Getting toned with small weights?

There are plenty of people on this board who seem to get great results with lifting and actually enjoy doing it. I have to admit I'm envious. I'd like to try it myself but the problem is, I have some spine issues and neurologist says I should not be lifting anything above 5-7kg. That does not sound like a lot, so should I even bother trying? Or am I doomed to race my hunger in the cardio land forever? Is it even possible to get reasonably toned without heavy lifting involved?

Find more posts tagged with

Replies

unknown

I'm starting to get a bit of strength and definition using 3-8 pound weights. Lifting while on my back helps for some exercises. Also, I did water aerobics for a long time, using resistance barbells that help you float. The tops of my shoulders only were out of the water. You can get A LOT of resistance using this, and you tone your core, back and arms as well, and it's much much more supportive and harder to injure yourself. I went to the community gym here for water classes. I too have medical issues - go slowly. If you start to adjust to your weights and want to go heavier, consult your doctor and go slowly.

unknown

I would like to start weights for toning, I am having a total knee replacement on Friday May 8th and will be recuperating for a while but I at least want to do my upper body in the time any suggestions that would help me.
Thanks Amik07.

unknown

My sister does resistance training with lower weights (like what you are talking about) and eats fairly reasonable..not sure as she doesn't log well...and it fairly lean and has great visible muscles in her back, arms and abs..

So yes it can be done.

unknown

taentea wrote: »

livingleanlivingclean wrote: »

I would be getting a second opinion....

I've seen 5 neurologists in 2015 so far. One gave me a quick fix that lasted a month and affected my weight, 2 didn't bother to do anything at all and sent me to check other aspects of my health, one has subscribed me a light tranquilliser to battle panic attacks caused by the issue and latest one said everyone before her did everything wrong and put me on v-drips, injections and electro-massage for couple weeks. She at least tried to look like she knew what she was doing and she was the one telling me weights are no go. I've been feeling awful for over 4 months now and I don't have a lot of faith in neurologists at the moment, to be honest.

I will be seeing a physiotherapist/exercise physiologist soon and I'll definitely ask for her opinion and advice on the matter, but I don't imagine her overseeing my training process for long. A week or so of light exercise related to my condition is all I count on. My getting in shape journey will last over a year and I only count on myself to get me there.

aggelikik wrote: »

taentea wrote: »

Thanks for advice, everyone. I have no plans of becoming a bodybuilder or a fitness model. I'm just looking for the ways to lose weight effectively and not look skinny yet obviously out of shape when I'm done.

My doctor is not really 'mine' unfortunately. I was undergoing a treatment in a gov clinic past few weeks and now all I'm left with is a list of pills and that 'no weights' recommendation. I'm pretty much on my own here as a good neurologist is hard to find in this area.

The good thing is, I'm allowed to do push-ups. I'm doing few short sessions of wall ones at the angle I find challenging every day. I should be able to do squats and lunges once I lose a bit more weight and my knees can take it. I was actually advised to do the bar but it will take me many months to get to the point I can attempt that without hurting myself. Yoga is off limits for now due to coordination issues but I will look into it in the future. I'll try to get the most out of my body weight.

I was mostly wondering about extra weights. Will there be any use of 5-7kg dumbbells for example? Or will my body adapt to them soon and make them useless? My own weight is quite big and hard to lift at the moment. Weights seem like an easier option somehow.

I'm sorry I'm a big noob in this fitness thing. Pardon my naive questions please.

If the dr is ok with bodyweight exercises, google bodyweight routines. Also if you have health issues and want to increase strenght, search for functional training programs in your area. If you can find a class, they are aimed exactly for such situations, where there are limitations, recovery from injury etc and the exercises can be adapted to your needs. Also maybe pilates is a good type of exercise for you. The average class will not help you bulk, but can help a lot with strength and it is a whole body workout with very controlled movement.

The Dr said 'ok' to push-ups and said 'don't think your fingers will support you on the bar'. Plus 'no weights above 5-7kgs'. This is all I know for now. Pilates looks like an option but it's still somewhere in the future for me. My issue is my neck area and I can't even lay with the back of my head down. Other laying positions appear even more horrifying somehow. I struggle finding a good position to fall asleep on a soft pillow atm

I can not do full bodyweight routines obviously, but I've introduced angled push-ups already, squats and lunges should be fine soon. This is the direction I'm most hopeful for for now.

In every pilates class I have been to, there was at least one person with neck issues, so an experienced trainer should be able to help. They have balls, foam wedges etc exactly to help support the neck when needed so you are comfortable while doing matwork, so it might be worth giving it a try. Also maybe barre a terre? I have been to very few classes, but I think it could work. I do not know how things are where you live, but in my areas, both pilates and barre a terre in some of the more specialised (and unfrotunately expensive) studios are taught by ballet teachers, who are definitely knowledgable about anatomy and health issues, so these places are very popular with people who have physical limitations.
If bulking is not an issue, maybe you should focus on other types of exercise? Like walking? Or swimming?

unknown

Body weight exercise can be as effective as lifting. Just listen to the Dr. and ask about getting a workout routine. Also ask about exercise at physical therapy.

unknown

entropypsycho wrote: »

I don't remember who said it or where I got this from, but I was under the impression that with free weights you never really need to go over 5 lbs.

Was it Tracy Anderson, by any chance? Whoever it was, you have been misinformed. Lifting things that weigh less than your purse will not do you any good whatsoever, or every woman in the world would be ripped.

unknown

I have a shoulder injury and have been using 5-7 lbs. for some exercises and as low as 3 lbs. for others. You are still preserving your muscles if you are doing exercises with lighter weights and using good form. You might also find you can lift more using machines (nautilus, etc.) or cable-type set-ups because they support your body more. If you have a trainer work with you at a gym, he/she might show you how to use that equipment.

unknown

Thanks for all the replies, guys and ladies. I have gotten a lot of ideas to work with. Not all of them are doable right now but it's always good to have some perspective for the future.

I'm focusing on exercises I can do at home at the moment. I know that having a professional to guide me in whatever type of exercise would be highly beneficial, but I just know that my discomfort with being around people and an hour or two of commute time to exercise facility would kill any chances of me getting anything done. I try to plan for realistic scenarios for now and want as little as possible to stand between me and exercising.

So here's what I'm doing for now.

I walk. This may seem like a simple thing to do but just few weeks ago I've struggled to move from the chair to the sofa (felt dizzy from even minimal movement for months). I've done two brisk 5km (3.11miles) walks and a bunch of smaller ones in past week and this little made me feel sore muscle in my legs. When the weather is bad, I jump on the elliptical. It doesn't work my arms the way I expected it to but it does make me feel weak in my legs. I'll be also getting my bicycle out of the storage now that the weather allows it. Not sure if my knees let me but I'll ride on the days they do.

I do push-ups. Can't do proper ones on the floor yet but I've been doing the angled ones for few weeks now and I'm seeing obvious progress. I'm looking into You Are Your Own Gym, NerdFitness beginner workout and some others and trying to come up with a light bodyweight routine I can do for now. Unfortunately I'm struggling with the bottom section due to my knees. I can't do lunges at all and can only do squats on good days. Even walking the stairs is a challenge occasionally, but as I live in a 2 storey house I have to do that many times a day anyway. I'm paying more attention at how I climb them now turning it into a bit of an exercise.

I have a couple of 1kg (2.2lb) dumbbells and plan to buy the adjustable 2-10kg(4.4-22lb) ones sometime soon. I'll have to be careful and stay under 3.5kg(7.7lb) per hand or 7kg(15lb) combined for the time being. But I've actually found that with my current weight my own arms are heavy enough to make multiple reps of some exercises challenging even with 1kg weights in hand. I probably have quite a bit more space to work with than I initially realised.

I still do plan to see a physiotherapist once the long holidays are over here. I'm also considering going on vacation to some health resort for massage and some water-based therapy. But those things are all about health not fitness. I'm not ready to commit to going to the gym or pool on regular basis as of now.

So this is the plan for now. Once again thanks for advice, everyone. If there's any more of it, especially regarding exercise for the bottom part of the body, it would be very much appreciated.

unknown

hell yes. in muay thai, we do shoulder drills with dinky 3lbs weights but after what my trainer puts us through, those 3lbs feels like 30lbs!

you can also use your own body weight to workout; youtube has plenty of body weight exercise examples to tone your body.