Going to the Gym?

horsesdontjudge

I'm interested in going to the gym or starting some other exercise program. I'm already fairly active as I have a horse, 2 dogs, and walk everywhere (within reason). I want to start an exercise program that helps you build muscle while reducing fat (and if it included some diet help that's a plus).
My questions are: do I need to go to a gym for this? Or are there good programs that I can do in a small living room/on my own? Also, I'm smaller and people have gotten concerned in the past when I started exercise programs. Is there some way I can help calm people and help them understand that my goal is to replace fat with muscle and not to just 'waste away' (as they think will happen as soon as I exercise)?
Thanks!

deannalfisher

you can do either - i have a gym membership, but i also workout at home quite frequently - there are lots of free workouts on youtube that you can use - fitness blender is a favorite of mine

peaceout_aly

Do I need to go to a gym to build muscle and reduce fat?
Not particularly. There are plenty of good in-home routines that you can do with bodyweight as well as a few lightweight or transitional dumbbells. I also suggest investing in ankle weights and resistance bands for lower body. Eventually, however, you may outgrow bodyweight (depending on how much muscle you want to build) and will need to either invest in heavier weights or a gym membership.

Is there some way I can help calm people and help them understand that my goal is to replace fat with muscle and not to just 'waste away' (as they think will happen as soon as I exercise)?
Ignore what people say. I'm petite and people are constantly telling me I'm not eating enough or I work out too much. I used to try and fight them and show them my log of how much food I ate, but then I realized they were never going to shut up about it. You're logging your food, you know you have more than enough calories in your day and you know your physical limits for working out. Listen to your body, not other people. If I listened to others, I wouldn't go to the gym or eat properly nearly as much.

AliceDark

Sounds like what you want is a bodyweight resistance training program to begin with, unless you're interested in investing in some weights. Try looking into You Are Your Own Gym and Convict Conditioning; I believe both start out with just your bodyweight so you really don't need equipment or space.

In terms of what other people are going to think, maybe just don't tell them that you're exercising? Especially if you're already at a healthy weight or close to it, you probably won't see immediate visual differences unless you starve yourself (which obviously you shouldn't do). If someone like a partner or family member is really concerned, you can tell them that weight loss is 90% about diet and you're not eating in a way that would make you waste away.

Ben_there_done_that

Aw, everyone pretty much touched on what I was going to say. Good luck!

horsesdontjudge

Thanks guys! Think I'll look into the options for at home before I go the gym route. I'm pretty non-muscular right now so maybe starting with just my body weight will be good (and if not then I'll look into some of the weight options people gave). Thanks again for all the advice, I feel like I actually have a direction now! Super excited to try some of my options and hopefully find one that works!

AnnPT77

Maybe also check out this thread over in the maintaining forum, it's a good'un:

Recomposition: Maintaining weight while losing fat

There's also this, which may be helpful:

Which lifting program is the best for you?

It includes some bodyweight programs that require minimal equipment to start.

(Edited to fix typo in URL)

horsesdontjudge

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Maybe also check out this thread over in the maintaining forum, it's a good'un:

Recomposition: Maintaining weight while losing fat

There's also this, which may be helpful:

Which lifting program is the best for you?

It includes some bodyweight programs that require minimal equipment to start.

(Edited to fix typo in URL)

Thank you! I'll look into those links for sure