Hi there, IM just curious can I do Yoga and Fusion (yoga, palates, core training mix) instead of lifting weights...i also run three times a week! Do you think its enough to do these types of resistance and core training over lifting weights??? Im no lightweight, so I was thinking using my own weight as resistance for awhile, would be enough? What do you think?

I'm by no means an expert on this--but I do the exact same thing, and it works well for me I've noticed that my cardio based workouts don't really do much for muscle resistance, so I use Yoga and Pilates for my "muscle-y workouts"!

I'm also one of those people (even though I KNOW better) who fears that weights will bulk up my muscles instead of keeping them lean (like Yoga and Pilates lead you to believe)

I also do this routine instead of weight lifting because I know that I will ALWAYS be able to incorporate Yoga/Pilates into my life. Whereas weight lifting--I may be able to do for 6 months, but I know it won't work for me for a lifetime.

Hope this helps!

weegreen - why wouldn't you be able to do weights for a lifetime?

mamac - I think Yoga and pilates do have their place and are wonderful for such things as flexibility and also building core strength. You can honestly do whatever you want. I think though that weights and doing weight training is something every woman should do. There are a lot of benefits, not only building your metabolism but building your overall strength. Weight lifting is also great for building your bone density which helps ward of osteoporosis. You can fit in pilates, yoga and weight lifting without issue.

Also, body weight exercises in general are awesome. If someone told me that they didn't lift weights but could do multiple 'real' pushups, handstands, pullups, etc, I'd say they are much stronger than me

I would say these activities compliment weight training but in my mind they just couldn't replace it.

Interesting topic. My DH has always been into weight lifting and some cardio...been one of the more muscular guys at the gym. Anyways, he is recovering from an on-the-job back injury (bulging disks with pinched nerves affecting his right side) and he has been unable to do his usual weight lifting or intense cardio for a few months now. He was losing his cut-ness and appearing a little softer. Anyways, he started working with a personal trainer once he had feeling back and could walk semi-normal and started doing pilates, core training and general body weight exercises. I'm AMAZED at his body. I actually like it better. He looks almost as firm and cut as before, BUT he's WAY more flexible and lean looking - I think he looks great. He says he'll get back to lifting once he can but that he'll never quit what he's learning during this time.

Nelie-- I've belonged to a gym before with a PT, and the weight-lifting days were always the ones I dreaded... I sometimes do the "can of soup" weight lifting--but I find it silly and a bit awkward to put into my workout! Any time I have "extras" in my workouts, it seems unnatural and makes me not want to do the exercise.

I think that if you ~can~ put weight lifting into your life/workouts to go for it, but I know that it's just not something that works for me.