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

Mantra.

I disagree about "no women are able to bulk up". I bulk up very quickly.

If you are prone to acne and are good at maths, have a longer ring finger than index, and good spacial relation (IE you can parallel park on a dime) then you will bulk up, as you have sensitive testosterone receptors.

I only have to look at a weight for my muscles to pop.
I burn fat fast and have high stamina.

I like yoga as it stretches out my muscles so I get a lean silhouette. Pilates is great for toning up the core. Also belly dancing, swimming, and using a hula hoop.
I have to be careful with weights not to lift too much, or I can't wear my suit jackets! My biceps just burst the seams.

I do reps of low weights, and wear very light Velcro weights on wrists and ankles, anything bigger than that and I'm massive.
Friends who are in the same type of profession are the same. (Science, engineering and Medicine (surgery)).

There's no rule about not bulking up if you're a woman. You will bulk up if you're sensitive to your testosterone.

If you are prone to acne and are good at maths, have a longer ring finger than index, and good spacial relation (IE you can parallel park on a dime) then you will bulk up, as you have sensitive testosterone receptors.

Seriously?

I've never noticed before that my ring finger was longer, but all the above seem to apply to me, and I don't bulk up!

Anyway, martial arts really changed my body shape, and for the better.

Carabos can you point me in the right direction of a decent programme I could start at home? I love HIIT and regularly do my own workouts but don't think I'm pushing myself hard enough. I've also got a set of handweights but don't really know where to start. I had a go at the Body Coach programme and really enjoyed the exercise, although the workouts were a little too long to do in a morning before work (which is when I prefer to exercise).

I've heard the index finger one before and to be fair the only one of my friends with this is indeed quite muscly, clearly has more testosterone, and no doubt would be more muscly if she weren't pregnant and therefore had to stop training. She looks fabulous, I'd happily be a bit more muscly.

carabos I second the request. You look bloody fantastic! Well done!

Carabos - you have the body of a woman in her twenties. That is awesome.

footballmum I don't do anything outside of classes or PT, but everyone seems to be talking about the Lean in 15 guy, Joe Wicks, The Body Coach. He has an online HIIT programme I believe.

I like yoga as it stretches out my muscles so I get a lean silhouette. Pilates is great for toning up the core.

It is impossible to "stetch out your muscles" if you mean "get long, lean muscles" (i.e. the crap peddled by many fitness programmes). Your muscle length is dictated the length of the bones and things they sit alongside.

I am prone to acne but am not in danger of being mistaken for Arnie any time soon. What nonsense.

When you start any fitness programme your muscles will swell up with water (hence the tight jacket sleeves). This is temporary. Not even men get actual muscle as easily as that. It's a slooow process.

I hope no one is inspired by your post to drop the decent weights and go for those dreadful Barbie weights / toning sticks. Those REALLY aren't going to do much to improve your bone density and get agorgeous athletic body.

sharknad0, I'm in awe of people who do martial arts. Seems sorta glamorous and kickarse. Maybe one day...

Do HIIT. Metafit is great for burning fat and toning up. My husband teaches Piyo, which is a really good workout. Pilates/yoga based but with some cardio in it.

katiekaboom this is my idea of kickass and glamorous! I'd kill to look like this.

KatieKaboom

don't be in awe, just join a class. The only danger is that it is seriously addictive. It does wonder for your body, without really thinking about it. You don't target any specific area, your whole body get toned.

I have to say that I have bulked up from yoga (have really impressive biceps and shoulders and never do weights, rest of my body is also more toned but could be from running) and I tick all of the criteria that Iradiums criteria.... I put on muscle very very easily.

I love yoga from a strength and core point of view, without cardio all the muscle would be under chub though :-D

I have transformed my body over the past 4 years doing weightlifting going from an exercise phobic blobby 40yo with poor self esteem to being slightly addicted to exercise 44yo with a very healthy self esteem and a body that I am proud of and love the things that I am now capable of doing. Strength training doesn't just change your body - it can change your entire mental outlook.

I have recently taken up yoga but only to deal with flexibility issues and I do ashtanga style rather than the less challenging yoga styles. I found it to be a great complementary activity to the lifting but doubt that it would change your physique dramatically unless you were already fairly lithe.

If you are interested in a good strength program I recommend Strong Curves by Bret Contresas.

But at the end of the day the most successful exercise program is one that you enjoy doing and will do consistently - and knowing that you can't out exercise a bad diet

I have really really toned up from yoga, my body is dramatically more toned, slimmer etc. BUT I do ashtanga (more physical than most forms of yoga) and I do it six days a week, for an hour a day. It works better than things like HIIT and weights for me as I have lots of old injuries and I just can't find high impact routines that don't eventually start to cause problems with them.

I have to agree with everyone here. I love lifting weights - it has not only changed my figure but my mindset. I've binned the scales and I squat more than my body weight. and to echo above posters - step away from the pink weights and pick up something heavy. low reps with light weights is completely useless if you want to get lean.

Geri halluwell changed her body with yoga iirc

Phedre you look gorgeous too. I've heard great things about Strong Curves.

Yes, Pilates. I no longer have a curve in my spine and I stand straight instead of stooping when I walk. Plus all the toning of arms, legs and abs.

I have been doing Bodybalance for over three years and have noticed that my posture is much better and my legs are much more toned, specially the thighs.

I walk a lot as well.

What's considered a light weight? I use 3kg and 5kg weights....is that heavy enough with reps? I aim for 5kg but can only manage a 3kg in each hand for arm reps.

phedre you look fab by the way! Well done! Thanks for the recommendation, just looking it up now.

3 and 5kgs are (very) light weights. Aim should be to increase weight gradually over time, btw, so your starting point isn't particularly important, but using the same weights in every session is a mistake, whatever they weigh.

I've done a lot of sport and 95% (maybe even more) of the women I trained with struggled to put weight on I.e. were TRYING to build muscle and finding it incredibly difficult.

Weightlifting raises your metabolic rate, so while the exercise itself isn't great for fat burning, it will increase the fat you burn doing everything else.

Sorry, to also answer the initial question, I think Pilates is great for your core so if you are already reasonably lean you could expect to see an improvement in your abdominal tone. It won't help you lose weight.

Yoga is great for flexibility and relaxation/ happiness, but even the most active ashtanga class wont really do the trick on its own (not enough cardio, not enough strength).

They're both great to complement a proper training programme designed to build strength and fitness, but emphasis of complement I guess.