I frequently see emails from lovely women in the Femme Nativa community sharing their struggles with transitioning from heavy weightlifting to low-impact, mostly bodyweight workouts. This is something that really hits close to home for me because I’ve been through it myself (before I became a personal trainer). And let me tell you, the transition from heavyweight lifting to bodyweight workouts wasn’t an easy decision for me. I loved how strong I was from lifting weights and I firmly believed this was the way to go.
Switching from heavy lifting to low-impact workouts felt like starting from scratch, even though I’ve been working out for a long time. I made the switch since heavy lifting made me bigger and bulkier. If this is the main reason or one of the reasons why you want to switch to low0impact workouts, then this blog post is for you.
I know how hard it can be to go through this transition without guidance. In this blog, I’ll share my experience with both heavy lifting and low-impact workouts. I’ll talk about what to expect when you switch from lifting heavy weights to doing mostly bodyweight workouts and how long it might take to see results.
But before we dive into that let’s first talk about what low-impact workouts are :)
WHAT ARE LOW-INTENSITY WORKOUTS?
Low-intensity (low-impact) workouts are exercises that don’t push you too hard. You do them at a comfortable pace for a longer time instead of going all-out. This doesn’t mean that these workouts are not effective. It just means they have different benefits to high-intensity workouts and that these workouts put your body through far less stress.
Heavy weight lifting where you lift heavy weights but do just a few repetitions of the workout is an example of a high-intensity workout. (This is also known as high weight, low rep training.) Running, HIIT (interval training) and CrossFit are also examples of high-intensity training.
As a certified PT, some of the low-intensity workouts I recommend are walking, swimming, cycling, elliptical trainer, low-weight and bodyweight resistance training, yoga, pilates (Reformer and Barre), and dance.
RELATED ARTICLE: LOW IMPACT TRAINING FOR WOMEN – RECOMMENDED BY A CERTIFIED PT
Pilates is my personal favorite because it helps tone my booty, and legs without adding the extra bulk :)
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM HEAVY LIFTING TO LOW-IMPACT WORKOUTS?
First things first, switching to low-intensity workouts is a 360-degree change. Believe me, I was rattled and clueless at first. I totally felt like a beginner though I have been working out for more than 10 years. To help you with what to expect in transitioning, I listed some things you can expect with your transition.
MENTAL ADJUSTMENTS
As someone who’s been used to the high-intensity, high-reward nature of heavy lifting, it can feel a bit strange to slow down. You might worry that you’re not doing enough or that you’ll lose all your gains and your muscle tone. However, it is important to remember that fitness is about balance and that low-intensity workouts have their own unique benefits.
Plus, if your goal is to become leaner and slim unwanted muscle bulk, as long as you are lifting super heavy, you want be able to reach this goal, especially if your body type is one of the 2 female body types that build muscle quickly. If you’re not sure what’s your body type, you can do my FREE body type quiz and find out in 2 minutes. :)
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RELATED POST: WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE
HOW I DEALT WITH TRANSITIONING FROM HEAVY WEIGHTS TO LOW-IMPACT WORKOUTS
As I’ve mentioned before, I am much happier now with the way I look and feel. And this is primarily because of my workout routine.
I used to think my workout did nothing unless I was sweating a lot and feeling like I might pass out from exertion. I used to lift heavy, did a lot of HIIT and ran regularly. But unfortunately, even though I was putting in sooo much effort, I didn’t like the way my workout routine made me look. I have a Mesomorph body type which means I’m athletic by nature and I build muscle quickly. When I was lifting heavy, I became too bulky for my own liking, I lost all my confidence and I felt tired and fatigued all the time.
It got to the point I was just so sick and tired of working out so hard without getting the results I wanted. None of my clothes fit and the more I lifted, the bigger I got. I was beyond frustrated…And even though my PT from that time tried to convince me that I should keep lifting and doing high-intensity workouts after a year or so, I decided to quit.
My own transition from heavy weights to mostly bodyweight workouts was quite abrupt which may not work for you. For me, it worked well because I immediately noticed positive changes. And noticing these positive changes, helped me accept my new routine a lot quicker. Let me explain. :)
Around that time, I had a big trip to Japan planned. I was a bit stressed about missing my workouts but it was my first time visiting Japan so I was also super excited. While I was there I walked a lot and did just quick 15-minute workouts in my hotel room. Walking and these quick workouts were the only thing I did and I couldn’t believe how much better I felt doing just this.
When I got back from this trip, I looked leaner and felt lighter (compared to how I felt and looked while doing weights). I also loved the fact I could save time and money by not going to the gym.
RELATED POST: FEMALE GUIDE ON HOW TO GET LEAN AND NOT BULKY
So what I would recommend to you is to focus on the positive changes you notice when doing low-impact workout. Remember, progress is not only about losing weight or gaining muscle. There are other benefits to fitness.
Here are 7 signs of progress you can look for when you start doing low-impact workouts:
CHANGES IN SORENESS AND RECOVERY
When you transition from heavy weights to low-impact workouts, physically, you might feel like you’re not getting a good workout at first. Don’t worry, I felt that, too. Heavy lifting is all about maxing out your muscles, while low-intensity workouts are more about endurance and steady effort. Your body will need some time to adjust to this new type of exercise.
One of the immediate changes you’ll likely notice is a reduction in muscle soreness. Low-intensity workouts don’t usually lead to the same level of muscle damage as heavy lifting, which means less soreness and quicker recovery times. This can be a welcome change, especially if you’ve been dealing with chronic soreness or injuries.
CHANGES IN MUSCLE MASS AND TONE
You might also notice some changes in your muscle mass and tone. Heavy lifting is excellent for building muscle mass, but low-intensity workouts can still help you maintain and even improve muscle tone.
Activities like yoga, pilates, and bodyweight exercises can enhance muscle definition and improve your overall physique.
This 12-minutes busy girl workout surely helped with my muscle tone :)
IMPROVEMENT IN ENDURANCE AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
Another change you’ll experience is the improvement in endurance and cardiovascular health. Activities such as walking, cycling, and swimming are great for your heart and lungs. Over time, you’ll notice that you can go longer and feel stronger during these activities. As I’ve shared before, I still feel fit, healthy, and in good shape even without lifting heavy weights.
Plus, low-intensity cardio is excellent for fat loss! You can learn more about fat loss and how to get your body into the fat-burning zone with cardio in this blog post.
RELATED POST: CARDIO FOR FAT LOSS: WHY YOU NEED CARDIO FOR LEAN LEGS
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SEE RESULTS FROM A LOW-IMPACT WORKOUT?
Now, let’s talk about the timeline. When can you expect to see results? The truth is, it varies from person to person. Factors such as your starting fitness level, your consistency, your overall health and your body type play a role.
On average, you might start seeing changes within the first four weeks. For a clearer picture, let’s break down the timeline for results :)
0-4 weeks: You might not see big changes in your body yet, but you’ll feel more energetic. Low-intensity workouts won’t leave you feeling as sore, and you’ll have more pep in your step throughout the day.
1-3 months: Your body will start getting used to the workouts, and you’ll feel stronger and more capable. You might notice small changes in how you look, like a bit less fat and more muscle tone.
3+ months: By now, you’ll see more obvious changes, like slimmer, more toned legs and feeling healthier overall. Your efforts will start paying off, and you’ll feel great about your progress!
RELATED POST: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SLIM DOWN LEGS?
WRAPPING UP
Transitioning from heavy lifting to low-intensity workouts can be tough. You may feel less strong and feel like you’re losing all your muscle tone. This is perfectly normal and to be expected but I understand it may feel overwhelming.
You will definitely feel less strong when you stop lifting weights but you’ll also feel less tired and sore.
You will definitely lose some of your muscle tone and muscle bulk but if you keep exercising and stick to your low-impact workout routine, you will still have muscles and you’ll look leaner and toned.
If one of your fitness goals is to lose unwanted muscle bulk you gained through weight lifting, transitioning to low-impact workouts will be the only way. I cannot emphasise this enough.
It’s normal to feel like you’re starting over, but you are making progress even if it doesn’t feel like it at first.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask in the comments section. I’d be more than happy to answer all your questions and reassure you during your transition from high-intensity to low-intensity workouts.
BEST LOW-IMPACT PROGRAMS
If you want to move away from heavy weights and are interested in switching up your workout routine. I have lots of different low-impact programs you can try out. :) Some are more intense than others, like for example my Glutes, Abs and Legs program.
All my programs are designed to help you get that lean and toned look, without unwanted muscle bulk. All of them are suitable for women of all ages and consist mostly of bodyweight or low-weight workouts.
If you’re not sure which program would be the best option for you, you can always reach out to me via Instagram DMs or here in the comments section. :)
Love Rachael xx
SOURCES
- Low-Intensity Workouts – https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/what-to-know-low-intensity-workouts
- Weight Loss Progress – https://www.health.com/fitness/scale-weight-loss-progress
- Endurance and Cardiovascular Health – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6172294/
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