feel the muscle you're trying to work or b. your form isn't solid, it's not worth it and it's better to go down in weight until you can feel what the proper way to do that exercise is.

Changing your butt shape is dependent on so many things. I have a lot of fat on my but. A lot. My butt can look a little better when I am eating right and I am super disciplined - I do notice a difference - but it's not a huge difference. It's still flabby and a little saggy unfortunately. But it DOES look better. The key is to make sure you're ACTIVATING your glutes. It took me a long time to learn how to do this and to communicate with my butt when I work out. Otherwise it is always asleep and even when I would do squats or lunges or the single leg deadlifts I couldn't feel my butt working. Now I know how to activate it.

Even at 47, just that one day allows me to look fairly toned at least in my upper body (my lower is a different story, that's where I carry most of my fat). The biggest reason for this is my diet - pretty clean, lots of protein (eat a protein at every meal), limit on cookies and junk.

When I slack off on my diet for more than a week - eat lots of cookies, have more pizza than my usual two weekly slices, etc., I flab up. And even though I still look thin I look flabbier and I start getting a muffin top.

Oh, and I'm in the same situation as you. Even with toned shoulders and biceps - and at times lean enough you can see my abs - I have a flap thing in my upper arms. I hate it. I don't think anything can eliminate it other than surgery. But I've seen a few women who I suspect have had that surgery and I don't think it looks that great. The arm looks tight but in a weird way. Plus, the scar...So I feel you.

 

[PierreBear]

I've never heard of the Chalean program - will have to look that one up.

It is saggy skin on my arms. I'm not sure if it's the result of years of being overweight or just genetic, but even with fairly toned biceps, triceps and deltoids, I've got some flapping going on there.

I stopped doing group fitness weight classes after I threw out my back pretty severely. After months of physical therapy I tried going back to it but I felt like I couldn't focus on from well enough. The instructors liked to set up stations with groups of 3 or 4 rotating around the room. I felt pressure to keep up rather than going at my own pace. So I stopped those classes but still did cardio. Now that I've gone back to doing a bit of weight training (by myself) I am amazed at how much easier it is to maintain my weight and how much better I feel. I can't say I look forward to lifting weights, the way I do look forward to aerobics class, but I definitely like the results.

As for the butt - I have been doing squats and lunges like crazy and I hardly see any improvement!

Have you tried the stair master? Same thing for myself that I've done tons of squats (but perhaps my bar isn't heavier enough to show results that manner) and cycle frequently. Nothing makes it more firm than doing the stair master for about 30 mins straight.

 

[ruby59]

I've never heard of the Chalean program - will have to look that one up.

It is saggy skin on my arms. I'm not sure if it's the result of years of being overweight or just genetic, but even with fairly toned biceps, triceps and deltoids, I've got some flapping going on there.

I stopped doing group fitness weight classes after I threw out my back pretty severely. After months of physical therapy I tried going back to it but I felt like I couldn't focus on from well enough. The instructors liked to set up stations with groups of 3 or 4 rotating around the room. I felt pressure to keep up rather than going at my own pace. So I stopped those classes but still did cardio. Now that I've gone back to doing a bit of weight training (by myself) I am amazed at how much easier it is to maintain my weight and how much better I feel. I can't say I look forward to lifting weights, the way I do look forward to aerobics class, but I definitely like the results.

As for the butt - I have been doing squats and lunges like crazy and I hardly see any improvement!

Have you tried the stair master? Same thing for myself that I've done tons of squats (but perhaps my bar isn't heavier enough to show results that manner) and cycle frequently. Nothing makes it more firm than doing the stair master for about 30 mins straight.

Even though I am not one yet, I take the senior citizens fitness classes at the gym.

I just could not keep up with the younger women.

We do aerobics in the pool with light weights, maybe 3 or 5 pounds.

They sometimes put these step things right in the pool..

And I love to swim for exercise because it is easier on my feet and joints. and just so relaxing.

But my main exercise is walking the track. I try to get in my 10,000 steps or close to it every day. Walking does wonders for my glucose numbers.