Definitive Answer on using Treadmill Incline for hourglass frame!

[toinette]

Ok i have an hourglass figure, albeit a fat hourglass figure :lol: :lol: I want to start exercising and using my treadmill again. Allegedly, according to "Escape Your Shape" someone with my body type should not use the treadmill on an incline. However, this means exercising for the same amount of time and forfeiting all the extra calories I could have lost and the leg and booty toning benefits I would have had had I walked on an incline. I am very overweight and am wondering if I should just go ahead and use the treadmill on an incline for now since it should mostly result in fa burning rather than toning because i have so much to lose? As you can see, i am seriously confused so paging all fitness experts and hourglasses who have experience with incline training. TIA :)

[Leslie_C]

hey chica! long time no see! Well Im definitely no expert, but another fat hourglass checking in! I will say that I must believe what they are saying according to that quiz, bc when I was a decent size, I was doing all the exercises they say not to do (kickboxing, step aerobics, etc)...and my lower half was very hard to slim down...I mean it went down but it was still big and it was still hard to find pants to fit bc my big hips and thighs. I noticed when I stopped taking step aerobics, etc and I was simply teaching a floor aerobics class, thats when I finally slimmed down!

I just recently started doing couch to 5k (well Im nearly done now, Im ending week 6 and going into week 7 of 9)...and I have noticably slimmed down and my pants fit much more comfortably (no longer busting the seams). Im running outside so if I get hills its by accident, but Im jogging at a slow pace which is what they suggest to be in fat burning mode. In conjunction with weight watchers (I joined at the beginning of January)...its working very well!

I dont plan on doing any type of weight lifting/toning exercises till I get close to goal bc it will discourage me to bulk up when Im already fat. one thing at a time!

[InJesusName]

I agree with the last poster on keeping weights at a minimum. The reason why escape your shape suggests not walking on an incline is because doing so tends to tone and lift the glutes and hamstrings thus giving the illusion of a bigger backside.

I WISH I was an hourglass, but I am a classic ladel (you know that they use to sccop punch out of a punchbowl?) Though small, I find it extremely difficult to find pants that fit because I have NO CHEST, a tiny waist and a huge behind.

Here's my advice: Use what you got. I had to learn that no matter how much weight I lost, I would still be a spoon. Same with you, you will become a more fit, slimmer hourglass, but your overall shape would stay the same.

If losing is your goal, definitely increase your cardio and keep it slow (slower= more fat burning). Incorporate weights into your routine as weight training amps up your metabolism but use light weights and do lots of reps to tone. The three biggest keys to weight loss are...

DIET... keep your protions moderate and stay away from fatty foods. Stick to high protein meals with good carbs (fruits and whole grains)--also try to eat 5-6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism engaged

REST-- get your 8 hours a night. This is when your body does its work

WATER-- this can make or break a diet routine. Get at least 8-10 glasses a day (2 liters is best)

Don't forget...increasing cardio does not mean run for 1 hour straight. Try splitting up your cardio sessions and vary it between exercises to keep it fun and fresh. Good Luck!

There's nothing wrong with being an hourglass...women pay for your body type every day!

[toinette]

thanks for the response ladies!! While I do want to have toned and sleek thighs, i definitely dont want to do anything that will lift my buttocks. My backside is pretty high already :lol: :lol: it'll be in the middle of my back if it gets any higher. What you guys have told me seems o reinforce some of the research I have gathered. I'll start tomorrow :wave:

[Glitter]

:eek: WHAT? are you serious?!?!? this would explain so much. i gained a lil' weight so I started working out a lot and i shot up nearly 6 sizes (i'm including the odd ones in that.... in pants sizes, I went up just about 3). I thought I was eating poorly so I stayed on the treadmill and the elliptical longer and harder with a greater incline to lose the weight in my butt, thighs, and chest (which was where the weight was settling).

I blamed everything BUT my workout routine. I thought it was slower metabolism so I drank more tea and went on about 4 food diets.

Ladies, give me some details about this book, please!!! What is the name of it, author? What types of principles does it talk about? Most importantly, does it work!?!?

WOW, this is an eye opener. I'm glad I read this

[Leslie_C]

:eek: WHAT? are you serious?!?!? this would explain so much. i gained a lil' weight so I started working out a lot and i shot up nearly 6 sizes (i'm including the odd ones in that.... in pants sizes, I went up just about 3). I thought I was eating poorly so I stayed on the treadmill and the elliptical longer and harder with a greater incline to lose the weight in my butt, thighs, and chest (which was where the weight was settling).

I blamed everything BUT my workout routine. I thought it was slower metabolism so I drank more tea and went on about 4 food diets.

Ladies, give me some details about this book, please!!! What is the name of it, author? What types of principles does it talk about? Most importantly, does it work!?!?

WOW, this is an eye opener. I'm glad I read this

I never read the book...I just took the quiz on ivillage.com
go there and do a search for body type quizz. It was very on point as far as how it described my body. It suggests exercises to do for your body type and which to avoid. After that I just googled "exercises for hourglass shapes" "weight loss for hourglass shapes", etc and learned more. Take the quiz and then go from there. I really do believe it, from previous experiences.

I remember once after I had lost a ton of weight and been working out like a maniac, my sister and I (who were usually about the same size, matter of fact she was usually slightly larger) were trying on the same pair of jeans at a store. Well they were loose on here and I couldnt even pull them up all the way. I was so mad and she was making fun of me :lol: . She is a pro dieter, anti-exerciser lol. Eventually I slimmed down my lower half further,but I remember I had moved so I was still working out but not as heavily, and I was taking very few step aerobics and kickboxing type classes.

[toinette]

:eek: WHAT? are you serious?!?!? this would explain so much. i gained a lil' weight so I started working out a lot and i shot up nearly 6 sizes (i'm including the odd ones in that.... in pants sizes, I went up just about 3). I thought I was eating poorly so I stayed on the treadmill and the elliptical longer and harder with a greater incline to lose the weight in my butt, thighs, and chest (which was where the weight was settling).

I blamed everything BUT my workout routine. I thought it was slower metabolism so I drank more tea and went on about 4 food diets.

Ladies, give me some details about this book, please!!! What is the name of it, author? What types of principles does it talk about? Most importantly, does it work!?!?

WOW, this is an eye opener. I'm glad I read this

six sizes!!?? dang girl, that must have been frustrating to say the least. I dont have the book, i took the quiz on ivillage just like Leslie.

[Glitter]

Ladies, thank you so much for that info. You have no idea how this is changing me already. I have been doing so many of the incorrect workouts for my body type (hourglass).

What's funny is for the past month, I've been doing low intensity stationary bike 5x a week for about 60 minutes. I was able to lose 5 pounds by doing this without changing my dieting patterns. I just did this because I lost my gym card and I didn't feel like paying the gym fee for a new one so I just used an old stationary bike. Incredible that this is the workout I should have been doing for years.

Thanks so much!!

[Glitter]

six sizes!!?? dang girl, that must have been frustrating to say the least. I dont have the book, i took the quiz on ivillage just like Leslie.


Girl, you have NO IDEA. I gained all that weight in about a year and a half. I should have known something was up. I kept trying to go to the gym to lose weight and I was gaining! I've wasted so much money on clothing and gym memberships....I would have been better off not going to the gym and walking around more.

[SouthernTease]

Thanks for posting this... I'm a SPOON!!!

I was trying to tone my legs and butt by incline training...

BIG NO NO!!! I'm glad I looked here before continuing my workout regimen.

[yodie]

Help.

Just took the quiz and it said that I'm a spoon. I always feel like I get these quizzes wrong because I think I'm very proportioned. I gain weight everywhere when I gain it.

People describe me as very curvy. I believe I have as much curve up top as down below. I have hips, booty, thighs and boobs (36c).

Quiz said I was a spoon based on how I filled it out. Oh, I wear a size 6-8 in womens and I have a flat tummy.

My overall needs some work, but my lower body needs more.

From the ladies that have taken the quiz, does it sound like I'm a spoon or an hour glass?

Thanks

[SouthernTease]

Help.

Just took the quiz and it said that I'm a spoon. I always feel like I get these quizzes wrong because I think I'm very proportioned. I gain weight everywhere when I gain it.

People describe me as very curvy. I believe I have as much curve up top as down below. I have hips, booty, thighs and boobs (36c).

Quiz said I was a spoon based on how I filled it out. Oh, I wear a size 6-8 in womens and I have a flat tummy.

My overall needs some work, but my lower body needs more.

From the ladies that have taken the quiz, does it sound like I'm a spoon or an hour glass?

Thanks


I was confused too ... this helped me

How and Where to Take Your Measurements



Hand a friend a tape measure and record the circumference of the following:





CHEST. Place the tape measure across the middle of your breasts or chest and around the circumference of your back; exhale before the measurement is recorded.


WAIST. Place the tape measure around your midsection, 1 inch above your belly button.


HIPS. Place the tape measure just below your hips, at the widest spot but still above your buttocks.


Guidelines to Help Determine Your Body Type

1. HOURGLASSES will find that there is at least a 6-inch difference between their chest and waist and between their hips and waist. The girths of their chest and hips are within a couple of inches of one another. Common Hourglass measurements for chest, waist and hips respectively are 33-26-33, 36-30-38, 34-28-35, 39-32-38, or 42-35-44.

2. SPOONS will find that there is not a significant difference between the girths of their chest and waist but a significant difference between the girths of their hips and chest. For example, 34-30-38, 36-30-44, or 32-28-39.

[FlowerHair]

35 - 24 - 37
I guess I'm in between a Spoon and an Hourglass.
Just like I thought...

[SouthernTease]

I can't lie... I am still confused...
I'm bad at measuring... every time I try I come up with
a different answer... but just looking at myself...
my shoulders are pretty broad I'm a 30DD... 5'6" 125 lbs
I think I'm 34-25-36...
When I gain weight... it happens in my thighs and butt...
but then again I could be paranoid about those areas and not notice
it when I t appears in my upper body.
... so... I'm definitely thinking bottom heavy hourglass for me.

Still Not Sure?



If you are having problems determining your body type, it is probably because you are carrying extra weight. Fear not, simply follow the Hourglass workout until you shed off some of that weight. As you become slimmer and your natural shape begins to emerge, you can start adding some resistance and weight to your exercises. I find that many women look in the mirror and have eyes only for their problem areas. I can't tell you how many women misdiagnose their body type as a Spoon. They are all obsessed with the size of their thighs. A woman who is 5'8" and 170 pounds, who bulks in the arms and the thighs and is more slender around her stomach may think she is a Spoon because she has very big thighs. But in reality, she is an Hourglass with a tendency to bulk down below a little faster than she does up above. I call this type of woman a bottom-heavy Hourglass. She bulks both above and below but more on her bottom half. Because she is overweight by at least 20 pounds, a lot of that extra weight is emphasized below. She only thinks she is a Spoon because she dislikes that part of her body so much.


In truth, you're only temporarily caught between types. Deep down you are a pure Hourglass, Spoon, Ruler or Cone and you're overweight. You cannot be anything else. For example, you can't be a top-heavy Ruler, because someone who bulks only on top by definition is a Cone. Nor can you be a top-heavy Spoon, because that would make you an Hourglass. If you are larger throughout any one part of your body, you are either overweight and/or bulkier due to the type of exercises you have been performing.

[FoxyScholar]

I took the quiz and my results said I was a CONE!!!!:blush:

Please help me understand.... I do carry more weight in the upper body, e.g., arms, back, stomach....

[SouthernTease]

You might want to start a thread for cone shapes...

You're like the complete opposite of a spoon/hourglass...
so you're dealing with totally different issues...

You might want to check this site out too. Exercises to escape your cone shape. (http://www.enotalone.com/article/5793.html)

[Ms Lala]

I am a ruler. I don't have a very defined waist at all. I have always struggled w/this, even when I'm in great shape you can't see much difference between my boobs and waist. I may check out this book because I would like to have a more defined waist.

[kweenameena]

It said I'm an hourglass. It was right about running being uncomfortable. I hate running.
But how should an hourglass go about building a booty? I'm all hips, boobs, thighs, and big calves but the booty is getting flatter by the minute.:nono:

[Avaya]

http://quiz.ivillage.com/diet/tests/bodytype.htm

[yodie]

Thanks Southern Tease. U posted great info. I'm def an hourglass. There's a 10 inch difference between my waist and hips.

Also, I hate running. It hurts.

I'm at work, so I can't pull up exercises for hourglasses until I get home. Should we do treadmills on an incline?