40, thin, out of shape...Can your dvds help?

M

Marinette

Member
Hello,

I am new to this forum and new to fitness as well. I am 40 years old, I have not exercised for the past 5 years. :eek: All my life I have been on the thin side and I do not want/need to loose weight ...but I want to get toned and put on muscles, especially on my little upper body, and yes put on a few pounds. I understand Cathe that you are extremely busy...but your input would be sooo appreciated, and needed. I have will power, I just need to be put on the right track. Tell me what to do and I will take care of the rest...I am ready!

I have waited 40 years but I am ready finally... just lost.

I would love to hear from you as well. Please share your experience ...I need advices !

Thank you so much ...!

Marinette
 
Last edited:
Hi Marinette:

I am a fellow thin woman in her forties. I recently had to take 6 months away from exercise and lost 8 pounds during that time. I started working out again a month ago and my weight is going up and the muscle is coming back on.

Yes, it is possible for you too!

I notice change in my body and fitness levels pretty immediately. You will too. It is never too late. Start tomorrow! Cathe workouts can indeed help, as can those by any instructor really.

Select a variety of workouts to help you improve your cardiovascular fitness (cardio workouts: step, circuits, kickboxing, swimming, running, powerwalking, etc) and others to help you gain some muscle and definition. You can use DVDs to improve cardiovascular fitness but you should consider doing a couple of different activities so that you develop all your lower body muscles effectively and you don't necessarily need DVDs for all activities. Just head out and powerwalk or run to start with. Within a month you'll have gained a lot. Your heart and lungs will thank you.

To gain some muscle you want workouts that focus more on strength rather than endurance. You will gain some muscle initially from doing endurance workouts that use lighter weights for over 12 reps per exercise/set. Eventually though you will want to move up to strength workouts that use heavier weights and involve lesser reps (6-12 per set, per exercise).

Cathe's Slow & Heavy DVD is a series that can really help thinner people/hard gainers to develop muscle. It is an excellent place to start as the slower pace really gives you the time you need to make sure your form is perfect. Cathe's 4 Day Split is another excellent choice since it includes full weight training routines with heavy weights for the whole body and also 4 different cardio workouts, so there's a lot of variety. The new Low Impact Series might also be a good place to start as it includes a variety of cardio, weight training, circuits, yoga, barre work and you can really grow with this series too. You can check out clips from all these different DVDs here on Cathe's website.

Don't worry about not being able to complete all the reps of an exercise, or needing much lighter weights than Cathe uses: this happens to us all! Start where you feel challenged and you will grow if you work consistently.

Thin women who have had to take a break from exercise can get healthy, build muscle and not lose weight while they improve their fitness. Eat healthily, increase your calorie intake by about 300 calories per day to start with as you begin your fitness journey (lean proteins, whole grains, veg and fruit) and make sure you give your muscles the rest they need so they can repair themselves and grow!

Clare

Hope some of this helps,

Clare
 
Thank you maddiesmum for your time and help. I really appreciate !

So you think that the first step is one month of cardio (I love swimming and walking so I can do that) before I start with any of Cathe dvds?

Thanks a lot !
Marinette
 
Last edited:
What a great post maddiesmum! I was thinking Slow and Heavy as my first choice to add muscle in a really good format, and so uncomplicated. Oh yes...4 Day Split....!

Marinette, right now you should focus on muscle building and cardio (even though its good for your heart) will not change your body, only make you smaller. Lifting weights will change your physique and add the definition you are seeking. Slow and Heavy is a a muscle building workout, Four Day Split has a full compliment of lifting involved but adds in several different types of cardio including kickboxing. I think this would be a great place for you to start. Your diet is going to play a big part of this, google on line a little bit about weight lifting and diet, but get some good protein into your diet, along with almonds, walnuts, yogurt, eggs, salmon. Good luck!
 
What about STS? I know it's a tad expensive but you will definitely gain muscle and strength! It's such an easy program to follow and stick with too.:)
 
Marinette:

welcome, and I agree with Dirtdiva who says that it is probably best to work on weight training to build muscle. I would probably make that my main focus, as that can also work your heart when you are doing leg work. If it were me, I would focus on weight training 3x per week and then cardio 1-2 times for heart health.

For the weight training, just starting with light weights is great. Maybe a set of weights no heavier than 8's for legs. But you probably won't start with the 8's. It might be best to just start with a set of 1's, 2'sor 3's, and 5's.

As of late, I have had to work on getting back down to my ideal weight, but my body type is long and lean, and I can remember when putting on muscle was tough and could drop the pounds in the blink of an eye.

If you are consistent and want it badly enough, I'll bet you will begin to see results after just 3 weeks of consistent work.

Best wishes.
 
Cathe is hard

I am not a skinny gal but my advice to start slow but be consistent. 5 years is a long time to go without any type of activity and the majority of Cathe DVDs are advanced.

I would suggest getting the Basic Step DVD (if you can, get the one that has three workouts on it: Basic Step, Cardio Fusion, and Low Impact Step. Cardio Fusion has some weight training in it as well) and a step somewhere. A good starter DVD for weights is the Total Body Sculpting one. I would recommended getting these used from a local DVD reseller or on e-bay because if you stick with it, you will move past these DVDs within a month or two. Another good starter DVD to tone up with is the High Step Circuit which usually comes free with the purchase of a high step. That's a great beginner exercise program.

Don't feel frustrated if you can't get the moves or can't finish the workout. Just go as far as you can each time and eventually you WILL finish it. Another good idea is to create a workout plan/rotation through the workout manager so you can track when you worked out and what your next workout should be. You could also use the Beginner rotation that I believe Cathe created to jump start your workouts. This is also available in the workout manager.

Personally, I started working out with Gilad for a month or two before moving onto to Cathe. I didn't plan it that way -- I just wasn't ready to spend a lot of money on equipment until I was sure I would stick with it. His shows are free on Espn (I think) in the morning and always include some sort of abdominal work. Of course, Cathe is wonderful and it's very easy to get hooked on her workouts because they are a lot of fun (especially a lot of the step ones) and very effective.

Good luck and welcome to the forums!
 
One more thing to add, Marinette.

DirtDiva, I love your posts, but I have to disagree with one thing.

Cardio does not necessarily make a person smaller and/or lose weight. The point I was trying to make at the start of my my post is that cardio, just running, is making me build muscle in my legs and butt and core already. If you are thin and have lax muscles from not using them much for 5 years, cardio can build them.

So, no, I do not advise Marinette to stay away from cardio and just focus on weights. Of the two, cardio is easiest to do and will lead to less initial muscle soreness. Whenever I am forced to take a break from fitness, I always start back just with cardio because it builds fitness fast, starts the muscle conditioning process, helps me eat and sleep better immediately, has a phenomenal effect upon my anxiety and stress levels and allows me to jump start my fitness program without having to take excessive days off due to the DOMS that always follow starting up a weight training program.

After a month of just cardio, I have already restored the 8 pounds I lost last fall semester and am now ready to introduce weights back into the equation. Introducing lower body weights now ensures I can continue the amount of exercise I want without the need to take 4 days off after each exercise days because my legs hurt too much to walk!

So, no, cardio does not necessarily have to equal weight loss or loss of size. if you are already thin to begin with, it can lead to strength, size and weight gain.

Clare
 
Thank you maddiesmum for taking the time to precise this. Maybe it depends what kind of cardio I do. Swimming or walking, something gentle wont make me loose weight if I do it gradually. Probably just make me eat more ! But I must say that harsh cardio is exhausting for me, really draining, now and already 20 years ago when i was full of energy. But something gentle to get me back moving before a hard work out with weights makes sense to me. But what do I know...!?

I would love to know what others are thinking about this ...
 
Cokonkel thank you for your answer . Can you explain me briefly what is STS and why you think this would be good for me ? Is it good for a beginner ?

Thank you !

Marinette
 
DebbieH Thank you for your words. I would ask you the same question than I asked to Cokankel. Why STS and is it good for out of shape beginners like me ?

Thank you !!!
Marinette
 
Marinette:

another thought.

You define yourself as an "out of shape beginner." I think you might like to check out the workouts DVDs of Tracie Long and Kelly Coffey-Meyer both of whom target women in their 40's who are just getting back into working out again after along break. Tracie's workouts will give you the intro to cardio you are looking for, totally not-exhaustive and Kelly even has two new DVD releases targetting the adult who may never have weight trained before or who needs to start with the basics. Check out Kelly's DVDs at coffeyfit.com (Start Here and Your Best Body).

Once you have spent a few months going over the basics and can classify yourself as intermediate, then come back and browse through Cathe's DVD library: you will feel like a kid at a candy store with all Cathe has to offer and by then, you will be ready to take the challenge a little further.

After along break, the first cardio I start off with is always power walking at the park or through the streets, then I start running, then I get to Cathe's cardio DVDs. So you are right: start with walking, swimming, cycling and gradually pick up the pace and challenge yourself a little more. When hungry, eat more! Very soon you are going to be feeling so healthy and with so much more energy. You will sleep better, feel better and look better.

Hope this helps and don't forget to have fun!

Clare
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top