Advice on training

MikaMojito

Hello there friendly people,

I've been on mfp for about a month and I'm seeing some nice weight loss results but I also want to get fitter. However I haven't really done much exercise in EVER.

I live too far away from fitness studios, also I couldn't really afford them, so that's off the list. I own an elliptical trainer and I can use the gym at my school but it only has one big machine which helps with toning shoulders and arms and one of those thingies where you do upside-down crunches for strengthening your lower back. Nothing for the legs, unfortunately. I own one dumbell with various weights.

My plan looks like this:

Monday: Elliptical (ca 30min) and youtube video for abs toning
Tuesday: Arms, shoulders etc at the school gym plus legs and bum youtube video
Wednesday: Elliptical (ca 30min) plus abs
Thursday: Arms, shoulders, legs, bum
Friday: off (I work till 4, drive for an hour and see my honey whom I don't see all week, so no official exercise going on there)
Saturday: 5km run outside
Sunday: youtube workouts for abs, legs and bum

Does that look ok for somebody who hasn't done much? I can already do 5k/30min on elliptical, so that's realistic. I know it's not going to lead to fantastic muscles like I see on so many people in the message boards but will it tone me up for next summer if I stick with it? Also, I might be able to move next summer and afford going to a proper gym...

Thanks for your help! I'd also appreciate any suggestions for good youtube workouts you might have!

All the best to you!
Wednesday

wingchungym

Thats a perfectly good routeen, gyms are not essential, you just have to be creative, so well done. Can you go swimming? as that is a great total body activity, and perhaps google DDP yoga which is very good, maybe try a pilates video. However you are already on the right track so well done.

MikaMojito

Thank you for the encouragment. I do own a pilates dvd called "Pilates for dummies" which I have been using. I tried a different one first but wasn't able to get up and walk for about 3 days ;-) Soooo sore!

Swimming would also mean driving quite far which I KNOW I won't do because I'm unbelievably lazy. If I'm at home and watching TV it's so easy to just put a youtube video on and exercise while watching TV or using the elliptical. And the school gym - well, I'm there anyway, so I don't have an excuse for not going ;-)

I'll check out the yoga.

Okapi42

Have you got a bicycle? It's amazing how everyday errands can add up. I get in a good 150 cal burn just heading to gaming night on a bike, and it's faster than the car if you factor in finding parking...

MikaMojito

I don't have a bike. I do have a tendency to get into accidents though... not sure biking would be the best idea. Also, the nearest supermarket is more than 10km down a road without a bike lane. Also 10km to work with several pretty steep wills. There's literally nothing I do in the village I live in, so bike is fairly pointless for me.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

teamnevergoingback

Do you have comcast? They have a ton if videos OnDemand. I think it looks good for a start.. But if you don't gradually increase the work out over time, you will plateau and get angry. 30 minutes on level one will get boring.

Okapi42

Also, the nearest supermarket is more than 10km down a road without a bike lane. Also 10km to work with several pretty steep wills.

I bike about 20km to work - each way - once a week. It's amazing how quickly you get used to it. Because of the roadworks and morning traffic, I'm now only 10 minutes slower on the bike than by car. And burn about 1300 bonus cals. Just saying.

But if it's not practical, it's not practical. Good luck finding another exercise that you enjoy - that's the best way to stick with it.

MikaMojito

Comcast is an American thing, I guess. Probably not available in Germany ;-( But you're right about the plateau - that's why I'm taking part in a 10km race next year. This way I have something to work for.

@Okapi: wow, 20k into work. I'm just too scared to do that. I carry a very heavy work bag with all my school things. I need to be in at 7, so for a half a year it's pitch black outside when I'm on my way to work. It's "Landstraße", so people drive 100km/h but the lanes are pretty narrow so if I'm behind a bend and somebody doesn't see me, I'm dead. AND even when reasonably fit I sweat quite badly which would be unfair towards my pupils and colleagues.

I know many would call this making excuses. But when I was still living in town, I walked 5-6km to school and back every day instead of taking the bus. But that was a safe environment - whereas the roads out here really aren't.