Fitness training - no weights

[Mojooo]

I was on a fitness regime before which invovled 3 sessions a week of heavy compound lifts supplemented with cardio afterwards.

My goal was to loes fat and build a little muscle. I was doing quite well but had to stop due to injury.

I am now back in the gym but avoiding heavy lifting. So I am tending to just do cardio everyday.

The results seem slower - much slower and I noted someone posted an article on another thread which indicate weight lifting can have positive effects for far longer than cardio.

The question is, is lack of weights going to slow me down big time?

I can do 'lighter' weight training with dumbbells but at this stage I cannot push myself mega hard like I was before.

I might start mixing up cardio with weights by using kettlebells.

What do you think?

[RemainAllHoof]

How bad is the injury? Can you do legs using the machines? Or in fact can you use the machines instead or free weights (assuming you were doing free weights)?

[Odie]

Press ups, sit ups, core work. To get you started . http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/core-workout-4#m...

[Mojooo]

I've had multiple surgeries on my knee. I still have some swelling and am ongoing with physio.

I can, and indeed I did, lift my own bodyweight with a squat the other week.

But I dont waat to rock the boat with heavy weights on things like squats and deadlifts and put too much pressure on the knee at this stage.

I could do bench presses/barbell rows but to be honest it is such a faff getting into the weight area in the gym I would rather do an all or nothing approach with a range of barbell exercises (have weights at home too but they are stashed away for now).

Obviously I could just use dummbels instead and try to emulate the exercises but not sure they will push me to the same extent.

[RemainAllHoof]

I would speak to your physio! He might warn you against it or might give you some useful guidelines to follow.

[BenM77]

Google barbell complexes, perfectly suited to what you need

[alfa pint]

There's a whole range of stuff we do onboard ship when you don't have the room or when the motion prevents you from using weights - all circuit based loosely. Worth a google, but here's an old favourite:

30 min workout - 30 pressups, 30 situps, 30 squats for 30 minutes.

Too repetitive to do more than once or so a week, I think.

Try lunges with small dumbells and deep squats on a step with small dumbells and focus on technique rather than pure weight. I do these for my skiing preps.

[The Ferret]

Mojooo said:

I've had multiple surgeries on my knee. I still have some swelling and am ongoing with physio.

I can, and indeed I did, lift my own bodyweight with a squat the other week.

I would almost certainly ask your physio before doing it again. Depending on what surgeries you had, he may well advise never doing deep squats again. My physio gave me that advice, and that's without ever having surgery.

The only squats I'm advised to do are those with very limited movement. No movement from the knee down at all, just the upper leg doing the work and keeping the strain off the knee joint.

[davethebunny]

The Ferret said:

The only squats I'm advised to do are those with very limited movement. No movement from the knee down at all, just the upper leg doing the work and keeping the strain off the knee joint.

I'm struggling to work that one out. How do you squat at all without bending the knee, or do you mean good mornings?

[RobM77]

In answer to the OP: The simple answer (pedants: read what's below before criticising) is that CV will get rid of the fat, weights will build muscle.

The post you saw on another thread about fat loss from weight lifting was concerning the increase in metabolic rate from possessing and therefore feeding muscle. The idea is that a person with big muscles will need more food/calories to keep them going at rest, so sitting still is like doing a light CV workout. That is true, but what that guy on the other thread wouldn't accept and clearly didn't understand was the amount that this resting metabolic rate increases by: it'll never burn anywhere near as many calories (kCal) as cardio. You're looking at an RMR increase of perhaps 150 calories a day (10% increase in RMR) for someone who does a lot of weights (more than it sounds like you want to put on), which is equivalent to about 10 minute run or a 25 minute walk, which is the difference in a day between, for example, a doctor and a desk bound secretary. Those are all rough figures, but you get the idea. For you these RMR figures may be less than that. The weight lifting itself will burn about 100 to 150 calories per half hour. Cardio, on the other hand, burns a lot more. For example, running 7 minute miles burns about 500 calories for half an hour. Don't run with a dodgy knee though!

So someone doing 30 minutes of weights a day will burn about 200 to 300 calories from both the weights and increases in RMR. Someone running for the same time each day will burn about 500 calories in activity alone, so around double. You want to achieve what both will give you though, so you'll need to do both.

Regarding your knee injury, as others have suggested, there's plenty that you can do in terms of both weights and CV, but you should see a physio or personal trainer to help you build a programme.

Edited by RobM77 on Tuesday 8th November 13:35

[Ordinary_Chap]

Rob I let you go in the other thread but I will now insist you stop slandering me, this is now way beyond a joke and is about to get out of hand.

You've crossed the line as many others said in the other thread and I'm running out patience with you.

This needs to stop now, if you don't like me or agree with thats fine but the way you've acted is not in keeping with Pistonheads culture, thats for sure.

Thanks.
Lee

Edited by Ordinary_Chap on Tuesday 8th November 12:56

[B3njamin]

As other have said, your physio can give a better answer, vis your physical ability to perform said movements.

For what it's worth I'd be inclined to do some resistance training even if it isn't as heavy as before, if you can do so without injury. Of course you can lose weight just with cardio although I've found better results with resistance training included.

Cable machines could be an idea - there are a lot of movements which you could do and they allow for a fair amount of resistance, to the point where you'd be at an impressive level of fitness where you find they no longer challenge you. Since they don't follow a fixed path like traditional machines, they give the same benefit as free weights vis requiring you to stabilise the weight.

[RobM77]

Ordinary_Chap said:

Rob I let you go in the other thread but I will now insist you stop slandering me, this is now way beyond a joke and is about to get out of hand.

You've crossed the line as many others said in the other thread and I'm running out patience with you.

This needs to stop now, if you don't like me or agree with thats fine but the way you've acted is not in keeping with Pistonheads culture, thats for sure.

Thanks.
Lee

Edited by Ordinary_Chap on Tuesday 8th November 12:56

Slander: Oral communication of false statements injurious to a person's reputation

On that other thread someone was lifting weights and eating loads of protein to try and lose weight, and I innocently suggested that they tried a balanced diet and CV, as that is more effective at shifting weight. That's standard advice based on scientific and medical fact which I posted in good faith.

You then came onto the thread and called my advice 'bad'. That is a false statement, because my advice was actually true. Therefore acording to the above definition it is you who are guilty of slander, not me. You then dragged the thread on for ten pages trying to prove what you were saying was right, and in doing so rather amusingly posted links to scientific papers that proved yourself wrong and me right.

You've made a fool of yourself and are also guilty of slander towards me. I suggest that we agree to forget the whole incident, and I am willing to remove your name from my post above (ETA: done). It would also be nice if you apologised to me as well for calling my advice bad and then arguing so insistently, but that's up to you...

In respect to your final statement above, I do like your posts and I would like to continue to learn from them concerning weight lifting etc. Please continue posting. In terms of agreeing or not agreeing, you're making this sound like a matter of opinion. The science of calories and exercise has been refined over decades, and the fact that a guy spending 30 minutes a day lifting weights burns half the calories of a guy spending 30 minutes a day running is an established fact, not a matter of opinion.

Edited by RobM77 on Tuesday 8th November 13:34

[Ordinary_Chap]

Regardless of all of that and I stand by what I posted, lets agree to disagree. I'd invite anyone reading this thread to take a look for themselves.

All I'm asking Rob is that you do not keep posting about me. The OP was talking about research I'd posted not about me and my sentiments have already been echoed several times here so no need to drag me into it, take it up with everyone else that agrees rather than me please.

Thanks for removing my name, lets keep this thread on track.

Thanks
Lee

Edited by Ordinary_Chap on Tuesday 8th November 13:41

[RobM77]

Ordinary_Chap said:

Regardless of all of that and I stand by what I posted, lets agree to disagree. I'd invite anyone reading this thread to take a look for themselves.

All I'm asking Rob is that you do not keep posting about me. The OP was talking about research I'd posted not about me and my sentiments have already been echoed several times here so no need to drag me into it, take it up with everyone else that agrees rather than me please.

Thanks for removing my name, lets keep this thread on track.

Thanks
Lee

Edited by Ordinary_Chap on Tuesday 8th November 13:41

Of course, you are free to believe whatever you wish, and I am happy to agree to differ on this one. Just please don't call my advice bad if I'm saying exactly what most personal trainers and certainly all doctors would say. That's not 'bad' advice!

[Ordinary_Chap]

RobM77 said:

Ordinary_Chap said:

Regardless of all of that and I stand by what I posted, lets agree to disagree. I'd invite anyone reading this thread to take a look for themselves.

All I'm asking Rob is that you do not keep posting about me. The OP was talking about research I'd posted not about me and my sentiments have already been echoed several times here so no need to drag me into it, take it up with everyone else that agrees rather than me please.

Thanks for removing my name, lets keep this thread on track.

Thanks
Lee

Edited by Ordinary_Chap on Tuesday 8th November 13:41

Of course, you are free to believe whatever you wish, and I am happy to agree to differ on this one. Just please don't call my advice bad if I'm saying exactly what most personal trainers and certainly all doctors would say. That's not 'bad' advice!

My doctor doesn't Rob, neither does my coach, this is all very subjective since a small number of individuals do not represent everyone hence the reason I posted research.

I do standby all of what I said and I feel free in that we can openly debate on pistonheads, I'm not going to change my tact but we can agree to disagree on subjects rather than trying to flog each other over it.

Thanks for acting civilly it's appreciated.

Also I do apologies for saying 'bad advice' I could have been more tactful and said it was inappropriate or something else, bad is very evocative and I could have chosen my words better.

Lee

Edited by Ordinary_Chap on Tuesday 8th November 14:13

[LordGrover]

bks! In the car park now - I'll hold yer coats.

[RobM77]

Ordinary_Chap said:

RobM77 said:

Ordinary_Chap said:

Regardless of all of that and I stand by what I posted, lets agree to disagree. I'd invite anyone reading this thread to take a look for themselves.

All I'm asking Rob is that you do not keep posting about me. The OP was talking about research I'd posted not about me and my sentiments have already been echoed several times here so no need to drag me into it, take it up with everyone else that agrees rather than me please.

Thanks for removing my name, lets keep this thread on track.

Thanks
Lee

Edited by Ordinary_Chap on Tuesday 8th November 13:41

Of course, you are free to believe whatever you wish, and I am happy to agree to differ on this one. Just please don't call my advice bad if I'm saying exactly what most personal trainers and certainly all doctors would say. That's not 'bad' advice!

My doctor doesn't Rob, neither does my coach, this is all very subjective since a small number of individuals do not represent everyone hence the reason I posted research.

I do standby all of what I said and I feel free in that we can openly debate on pistonheads, I'm not going to change my tact but we can agree to disagree on subjects rather than trying to flog each other over it.

Thanks for acting civilly it's appreciated.

Also I do apologies for saying 'bad advice' I could have been more tactful and said it was inappropriate or something else, bad is very evocative and I could have chosen my words better.

Lee

Edited by Ordinary_Chap on Tuesday 8th November 14:13

I'm very surprised by that, it's a very well establihsed fact. Where are they making the difference up? Is it in the RMR increase or the actual calorific burn of weights? Are you sure they really think that, and it's just not a mis-understanding?

[RobM77]

LordGrover said:

bks! In the car park now - I'll hold yer coats.

A runner vs a weight trainer? I think I'll duck out of that one

[Ordinary_Chap]

RobM77 said:

Ordinary_Chap said:

RobM77 said:

Ordinary_Chap said:

Regardless of all of that and I stand by what I posted, lets agree to disagree. I'd invite anyone reading this thread to take a look for themselves.

All I'm asking Rob is that you do not keep posting about me. The OP was talking about research I'd posted not about me and my sentiments have already been echoed several times here so no need to drag me into it, take it up with everyone else that agrees rather than me please.

Thanks for removing my name, lets keep this thread on track.

Thanks
Lee

Edited by Ordinary_Chap on Tuesday 8th November 13:41

Of course, you are free to believe whatever you wish, and I am happy to agree to differ on this one. Just please don't call my advice bad if I'm saying exactly what most personal trainers and certainly all doctors would say. That's not 'bad' advice!

My doctor doesn't Rob, neither does my coach, this is all very subjective since a small number of individuals do not represent everyone hence the reason I posted research.

I do standby all of what I said and I feel free in that we can openly debate on pistonheads, I'm not going to change my tact but we can agree to disagree on subjects rather than trying to flog each other over it.

Thanks for acting civilly it's appreciated.

Also I do apologies for saying 'bad advice' I could have been more tactful and said it was inappropriate or something else, bad is very evocative and I could have chosen my words better.

Lee

Edited by Ordinary_Chap on Tuesday 8th November 14:13

I'm very surprised by that, it's a very well establihsed fact. Where are they making the difference up? Is it in the RMR increase or the actual calorific burn of weights? Are you sure they really think that, and it's just not a mis-understanding?

Rob, if you don't mind, I'm going to dip out rather than repeat all of what was said in the other thread. I have to see the doc every 3 months due to some hereditary conditions and he is a huge supporter of what I do and actively recommends my type of training although he recommends a less hardcore diet because he doesn't feel most can stick to it because its too strict (read dull) although in his view it is very healthy and my bloods/cholesterol support all is well. Actually my cholesterol has been decreasing for sometime although that could be caused by many other things.