These things are NOT part of your weight lifting routine (also known as strength training)

Just saw another thread about balanced routines and I started thinking about this. As you probably don't know, I'm too lazy to Google for you. I'm a big fan of weight lifting forums, books and actually lifting weights. There is A LOT of misinformation out there so don't take my word for it, although it would be cool if you did.

As they say, the best exercise is the one you're doing. Many things are better than doing nothing. Using an iron lung is better than not breathing. Then there's the next step: there are things that awesome uses of your gym time.

This thread is assuming you know how important a weight routine is to your overall health, especially if you're a woman. If you're a woman over 30 and not doing weights three times a week, GET OFF THE COMPUTER AND GO START THAT RIGHT NOW.

Note: If you are getting your info from any of the following, please start the research process over: Cosmo, Shape, Self

 

1. Pilates and yoga: not weight lifting.

2. Weight lifting classes: this is tricky because they lift weights in there. They lift light weights for countless reps. This is NOT an effective weight routine. Is it an easy class? No. Is it the best use of your time and energy? Hell no. Put that sort of effort into a weight routine not set to music and you'll shock yourself at the progress

3. Running. I can't believe I have to say this. Do you build muscle when you run? I dunno perhaps. Is it a substitute for a weight routine because you feel your legs are getting more muscular? NOPE.

4. Machines: this falls in the category of better than nothing. There are rants about free weights vs machines all over the place. If you're going to be at the gym anyway, do what works best and that's free weights.

spirochete, I hate you. With that said, I don't have access to a gym. I can't follow your sucky advice!

There are many posters here that have great advice about home gym alternatives. There are many heavy, weighted things you have, you can make or you can buy. I saw one poster talk about doing curls with soup cans. Do NOT do that. I think that had to be a joke post but you never know

If you post about toning and not bulking up, I'll probably show up at your door and you're not gonna like that.

I just realized I'm hungry and crabby. I love taking stuff out on you guys when I'm crabby.

Mmmm, but campbells and barbells are so close!

So what do I do to tone? 

Sorry...had to go there. 

Original Post by valsgoal:

So what do I do to tone?

Sorry...had to go there.

Hmmmmm so holding one of the Costco size cans of Nacho cheese on my chest while doing crunches won't count???? LOL I'm just kidding. I totally understand your frustrations.

Original Post by krzylittlecara:

Hmmmmm so holding one of the Costco size cans of Nacho cheese on my chest while doing crunches won't count???? LOL I'm just kidding. I totally understand your frustrations.

Well now wait, those are heavy!

LOL :)

I also wish you would have added "taking a stroll around the block" doesn't count either!!

Oh and if I hear another girl say "I don't want to lift any heavy weight b/c i'll bulk up" I think i'm going to scream!!!! I mean hey if they (or some girl they know) find a way to "bulk up" while eating at a deficit and not taking any "Vitamin S"........I wanna know their secret.

Yaaay for Spirochete! I laugh at the soup  cans too!

oops why did i post hahaha. my bad. i was trying to explain something, posted it, read it, realized it didnt make sense, and then couldnt think of a better way to explain so i gave up.....sorry for the waste of topic-space.

I disagree, I think machines are much better for weight purposes. I had to "bulk up" for swim season bc I
m not very muscular (more cardio) and I know lifting is especially important for bone mass and preventing osteoperosis. Machines get the job done, and much, much quicker. Free weights are harder to work on the legs/abs/back. Generally I only do free weights on my triceps, biceps, pecs.

Furthermore, you do actually do some weights in pilates...yoga you have to hold yourself up in strange postitions for a long amount of time, which does build limited muscle. Running IS good for building leg muscle in the calves, quads, etc. and you can't do that easily with free weights.

Free weights really don't work well, trust me. I have several National level athletes on my team, and while we all do free weights, we rely heavily on the machines.

Hi, spirochete. I am glad that headstands and side planks are trivially easy for you, so you need more weight for a challenge.

Original Post by swimgirl110:


Furthermore, you do actually do some weights in pilates...yoga you have to hold yourself up in strange postitions for a long amount of time, which does build limited muscle.

I was really hoping to build more than "limited muscle". As for the rest of your post, you're wrong about effectiveness of machines. Apparently you just want to use a sample size of your swim team, so forget research. Try it for yourself. Pick up some free weights and try half the weight you use on a machine. I say half the weight because if you use the same weight, you'll probably hurt yourself.

Hi alevin,

Headstands and side planks aren't weight training.

spirochete - just curious, can  you tell me what your leg workout is like?  i hear what everyone is saying about the nautilus machines, etc and would like to try lifting free weights on my legs (i already do for triceps, biceps and shoulders).  what exercises do you do and how much weight?  thanks! 

and i take a body pump class about twice a week.....while i'm sure lifting free weights is more effective, i do actually lift a lot of weight - well for me anyway.  for the squat track, i lift about 50lbs.... taking that into consideration, how much do you think i could lift squatting free weights for however many reps i would do?

Because your body can tell the difference between holding up 70 or 150 pounds of flesh and bone and the same amount of weight in iron? What is the difference?

Original Post by jes516:

spirochete - just curious, can you tell me what your leg workout is like? i hear what everyone is saying about the nautilus machines, etc and would like to try lifting free weights on my legs (i already do for triceps, biceps and shoulders). what exercises do you do and how much weight? thanks!

and i take a body pump class about twice a week.....while i'm sure lifting free weights is more effective, i do actually lift a lot of weight - well for me anyway. for the squat track, i lift about 50lbs.... taking that into consideration, how much do you think i could lift squatting free weights for however many reps i would do?

I do deadlifts, lunges and squats. I just started lunges and I SUCK SO HARD at them.  I deadlift about 180lbs, I squat about 130lbs and my lunges are so embarrassing I don't even want to say. You didn't ask, but I'm dying to give you advice about your upper body workout. I'll wait and see if you ask :(

Those body pump classes are free weights, right? If you can squat 50lbs for 5 minutes, you could probably do a proper squat workout with well over 100lbs.

 

alevin, you're going to have to get over the fact that yoga is NOT WEIGHT LIFTING.

Hi Spirochete, I love this thread.

I don't go to a gym.  I just use free weights, weight bench, and my pull up bar.  (and my elliptical for cardio).

I have another annoyance you can add to your list.  When someone tells you they've been weight training for years and you see that all they own is a pair of 5lb and 10lb weights.  WTF is that going to do??  YEARS and all they've worked up to 10lbs?!  I can see that for a beginner, but come on.

Weight training is a sport. Yoga is a different activity. They are not the same, I agree. If you are talking specifically about weight training as its own sport, I wholeheartedly agree

However, strength training includes a variety of activities where the body works hard against resistance with pushing, pulling, and isometric movements. 

There are plenty of things in yoga that are not strength training at all.

There are also things that one does in yoga class that are described in strength training sites as strength exercises. Sometimes they have a different name on the weight training site than in the yoga class.

Somehow, it seems like some people believe that excercises build strength if you call them one name but not another. Also, the laws of physics somehow enable your body to detect if it is lifting a heavy human and lifting a heavy piece of iron. 

 

Original Post by spirochete:

You didn't ask, but I'm dying to give you advice about your upper body workout. I'll wait and see if you ask :(

 i'd love advice!!  i didn't want to be annoying but i seriously welcome any advice you have.  if you could give me a sample of your routine or something that would be helpful! advice please!!

and yes, we use free weights for body pump.  right now, my lower body is much stronger than my upper body but i would love to change that!

Hey, running builds leg muscle...it just destroys your bones in the process (or maybe that's just me being bitter about shin splints).

What weight should a beginner use to squat?  Just the bar, since it's like 45 lbs?  I'm in good shape but I've never squatted and I don't want to collapse pitifully in the gym.

Original Post by alevin:

Somehow, it seems like some people believe that excercises build strength if you call them one name but not another. Also, the laws of physics somehow enable your body to detect if it is lifting a heavy human and lifting a heavy piece of iron.

Dude, yoga is a fine, upstanding activity that definitely has its place. If you can tell me how I can replace 180lb deadlifts and 130lb squats with yoga, I'm all ears. Can I do a handstand push up? No. Is there some strength I can gain with yoga? Sure. I'm not sure why you're so upset about this. Did you invent yoga or something? The fact remains that body weight exercises are limiting for one, and secondly yoga IS NOT WEIGHT LIFTING. It does not take the place of a lifting routine.

jes, so glad you asked! I would ditch the isolation moves like bicep curls and tricep whatevers and focus on big, compound moves. You'll work those muscles just as well along with many others. Many people include those moves because they are going for a certain look-they need smaller groups of muscles to be well defined for things like competitions or they run around half naked and greased up or whatever. For the rest of us, compound lifts are more than enough for our arms to look great.

I'm talking about rows, pull ups, military presses, chest presses, lat pull downs, etc.

I like a 5x5 plan for beginners, I have seen melkor advocate the Rippletoe Starting Strength. They are both excellent plans and you can find many variations on Google. Also check out the ladies on Stumptuous. They have great work out plans as well!