• FreeTrainers.com Forums
• Beginners to Exercise
• Looking for a better exercise any help

Group: Beginners to Exercise

Looking for a better exercise any help

Tinadp Posts: 6 Joined: 2012/04/04	2012/05/15, 03:40 PM Hi guys I am adding weights into my fitness plan.  I am changing up a bit I started at high reps lower weights, but at least for now I am changing to building the stregnth and looking a toned then I can go to a maintaining phase.  Here is my issue I am 5 foot nothing with very little legs.  I can do leg curls but they always hurt some part of my legs and if I can get out of a session without bruises I am doing good.  Finding a machine that can accomidate my size without spending 20 minutes adjusting is about impossible or I can't do the full range of motion just because it wasn't really built for someone my size.  So what I was hoping to find was an exercise that would work the same muscle group as the curl.  I am not picky as to if it uses a machine or what not.  I just don't want to have to rely on a modified curl on a machine or having my son hold a towel and I do a ressistance curl. Thanks guys
	2012/05/15, 04:27 PM Hi Tina. Personally I think machines aren't the best workout but that's just me. Have you tried weighted lunges, squats, dead lifts, straight leh dead lifts and calf raises?  You can do all of those with dumbbells and they are compound movements which build you up everywhere. Weights, particularly dumbbells work accessory muscles so it's a thorough workout. My flogs have a leg workout that I find taxing. I add walking, swimming and canoeing for cardiac.
Tinadp Posts: 6 Joined: 2012/04/04	2012/05/15, 11:47 PM I do some dumbell squats. and tons of cardio at least an hour a day that I switch up usually on machines but it is running walking stairs and biking.
	2012/05/16, 09:30 AM That's good, combine that with the others I mentioned. Lunges are leg builders and calf raises either standing or seated are good too. Stairs, biking and running wont add much muscle. Machines can be really bad on joints with the exercises I mention. Your body doesn't naturally move up and down the way a machine makes it move. Single leg ball calf raises and single leg ball lunges are a workout compared to machine calf raises. Again, it's the aspect of hitting accessory muscles that makes the difference.
kolhy Posts: 108 Joined: 2011/12/31	2012/05/17, 03:43 PM Hi Tinadp, I had the same problem when I started out.  Machines looked safe and I felt less self consious on them but I soon realized they never really "fit" me  (or vice versa!!).   I rarely use them now -  especially for leg curl and extension!
Tinadp Posts: 6 Joined: 2012/04/04	2012/05/23, 04:25 PM I tried just throwing in some extra squats and lunges.  Wow I got more of a workout then double the time on a leg press - though I did that also.  I ended up 3 types of squats I am not sure how they are all called one on my tip toes, one flat footed but toes pointing straight out to the sides and then a normal sqaut, then I also did a reverse lunge and side lunge and my hams and quads are loving it.  bye bye curls and extentions this does the job.
	2012/05/23, 05:48 PM (Edited: @ft@d_124774 - 2012/05/23, 05:50 PM) If that doesn't set your legs and butt on fire, nothing will. I did a change up this week. I lowered  my weight and instead of 3 sets of 10, relatively heavy, I did reps of 20,16,14,12. I just finished legs and I really hate myself. I will pay tomorrow as I did the last two days after arms, shoulders and chest. Owww. Way to go Tina. The idea is to get stronger or die trying eh?
Tinadp Posts: 6 Joined: 2012/04/04	2012/05/23, 10:43 PM Something like that now to figure out the right abs - ugh
	2012/05/23, 11:29 PM (Edited: @ft@d_124774 - 2012/05/24, 12:05 AM) Abs are like all other muscles. They will just take more abuse. Hold a dumbbell on your chest pointed at and touching your chin . Do crunches and twisted crunches. Try lying leg tucks and side leg lifts. Do them all very slowly. Hold at the top and squeeze like you mean it. Reverse the crunch with a dumbbell. I call that a back hyper extension. Roman chair is a killer if your gym has one. You can do them straight or twisted.  Lying leg tucks and leg lifts are good for lower abs. If you're hard core, wear ankle weights. Oww, that hurts just thinking about it. If you do weighted abs, do a day with no weight high reps, a day of medium weight and a day of heavy weights lower reps....just like any other muscle only more often. Bear in mind that you may need to hook your feet under something for crunches. On heavy day my last set is 50 or 60 lbs. I hook my feet under a pair of 70 lb dumbbells. I do hypers bent over a couch arm hugging the dumbbell to my chin. You may have to backstop your feet and the couch. It's worth noting that the squats, lunges, deads etc that we discussed in the first exchange will train your abs and back but it's good to target abs and low back with the movements I mentioned here. Hypers and crunches are a form of "push pull". So are curls and triceps extensions as well as bench press and rows. Push pull movements can be done as a superset. The idea, for instance, would be do your crunches and then immediately do your hypers. Rest and repeat. It's very effective. I try to superset when I cycle into a higher rep lower weight routine.