smileyK Report post Posted February 12, 2012 does anyone know just wondering am i wasting my time with if continued cardio work out exercise such as treadmill ,cross trainer,rower etc i know is good burning FAT & calories is it also work at toning body too ??? XKLX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LancsLad Report post Posted February 12, 2012 Smiley I think you need to make some decisions as to why you are exercising in the first place. Is it for fitness, general health reasons or for self esteem, because in reality I suspect it is a mix of all three. Last year as part of my life goals in triathlon (see my profile for more details) I lost over 40kg in weight and without doubt my fitness levels improved considerably. In respect to my health whilst there were real improvements in some areas I was putting a lot of stress on my body in other ways. My main point in using my own experience is that I had a lot of trouble in how to relate to myself it might sound a bit strange but I had build up a persona around being a big confident guy who tried to be friendly and a bit of a stereotype to be fair and I think a lot of us aspies can do this in trying to fit other peoples perceptions rather than our own. Loosing weight was a real asault on my mental well being and it has taken some time to make adjustments and realise I am the same person but in a different body. What I am trying to say is we need to be comfortable with ourselves and that includes our own bodies in whatever shape they may come. The best motivation to exercise has to be for our general health as this is within reach for all of us. I run past people who I see every day and they comment on my training, to which I point out they are equally doing as well being out every day going for a walk for example, we are no different in reality as we are helping our general health. When as in my case we have targets such as levels of fitness included in the mix this brings in a lot of extra stress into what should be a fun and enjoyable experience of simply doing a bit of exercise. I think the very worst expectation to bolt on to our exercise routines are those based around ideal body images. We have a society constructed around image and it is so much more worse for you girls than it traditionally has been for us boys, but believe me when I look at some blokes in the gym they are trying to catch up. The sad thing is that through genetics those 'ideals' are impossible to achieve for the majority of us and as such a false holy grail. The truth Smiley is that the more we exercise our body will change and I suspect you will become more toned, but by how much who knows. I have lost a lot of weight and as a result have quite a few stretch marks to show for it, they are my natural tattoo's of a previous period of my life. Its not what we look like on the outside which matters its how we feel about ourselves on the inside. Keep exercising and be healthy and importantly make sure it is fun and not a chore. In this state of mind everything is a bonus, problems start to develop when we put more pressures into the process and have expectations. In this state of mind we are setting ourselves up for mini failures along the line when in truth exercise should simply be fun. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smileyK Report post Posted February 12, 2012 I also been left with lot stretch marks too used to red purple but with weight loss they now White so blend into skin better I used palmers cocoa butter on them which good for stretchmarks reducing them making look better!!! I just want flat ironing board tummy and not cellulite legs and flabby arms! That's why I need badly tone! I want to be slim! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LancsLad Report post Posted February 12, 2012 Thanks for the advice on the coca butter, last thing i was expecting when I signed up! I suspect from your description Smiley that like me you have lost a lot of weight and are left with a skin volume which has not adapted. I asked my doctor about this and said my skin might never reduce down to match my under the skin body shape. It is doing so slowly but i guess i lost weight too fast for it keep up. The way I see it is like this. I might have to go out and race with a crop top and trunks and will be displaying this flabby load of skin folds inbetween. What is important is not what other people think about how I look but about how I race. I would like to have a fantasic physique but even if I can't and suspect I never will, it is not going to stop me taking part. I too would like a flat ironing board tummy but as my partner said to me do I think I have a six pack underneath and that is the issue what do I feel about myself underneath! Your body might catch up with your efforts it might not, but you should be proud of what you have achieved so far and not dilute this response based on what you see in the mirror. best wishes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
butterfly73 Report post Posted February 12, 2012 (edited) I just want flat ironing board tummy and not cellulite legs and flabby arms! That's why I need badly tone! I want to be slim! Wow... High standard.. I dó get where you are coming from though..Just be aware how long it has been since you've been like that.. (some might never have been as such..) for it wíll take as long as that, unless you are very very detirment and commited! I'd like to let you know that means daily excercise.. cardio and fitness wise! cardio to get you heart pumping and to get you in the fat burning zone.. fitness for the muscles to grow.. Mind you.. muscles are heavier than fat.. so if you also are checking your weight to see progress.. be aware of that! If you've seen those weightloss programs on TV.. it really means being commited.. foodwise and excercise wise.. And if you want to kéép slim and muscular.. the best way to go.. is not to steep.. You cán loose weight fast.. but than you get the jojo effect.. Why?! For you use your willpower to get going very fast in the beginning.. you will néver keep that up.. Why.. willpower is meant for powerbursts.. so, it's better to use that will to make sure that you make sure that you prepare: *make sure the wrong food goes out, and the right food is in the house.. so if you dó have thhe munchies.. you cán eat sth y'like.. though less calories ;-) *make sure that you have the stuff to work out.. and friends to help.. *get a log to keep yourself motivated and see progress. *drink loads of fluids.. tip: check wikihow ;-) Edited February 12, 2012 by butterfly73 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A-S warrior Report post Posted March 13, 2012 (edited) toning the muscle requires heavy resistance work. the muscle needs to be broken down during exersie to come back and be stonger. (im a bodybuilder by the way) dont worry about getting massive arms and breasts like flapjacks because women dont have the same hormones as men to build large amounts of muscle. it requires testosterone and for women to get the levels of testosterone neccersary they have to put it in to there bodys artifically. so dont be affraid to lift some nice heavy weights, just look at some of the women in the olympics this year, they lift very heavy weights and have the bodys women dream of. thats why women say im lossing weight but not toning up. thats because there scared of lifting weights in fear of looking big and muscluar and this shouldnt be the case. so my advice to you, hit the squat rack! Edited March 13, 2012 by A-S warrior Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paula Report post Posted March 15, 2012 I agree with A -S Warrier over women and weights.I do a lot of realy heavy weight training and im extreamley toned with a six pack stomach.........thing is though you cant go on what you weigh.Im five foot 7 and due to useing weights,doing kettlebell training also plus some cardio ive actualy gained over a stone in weight and yeat my clothes.............size 10 fall of me becasue im rock solid and toned............i see women all the time at the gym getting no where lifting tiny weights for months on end they need to up it a gear................I also make sure i eat well too because you cant work out and not eat..........i eat 6 meals a day all protein and vegtables and fruit.............. You wont turn into a muscle bound he women ive been at it for 6 years and i havent............. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LancsLad Report post Posted March 15, 2012 A-S warrior is right in respect to hormone levels. There is aslo a lot of recent research evidence that cardio sessions which last for oven an hour one or two times a week are enough to limit muscle mass in women and importantly men. I train a lot when fit, currently injured for Triathlon, and can not put any real muscle mass on my upper body even though I do strength training to aid the swim leg. If I was to try and achieve this I would have to very drastically cut down on the other aspects of my training with no real need to do any other strength work. Through weight training I have got a fair bit stronger but not bigger. When I played rugby I always wondered why one team mate who carried bricks on a building site all day was very strong but not that big yet his mate who was a plasterer of very similar build frame wise had massive muscle definition for very similar stregth outputs. The answer one was moving around all day up and down ladders getting a real cardio workout, the other was pretty stationary holding a weight in each hand. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smileyK Report post Posted March 15, 2012 been going gym after work for an hour go on cross trainer and treadmill , rower XKLX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LancsLad Report post Posted March 15, 2012 Smiley keep it up. I have been injured on and off for a couple of months now with an old back injury which is causing me problems in my legs. It came to a head last week when having rested for a bout 10 days I went out for a normal paced run and broke down within 5 minutes can normally go for over 2hrs without great difficulty. I went and saw a very good physio who has told me to lay of the heavy training if I can for a few weeks as long as my mental health holds up. This period of inactivity has highlighted to me what a massive role exercise does in keeping my mental health on a reasonable stable trajectory. In the past few weeks it has been all over the place fortunatly my partner keeps a very close eye on me. I am pretty sure tomorrow I will need to do something just for my sanity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aeolienne Report post Posted April 12, 2012 I still don't know what exercise would be suitable for me with my shoulder injury. Plus the damned uncertainty wrt how much longer I'm going to be in London makes me reluctant to sign up to a gym contract. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LancsLad Report post Posted April 13, 2012 Aeolienne a good brisk walk is a good starting point and a far better environment than a gym in my opinion always something new to see and experience, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
