Thread: WWBD--weight training?

I'd like to hear from Bhuzzers who lift weights--free weights or machines--regularly and how it has helped their dance (or not). A while back (cough--mid 90s--cough) I lifted 4 days a week, and did an hour of cardio 6 days a week. I looked great, but had the social life of a cloistered nun. It was all B.B.--before bellydance. So now the most I could carve out would be 2-3 sessions a week 30-45 minutes each at the local gym. I'm in my 40s and have read ad nauseum about the overall benefits for women, but I'd welcome more bellydance specific advice and suggestions.

It's really helped my strength & endurance. I have a bum hip, so weight training helps manage the pain. When I had a personal trainer for a while, she taught me alot and coached me into doing bunches of leg exercises - lunges & stuff - that really helped with my muscle imbalance.

Read every article on this website: stumptuous.com

A good read is Get stronger, feel younger: the cardio and diet-free plan to firm up and lose fat by Wayne Westcott and Gary Reinl

They explain how you can lift weights and get results by doing it 3 times a week (for best results) but 2 if pushed and still gain and maintain muscle without having to spend your life in the gym

Originally Posted by ssipes

Read every article on this website: stumptuous.com

Cool site.

Something I do to help my endurance is wear small ankles and wrist weights. All day. Under my pants and a puffy sweater so noone thinks I've completely lost it. I just go about my business as normal - just a little heavier.

It works for me.

Strength training and weight training is indespensible, in my opinion. I do 30 - 45 minutes about 4 days a week. Usually I stick with freeweights and body-resistance type exercises as this eliminates the need for a gym and lets me do a full, sweat-inducing routine at home. My current workplace, however, includes access to the campus gym for staff members, so I've been using the machines there in order to switch up my workout and keep things fresh and interesting.

Depending on what I'm doing, I sometimes combine dance moves with strength building moves - ie: shoulder shimmy with lateral dumbell raises, straight-backed squats with layered shimmies or hip drops (adding additional weight as necessary), and quad muscle conditioning exercises for getting out of turkish folds.

Weight training helps considerably with my ability to do moves that require raw muscle power (ie: turkish folds), aids my posture, my endurance, muscle control, and my overall aesthetic. Besides, I like being able to leg press more poundage than the men in the gym!!