Strength exercises on a budget!

FL_Hiker

Howdy!
I'm looking to start doing a little strength training, but I'm on a budget and don't have a gym membership. Do you have any good ideas for homemade exercise equipment and exercises?
Thanks!

Spliner1969

Body weight is your friend! Google some exercises like push ups, pull ups, squats, planks, sit ups, crunches, etc. You can do quite a bit without weights. I started with body weight (and still do it for the first parts of my workouts) and bought free weights as I progressed. Last Xmas the family bought me an adjustable bench which was fairly inexpensive for free weights and situps/crunches. No gym membership needed. Heck, the weights aren't even needed unless you get good enough at the body weight exercises to need to progress further.

AnvilHead

Google "You Are Your Own Gym" and "Convict Conditioning", for starters. There are also a few others listed/linked in the beginning of this thread: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

kbmnurse1

Used canned goods for weights

Avidkeo

I have a set of adjustable dumbbells - 20kg (just under 40lb) that cost me 70nzd (would be about 40usd). They are enough for almost all strength exercise. Have a look at Kmart/wall mart/target. Someone is bound to have them

jorichards2

You could also look at resistance bands. They take up minimal space and you can take them anyway. I started with dynabands and now have a wall mounted set of bodylastics in my garage.

sgt1372

kbmnurse1 wrote: »

Used canned goods for weights

Or plastic quart, half gallon, gallon and/or 5 gallon containers filled w/sand or water in lieu of weights. Sand is,cheap and better than water because it doesn't slosh around like water does. You can also vary the amount of sand/water used in the larger containers to vary the weight.

If you're using a 5 gal bucket, for example, you can use sand filled quart or gallon zip lock bags (sealed w/tape to help avoid spills) to fill the bucket w/the desired weight. Great for doing Farmer walk carries or squats standing on a plyo box or something similar.

cherys

Yes - bodyweight - the great advantage that overweight people have over slim people: we're a walking set of dumbells. If you can plank, side plank, do climbers, burpees, press ups, leg raises, triceps curls etc every day you soon tone up.

A good kettlebell from Amazon doesn't break the bank either and you can use it to follow Youtube fitness videos.

VUA21

Look up "Body weight workout" on YouTube. There are 100's of workouts you can do that require no equipment, not even a kettlebell or dumbbells.

ArmyMedic23PFA

I got some deals on wowcher, facebook market place

cecekay19

Body weight workouts. Simple push-ups, squats, planks will go a long way to start. Using an app on your phone, like Daily Workout Apps, will help you with timing and variety. You can get some simple dumbbells pretty much anywhere but resistance bands and a jump rope are cheap too.

stanmann571

cherys wrote: »

Yes - bodyweight - the great advantage that overweight people have over slim people: we're a walking set of dumbells. If you can plank, side plank, do climbers, burpees, press ups, leg raises, triceps curls etc every day you soon tone up.

A good kettlebell from Amazon doesn't break the bank either and you can use it to follow Youtube fitness videos.

I'd check your local craigslist and keep an eye on it between now and mid july. Between mid July and late august the swimsuit weightloss crowd starts getting rid of their fitness equipment. Look to pay between .75 and 1.25 per lb for kettlebells. If you see them for less, and can afford to scoop them up, you can try flipping them around the first week of January or last week of april for 1.50 or so a lb.

Skip youtube though and Get Pavel's book and Sara Lurie's DVD.

stanmann571

AnvilHead wrote: »

Google "You Are Your Own Gym" and "Convict Conditioning", for starters. There are also a few others listed/linked in the beginning of this thread: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

Good advice here!!