To ask if anyone has changed their body shape with pilates or yoga?

[gardenangels]

Loosing weight and keen to find exercises that won't bulk me up

[LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett]

I love pilates and yoga, they are not weight-loss tools though.

It's also really important to remember that most (or many) pilates instructors are retired dancers and athletes who got the pilates bug because it's so good for injury prevention. Most of them didn't get their bodies by doing pilates...

[Underparmummy]

Pilates has really helped me tone my middle and thighs. I like to do yoga and pilates until the make me sweat and shake though...

[Senpai]

Carabos Daaammm girl. You look great!

I go on walks personally. But, I have a friend that does weights and it doesn't bulk her up. You need to follow a very specialized diet high in protein and calories for muscles to bulk you up like The Mountain.

My biggest thing on losing weight has been diet. You can't out exercise a bad diet. I'm a solidly average weight. Not thin, but not chubby either. Diet maintains it more than exercise (although, does being on your feet chasing after a toddler all day count as exercise? If so, I do indeed get exercise)

[leedy]

Whatever about acne and muscle bulk, I'd imagine Cordelia Fine et al might have words about "being good at maths and working in science and engineering" as indicators of high testosterone/testosterone-sensitivity. Smacks far too much of "they're MANLY MAN skills, so more MAN HORMONES make ladies good at them", and, as Fine has shown in her book, most studies that show men are better at maths, science, etc. have huge giant flaws in them.

(Also I am personally good at maths and work in a STEM field, don't think I'm notably testosterone-sensitive - I do build muscle but I don't get bulky)

[IrridiumFlares]

I do think it's funny that people are dissing my observations (as red herrings) about me and others with sensitive testosterone receptors.

Blood tests show I'm in the normal testosterone range for a woman. I have more receptors for it as I used to have cystic acne as well. I still have oily skin, which means I have no wrinkles, and my skin is pretty elastic, so I'm glad now even though I have some scarring.

I like driving fast, I'm comfortable with risk, am good at maths, work in a science engineering field, and bulk up very quickly, so quickly that I have to wear stretchy shirts, and sometimes have to buy knitted type clothes, rather than woven tailoring.

My muscle popping isn't a quick temporary increase thing due to water. I actually stay bulked up, so I do build muscle if I lift heavy weights.


I like Iyengar yoga too, and build long lean muscle from this, and ballet- though I get massive square shaped thigh muscles from barre work in ballet.
I like yoga and Pilates as it stretches out the muscle fibres so I'm not muscle bound and popping.


Cardio gets my weight down, and swimming gives an overall slender silhouette as all the little muscles are used, not just the external ones.
I often do Pilates type exercise in the pool, and enjoy a Zumba class.

I find I have to watch that I don't eat too much protein if I don't want to bulk up, and will eat complex carbs, like beans, chickpeas, lentils and squash, brown rice, quinoa and oats during the week, rather than animal protein if I want to drop weight.

If I eat eggs, meat, fish and a lot of dairy I build more muscle, so if I'm eating meat or fish, I watch my protein amount doesn't go over 70g per day.

I think weights are important to lift, for bone health and general strength, and wouldn't recommend anyone pisses about with the really light ones, but sometimes, if you're body is sensitive to your testosterone, you don't need to lift really heavy ones.

in Iyengar yoga where poses are held and strength is required, (and just doing sun salutations A and B where you're using your own body weight to do planks, head stands and push ups), that is enough to bulk up if you're sensitive to your testosterone. My shoulders and upper body get massive from inverted poses.

If you're not that sensitive to your testosterone, I'm sure lifting heavy weights will build muscle, but you won't bulk up.
A blanket saying "women don't bulk up if they lift weights" is piffle IME.



OP hiit is best done in a gym IMO where you have someone teaching it... for the first while anyway. It also might be an idea to get a heart rate monitor, and calculate how high your heart rate* should go, before you need to rest and bring it down again. That's the overall plan of the hiit- there is a little rest interval for your heart to normalise between each move.

*There is a formula for that taking in such factors as age, weight / BMI and fitness. I can't remember it exactly, but you could google it. HTH

[gardenangels]

How would I do HIT in the gym setting? Is it 1 minute of high intensity ie cross trainer then 30 seconds of slower exercise?

[GandolfBold]

Wonders, not insets

[GandolfBold]

I agree HIIT is really good, I do it three times a week and have done for the last 6 months. Have lost inches and definitely feel there is more definition in my body.

I have been doing Pilates for 3 years and it has done insets for my posture, which was so lame before, but while it helped me strengthen my core, it really didn't do much to help me look lean.

[zippyswife]

Carabos thanks for the info. I'm on Jillian Michaels ripped in 30 at the moment. I will try 5kg tomorrow (have been doing 3.6kg). And then try to up from there.

[carabos]

3kg and 5kg weights aren't going to get anyone anywhere. Use 5kg to get you used to the technique, but aim to push those weights up quickly. I do my step-ups (24 inch block) with 10kg in each hand for the first set, 15kg for the second and subsequent. Squats in PT with bodyweight (55kg) and deadlifts 60kg at the moment. Shoulder presses with 15kg (got chronic tendonitis so can't do more), glute bridges with 50kg.

Many women will move much much heavier weights that I do, but I'm old and feeble .

[sparechange]

Start with this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q20pLhdoEoY
and this is his YouTube channel
https://m.youtube.com/user/thebodycoach1

And this is Christine Salus:
https://m.youtube.com/user/ChristineSalus

this is my favourite of her workouts:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLDZyLIuGoSHy_kRxHDvDJtvLqwduaOLas&v=a-8tlRLvww8

[sparechange]

Google The Body Coach
His YouTube channel has brilliant HIIT videos which are mostly own body weight.

And also Google Christine Salas. She uses a mix of own body weight and actual weights. You can buy the weights from sports direct or any sports shop for a few quid

Both do the videos with you so they get out of breath as you do, and you can see what you should be doing. They don't have any music so you can play some if you think you need it to help keep you going.

Between them, you'll have all the workouts you'll need. They are ace

[gardenangels]

Thanks for all the information absolutely brilliant.

Would anyone be able to point me in the right direction for a good HIT programme and a goods weights schedule. I would prefer to do in the gym if possible.

My gym also has loads of classes so class suggestions would be brilliant too. I really want to dramatically change my fitness and body shape and feeling very motivated .

[BobbinThreadbare123]

Mixing up your exercises is the way to change your body shape! Boot camp, HIIT, tabata style, spinning, weight lifting etc.

I do lots of weight lifting and have big arms, a very pert bum achieved with squats and I have almost eliminated my cellulite. I only started gym going in the autumn. I've done it to fix several injuries and issues I had and its worked, largely. I'm very strong.
3-5kg hand weights are light; I'm not enormous but I use 8-10kg and can clean and jerk about 40kg.

I really like to eat though, so my next task is to stop eating so much junk and carry on eating my normal dinners! I think I need some advice, as Myfitnesspal hasn't worked for me...

[AhAgain]

The yoga and pulses teachers I know (who do a lot of yoga/Pilates, properly) have beautiful bodies. Strong and supple abc great posture. I have done Pilates, like it and think it does make a difference - especially in posture (which does itself make a difference).

But it depends what your body shape is now and what you want to achieve.

The most important thing to remember is the 80/20 rule: your body shape is 80% nutrition, 20% exercise. This is particularly true as you get older (you might be able to get away with a bit more when you are younger).

Exercise-wise, for shape and toning, I like high intensity type bootcamps.

[PeppermintPasty]

I'm 47 and do a combination of weights at home and HIITs, mainly Joe Wicks the body coach who is great, and Emily Skye whose videos you can save on Facebook. She's slower paced but great technique.

I can honestly say I look f***g fabulous, though I'm not posting a pic as I'm now sitting in bed in my jamas and I can't be arsed to put my fitness gear back on. I'm a powerfully built woman, tall and quite muscular, though I carry fat on my arse and thighs so am constantly trying to deal with that and the pp is right about squats. Even if you can build up to 100 squats a day as a start you will see a difference. 5 sets of 20 squats would take 5 mins in the lunch hour. God I sound insane.

I did the bodycoach kettle bell workout earlier. It's free from YouTube. Do something every day, eat plenty, drink lots of water, give up booze if you like (I have, loads more energy, feel great).

IMO Pilates will do bugger all.

[squizita]

Liska cross posts. YY.

[squizita]

...oh and the only time I've ever injured myself by pushing myself too far was holding an ambitious pose too long in yoga. Social activity my arse. Going in with that attitude got me injured.

That said it will tone and neaten what exists rather than changing anything. There has to be other stuff be it weights or whatever.
And go for trad/slow forms, or a dance warm up (some studios offer them) - essentially what's harder, 5 press ups in a hot room or a 10 minute plank?

[Liska]

Quick point about yoga - a few people have mentioned Ashtanga Yoga as the most intensive/impactful style, but I would seriously disagree. Ashtanga is way more intensive than Hatha, because it involves constant moving between postures, so is more of a workout, but I got much stronger (and built muscle) doing Iyengar Yoga. That's the one where you have to maintain very precise postures really exactly and still for minutes. It uses body weight and balance and when I started it hurt like hell and made me sweat buckets! That said, I can't find an Iyengar class in my current area, so it has to be weights for me.

[squizita]

The good at maths thing is a cod psychology sexist red herring ... Lots of big, bulky testosterone rich men who quite literally will never be rocket scientists. The two most testosterone receptive women I know are drama/media types: I know many willowy/slight scientists and mathematicians (because close attention to detail, patience and rule awareness are the very opposite, and are the 'other way in' to excellence with logic/problem solving).

I fit all the markers for being "bulky" and have a 25 inch waist and twig arms although I'm strong.

My tip would be intensive, decent, mid-paced swimming - if you're good at a range of strokes. Never known anything like it for toning. Sea or wild swimming is toughest but us inaccessibility to many. I'm talking about swimming hard though, so you feel the heat and sweat even in the cool water, and varying the stroke: it's the ongoing resistance at different angles.
Mind you it ruins the hair a bit!

[StupidTuftyTailedFucknut]

I've been doing the Strong Curves program and it's amazing! I am developing a waist and a butt and even though my weight has stayed the same I look so much leaner.

[Deathstare33]

Metafit and conditioning training has definitely made a difference to my problem areas. The main thing is having a good instructor

[LaPharisienne]

3 kg might be all you can manage now, but if you start a proper weights programme you'll soon build up.

I think the best thing to do is buy a book and do the programme they suggest - lift like a man, look like a goddess looked alright to me

Jackshit sympathy on the disappearing boobs ... Sadly when the fat goes, it doesn't necessarily go from the places you'd prioritise given the choice! Sounds like you're making big changes tho - good on ya!

[zippyswife]

Great thread. Very inspiring! After whacking on the weight with dc3 I've done 30 day shred back to back and lost over 2 stone. I only use a 3kg weight. I'm not sure I could cope with more? I didn't think I was particularly weak?! What should I be lifting for the strength excercises and do any of you rate the shred? (I've just moved onto ripped).

Must add I've never felt so fit or full of energy despite being nearly 40, having 3dcs under 5 (including a 4 month old).

[JackShit]

PT took measurements a few weeks back but I can't remember what they were, however...the boobs are disappearing! A good 3 cup sizes gone I reckon