Weightlifting with 50-pound limit?

[mtlieb]

Hi all,

Need ideas on how to stay toned and prevent muscle wasting while staying within my 50-pound weighlifting restriction. My PCP recommended picking up a set of dumbells and just going at it like heck with high repetitions to get the job done. Is it possible to work all the major muscle groups with dumbells alone? I need to lose this belly in particular.

I've managed to get my weight under control through diet (the sparkpeople website has helped a lot) and I've lost 33 pounds so far. I won't even tell you how much more I have to lose. :rolleyes: My cardio workouts are primarily walking and bicycling. Now I need to incorporate strength-training to maintain muscle mass. Of course I also want to find exercises that won't adversely effect my HCM.

Because of financial limitations I need to do this at home. Any advice or links to sites that may help will be welcomed. PM's are cool as well.

Jim

[Midge Rollins]

Jim, dumbells will help. Be careful of going like heck though. Remember moderation. What I do now is sqats I try to do a couple of sets of 20, also lunges, try also standing on one foot for as long as you can. This will all help build muscle and tone up. When doing squats hold in your stomach. Also what about modified sit ups? Hope this helps.

[Zippythebighearted]

Jim,

There's a lot you can do with dumbbells alone.

Here's a link with exercises.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=&Equip=Dumbbell&Isolation=

You can play around with this yourself by going one or two pages back from the link I included.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm

Scroll to the bottom.

Sounds like you've got the most important part figured out or are working on it..... diet.

I'm glad to see some discussion on weights even if it's lighter and less intense than most of us would like. Pictures when you're done. :D Maybe it'll encourage me to do the same. Nah, I doubt it.

Gary

[Cynaburst]

Those rubber band thingies work out well too for resistance training.

[scottonbike]

Jim,

Great to hear that you have dropped 33 lbs. I am very jealous and jello-e.

I have been thinking about lifting weights again. Low weight and high repetitions sorta thing. I have been thinking about doing this for weight loss. I have come to the conclusion that the diet and exercise are more important then lifting weight to get toned. Walking, riding a bicycle or other aerobic activity will burn more calories then spending an hour lifting weights.

An example, riding a bicycle for an hour at 10-12 mph will burn 520 calories for a 190 lb person, weight lifting at a light to moderate pace will burn 260 calories for that same person. A difference of 260 calories for the same hour. If you are so inclined to lift weights while watching TV that is great. I will try to do that while I am on my stationary bike. (But if you look at me lately you will know, um, not so much)

I guess for me I would prefer leaner muscle mass from aerobics instead of weight lifting. Yes, I understand you are just trying to tone up a bit, but from what I understand the belly on men is the most effecient place to store the fat and will be the last to go no matter what we do.

I will also be checking out that web site.

Scott

[Midge Rollins]

Gary, thanks for the web site. it looks great, now I will just have to practice a few of those. Cynthia is right about resistance bands I have some that I take when I travel.

[mtlieb]

Thanks for the great advice everyone.

Gary, those links are going to be very helpful! :cool:

Scott I should tell you the weight is not exactly 'falling' off my body. LoL. That 33 pounds took almost six months to get off and keep off, so we're only looking at about a pound a week. My problem is I've lost quite a bit of muscle tone over the years since diagnosis, and when I do finally lose the (undisclosed amount of) weight... I'm just going to end up thin and flabby instead of fat and flabby. :rolleyes:

This may sound like a silly question, but when my cardio says 50-pounds max, do you suppose that means I can use 50-pound dumbells if I only work one side at a time? Or is it simply two, 25-pound dumbells period and make the best of it?

How much weight are you folks working with?

Jim

[mbcube]

Jim - Congrats on the 33lb loss. Whether you have 3 more to lose or 333, a loss is a loss & we all know how hard that it! I've been told by my hcm doc thats its OK as long as I don't need to hold my breath. Once we strain, its a no no. Please check with your cardiologist as to YOUR limits, we are all different.
It depends if your pre- or post op, obstructed or not, have a ICD or not, so there are a lot to consider. Until you talk with our doc, stay active, eat well & drink plenty of fluids. I'm now getting back to the gym after a 4 month wait to get my ICD. Now that I'm protected I'm taking it slow & steady really hope I lose 33 lbs soon!

[Zippythebighearted]

so we're only looking at about a pound a week. My problem is I've lost quite a bit of muscle tone over the years since diagnosis, and when I do finally lose the (undisclosed amount of) weight... I'm just going to end up thin and flabby instead of fat and flabby.

A pound/week is perfect despite the patience that it takes. I'm borrowing a lot of concepts that I've learned from the bodybuilders that I think really apply to HCM folks as well. For one, it's a lifestyle change. I've heard it described as a three-legged stool. One leg is nutrition, one leg is exercise, and one leg is proper rest. If any one leg is missing the rest all suffer. Of course with bodybuilders they talk about intensity and the weights are higher but I believe the concepts still apply to us.




This may sound like a silly question, but when my cardio says 50-pounds max, do you suppose that means I can use 50-pound dumbells if I only work one side at a time? Or is it simply two, 25-pound dumbells period and make the best of it?

When I read that earlier I was wondering the same thing. If you can do 50 pound dumbbells I think you'll be busy for a long time and get as much toning as you could possibly handle.



How much weight are you folks working with?

I'm not the best example because I'm going by what my regular cardiologist told me and not an HCM specialist. Until I can get in to see a HCM specialist I've backed off a bit. I regulate by heart rate exclusively. With that said I can't lift much over 50# dumbbells anyway. With legs I've done squats with 50# in each hand but with my new self-imposed restrictions I wouldn't go that high. Each exercise uses a different weight. 25# is the weight I use for one arm dumbbell curls as an example.

[RRKamm]

Nothing beats diet and cardio work for losing weight. Weights are great for improving muscle tone. Putting them together gives the best all round results. You can increase the intensity of the workout without going heavy by working out slowly - 4 seconds to lower the weight, 2 seconds to raise it. This give a much better workout than running through 20 reps at a fast pace. Also, be sure you breath properly through your workout. Don't hold your breath!

Good Luck.

[mtlieb]

Thanks again everyone,

I spoke with my doctor today and got some clarification. He wants me to work with a maximum of two 25-pound dumbells and that's it. No wiggle room there at all. And anything that makes me hold my breath or bear down (valsalva maneuver) is a no-no. Squats are out, with or without weights. No bodyweight lifting (pullups, pushups, etc).

Basically I can do anything sitting, standing, kneeling, lying down, bent over, etc. as long as it only involves lifting the weights themselves. He suggested leg-lifts with ankle weights for working out my legs (and of course the walking and cycling helps with that too).

Lots of great ideas in this thread! I'm always very interested in how others are incorporating strength training into their workouts while keeping within the limitations imposed by HCM.

Jim

[sandylevitt]

For the last 9 months Felix has been working out at the gym. He does the elliptical with a HR monitor (to make sure below 120). He also does a lot of the machines, with high reps and lower weights. He also watches his HR as well when doing these.
The good news is that he now has great muscle tone. The bad news is that the belly fat just wont go away. I just know that underneath all of it is a six-pack :)

I know the key is that he is going to have to diet to lose weight, but try telling him that. As it is, he is not a big eater .

To lose 33lbs with all that upon you guys is incredible. the meds and HCM makes weight loss extremely hard.

[mtlieb]

Thanks for all the great replies folks.


I have come to the conclusion that the diet and exercise are more important then lifting weight to get toned. Walking, riding a bicycle or other aerobic activity will burn more calories then spending an hour lifting weights.
I do agree with you to a point Scott, but for me it's not all about burning calories and losing weight at this point. I need to rebuild muscle mass I lost when I was less active. Also I think there's a lot to be said for individual body type. My build is definitely best suited for strength rather than stamina. Prior to my diagnosis I always felt and looked my best while lifting. If I can get at least some of that back I'll be quite happy. :cool:


Jim, dumbells will help. Be careful of going like heck though. Remember moderation. What I do now is sqats I try to do a couple of sets of 20, also lunges, try also standing on one foot for as long as you can. This will all help build muscle and tone up. When doing squats hold in your stomach. Also what about modified sit ups? Hope this helps.
Midge I've been meaning to ask... when you have a transplant are your restrictions pretty much the same as they were when you had HCM or have they changed somewhat? Are you allowed to do more? Less? The reason I ask is that my doctor told me that squats are definitely out, period, with or without added weight. Would be interested in hearing your view on this.


It depends if your pre- or post op, obstructed or not, have a ICD or not, so there are a lot to consider.
Obstructed, myectomy at Cleveland Clinic 2004, no ICD.


The good news is that he now has great muscle tone. The bad news is that the belly fat just wont go away. I just know that underneath all of it is a six-pack...
I have read several peer-reviewed journal articles now that indicate beta-blockers promote belly fat, so tell Felix not to be too hard on himself. As for the six-pack abs... well, I have them too. They're just buried under layers of belly fat. :cool:

This has turned out to be a great thread! Anyone with input on how to incorporate strength-training into the HCM picture... please post your ideas.

Jim

[Zippythebighearted]

I like this thread too. I hope it goes on for a while as the discussion has been very useful.

I've always wondered just what "toned" meant? I guess the difference between toned and untoned seems easy enough. I have a friend who is vegan, doesn't exercise, and has a desk job. He is average build and looks ok but sure could use some meat on his bones. :) I would say that is untoned. Not trying to pick apart a vegan diet. He's the only vegan I know and I've wondered if it's the lack of meat that makes his body look almost frail. Toned versus muscular seems harder to define. Muscular is easy you can spot them from a distance. Toned..??

I think exercise/weightlifting options would be a good topic for a book if some personal trainer could pull it off. I suppose the target audience would be so small though. Think subset of HCM'ers which are a subset of the general population.

One thing I've read about using weights versus cardio is that after a weightlifting session your body burns calories for 12-24 hours (I forget the exact number) after a session but for cardio calories are only burned for a few hours.

Another thing I've wondered about is this. A normal heart gets benefit from 80% max heart rate when exercising. By keeping our heart down to say 60% of what is normal are we getting 60% of the benefit or because our heart is maxed out are we getting the same benefit of 80%?

So while I'm at it here... does the heart really know the difference between weightlifting and cardio? I don't understand how it could? Assuming you are not holding your breath and straining. Assuming you are keeping the target heart rate the same. The only other thing that I could think of was blood pressure. To test this theory I had my blood pressure checked and it was 118/70. Then I did 25 pushups and got my HR to 123. Had my blood pressure checked immediately again and it went up but only 124/70, still an acceptable blood pressure reading. I assume there must be some evidence somewhere, right?

Also hope you don't mind I added these items to your thread. Seems better to have one super-useful thread than 15 with bits of information.