Needs some tips/help for some toning :)

D

darkmouzy

New member
Hello all!

OK so my story here, 1 year ago i weighed 185 pounds. 5 foot 4 in height, 19 years old
Today: 5 foot 4 :p and 110 pounds, 20 years old :D!

I feel better and so much more energy and what not. anyway I want to tone up and get that more sleek look which is where the excersise comes in. Now my areas are typical, Arms, thighs/butt, abs.

Ive never really done any strength training... and I can't afford to go to the gym due to me saving for school.

I was wondering if i could get some very effective excersises for these areas that i can do at home.

also I'm wondering how much time am I looking at at noticing some results? Im thinking 3-4 months but perhaps i'm wrong...

thanks in advance!
 
Gyms are a waist of money anyway, everything you need to do you can do at home. However seeing as you have ever done resistance training before I would suggest maybe forking out the $50 to do a one off personal training session. They can run through all the different things you can do to tone up different muscles, and also how to do them in the most effective and safe way. However if you dont want to do that and just have a go look up how to do them online, but read the instructions carefully so you dont hurt yourself. Here is a good website to get you started...



As for how soon you would see results thats up to you. But keep in mind that they only recomend that you do at most three resistance sessions a weak, due to the fact that the recovery time in equally as important as the session times because it is in the recovery time that your muscles actually repair and build upon themself.
 
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I think that saying gyms are a waste of money is pretty strong language. I love going to the gym and I find that I work out better when I have a gym to go to, rather than working out at home. Also there is a larger variety of equipment available to me at the gym than I could ever afford or have room for at home. So let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater and make silly statements here, ok?

That said, there are plenty of things you can do at home in order to build muscle and get that "toned" or fit look. I'd suggest starting out with reading the sticky thread here in the exercise area called The Conceptual Side of Weightlifting. It will help you to understand how weight lifting works and how you should structure a workout.

Then, when at home, you can still do things like lunges, squats, pushups, pullups or chinups. Adding in an inexpensive set of weights and/or resistance bands you can add presses, rows, and other weighted movements.
 
In my opinion gyms are a waste of money. Im a traditionalist. I agree that some people may need the motivation of joining a gym and committing to a membership, however if you take out the motivation there really isnt much to the range of equipment when you take into consideration that anyting you do in the gym you can do on a daily basis, much cheaper and generally in a more effective way.

Take for example the excersise bike. Unless you are a manic for perfection people would get far more out of riding a real bike because in addition to the cardio you need to balance on your bike using your core muscles way more than on an excersise bike. Same can be said for all the cardio equipment, using your body without the assistance of equipment will get your further faster.

As with the resistance equipment. Free weights have shown to give you much better results. Why? Because you aren't being assisted by any other mechanics other than your own body.

Im all about results really, and making the most out of my money and time. Hence i believe that gyms are a waste of money. But thats just my opinion. If a gym is what motivates you to excersise, then it is money well spent for you.

However, while im not a fan of gyms for an on going period, if you are starting out and have never really excersised properly before - gyms are great because they will generaly offer people a one on one session with a trainer for their first visit, and they can run you through different excersises, in a safe way.
 
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In my opinion gyms are a waste of money.
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So you've said.

if you take out the motivation there really isnt much to the range of equipment when you take into consideration that anyting you do in the gym you can do on a daily basis, much cheaper and generally in a more effective way.
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Really? What about those of us who lift weights? Tell me how much more effective and cheaper it is to buy your own weights? Tell me how much better it is when you live in a small apartment/townhouse/or dorm room and don't have place to store weights.

Take for example the excersise bike. Unless you are a manic for perfection people would get far more out of riding a real bike
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What about people who live in an area where it's not safe to ride a real bike?

Same can be said for all the cardio equipment, using your body without the assistance of equipment will get your further faster.
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Sure. But it's not always practical. Some people live in areas where it's not safe or convenient to go running/walking/riding.

As with the resistance equipment. Free weights have shown to give you much better results. Why? Because you aren't being assisted by any other mechanics other than your own body.
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And your point? If I were to buy all the free weights I needed it would cost me a couple hundred $$, plus then I'd have to find a place in my small 2 bedroom townhouse to store them. It's much more efficient for me to go to my gym where all the weights I could possibly need are there and available.

Im all about results really, and making the most out of my money and time. Hence i believe that gyms are a waste of money. But thats just my opinion. If a gym is what motivates you to excersise, then it is money well spent for you.
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And again, your opinion is pretty much based on a very limited set of circumstances and the way you phrase it could discourage people from joining a gym when it might be something they'd enjoy and something that could benefit them. Open your mind a little.

Does everyone have to go to a gym? Of course not. It's absolutely possible to get a very effective workout at home with minimal equipment. Is it as "waste of money"? No ... not for those who use it. And stating that it is is just ignorant.
 
My whole point is to not be ignorant and think outside the box. Like i said, for the people who use going to the gym as a motivational tool, thats great for them and well worth your money, but in reference to seeing results, gyms arent the be all and end all.

The cost of buying weights will be a one off buy, which you can get for much cheaper than a gym membership which can be stored in a small living space. My partner and i live in a one bedroom appartment, we have two sets of weights (one for him and one for me) which are stored in a cupbored with a 50cm x 50cm x 50 cm dimension. And considering both sets were bought for $30 each, yeah i would say definately more cost efficient and easier to access. There is such a large range on the market, and by bringing them home they get used way more often.

There are also plenty of cardio workouts you can do in your own home if it isnt safe to go outside. Skipping ropes, aerobic excerised, dancing pretty much anything you can do in a a small space.

Plus like I said, for first timers checking out a gym can be benefiicial to learn the basics to apply to your own excersise plan. If people read these posts they arent exactly going to go there, have the one on one session, find they really enjoyed the place then think - oh wait, that random on the weight loss forum said not to, so i wont. People can think for themselves, and this whole thread was in responce to at home excersises so why are we being so insistant on gyms here?

And if you are going to only quote certain parts of my posts, yet insist on me being less ignorant, all you are trying to do is make a point of telling me im wrong, when really isnt that being just a little bit closed minded yourself by chastising somebody for having an opinion other than your own?
 
Toning help

congratulations on your success, so great.

Toning up is such a personal preference, i.e. the gym, home exercise discussion. If you can't afford a gym or are a more private exerciser, there is plenty you can do at home. I'm a believer in good old fashioned push-ups, squats, dips on a chair (for triceps) ab exercises, bicep curls, shoulder presses.

If you're really limited in funds, go to a "play it again sports" or a resale shop, they always have old free weights. You can also go online and by exercise bands and tubes, great for versatility and convenience. In truth, you don't HAVE to have equipment, but it offers your body more opportunities and variety so you don't get bored.

Hope that helps!
 
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