[-Katie-]

We used to have a thread like this awhile ago but looks like it was pruned.

I know since swimsuit season is approaching, I am trying to get all toned and pretty. So I plan on losing a couple of pounds and toning up more.

So this is a thread for inspiration and for helping one another out with our goals.

[Scythe]

Oh! I need to join this thread! Sign me up!

The doctor said that I'm slightly over-weight for my height. I weigh a little over 12 stone so I think if I get done to 12 stone then I'll be perfect, but I really need to tone up too.

[Samii]

Well, since I live in Australia swimsuit season is over for me. Heh. But, hey I like to keep fit.

I do alot of exercise, but I eat a hell of alot too. So it kind of evens out. I'm not over or under weight, so the only thing I really need to do is tone up. I'm not super flabby or anything, but would prefer to be more toned. I want definition, like where you can see the indent of the muscles without flexing. Not super huge and buff, just toned and lean.

And damnit, its hard work. I swear, it takes ages to get it, then if you slack off... bam, its gone.

So yes, I need this thread for inspiration too. Heh.

[Scythe]

What do you think the best exercise is for legs and arms?

[Samii]

Arms... well it depends on what you want. To muscle them, or to take away flab. To muscle and tone them, weights are the best way to go. Repititions etc. A good class is 'Body Pump', works every major muscle in your body. But, I also find that Boxing classes are great for getting lean arms. Super hard work out, very high cardio, but very beneficial to the arms.

Legs (my biggest annoyance) I'd say that you need to do alot of cardio and weights aswell. Cardio to burn fat, weights to keep them toned. For cardio, at the gym I love 'Body Step' lots of focus on your legs (and also for your butt). For ones that you can do without paying money, I'd suggest walking about 5km a day. Easy and effective and only takes about an hour depending on your speed.

Thats just what I do though, I get results when I'm very diligent and focused. When I slack off, heh... it all comes undone. Its a bitch I tell ya.

[Scythe]

I just wanna take away the flab!

[-Katie-]

Oh yay, people are here!

Would you guys say 30 minutes of biking is good for the legs? In terms of losing some extra flab on there, I don't have like a tone but I want to get it a lot leaner, like you were saying Samii..

[Scythe]

This 'excerise' would it require me leaving the house...

Katie, I've always thought that anything that makes you slightly out of breath is good for you, if you're biking slowly and not out of breath, then I would say that it's not enough.

I'm thinking of taking up kick boxing at Uni as my 'sport' what do you think? I could be all kicky like Buffy!

[-Katie-]

Jen, I have been considered taking some kind of karate/tae kwon do class..I took one self-defense class and never went back but I'm thinking I should do it. I want to get super-toned.

[Scythe]

Does self-defense make you fit then? Or is it more learning how to defend yourself?

[Samii]

I used to do Tae Kwon Do, and I'm not sure how much it improved my fitness. But like I said, I've been heavily involved in sport since I was 5 so I didn't find it too strenuous. But I'd imagine that if your not used to alot of exercise it would be. Its alot of control and the sparring can leave you absolutely buggered. And yes, I'll admit that I started Tae Kwon Do, as a direct result of my Buffy love.

Would you guys say 30 minutes of biking is good for the legs?

Yeah totally. But as Jen said, as long as the intensity is kept up during the half hour. Its a fab way to shape your legs. We have a RPM class at our gym, and its bike riding. But I always avoid that class, it hurts too much and its so continuous. Lmfao. But yeah, if you incorporate hills etc. into your ride, thats one of the best ways to shape up your legs I think.

[heart packed in ice]

I was thinking of trying Tae Kwon Do too. Actually, one of my brother's friends is trying to make me try it.

Biking is definitely good for the legs. I have thought of doing that for a long time. LOl I have to. I have one of those exercise bikes at home so I could do that while reading homework.

[~*~Amber~*~]

I'm kinda of a skinny one but I'd like to get toned in areas like my skinny arms and legs. I'd like to work my abs again. In high school i had like these great abs and i dunno where the went. :: Any suggestions??? Anyways thanks again for a Sarah topic that we can relate to.

Amber

[-Katie-]

I have to admit, I am glad people are posting here. The more the merrier and the more inspired we get.

So, I read this magazine Glamour and they just started this 3 week body thing, and it's a free program online that gives you pointers on how to lose the weight you want to lose in 3 months and if you keep up with the rountine, possibly 6 pounds this month. And the program even has a virtual model of what your ideal body is at the end of the month - constructed from you responses.

[Samii]

Yeah, I love that this thread is taking off. Heh. I'm guessing everyone ate a hell of a lot at Easter and needs to shed a few pounds. *raises hand guiltly*. Dude, I am shocked and awed at how much chocolate I put away. I mean I do have a big appetite usually, but dude... I out did myself. It was insane.

Ooh that looks interesting. I'm gonna go have a squiz.

In high school i had like these great abs and i dunno where the went. :: Any suggestions???

. Hmm, well although this particular celeb isn't Sarah, ...in her hay day she had the best abs around. Britney Spears of course. heh. So I was watching an interview she did with Ellen and she does/did a thousand sit ups a day. If you can get your hands on the interview she actually gives demonstrations of which ones she does. They are a little hard to describe, but damn they work well.

Just a pic of Britney's abs;


hate or love her, back in the day she did have the best celeb stomach around.


I only did 500 a day for about a month before I went to Bali and dude, you definately get results. The downside is though that you have to be motivated to do them everyday. And after bali I totally slacked off. But yes, that is one exercise plan from a celeb that really did get me results.

Also, I brought the latest Aussie issue of 'Cosmopolitan' and it was a body special. And the eidtor was talking about how her weight used to yo-yo up and down all the time until she learned to listen to her body. She only ate when she was hungry. Which I know sounds like common sense, but I realised I always eat when I'm not hungry. Like I will have my lunch, if I'm still sort of full after breakfast. And I will eat my entire plate of dinner, even if I had stopped being hungry a quarter of the way through. And she was saying thats the best and most effective weight maintanance lesson that she had ever learnt. When she was hungry, she ate (and it didn't always have to be healthy food, she just ate until she wasn't hungry) and when she wasn't, she didn't. Anyway, I thought that was pretty interesting. Mostly because its so darn obvious, but I don't do it. I don't know about you guys, but that lesson was a bit of a light bulb moment for me. Heh.