Why are my workouts not working?

[alliecheergirl123]

I do pilates about 4x a week for about 30 minutes and yoga for 20-30 minutes 4-5 times a week as well. I do cardo once a week as well (i have a fast metabolism, so i can't do cardio that often) I am still really skinny too. My diet is pretty good- i eat 4 fruits a day and 4-5 vegetables a day! My dinner is usually rice, chicken, and a salad. I eat apple and peanut butter and a banana and peanut butter. I will have eggs and turkey sausage. Im not eating anything bad.. so I am so confused. I have been really dedicated to my workouts too, since last June. I should be able to tone up from pilates.. so i dont get whats wrong. Its frustrating that im not seeing results. Any ideas? Should I increase my time to 45 minutes of pilates? Or? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

[kaylaS91]

You'll probably have to change up your workout, make it more intense in terms of core exercises. Seeing as how you're concerned that your fast metabolism makes it so that you can't even do any cardio, why are you having such a low calorie intake? Muscle is built from fat. If you eat pretty lean and low-calorie meals, your body will have not much energy/fat to build anything from.

Up your calorie intake, namely protein. Throw in some plank, hanging leg-lifts, leg raises, etc.. Yoga and pilates are both for toning and giving you a leaner look so doing both of them regularly is probably not going to get you any closer to what it sounds like you're going for.

[lumos]

To me it seems like your workout isn't intense enough and your diet isn't "big" enough. That kind of diet and training would only help someone lose weight, not tone up. If you want to tone up you need to eat more and lift weights etc.

[InquisitiveMale]

Most women need to be somewhere in the range of 15% for a toned stomach- 12%ish being completely ripped. Get down to an appropriate body fat percentage and then use resistance training to enhance and show your abs.

Given the right base, abs are the easiest thing in the world to achieve.
Given the wrong base, abs are quite literally impossible to achieve.

p. s. eat smart, not just healthy...

[WeaponZero]

There's no actual strength training in your regimen. You need ACTUAL strength training to build muscle. Also adding muscle requires a calorie surplus. It sounds like you're eating to lose weight and training to lose weight. Of course you won't tone up because that requires adding muscle to your body.

[ichot]

Are you doing your exercise at a high intensity?

How many full range leg raises can you do from a HANG?
www.exrx.net/.../BWHangingStraightLegHipRaise.gif

[ichot]

Just as reference, I can do 10 of those consecutively and I have visible abs. If you can't do one, there's a way to progress to these...

1. www.exrx.net/.../BWHangingLegRaise.html
2. www.exrx.net/.../BWHangingStraightLegRaise.html
3. www.exrx.net/.../BWHangingLegHipRaise.html

[nativepride73]

To build muscle you need to have more strength training in order to build up. Trying mixing up other workouts into your schedule so that your body can experience a change and result in more muscle development. Doing the same exercises everyday its only going to add to your muscle memory and stunt your ability to gain more muscle and tone up. Also, try running a bit more too, that will help a lot for you to tone up.

[oldanddecrepid]

Sometimes, we don't see the subtle differences in our bodies when we work-out but they are there!

If you were relatively skinny in the first place, then toning can take awhile. You should ask someone else to look at your body (boyfriend or girl-friend) and then get them to look again in two months. They can likely note the areas you have tightened-up better than you can.

Sometimes we look for huge improvements rather than just improvements period.

[Shaft50]

I think you might have to change up your routine... keep your body guessing and do something different for a couple of months... weights, hiking, swimming, etc. I have a feeling that your body is becoming conditioned to the same exercises and because there is no change, there is no growth or development...

[mishiii]

Pardon my inquiry when you say your workouts are not working, what is your goal?
What are you trying to do what are you aiming for

[Zanecyber]

what type of results are u wanting? if u want muscle and leaner, doing crunches and 20 mins of running isn't going to do anything for u, and lean meats proper protein to carb ratio, dont starveself that also isn't going to do anything,

[Octavius]

Are you trying to get toned muscle or what exactly are you after?

[alliecheergirl123]

just tone up my stomach! thats it- not looking for a 6 pack or anything here

[Octavius]

More cardio will help with that. Maybe do some crunches, planks, and air bikes.

[alliecheergirl123]

i can't do that much cardio because of my metabolism

[Octavius]

I don't really understand. I have an absurdly fast metabolism but I still do cardio and I'm a person that exercises trying to gain weight.

[alliecheergirl123]

i have to eat 2000 calories every day as it is to maintain my weight.. i just can't do that much cardio

[Octavius]

I try to eat 3300 calories a day to keep myself from losing weight... Like I said you can do those other exercises but cardio does a really good job at toning your stomach. Maybe try to reduce the amount of fat you eat while still eating the same amount of calories.

[WeaponZero]

The more you work out the more you have to eat to keep from losing weight. Combining a low calorie diet like that with the kind of workout regimen you're following is not only getting you even farther from your goal, it's also hurting you.

[Hakkattack01]

Just keep at it hun! We all doubt our workouts at some point whether at the beginning or, half way through when the desired results a are not being achieved. Stay strong alliecheergirl123 ;-)

[BelleGirl21]

Sounds like you need more protien and some heavy weights!

[BoobMan]

What results are you going for Allie? Hard to say what to change without knowing your goals and where you are against them.

[orphan]

your diet is nothing but sugar.

if you're trying to burn fat then: fruit, peanut butter, and rice (white)... all bad.

[RasAlGhul]

So you objective its win some clean mass right? but stay lean? that hard too do.. the best way its get your hc ( more rice and chicken) if u want grow u have to eat more than u need

[MrC63AMG]

You need to work harder thats why the more u work harder the faster u see results

[crazyperson19]

yes it sounds like it is. and it shows by your pictures

[Anonymous]

What are you trying to improve on? Just all around healthiness? Or are you trying to look better?

[alliecheergirl123]

just tone up my stomach! im already skinny.. so its weird i guess

[Opinion Owner]

Haha, ya i was gonna say you look fine already! Yoga and pilates are mainly just calming workouts to keep your heart healthy. If your looking to tone your abs then try out some ab workouts. Whether that's before or after pilates and yoga doesn't matter. Pilates are more motion and just keeping your body strong, not for specific things like your abs, Although there are some yoga poses that can help build muscle, that doesn't target what your looking to improve. Doing things as simple as crunches and sit ups can muscle up your abs some more. You can try using apps on your phone if that's what you prefer. Or just looking up some simple work outs on youtube can work to.

[alliecheergirl123]

pilates does a ton of ab work! like scissor kicks, the 100, leg lifts, single leg lifts, reverse crunches, side planks, etc. so im definitely getting that in

[Opinion Owner]

Then maybe your not working them hard enough. Maybe you need to add weight.

[Opinion Owner]

Add weight to the workout

[Anonymous]

Some bodies, just aren't meant to be built, like chemically, they don't work that way

[Opinion Owner]

It's a good thing too, I don't like well built women, it's too masculine

[nevavanilla90]

Weight training and lifting will build your body

[apple24]

maybe your not push as hard!

[Shyguy_1988]

More strength training and protien?