higher volume, low weight strength without gym
yirara
Posts: 10,002 Member
I love strength training, yet it totally wrecks me for days. I now know that I have a muscle condition and that most things apart from walking on flat surface are anaerobic. Not sure what exactly strength does, but it also has some fab benefits: I'm not constantly hungry, and running works so much better. I just seem to hit the wall later. I know that strength training has been shown to activate mitochondria in healthy and other people, and this seems to be happening.
So here's the issue: I just can't do strength training and at the same time go running or just have a half active life. So the thought is: not do strength training for gainz but to only motivate my mitochondria, maybe very low weight, possibly higher volume. Question is: how do you do that with bodyweight? My lightest kettlebell is 8kg, a bit too light for e.g. clean and press, but too heavy to do more than 5 without short break (same with pushups, btw because my muscles just turn acidic so quickly). Gym not an option. Any other ideas?
Just to give you an idea what the problem is: I currently have physiotherapy for something else, but that will stop. Lat pull downs are fab because lifting up my arms is difficult for me and the machine does it for me. But I don't see how I could do this at home.
So here's the issue: I just can't do strength training and at the same time go running or just have a half active life. So the thought is: not do strength training for gainz but to only motivate my mitochondria, maybe very low weight, possibly higher volume. Question is: how do you do that with bodyweight? My lightest kettlebell is 8kg, a bit too light for e.g. clean and press, but too heavy to do more than 5 without short break (same with pushups, btw because my muscles just turn acidic so quickly). Gym not an option. Any other ideas?
Just to give you an idea what the problem is: I currently have physiotherapy for something else, but that will stop. Lat pull downs are fab because lifting up my arms is difficult for me and the machine does it for me. But I don't see how I could do this at home.
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Don't know, I'm older--67 with OA for years and am used to adapting. I'm also wiped after an hour at the gym. I sit and don't want to move and everything hurts (just starting back after COVID and I've lost so much not doing strength training, although I've been active doing other things).
So I'm going slow and light to start. Since you'll be exercising at home, how about doing short sessions, but frequently, and see how that goes? If not start with very light sessions for longer and see which works out better for you.
You can do this, you just need to work it out.0 -
For me it's different. I can do 4-5 pushups in one go, and then I need a break. If I do a set then my arm muscles are useless for 2-3 days. Both the number of reps I can do without break and my muscles being useless for several days never changed, also not when working out over months. On the other hand, muscle training is good for me overall. Hence i need to find something that doesn't kill my muscles for several days but still gives somewhat of an impulse.0
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For me it's different. I can do 4-5 pushups in one go, and then I need a break. If I do a set then my arm muscles are useless for 2-3 days. Both the number of reps I can do without break and my muscles being useless for several days never changed, also not when working out over months. On the other hand, muscle training is good for me overall. Hence i need to find something that doesn't kill my muscles for several days but still gives somewhat of an impulse.
Yes--I do the same thing, BUT after 5 pushups I sit back on my haunches, count to 10 and then do another 5. What I was suggesting was mixing up your movements so you don't stress the same muscles continually.0 -
That's such a specific and specialized issue my leetle baaaaa friend.
Don't you have access to a physical therapist? I would think that would be your next stop with such a specific medical diagnosis. Or I hope that by us posting nonsense it will keep your thread at the top? Good luck. I'm with snowflake, I'm sure you will find a way.1 -
cmriverside wrote: »That's such a specific and specialized issue my leetle baaaaa friend.
Don't you have access to a physical therapist? I would think that would be your next stop with such a specific medical diagnosis. Or I hope that by us posting nonsense it will keep your thread at the top? Good luck. I'm with snowflake, I'm sure you will find a way.
I currently have physio, still 3 sessions left but it's for something else and I'm unlikely to get more. The issue here is that gps only issue prescriptions when you have an official and final diagnosis (not there yet, by 100s of miles) and then still if you're lucky. PTs are so oversubscribed that they only accept people with prescriptions as they tend to be the ones who really need it
I've been experimenting a bit. Remembered I have rubber bands and tied different strengths to a pull-up bar now. Not ideal because the door openings in my flat are not particularly high. But maybe it would work when I sit on the ground. Pushups against a window sill? Legs is difficult as everything I can think of involves lifting up legs or squatting up, which as lifting up arms leads to the biggest weakness that I want to prevent.
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I'd be sneaking in a few questions about this issue in the remaining physio appts.
Jus' sayin'. Obviously I'm just chatting here and have zero practical advice.
Would milk help? I haz milk.1 -
LOL! On the milkz!
Just tried it squatting with the rubber bands and doing some sort of lat pulldowns, and I do indeed feel it in my muscles. Ok, that would indeed work! That's something. For the rest... I could ask the PT, but such a session only lasts 20 minutes. Next session is next week, so I'll certainly try
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I'm not sure what kind of pull up bar you have (on top of the closed door, or rather 'squeezed' between the doorframe: if it's the second, perhaps this would be an option:
The lower you go, the easier it is?0 -
@Lietchi mine is in a doorframe. I think using my body as weight would be too much. But I could wrap a towel around a door opener and kind of do this standing. Remember: I try to do higher volume but lower effort to see if this keeps my mitochondria happy, yet doesn't my muscles/energy levels for days But good idea 0
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@Lietchi mine is in a doorframe. I think using my body as weight would be too much. But I could wrap a towel around a door opener and kind of do this standing. Remember: I try to do higher volume but lower effort to see if this keeps my mitochondria happy, yet doesn't my muscles/energy levels for days But good idea
I'm not really focused here - probably lower (horizontal) is more of an effort as opposed to what I said above
My pull-up set-up is too low for my boyfriend, he bends his knees (nearly kneeling as a starting point), you could use the resistance bands around your knees.
For legs, if you have a sofa, you could try hip raises with resistance bands?
And single leg squats?
I found some inspiration here:
https://www.dancemagazine.com/dancer-home-workout-couch/#:~:text=Hip thrusts,degrees in the starting position.0 -
The sofa is not very heavy and stands in the middle of the room, but I might be able to do a few things with my bed. Need to see what works as the topper is fairly soft *sees herself put leg on bed, but weight on said leg and fall sideways*
Great ideas! Thanks a lot Lietchi 1 -
Wait... I don't have legs! 1
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