Am I going to end up a skinny fat girl??

http://www.burnthefat.com/how-to-get-skinny.h tml

I read this, most of it anyways, its really long...and now Im afraid Im going to be skinny fat. I did this thing on the shape website where i put in my measurements and weight/height and it told me my bmi or whatever is like 37%!!!!!!!!!  I knew I was flabby but DANG. According to just the BMI calculator Im in a healthy range, like 23. (5'10, 162, 22 years old, aiming for 135-140)

Aaanyways, I want to be fit but I have never enjoyed weight training, it is such misery for me, I hate every blasted second of it. But I adore cardio, love every heart pumping second :) I do the elliptical and road cycling when I have time (which used to be about 60-90 mins a day before school started).

Cant I just wait till I get closer to my goal/ideal weight and THEN start toning and doing weights?? Or am I really doing myself a disservice and only losing muscle weight and not fat weight by eating about 1400 cals a day and doing cardio?? I dont do those percentages of protein/carbs/fats cuz if I had to do that crap Id just quit, my life is WAY to complicated & stressful ATM to go past counting calories (and thats a stretch as it is). I try not to eat any processed junk except one time a day as a treat sometimes, I dont eat out, I stay hydrated, and Im pretty consistent. So what do you think??

oh and if you are going to tell me that I absolutely HAVE to start doing weights now to get good results or whatever then...tell me how cuz Im clueless at this point. Can I just do squats and leg lifts and push ups and get the same results or does it have to be weights?

I really need help from you fitness buffs out there :)

 Well, there's no reason to stop doing cardio - it's fun, you enjoy what you're doing, you're staying healthy - but yes, as you suspect, it's not what you really need.

 Doing cardio improves your specific cardio performance - you don't become a better swimmer by running, and your tennis game won't be improved by spending hours on the stairmaster. As long as improving your bike performance is a goal of yours, by all means bike more :)

 When it comes to body composition results though, cardio is fairly useless.  See this rant by yours truly for more details, but yes, if you want to avoid the skinny fat look, you need to strength train. And if you're female, strength training is absolutely, positively crucial to your results - women lose more muscle mass than men do while dieting.

 Start with reading the Strength training section in the FAQ pinned up top, in particular the List of weight training programs - pick one and follow it :)

First, cardio is a lot more important than resistance training. If you only have time for one, do the cardio. It will keep you healthy, which is the first consideration. Sure wish I had never stopped.

It will also keep you in fair shape. Despite what you might hear, running uses a lot of muscles, and will keep you in reasonable shape. It even helps with abs believe it or not.

If you want to look like a model, then you need resistance training. Those 8 pack abs come at a price. Those nicely defined arm and back muscles require resistance. No way out.

But if you just want to be slim, then diet and cardio will be just fine. As long as calories in is less than calories burned, you will lose weight.

I do cardio 6 days a week. Three days a week I add resistance training (I am 50 yrs. old, and have to do resistance just to keep my muscle mass). I intake between 3000 and 3500 calories a day and maintain on that.

Anyway, just my two cents worth.

  Mmm, no - cardio is very much pointless for fat loss, just read some of the studies and so on in the rant I linked to. Cardio makes for nearly no appreciable difference in fat loss compared to diet alone. It makes for a decided difference in muscle loss though, if you don't strength train along with it.

 Cardio makes you better at cardio, which is fine - sucks to get out of breath walking upstairs and all. But it's not important to anyone dieting, and it's not particularily healthy - just as Jim Fixx.

 The AMA recommends 30-60 minutes of activity a day for heart health, but that activity can be somethig as simple as a walk, or strength training.

 If you want a health blueprint that's rooted in actual evolutionary biology as opposed to health fads from Shape magazine, check out the Primal Blueprint from Mark Sisson.

 Anyway - for fat loss and general health, cardio is completely dispensable, while strength training isn't.

 This is not to say that cardio is pointless - doing something you enjoy is never pointless, and cardio can be fun; so if you enjoy what you're doing, knock yourself out. It's not going to hurt you, as long as you get your strength training in first.

 If you skip the strength training though, yep, you're in for a world of hurt over the long haul.

*whines* maaaan. this bites. I HATE weight lifting!

After i posted this yesterday I actually went to the gym on my lunch hour and before I hopped on the elliptical I picked up some 8lbers and did 3 sets of 5 reps of those bent over fly things and then some over the head ones and uum...oh lol, and that one that you mention in your rant as being stupid and awkward...bent over on the bench, extending arm backwards...thats the area I need to reach, flaaab city back there but I agree, that move sucks.

I like doing non weight training, like, I really enjoy leg lifts (in all forms)...well basically floor exercises. Thats only lifting my own lard tho...at this weight that should be sufficient for a while right? lol.

Anyways. thanks for your input guys :) I will TRY to force myself to get in there and work-up-to doing some serious weights. I looked up that book "the new rules of weight lifting for women" and I liked the exerpt I read. I cant afford to buy it but maybe someday.

 Bodyweight exercise can take you pretty far - I spent about 2-3 months doing mostly bodyweight and improvised weights before buying my first adjustable dumbbell. It's not a question of what you're using for reistance, only if it's an appropriate challenge for your muscles or not.

 Rule of thumb is - if you can do more than 12-ish reps of one exercise, it's not hard enough and you need to figure out a way to increase resistance. One-arm pushups for example :)

 The New Rules of Lifting is a very good book - see if your local library has it. And check out what Krista's got for you over on Stumptuous :)

ok good. thats why I hate lifting weights so much I think...I can barely eek out one GIRLY push up at this point. I used to do them off the wall every morning, I did about 20 or but now I let myself go and its a pain in the butt. Its like I stayed lazy so long I've atrophied. So this is great news! no weight room...*sigh of relief* thank God.

The only thing I didnt like in that exercpt of the book I read was it said "you will notice a huge change in the appearance of ur body, ur pants will get looser and ur shirts will get tighter, in the shoulder area"....there is absolutely no way Im doing anything that will make my shoulders bigger. Shoulders are supposed to be slim and kinda boney and delicate looking, not bulked up like a dude...no thanks. I'll stick to butt exercises or those squats with a bar on my back if I ever go to the weight room...Thats where I need some serious help (my back side).

 

I am a runner and a triathlete I do alot of cardio training for this BUT

Strength Training is crucial!

I love cardio I love the buzz I get from it the whole adrenaline rush it's intoxicating!

But you will never have that healthy toned look without strength training. I have over the years found a new buzz comes with strength training and I love it equally. Work it in you won't be sorry!

HI!

Don't be so negative!  There is way more out there than weight lifting and the eliptical machine!  Maybe you just need to try different things.  If you don't like weight lifting than find something else that will help tone.  Ever tried yoga or indoor rock climbing?  Both will work muscles you never knew you had!  Those are just 2 of the things I like to do but I know theres tons more out there.  I'm not trainer or anything of course, but I usually do yoga once a week and have done it up to 3 times a week and let me tell you I was super toned from that.  And you don't need to go crazy counting calories and all that.  Sure, it helps, but you know about what you need to do.  Just stay conscious of it and you'll get pretty close to what you need to eat.  And if you feel like your eating is out of control try just keeping a food journal for a week or so just to keep in check.  That will show you if you are out of control with any one thing.  So, my advice is to just try new things until you find something you like!  Even in regards to yoga there's lots of different kinds and lots of different teachers!  Try a few different things to find what you like!

'course,  yoga mostly sucks. Unless you have an extrordinary teacher or you're a complete beginner to all forms of exercise, it's not going to help you much in terms of physique goals.

 It's good mediation, good for strengthening the mind/body connection, excellent flexibility training, but it's fairly useless in terms of body composition results.

I agree with everyone that strength training is crucial!!! And to be honest with you, I would rather look a little beastly than to be flabby.  I try to hit the weight room 3-4 times a week in addition to cardio activities, but if you refuse to go to the weight room, my suggestion is to buy a resistance band.  You can do all kinds of toning exercises with one of these, and the good news is there is no bulky equipment to deal with, you can easily take it with you when you travel, and there are no grunting men to listen to like there are in the weight room!  I do enjoy lifting weights..maybe it's the grunting men (kidding!), but everyone has their own preferences.  Good luck finding something that works for you!

Original Post by meggo85:

*whines* maaaan. this bites. I HATE weight lifting!

After i posted this yesterday I actually went to the gym on my lunch hour and before I hopped on the elliptical I picked up some 8lbers and did 3 sets of 5 reps of those bent over fly things and then some over the head ones and uum...oh lol, and that one that you mention in your rant as being stupid and awkward...bent over on the bench, extending arm backwards...thats the area I need to reach, flaaab city back there but I agree, that move sucks.

I like doing non weight training, like, I really enjoy leg lifts (in all forms)...well basically floor exercises. Thats only lifting my own lard tho...at this weight that should be sufficient for a while right? lol.

Anyways. thanks for your input guys :) I will TRY to force myself to get in there and work-up-to doing some serious weights. I looked up that book "the new rules of weight lifting for women" and I liked the exerpt I read. I cant afford to buy it but maybe someday.

 *I am by no means trying to act like I'm an expert*

Weight training is fairly important for weight loss, it helps your body burn more calories and you will probably lose faster, it also has the added benefit of making you look firm and toned.

BUT it's REALLY important that you don't just go to the benches and pick up whatever weight you see first and move around.  If you don't know what you're doing you probably won't see results (which makes weight training seem even worse to you) and you have a pretty high likelhood of hurting yourself. I would really recommend talking to a trainer or someone that works at your gym, or at the very least researching what exercises target the areas you want to work on, and what the proper form is. 

I found a great book that comes with a DVD of proper form, The Body Sculpting Bible for Women and I got some pretty fast results when I followed the plans in the book.

Good luck!

Wow thanks for the responses! I really will have to try working in some resistance moves. The resistance bands was a great idea Whit, I even have some at home that my mom bought and doesnt use.

As for being negative, I am NOT negative lol. Im just...maybe im a little negative, ok, but if you were a little weakling like me dont you think lifting weights would be kind of a chore? Yoga...I tried that once and I was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sore the next day i couldnt even sit down, literally. And that didnt just last for a day, nearly 2 weeks! Talk about a workout. I couldnt believe it! All that soreness just from a little stretching and standing on one leg. But Im not a member of a gym with classes and trainers, we just have a little gym in my office building that employees can use free. So I cant really get to classes (would love to but its not an option right now). Good suggestion tho. I do like wall climbing!

Thanks for the book reccommendation--I think im just lazy today. I dont even feel like considering doing weight lifting. Ugh. Im such a punk, i know. Hopefully tomorrow i can find some motivation to try doing resistance stuff. I really think I'll try those bands tho! :)

oh and melkor, yoga does not suck lol

melkor -

What about us gym haters? (don't shoot me!)

Anything we can do with our own bodies as resistance to strength train? I do crunches, leg lifts, pushups, planks, air bicycle (lol) etc but is there anything else? (I'm joining a womens-only gym in September when I get my raise - PROMISE!)

H 

Heck, I haven't seen the inside of a commercial gym in a decade, I do all my workouts at home.

 You absolutely don't need formal weights to challenge your muscles. You just need resistance - bodyweight can take you pretty far when just starting out. Back in the day Arnold wrote "the education of a bodybuilder", and he recommended that you stick to pushups and various other calisthenics up until you could do 15-20 pushups and various other bodyweight exercises in a row. Most of the rest of the training theories he presented in the book are pretty much outdated, but that one has stood the test of time - you can use bodyweight to good effect when you're starting out.

 Just check out this home workout (ignore the advertising!) - it'll tide you over until you can hit the gym ;)

this post is a bit scary as someone who is "skinny fat" and hates weight training.

i've tried it in the past...stuck to it for 6 months, i hated it and it was the only time in my menstrating life that i lost my period.

perfect body means nothing to me, i just want to be healthish but also happy.  i like cardio.  i can do that daily.  i hate weight/resistance training.  nothing, short of a volunteer drill instructor visiting me daily will get me motivated enough to stick to it again.

bottom line- is moderate cardio better than nothing?  or is it better to do nothing at all?  i have little muscle to begin with and am not looking to lose weight, fat or muscle.

please pm me

"there is absolutely no way Im doing anything that will make my shoulders bigger. Shoulders are supposed to be slim and kinda boney and delicate looking, not bulked up like a dude...no thanks. "

Just a comment on your comment... IMHO, Nothing is sexier on a woman than toned, defined shoulders!  Slim and boney, not so much!  Working and building your shoulders and upper body actually helps give you the appearance of a smaller waist!  Isn't that what we all want anyway??   You're NOT going to bulk up like "a dude".  Don't worry about it.  Seriously, lift weights.  Once you see the results, you will start to enjoy it! 

nooo lol, my shoulders are already bulky and wide and just not my favorite feature. From the front they look nice but from the side I look thick shouldered. I want to slim it and then tone it juuuuuuuuuuust a little to make them look more defined. I do a little weights but I just dont think I will ever get into doing serious 40lbers or anything.

In all honesty, if I were you I would do what you like best. The advice here is great, but when it comes down to it---leading a fit and healthy life isn't about doing an exercise that you hate. You like to bike, and as others have mentioned, since that's the case----bike more. I love to bike, and run, and spin and all sorts of cardio. I don't think it's pointless and I don't think you will end up "skinny fat." Have you ever looked at the legs of a serious biker or runner? They have the thighs of thoroughbreds....

That being said, bikers, runners, you, me...I do think we should all do some strength training. I like lifting weights, take a circuit training class, have taken plenty of toning/pilates classes, etc... Just like there are different forms of cardio, there are different ways to build strength. If you want to tote huge weights, fine, go for it! It is a really nice sense of accomplishment when you can do that.

But at the same time, there are other things you can do. If you truly feel that     "it is such misery" and you "hate every blasted second of it", why torture yourself with weights? Try something new! Something that excites you (like you said, bodyweight stuff or power yoga or pilates)! Try different things until you find something you like. You don't have to do it every day, shoot for a couple times at week at first.

And even if you decide to stick with cardio for the time being, you might find in time that you WANT to start strength training so you can be a better biker, or runner, or whatnot.

Note to Melkor: Yoga doesn't "mostly suck"! Haha... It might not be the best activity for pure fat loss, but it can increase strength and flexibility, both of which are important in a fit and balanced life. The meditative aspects are also really beneficial. Just cause it's not for you doesn't mean others shouldn't try it :) I was sore for two days after power yoga on Monday and have seen some pretty cut yoga instructors. But who knows? Maybe they're closet bodybuilders! lol

 Also, how is cardio not "particularly healthy"? Do you mean too much of it (because that goes for anything)? Or that high impact activities can damage your joints and such?

Well, hope that helped and wasn't too redundant!

 Cardio increases the oxidiative stress on your body, leading to more free radical damage, leading to more cancer, lowered life span, increased fat storage and other detrimental health effects - if you overdo it.

 Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the original "aerobics guy" - the man who invented the term, in fact, found that people who took his advice and started running daily dropped dead at 55 from the damage his misguided notion that if moderate cardio is good for you, excessive cardio must be better did to the ones who took his advice.

 Doing some cardio has merit - but playing around with tennis, volleyball, soccer, and other sports where you do sprint intervals is better for you in all the way that counts.

 And sticking to just one thing - even my beloved weights - is not clever, because you risk overuse injuries when you only move your body in one specific movement pattern and range of motion. We're made to do a variety of things - you can just tell by the way monotony kills your interest :)

 (Yoga sucks for weight loss. For mediation, mindful movement, flexibility training and general mind/muscle connection, it's excellent. Being ripped is mostly a function of your diet - the really ripped yoginis who don't sneak in some lifting on the side mostly don't have any muscle to speak of :-P)

Original Post by dowlcao1:

 Have you ever looked at the legs of a serious biker or runner? They have the thighs of thoroughbreds.... 

Do you think they got those legs by only biking/running?  The answer would be no, they also incorporated weight training.  Resistance training in women is essential in preventing bone loss, osteoporosis is no joke.  So do it for your health.  Since you have a dislike for it you would be best doing the complex exercises that incorporate the whole body like Squates, Deadlifts, Bench Press and Shoulder press.  These 4 exercises will work every single muscle in your body, any thing else is just extra and an argument can be made that they unnecessary since very little is gained from isolation exercises.  Now if you feel the need to spot train an area then by all mean add them in once the Majorexercise is done.  But don't do them in place of the complex exercise.  Do these 4 exercise twice a week 3 sets of 10 with one warm up set per exercise.  Not only will you have your weight training done, you will have hit all of your muscles plus prevented bone loss as you age.  Also lets not forget that females do not have enough testosterone in there body to "look like a dude" so don't worry about bulking up it's not going to happen.  It is very hard to do naturally regardless if it is male or female and even harder for females.