If you've made a shift. . .

[Lucky Star]

Results are individual of course, but I always think these kinds of threads would be more helpful if people shared their general body type and/or background.
For ex: "This style of exercising backfired on me and I'm a tall ectomorph who doesn't build muscle easily" or "This gave me great results and I'm a short mesomorph who usually responds well to cardio", etc. So we'd have a better basis for comparison.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Originally Posted by Lucky Star

Results are individual of course, but I always think these kinds of threads would be more helpful if people shared their general body type and/or background.
For ex: "This style of exercising backfired on me and I'm a tall ectomorph who doesn't build muscle easily" or "This gave me great results and I'm a short mesomorph who usually responds well to cardio", etc. So we'd have a better basis for comparison.

I agree. It's like with weight loss threads... I've realized knowing more background on the poster really helps to gauge whether or not the poster's practices might translate well to you.

[Sara1000]

Originally Posted by Nuggie's Auntie

I agree. It's like with weight loss threads... I've realized knowing more background on the poster really helps to gauge whether or not the poster's practices might translate well to you.

Yes. I am an ectomorph, lean by nature, add muscle gradually but although it's there it doesn't really show because I have a layer of softness (fat I guess) over it although I appear slender, just not muscular.

I'm not trying to achieve any results, just don't want to lose muscle mass or strength. I'm just tired of lifting weights but afraid to stop.

The responses on this thread mostly encourage me to try giving up heavy weights, but it would be good to know if people with body types similar to mine have had the good results.

Thanks for all the responses, I hope more will add their experiences.

[Tugger31]

I'm a 5'1" perimenopausal Endo-Meso, do primarily Cathe, wanted to try barre/yoga/stretch workouts for a change of pace and was burnt out on Cathe.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Originally Posted by Sara1000

I'm not trying to achieve any results, just don't want to lose muscle mass or strength. I'm just tired of lifting weights but afraid to stop.

How do you define 'heavy' weights?

The heaviest I lift these days is 10#, sometimes 15# for something like lat rows in a classic Firm workout.

I have pretty much just done barre over the past 3 or so years. I've decided to mix it up a bit lately with some Tracie Long/Classic Firm-type workouts which use heavier weights than your typical barre workout, but even when I was doing barre exclusively, I don't feel that I lost strength.

[Sara1000]

I use 5 - 20 pounds except lighter for some shoulder work. Twenty is just for lat rows. Biceps curls up to 12#. Not heavy compared to Cathe, but heavy enough it's hard for me and therefore I dread it. Plus I'm pretty bored with it.

[cherimac]

I have added some more traditional weight work into my barre3 and SBF workouts with Tone it Up. I have been able to do those as I used to do, no loss in strength. This is after a year of no strength work but barre/ballet.

I'm 5'2" and a mesomorph, medium frame.

[Lori_Michigan]

Agreed; I should have added above that I'm short (5'4" at best) and my trouble areas are the midsection and arms. I put muscle on quickly and bulk from heavy weights. I did high intensity and heavy weights for a lot of years, until I just couldn't recover from it anymore. I've never had a "lean" body, so for me this is the "leanest" I've been since my 20s.

I also am under a great deal of stress in my real life, so anything else that stresses my body just makes my trouble areas worse (midsection). My thighs have always been thinnish, but with CS, they've never looked better!

[TinaT]

This is a battle I struggle with inside myself. I keep telling myself that you need heavy weight to make change, yet JackieB continually remind me that kinder methods work as well. (thank you Jackie!) I've been all over the map with my workouts lately and find I need to stop and put CS/Essentrics back into my life, like I did a few yrs ago. I need to walk, and do some functional fitness routines to help with my limitations I have with nerve damage.

Letting go of what we've come to know as effective, can be hard. It has been for me. And while I am working out, it hasn't been consistent. My challenge to myself is to use these kinder methods from now until the end of September and then decided for myself how it works.

My choice of workouts are: CS/Essentrics, Tracie Long, Jessica S. walking, and possibly Suzanne B. Amped routines.

ETA: I'm 5'3" and when fit, I'm an hour glass. Well proportioned. Most of my weight is carried in my thighs and mid section.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

I'm 5'7" mesomorph. That's the one in the middle, right? I always get the morphs confused. I used to be very hourglass, but the sand is shifting to the bottom. ha! I've lost a cup size since I had DS2, but I'm still pretty proportioned. I just tend to gain in the hips/bum/thighs. I def. don't feel that I lost strength from barre, and I found it leaned out my hips a bit. My fave is still Physique 57, which does use slightly heavier weights and involves some cardio. I didn't love my results when I was taking Bar Method classes exclusively. Great classes, but I prefer the style of P57 more. It's 'one-stop shopping' for me, and I don't feel I need to supplement my workouts with any cardio or heavier weights when I do P57.