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Old 02-05-17, 06:46 PM  
OSusanna
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Western WA
Bodyweight vs. weights

Hey VFers. I did Margaret Richard and Leslie Sansone almost exclusively for the first half of last year. I don't want to knock the workouts because together they are a super wonderful way to get started and I had an easy time keeping to the routine. And I like and admire both instructors.

But I got bigger and didn't have the definition. I thought that after 3-4 months it would come but it didn't and then I had an cold and an injury and didn't keep up on any workouts. Then sometime near Thanksgiving of last year, I started with T-tapp and now I have been doing Basic Workout Plus (BWO+) Tempo 2-3 times a week. I was struggling with back pain, my osteopath recommended that I work on my posture and her recommendations reminded me that my T-tapp workouts might be good for this. They have been. I have also followed up the BWO+ with 20-30 minutes of jump rope intervals and am now 5-6 lbs down. This is the workout that I like and do but I know I will need to branch back out to more resistance training.

My question is, have any of you noticed that using bodyweight workouts only prevented you from bulking? Or, did you notice that they encourage more definition versus using traditional weights? I might be okay with going up a pants size again if I saw some definition.

I looked through my vast collection and come up with quite a few bodyweight only workouts to try. Just wondered if any of y'all have experience?

Thanks!
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Old 02-05-17, 11:15 PM  
bubbles76
 
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New Jersey
Bodyweight workouts hands down give me more definition, particularly in the upper body.

ETA: I don't bulk, no matter how hard I try Itty, bitty muscles, even though I use weights that are heavy for me. I noticed when I added more plyo to my routine, in addition to hundred rep challenges during Cathe's Xtrain, that I got good definition in my legs.
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Old 02-06-17, 09:37 AM  
slockhart
 
Join Date: May 2011
I find I get very good definition in the upper body with high reps/light weights workouts, like Pump, Jari (weights only DVDs), and Cathe (particularly Muscle Max, High Reps, Muscle Endurance).
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Old 02-06-17, 11:00 AM  
mbcatac7
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Texas
I need weights. My body responds very well to cardio/weight training.

Cardio only does not do much, but Cardio/weights I can see results within a couple weeks.
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Old 02-06-17, 12:20 PM  
desie
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Canada
I would do a mix of body weight and picking up dumbbells or resistance bands. For myself, I find that I need bands or dumbbells to have resistance to pull back on. Body weight exercises tend to cause a push-pull imbalance in me. I don't use heavy weights now, and I have definition, but I would say I would look even more muscular and strong if I were lifting heavy. I am just happy with the girly look.
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Old 02-07-17, 09:58 AM  
ebianco
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: USA
I definitely "discovered" a few years ago that light/zero weight (and hi rep) training for my legs has debulked them considerably, especially Tonique and barre workouts.

I use weights to train my upper body, as well as bodyweight (planks/pushups) but again I rely on high rep workouts.

I don't know if I can speak for definition, I feel that is more a dietary issue for me than how I train my muscles. My legs do look more "cut" with the high rep work but I think that's more attributed to not bulking from heavier weights + appetite control from gentler workouts like the barre.
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Old 02-07-17, 10:35 AM  
Titus2woman
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Y'all probably know about her channel, but Zuzka Light's YouTube channel is full of short, effective, bodyweight workouts! (ZWow, I think, and now some 15 minute ones) She has weighted ones, too, but GOOD STUFF.
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Old 02-07-17, 10:55 AM  
ebianco
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Titus2woman View Post
Y'all probably know about her channel, but Zuzka Light's YouTube channel is full of short, effective, bodyweight workouts! (ZWow, I think, and now some 15 minute ones) She has weighted ones, too, but GOOD STUFF.
Zuzka has the BEST workouts, you are right! She puts out a 5 minute workout every Friday on youtube, sometimes I string some of them together. I really need to do her stuff more often.
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