Working out without a gym or pool

Jthanmyfitnesspal

Hi Folks

Without access to a gym or pool, I've been upping my game at home.

- jogging about every other day
- bike on a trainer for all the cold and rainy April days in New England (ride outside when possible)
- Floor-ex/core
- Resistance bands
- And (ta dah!), yanking an ancient dinky weight set out of the basement, cleaning off the cobwebs and rust, and setting them up in the family room. After all these years, they still work fine!

What's everyone else doing?

rainbow198

Great job!

- I use weights, resistance bands, ankle and wrist weights, I have a Pilates Reformer, a mini-stair stepper with handles, a weighted hula hoop, a Bosu ball and other toys/equipment.

- Youtube workouts, fitness dvd's and doing live workouts on IG and YT are great.

- I fell in love with step aerobics again! I have so many options that put my bench and risers away a while ago. I'm glad I dusted it off because it makes me so happy.

- Sometimes I create my own circuit type workout depend on what my focus is for that day.

- Also I jump rope in my backyard and do bodyweight work out there too to get some sun and fresh air.

DancingMoosie

I do a video every morning. ^Like rainbow, I also really enjoy step. But, I try to vary the morning routine daily. Today I did some dumbbell work and pushups before a step routine. I also walk in place or on my treadmill. I take the dogs out on leash aroundy property a couple to 3x if possible. I made a work at home challenge to do pullups whenever I need to use the restroom. Sometimes I forget, but when I remember, I try to do a few each visit. My pull-up bar is right next to the restroom. "Work" hours are over at 3 pm, so I think I only got in 4 rounds today.

AnnPT77

I'm lucky enough to have a rowing machine at home, and when the weather's nice (because I'm a weather wimp) I've been going for walks and working in the yard. (Today, it rained, snowed, hailed, was windy, . . . and yeah, the sun shone for a while between each of those, albeit briefly. It was around 40F, and I didn't go for a walk. ). I also have weights and a pull-up rack here, but am lackadaisical about using them. I have been doing more yoga/stretching (self-directed, not video/online).

New/revived things I'm doing are playing on my wobble disk (round wood platform with a small hard-plastic partial sphere on the bottom so it wobbles in all directions), and trying to hula hoop. The latter mostly involves spinning the hoop by hand, then shimmying while it drops to the floor, and repeat.

AliNouveau

I'm doing workout videos from YouTube. Even had my family do one with me today!!! I set up a space outside on our deck where I can workout. It was a bit chilly today but it's super fun being outside

BrianSharpe

Running 3 or 4 times a week, I'm riding on my trainer too (at least until things warm up a bit more and the flooding on the bike path subsides) and trying to be more consistent with my rowing & strength training.

Theoldguy1

Working on cobbling together some workouts. Live in a subdivision with no through traffic so good to walk, run or bike. Can ride the bike a mile and get on a municipal multi-use trail. Have the following stuff at home:

Rogue Echo (fan style) bike
pull up bar
gymnastic ring
TRX
Powerblock adjustable kettlebell
Ab wheel
several resistance bands
foam rollers
plyo box (20, 24, 30 inch adjustable)
weight vest (20-60 lbs adjustable)
sandbags
old tire and pull strap

I've started a variant of Dan John's 10,000 swing kettlebell challenge which involves 10k swings in a month interspersed with other resistance exercises. Also walking 4 miles 4-5 times a week before work. Going to start adding weight vest to morning walk. Getting in another walk with my wife. Riding Rogue bike a bit, looking to get on regular bike as weather warms up.

Djproulx

Except for swimming, my routine remains largely the same. Three/4 bike days, with most sessions done on my indoor trainer, four run days (two runs done as transition runs off the bike), two strength sessions now done at home, and yoga.

I'm doing a bit of dry land swim training (yuck!) , but will have to suck it up and get into the open water earlier than normal to rebuild swim fitness for a June race.

@Jthan - Any chance you're racing the Patriot Half in E. Freetown, Mass this June??

brittanystebbins95

I've been running outside 3-4 times per week, and going for long walks in between. Hiking where I can.
My husband and I bought some dumbbells the moment our gym closed so we've been doing our best with at home workouts, but they're just not the same. Its really hard not to lose progress without some of the cables, or a bench or squat rack, etc.
A co worker of ours who's deployed just contacted my husband yesterday and said that we're more than welcome to go into his home while he's away and utilize his squat rack and bench. So we are super excited about that!

sijomial

Weather has been good for the duration and as the roads are incredibly quiet I've been cycling outdoors most days. I am limiting myself to rides from home and unsupported/no stops so distance is limited by how much water I need. The empty roads means speed or interval training is far easier without traffic to contend with.

But have realised that I very strongly associate both strength training and flexibility/stretching as being things I do in the gym. Despite having dumbbells a gym ball and needing no equipment for bodyweight exercises and flexibility work I've been neglecting it. I simply need to be more disciplined and get it done.

Been doing loads of sawing of firewood so I'm very aerobically fit from the cycling and will have forearms like Popeye from all the sawing.

Machka9

I'm doing pretty much what I always do ...

-- cycling outside
-- walking/running outside
-- cycling inside (Zwift)
-- walking/running inside (treadmill)
-- rowing inside

And some weights, stretching, pilates stuff, etc.

The only thing missing is stairs. When I worked in an office building, I used to hike up and down many, many flights of stairs. Now I don't really have much in the way of stairs to use.

SnifterPug

For cardio I do several rounds of shadow boxing holding a 1kg dumbbell in each hand (why sweat out my gloves if I have nothing to hit?). Or I just dance around looking like a fool, but checking my heart rate is where I want it.

I have resistance bands, a pull up bar, a 10kg kettlebell and a barbell/dumbbell combination that goes up to 30kg. So not that heavy but enough to give me a decent workout if I am creative. Also a TRX.

I spend plenty of time stretching and also enjoy bodyweight exercises.

Like sijomial, I also associate exercise with the gym and before lockdown if I couldn't go the gym for some reason I wouldn't exercise. (The only reason I have the amount of equipment I do is because I was lucky enough to source it before lockdown was imposed and everyone else bought it all.) However, I took a day off last week and immediately noticed the difference in my mental wellbeing. I was thoroughly cranky. That has spurred me on, and I am finding much to enjoy about exercising at home, especially out in the garden in the lovely weather we have. I'm also enjoying the challenge of being creative about exercising muscles where I would normally just rely on a piece of gym equipment.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

@Djproulx : The only thing I'd signed up for was the "BAA Medley," which would have had a 5K this month (maybe this weekend) now delayed until fall. I had thought about training for the "Run to Remember" HM on Memorial day. I'm not doing HM-length training and my body seems to be thanking me for that.

@sijomial : What is your distance limit for a self-supported ride? I don't do any particularly long rides, but I'm thinking I could do at least 50 miles if I carried my 3 liter Camelback in addition to a full water bottle plus some snacks. Maybe I'll do that if we get a warm day.

Several people mention TRX. I've always wanted to try it and maybe now's the time!

sijomial

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

@sijomial : What is your distance limit for a self-supported ride? I don't do any particularly long rides, but I'm thinking I could do at least 50 miles if I carried my 3 liter Camelback in addition to a full water bottle plus some snacks. Maybe I'll do that if we get a warm day.

I can't stand anything on my back so I'm relying on two 750cc bottles.
My fluid needs varies enormously with temperature, speed and intensity but a fast 50 miles is OK and 60 for a moderate intensity ride if not too warm is doable and but I'll be going out fully hydrated and coming back pretty dry.
Mostly at the moment though I'm keeping rides shorter as I'm not having many days out of the saddle. Plus the two closed roads century rides I had booked have been cancelled so I'm training without a specific event goal. Just enjoying the rides is higher up my priorities rather than specific training goals.

girlwithcurls2

I miss my pool So much of my workouts are in a pool, either laps or a deep cardio class 4x/week. I'm doing body weight on YAYOG to replace my lifting in the gym. Running stairs is my new cardio, along with long walks when I can. Oh, I started yoga. I always wanted to do it, but never did.

MikePfirrman

I am fortunate in that I have a pretty strong gym at home -- Assault Bike, C2 Rower, just bought two Hybrid Comfort Bikes (and we have 50 miles of dedicated trails), Bowflex Adjustable Weights, Heavy Ropes, Plyo Box, Heavy KBs, various bands/handles and now just got a Bowflex LateralX for the wife.

I also added in BeachBody on Demand for 3 months for my adult daughter who loves to workout. She's in Cyber Security Acct Mgt and working from our house for the next couple of months.

I'm admittedly not taking advantage of it all because I mostly do the rower, though I'm adding in weights now. Currently, I'm rowing an hour a day, six days a week. I do sprints on Tuesday and longer intervals on Friday. I'm just doing mostly pushups and pressups with dumbbells on Tuesday and Friday. Like sijomial, I used to do more weights. I realize I need to add them back in and haven't been disciplined enough to do it. Thinking about P90X (not by the program but just doing selective workouts to add in weights). I'm finally getting acclimated to the 70K meters a week plus on the rower. Been bike riding once a week -- around 15 miles but really just for fun.

A question for you more serious bikers. We are not first of all, but I'd like to get a simple bike computer for my wife or I just to see how far and fast we go -- these are comfort bikes for leisurely rides. Any recommendations? We're not looking to race or anything like that.

sijomial

@MikePfirrman

If you aren't wanting to use the bike computer for navigation then the free Strava app downloaded to your phones will probably be fine. Uses GPS to plot your speed, distance and route taken.

MikePfirrman

sijomial wrote: »

@MikePfirrman

If you aren't wanting to use the bike computer for navigation then the free Strava app downloaded to your phones will probably be fine. Uses GPS to plot your speed, distance and route taken.

Thank you, I was leaning toward that one or a bike computer I'd read about but I think Strava makes more sense.

Djproulx

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

@Djproulx : The only thing I'd signed up for was the "BAA Medley," which would have had a 5K this month (maybe this weekend) now delayed until fall. I had thought about training for the "Run to Remember" HM on Memorial day. I'm not doing HM-length training and my body seems to be thanking me for that.

@jthan - Gotcha! BTW, I should have been more clear: The Patriot is a Half Iron Distance triathlon. So if it is held in June, there's not only the 70.3 race, but quite a few entrants will race it as an Aquabike event. That gives you a chance to do a solid swim/bike effort without the added "fun" of the half marathon run split at the end, lol!!!

Jthanmyfitnesspal

@MikePfirrman : All you need is a phone and one of many apps to do the tracking. You can get a mount to put the phone on your handle bars, if you like. My favorite bike tracking app is RideWithGPS, but there are so many others (MapMyRide, Strava, etc.). I bought the speed and cadence dongles from Wahoo fitness, but they aren't necessary.

(BTW: I use a Strava account as my central workout repository, but I don't use it for tracking activities directly. I now track everything with my Garmin watch, but I've been having trouble with it lately and my switch back to a phone app.)

Jthanmyfitnesspal

@Djproulx : Patriot aquabike sound like my speed! I can't imagine we'll all be sprung from our houses by June, but we can hope! (It would be pretty hard to swim with a surgical mask.)