vamp79 started this discussion ·
What am I doing wrong? How often do u guys train your lower body? I'm about to give up. Right now I'm trying to do cardio three times a week but then I'm only left with one day to train legs. Not seeing results is so frustrating. Sorry for venting : (
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1. Are you taking in enough protein? 2. Have you taken any photos of yourself? 3. How is the rest of your body when it comes to tone/body fat content?
Veena ·
What are you doing besides cardio? If your taking the lessons there are a bunch of lower body exercises listed. 🌸I train my lower body once a week if that, because I focus so much on extending the leg lines and the dance aspect of pole, my legs get a good workout.
unicorn ·
when you say.. Enough Protein.. How much do we need? I have a fairly poor diet.. dont have my 5 a day etc! I must change my eating habits. Do you have protein bars etc or just in food?
In bodybuilding they say you should take in about a gram of protein for every pound you weigh, however your body can only process about 35 grams at a time, the rest is wasted (basically). I probably take in half of that a day (as in 1 g for every 2 lbs). In order to build and repair muscle you need protein. I rely on shakes just because I have not found a single bar that tastes decent and is not loaded with calories and sugar. Protein also takes longer to digest so I stay fuller longer. I look for isolate just because you get more bang for your buck, it is lower in calories and typically very low cholesterol.
unicorn ·
Thanks for that,, Im useless ..honestly, My poor body !! The shakes taste ok? I dont get enough of anything good going into my body.. Changing eating habits and life style habits is so hard... thanks again x
Sair ·
MMM chocolate protein powder + half a banana + greek yogurt + chocolate almond milk = a little cup of heaven!
vamp79 ·
Chem-the rest of my body is not super tight but def a lot more toned than my booty and legs. I don't think I get enough protein at all. Maybe that's one of my problems.
nilla ·
Something to remember when using the word "toned" is that it's an appearance thing. Your legs might be getting a good workout and building strength, but if your body fat% isn't low enough, or if your body type simply stores fat more in your legs it will be hard to see the results. I agree with Chemgoddess, taking pics is important if you really want to gauge your improvement in that area. If you're looking for motivation to keep going, consider your strength and endurance improvements as well! For instance are you gradually able to lift your legs higher or hold a V longer? Also, remember you can combine workouts to do cardio and strength in one workout, which can end up burning more calories throughout the day than just cardio alone.
vamp79 ·
Oops posted too fast... Veena- I pole at least three days a week,cardio three days,and lower body (usually p90x legs dvd) once a week. My work schedule and kids require the rest of my time. I wish I could squeeze a little more into my time but life is hectic right now. Thanks for the responses ladies :)
I buy a cheap vanilla whey from Walmart (the breakdown is pretty decnt for the price) and mix it with other stuff. Plain yogurt, flax seed and coconut oil are my bases then some of my favorite mixes: pineapple, blueberry, banana strawberry, banana, chocolate instant coffee, banana, peanuts oatmeal, banana, cinnamon, walnuts strawberry, fat free cream cheese, graham cracker I buy frozen fruit and just blend it right in. It also helps that I have a vitamix. Oxygen Magazine has a smoothie recipe every month. This past month was pineapple, cherry and banana. It was pretty yummy.
Cocoa0 ·
I use egg whites in my smooties. Egg whites and egg substitutes that come in cartons have been pasteurized so they are safe to consume raw. No extra calories, sugars or additives in the whites just pure protein. Plus they workout to cost less than half of what powders cost. Try this: 1/2 C Egg Whites 1/2 C Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk 1/2 C Frozen Blueberries 1/2 of a Frozen Banana And a pinch of Cinnamon I like to add Matcha to mine too but that is just me being weird. 180 cals, 15g protein and 2 of your 5 a day.
Where is the additional protein coming from? One large egg white only has about 3 grams of protein and is about 1.25 oz (figure about 10 in 1/2 cup) and the almond milk has pretty much none. To get the 30 grams per scoop of protein I am getting in my powder I would have to consume 10 egg whites....not really a cost saving.
Cocoa0 ·
There are 7 grams of protein per 1/4 C of liquid egg whites which is roughly 2 large egg whites. So 4 per 1/2 C. It costs me 1.25$ for a 500ml carton (1.25$/56g=0.0223 per gram of protein) and it costs 35$ for a 900g tub of plain protein (35$/750g=0.467$ per gram of protein)
Cocoa0 ·
Sorry I meant 0.0467$
megs982 ·
Do LOTS of squats!! Last year when i started poling w/in three mths i started getting compliments and questions on how my legs and thieghs looked so great. The other thing i did was lay on the floor with the pole between ur legs. Extend one leg and put the bottom of your foot on the pole with your knee almost to your chest. Push off of the pole and bring your straightened out leg all the way up and over your head. You can use your hands to balance yourself at first, Do as much as you can, and switch legs. Those are the two things that got my butt and legs in really great shape.
Egg whites are really cheap where you are and protein is expensive! Here the best I can do for "fake eggs" is about $1.99 for a 16oz container (454 g)....for the "just whites" you are looking at $2.50-$3.00. In comparison I can get really cheap whey protein for $15 for a 2 lb container (907g) or $22 for isolate. The isolate is about 86% protein so $0.028 per gram. The cheapest fake eggs are about 10% protein so $0.0438...total flip flop! I also reread what I wrote last night and I did not mean to sound so "witchy". I did not realize there was such a price difference.
vamp79 ·
Thanks for that exercise megs. I will incorporate that to my workouts. Cocoa_that sounds interesting. I have protein powders but don't really like them. I made myself a serving last night and it was not tasty. I will try your recipe since I buy egg white cartons anyways for omlettes.
Sair ·
Oxygen magazine might be really helpful for exercises to tone trouble spots ;) Their website is full of exercises and tips www.oxygenmag.com
Hi Vamp! I with Megs on this one, squats are the absolute best for toning those legs! At least it's working for me. I started doing “doorway squats” and noticed a difference pretty quickly. Here is what I do: Standing in a doorway, hold on to the frame of the door, hands about waist heigth. Bend your right leg until your thigh is parallel to the floor. The left leg stays straight but off the floor when you bend the right one. Come up using your leg strength and help yourself as little as possible with your hands. Do 1 serie of 10 repetitions, 1 serie of 8 reps and a serie of 6 reps. Rest a little between each serie. Change legs after you've done the 3 series on 1 leg. I do this every other day and add one repetition each time. Don't forget to stretches really well especially the quads! The first time I did this exercise I didn't stretch well it hurt so bad I couldn't go up or down stairs without squeeking like a mouse! Good luck!
vamp79 ·
wow that sounds like an awesome exercise pinkbubbles. I'm about to go try it out now. On Saturdays I always do the legs and back p90x dvd which I love but I don't have that kind of time during the week. This week I've been waking up 30 min earlier and doing legs and abs instead of just abs. I'm starting out with three different excercises, 3 reps of about 12 each. I think my problem has been that I've never been able to do both cardio and strength training due to my schedule. Now I am doing cardio at night three times a week, and pole 3 times, plus I will keep waking up ealier in the mornings to do legs and abs. We'll see what happens...I come from a family of women with very flabby lower bodies so I'm sure its harder when you have to fight your genes LOL.
muffin85 ·
do you find your "problem areas" to be your calves? or your thighs/hips????
Veena ·
Doorway squats sound like my single leg pole squat. 🌸 For those taking the lessons here are the Single Leg Squat and Pole Squat....these really target the glutes, hams, and quads https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view/e5cb4cf6-b880-11df-856f-001b214581be
Veena ·
vamp79 ·
Muffin85-my thighs are definitely my major problem area.
