@tianguis I think everyone should start at body weight if you’re new to fitness. Once you’re a little more experienced and feel like you can challenge yourself then start to add weight.
I started with body weight. I did a lot of HITT and tabata workouts. It made me get better at endurance and made me significantly stronger. I can hold over a five minute plank solely from that.
My routine now is weightlifting about 4-5 days out of the week and running everyday.
@dawn16 Wow thats awesome! I can barely do one minute, at 30 seconds my legs start trembling lol. I will start with body weight and once I feel more comfortable I will look into going to the gym
I did pilates + running for years and I was small frame. I do some occasional HIIT but most exercises I have are body weight. I do have my target aesthetic, like long, lean arms, and legs. However I still look not "toned" in the abs area.
I started lifting 6 months ago, and I did get big for my frame (I am 5'3, currently at 112 lbs). My arms and legs grew a lot. But I did get really defined abs. I thought I was just bloated, but it is really just fat lol.
So you really have to chose which one you feel better and happy. I feel contented with the way I look, coz I am a lot stronger too.
@xuanang01 So, a lot of group PT is running and calisthenics because it is easy to do as a group, but most folks in the military do other stuff like weightlifting and CrossFit too.
(Not dumping on running or calisthenics! They just play a much smaller part.)
@tianguis Yes, but only if you really challenge yourself. I was sedentary and skinny fat before I started rock climbing and doing aerial circus. I built a lot of muscle but it definitely didn’t happen overnight.
I think people prefer weightlifting because the progression is more obvious, but I personally think body weight stuff is more fun. You should do whatever you think you’ll stick to.
@avodat I disagree with the "only if you really challenge yourself": when you always leave 1 rep in the tank (so go to 70-80%), you still improve your strength a lot, but it is more likely you stick with it and the chance on injury is much lower due to better form.
@rychusoo Yeah I didn’t mean push yourself to max every time..... I just feel like with body weight stuff it’s easier to not push yourself since you don’t have the more simple progression of weights.
@avodat However, you can in fact add weight to body weight exercises if they're not challenging you anymore. For push-ups plates can go on your back and for pull-ups you can hold a dumbbell with your feet. Or if you have a weighted vest, they work wonders!
@rychusoo 70-80% is still challenging, and I agree you don't want to go 100% all the time. But I have friends who literally put in like 10% effort in the gym like 1-2 times a week and then wonder why they're not seeing results!
@avodat Agree about really challenging yourself and doing what you’ll stick to. I was working out 4x a week on my own (running and in hindsight some weakass weight lifting). I started doing HIIT classes instead (OrangeTheory) and a year later I weigh the same but have really toned up and lost inches, esp in my mid-section. I’ve never worked out as hard as I do in these classes because they force me to change up my routine and push myself hard and I love going 4-5x a week.
@einekleinestimme I know you’re probably a bit biased because you said you love it, but is orange theory worth the price? It feels slightly more expensive than I’m comfortable with but I’m at my goal weight and kind of struggling with the same thing as OP. I started the Mari total fitness home program which is ok, but I find it super boring. I’ve never done fitness classes that weren’t hosted by YouTube so I’ve got a little bit of anxiety about trying it.
@rickyknight1 I am not doing Orange Theory, but in terms of if a price is worth it, it all depends. I was paying $15 a month for a weight lifting gym I never went to. Just only lifting weights is so boring to me and I am bad at self-motivating myself. I started going to a boxing gym and though it is expensive (I got a deal for like, $70 a month I think), I actually GO and enjoy it. I realized that the $15 a month gym I wasn't even using eas a bigger waste of money. You might be able to enroll in something like Class Pass to try out some Orange Theory classes before you take the plunge!
@keitumetse It may depend on the area if OrangeTheory is available on ClassPass. I live in LA and I haven't seen a single class show up on the app. I was in Miami last week and didn't see it there either.
@pomegran I'm not sure they're on ClassPass, but I go to a very similar studio here in Atlanta called Blast that's on CP, so you may just have to look around for studios with similar formats. CP is generally great for exploring different workout styles though!
@rickyknight1 I go to Orangetheory. I would agree that the entire atmosphere of the classes makes me push myself harder than I would in a traditional gym workout. I think the HIIT elements make the workout go by fast and Orangetheory is doing all the work of planning really varied workouts. If I were to do HIIT on my own I would probably end up doing the same 2 or 3 workouts every time. It gives me variety and makes me do exercises I probably never would on my own. It’s one of the few times I have ever looked forward to a workout or at least didn’t try to talk myself out of it as frequently haha. It’s worth the extra money for me because I actually go. Per class I probably pay the same as I would at other places just because I’m there more frequently.
@rickyknight1 I've heard people like OrangeTheory because the trainers there hold you accountable and will push you to be your best. I think it would be a great place to go for someone who needs help with motivation, accountabilty, etc. I would like to go to one but the ones near me charge over $150/month and I just don't have that kind of extra money in the budget right now.
