Help with exercising?

paigealexandra93

Hi guys,

So I really need help with exercising. I was wondering if anybody could help with some AT HOME exercises? I am at a lost with what to do. My goal is to lose the body fat BEFORE I bulk up, because I don't want the muscles growing under the fat. Could some body help me with a routine? Please, I'm looking for an equipment free work out. I can't afford buying anything.

What worked for you guys? I am so unmotivated, and not used to exercising AT ALL. Exercising makes me extremely frustrated because I feel like nothing will ever help, I am destined to be that fat girl. Also, please no running. I am not comfortable going running.

Kalikel

DVDs are cheap on eBay. Workouts are free on YouTube. If the weather allows, go for walks. Turn on some music and dance. Wash the floor on your hands and knees, even if it's clean. Clean the bathroom daily. Clean the fridge, inside and out. Iron clothes, if you don't already do that. Sweep out the garage.

There is so much you can do around the house.

You are only destined to remain fat if you choose to remain fat.

SweatLikeDog

Get the notion that you will bulk up by exercising out of your mind immediately. Unless you're an elite athlete on steroids, it won't happen. Muscle burns calories. Fat doesn't. Start strength training now along with a slightly calorie deficit. With no equipment you should start a bodyweight training routine. Google Al Kovadlo for some good programs.

funchords

paigealexandra93 wrote: »

My goal is to lose the body fat BEFORE I bulk up, because I don't want the muscles growing under the fat. [...] I'm looking for an equipment free work out.

Hi there,

I started at 298 with 1) logging in MyFitnessPal and 2) walking 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes. Seriously, those were my hard and fast rules (and they still are). Everything that happened next was motivated by those two things. That was 113 days ago. I have lost 65 pounds since that first day, July 9th. Gym = 0, Equipment = 0, Expense = $0.

Walking at first was a chore, but I promised myself I would do it. I got a smartphone app called MapMyFitness (it's also a website) and found places to walk in my area. I quickly stopped walking around my block and started walking on trails and loops where MapMyFitness showed me others were walking and looked interesting. I started driving to these places and walking up to 45 minutes and bumped it up to 5x a week when I could find the time. It became fun and I started looking forward to it. I now rotate among 4-5 favorite walks -- I have work walks, home walks, weekend walks, off-road walks, to-a-restaurant walks, nature walks, street walks, and when the sun was still up late I did after-dinner walks. It's raining now as I type this and I'm trying to figure out where I might walk in the rain during a Nor'easter (maybe the mall?).

Losing weight is primarily in the food habits. Logging, logging well, and never stop logging is seriously more important than any exercise -- but this walking has been so rewarding I would do it anyway even if it didn't help with the weight loss.

arditarose

paigealexandra93 wrote: »

Hi guys,

So I really need help with exercising. I was wondering if anybody could help with some AT HOME exercises? I am at a lost with what to do. My goal is to lose the body fat BEFORE I bulk up, because I don't want the muscles growing under the fat. Could some body help me with a routine? Please, I'm looking for an equipment free work out. I can't afford buying anything.

What worked for you guys? I am so unmotivated, and not used to exercising AT ALL. Exercising makes me extremely frustrated because I feel like nothing will ever help, I am destined to be that fat girl. Also, please no running. I am not comfortable going running.

By the way, you won't be bulking up on a deficit. You will not gain muscle mass unless you're eating at a surplus and training right. Just FYI.

xmichaelyx

It doesn't matter what exercise you do; all that matters is that you do it consistently. So your goal should be to find something you like (or don't dislike) enough to DO IT.

Videos on YouTube are a good place to start. Joining a gym and taking some classes - which adds a social aspect that some people like - can help. Lifting some weights and see if you like that is also a good option.

No one here can really help, because it all depends on what you like and what will keep you motivated. (Personally, looking the way I want to look is all the motivation I need.)

If all else fails, get a dog. They love to be outside and active, and can help keep you at it.

Edit: And of course, as someone above mentioned, if weight loss is your goal, what you eat is WAY more important than whatever exercise you do.

paigealexandra93

xmichaelyx wrote: »

It doesn't matter what exercise you do; all that matters is that you do it consistently. So your goal should be to find something you like (or don't dislike) enough to DO IT.

Videos on YouTube are a good place to start. Joining a gym and taking some classes - which adds a social aspect that some people like - can help. Lifting some weights and see if you like that is also a good option.

No one here can really help, because it all depends on what you like and what will keep you motivated. (Personally, looking the way I want to look is all the motivation I need.)

If all else fails, get a dog. They love to be outside and active, and can help keep you at it.

Edit: And of course, as someone above mentioned, if weight loss is your goal, what you eat is WAY more important than whatever exercise you do.

As mentioned above, I am a student who cannot afford things like the gym. It's not a choice, my fiance and I struggle to find rent as we work our way through university, so if I can't afford a gym membership I most certainly cannot afford a dog.

bwogilvie

For strength training, take a look at Mark Lauren's book You Are Your Own Gym, or his Body by You, which is aimed specifically at women. You'll find a wide range of bodyweight exercises that you can do at home. The Toronto Public Library has an eBook version of the latter.

For general advice on weight loss without following a rigid diet, I recommend Dr. Yoni Freedhoff's The Diet Fix.

You're not going to put on muscle while eating at a calorie deficit (perhaps just a little bit of what are sometimes called "newbie gains," but not bulk). The point of strength training while losing weight is to preserve the muscle you have, as well as to get stronger. (You can get stronger without adding muscle, by becoming more able to coordinate and mobilize the muscle tissue that you already have.)

If you don't want to run, just walk for cardio. As I mentioned on another thread, you can do it every day, it's cheap, and you can work it into your daily routine depending on where you live (e.g. if you drive or take transit to the university, park or get off further from your destination than normal). Or if you have a bicycle, use that.

QueenE_

DVDs and walking here..

shadow2soul

paigealexandra93 wrote: »

Hi guys,

So I really need help with exercising. I was wondering if anybody could help with some AT HOME exercises? I am at a lost with what to do. My goal is to lose the body fat BEFORE I bulk up, because I don't want the muscles growing under the fat. Could some body help me with a routine? Please, I'm looking for an equipment free work out. I can't afford buying anything.

What worked for you guys? I am so unmotivated, and not used to exercising AT ALL. Exercising makes me extremely frustrated because I feel like nothing will ever help, I am destined to be that fat girl. Also, please no running. I am not comfortable going running.

Fitnessblender.com
30 Day Shred (youtube)
The Butt Bible (youtube)
if you have a smartphone: PumpUp app (has a workout builder that asks what you have access too...and it's free)

Consider purchasing some DVD's:
X-TrainFit @ Home : $24 on amazon (be warned exercises range from 26 mins to 81mins...90 day program)
X-TrainMAX : $30 on amazon (new...according to the website 30-45 min workouts)
X-TrainFit: Circuit Burnout : $20 on amazon (20 min workouts)
Rockin' Body: $28 on amazon (20 - 45 min workouts... dancing)
Ect...

You will also probably want a pair of dumbbells. Look on craigslist for some cheap or walmart has an adjustable set that is around $30 if I remember correctly. A resistance band is also another good option.

(edit: I personally haven't been to the gym in years. I've done all my workouts since I started losing weight from home.)