Does anyone else enjoy doing weights/kettle bells/trx training?

Jillian would approve of this thread. I was doing Bulgarian split squats with her the other day. Ouch.

I actually really rate some of the Jillian Michaels DVDs, but like anything, they only work if you keep pushing yourself and introducing heavier weights. Now because there is a fair few reps and lots of cardio, I struggle with anything more than 5 or 7kg, but when I have mentioned these weights on the Shred threads most people have the same reaction as you have outlined, and appear scared of 'bulking up'. The fact is that a lot of the 'celebrity physiques' that you see must have involved a reasonable amount of weight - even if it is just clever use of your own body weight. I do get frustrated when women tell me that they will 'never be able to do push-ups.' Unless you have a disability you can do push-ups. It may feel bloody hard at first, but you CAN.

Just make sure you use it strictly according to instructions though gene, not like me when I stupidly put it over a door that didn't close properly and opened towards me....the inevitable happened and I really hurt my bum and head on the patio .

I agree about the fear of becoming manly. I lost a couple of dress sizes when I started training (nothing compared with AlpinePony, wow!) and everyone kept asking for the 'secret' but didn't want to know as soon as I mentioned weights. The immediate reaction is always, 'oh no, I just bulk up really quickly, I just want to tone and do exercises which give you long and lean muscles'. I really wish womens magazines would stop using the word 'tone' and explain properly what gaining lean muscle mass means and what it does for you.

Thanks sleepwhenidie have never seen the door anchor before, that is definitely going on my wish list. Such a versatile piece of kit, shows just what you can do with your own bodyweight.

'do you have to sometimes fight the temptation to go up to a woman waving 2kg around and say noooo, you are wasting your time.... try this heavy one...and these exercises!'

yes frequently, but in reality I think many women are afraid of becoming muscular and looking 'manly'
I also find that alot of women just dont like exerting themselves and dont want to push themselves

gene I use a door strap/support that I bought with my trx. You can usually get both for around £100 on Amazon if you keep an eye out. DH has been using it more than me lately because of lack of time to get to the gym, it is making a real difference to his physique, better than weights do in fact.

Wow alpinepony 7 stone? That's amazing, How did you do it, especially before starting to exercise? I bet you still get such a kick out of how different your body must look and feel now, especially when skiing/riding. I do and that was just after losing two stone after DC3. Your comments about observing the wobbly bums on the bikes and the sculpted bodies lifting weights made me nod in recognition...it's amazing to me that other women don't see it too, do you have to sometimes fight the temptation to go up to a woman waving 2kg around and say noooo, you are wasting your time.... try this heavy one...and these exercises! Maybe I am a frustrated PT deep down

Ps wrt 'why don't I like/do lunges?' - to paraphrase rhonda I hate them, so they must be good for me! ;)

sleepwhenidle I'd lost about 7 stone and wanted to get fit, so I got my nerve together and joined a gym and for the first time in my life took them up on their introductory PT sessions. He gave me an enjoyable yet wimpy weights regime.

I found I really enjoyed putting the weights up week after week and then started the Google... And then it kind of all fell in to place - 'free' calorie burning just by simply being present (muscles I mean).

And I'm a skiier and rider, as I said before my posture improved greatly and I had greater core strength and balance across my torso. The muscles in my legs and abs meant that my skiing was better (not technically perhaps, but I had more stamina and confidence). And the horse didn't fuck around as much when I had thighs of steel! ;)

There's also perhaps the fact that I am essentially lazy and uncoordinated. Weights do not require fancy footwork and even if I do my 'full' weights work-out and HIIT I can still be in and out in an hour.

Like so many others I saw bums wobbling week after week on the bikes... And I saw the women on the machines looking sculpted and strong - didn't take too much to put 2+2 together.

As an aside though, I have always been very strong and I build muscle easily, so perhaps this is better suited to my body than a woman who is very, very slight and weighs 6 stone wet.

Oh dear, I'm waxing lyrical about something I can't yet do.

Btw, I would put my almost non-existent baby bumps down to strong abs. My mw told me with number 1 that it was difficult to feel the baby due to the muscle mass.

Those of you who use a TRX at home, what do you attach it to? I have been dying to try this for ages and there is not a chance my rubbish gym is ever going to have one installed.

I am doing single legged romanian deadlifts as part of my programme at the moment, but I have to use dumbbells rather than kettlebells. The problem I have a the moment is my grip strength is rubbish. I find towards the end of my workout I am having to use lighter weights than I actually need for the muscle group I am working simply because my hands cannot hold onto the heavier ones for long enough if that makes sense? I suppose this will keep improving with time but it's really frustrating at times.

I got into weights because I was sick of yo-yo dieting in an effort to be slim and failing miserably. I decided to switch my focus to getting strong instead and everything just started to fall into place from there.

Sleepwhenidie I think weight training is fun! I love that each time you train you have a goal to try and improve on what you did last time and the sense of satisfaction when you get that extra rep, hit a new PB is great.

Really nice to find people to discuss this with finally!

I knew that would be your answer re rests Gene, body said NO though . Will keep at it.

Kickboxing tomorrow, my favourite workout..while I love the effect of the weight training it's not really fun! Also I haven't been for a couple of weeks as I was ill then mostly sat around eating cheese and drinking red wine skiing at half term so I have really missed it.

rubberduck if you want to focus on improving your core strength give a TRX a go, nothing else comes close to it IMHO.

How did all of you end up getting into weight training, given that it's not typical "female" exercise? I got a PT a year after having DS1 and he was fantastic, introduced me to proper weight training and gave me a real appreciation for the results it achieves.

Oh ok, I used to do those in kickboxing, never knew they had a proper name. I'll just add it to the list of things I need to remind my body that it can do, really, two kids later.

look on you tube:)

What is a bulgarian split squat? I have to ask

No rest sleepwhenIdie I'm afraid, it's meant to be continuous. Must admit when I first started I started from 5 burpees and 1 squat and worked my way up. Even that was bad enough!

I love bulgarian split squats, if I just had to do one leg exercise these would be the ones. I cannot do pistols with a full range of movement at all, still to weak, but I really like single leg exercises as they utilise your core even more.

Alpine lunges are good, I prefer a long stance with all reps done on one leg then change rather than alternating with each rep.

Also check you tube for russian split squats.
Pistol squats are good..but very hard!!

Ok, am back, did the burpee/squat thing, OMG it was hard...had to rest in between each set of burpees/squats, until I got down to 4 burpees...was I supposed to not that I could have managed it otherwise! Did 12 mins intervals on the stair machine afterwards.

cornsilk take a look at YouTube for some tabata workouts...they look evil

prettymum I have the same experience with weight training/food, I find I can pretty much eat and drink what I like (lots!) and not gain weight as long as I keep up the weight training. Also I love feeling strong and proud of my shoulders/arms in particular. Am going to check out your Chalean workout, always up for a change.

Tabata - 8 intervals. 20 seconds maximum effort followed by 10 second recovery. During the 20 seconds you work at absolute maximum capacity. It starts off feeling ok, but 10 seconds is long enough to recover, so by about half way through you start really feeling it. A really great cardio workout, but only if you fully commit. Not fun. But short!

I am just off for a pt session..wonder what I'll be doing!!
I am 6feet tall and have gone from 11 stone 12 to 11 stone 2 since the summer, and from a 14/16 bottom to a small 12.
I especially love my arms and shoulders.

notyummy tell me more about tabata...I can handle 4 mins

I'm also a weight training lover, got into it last September and I use the Chalean Extreme dvds. It's a 3 month weight training programme, 3 days weights and 2 days high interval training, longest dvd is around 45 minutes so easy to fit into daily routine. I am now nearly coming to the end of round 2, and I have had great results, I have never had abs before and now have lovely abs and my thighs and arms look great.

What I love most is how strong I feel and I don't worry too much about food any more as my body constantly needs feeding with the more muscle I have.

I am 5ft 4, used myfitnesspal to go from 9st4 size 10-12 down to 8st 10lbs size 8. I have been maintaining this weight since last September and I am still shrinking in inches despite eating a lot more calories.

I either do it on the crostrainer at home, or to finish off a short run (3 miler). I once tried it in the middle of a longer run as an interval seesion. BIG mistake. When I finished I was still 4 miles from home and felt dizzy and faint. Had to sit down on the pavement

It can be done with squats/lunges/burpes etc but I can never bring myself to try....

Right, just off to drop DD at nursery, then gym, will try your goblet squat thing gene...not feeling brave enough for the leg matrix yet...will report back with thanks - or curses! Have looked at Tabata before too notyummy. do you do it at the gym or elsewhere?

For a quick cardio blast as part of a wider weights routine, I would thoroughly recommend tabata. I have been banging on about it on another thread. Only 4 minutes, but you really have to push yourself. It's not pretty, so do it at the end of a session, or as a one off when short of time, because you won't be doing anything else afterwards if you do it properly