Strength-building at home?

kermiehiho

I had a pretty bad bout of stomach flu back in May of last year, and I still haven't gained much weight back. I eat whenever I'm hungry, but I'm still down at a little under 95 lbs (makes me wonder if my stomach capacity shrank...)
I just visited my ob-gyn, and she suggested building some muscle rather than fat by going to the gym and eating more, but healthy stuff with protein.
As a grad student, I don't really have much time or money for the gym thing. I'm starting some strength building stuff around the house like plank pose and lunges. Does anyone have other suggestions for strength/muscle-building exercises I can do at home with water bottles or just my own body weight?

kermiehiho

I had a pretty bad bout of stomach flu back in May of last year, and I still haven't gained much weight back. I eat whenever I'm hungry, but I'm still down at a little under 95 lbs (makes me wonder if my stomach capacity shrank...)
I just visited my ob-gyn, and she suggested building some muscle rather than fat by going to the gym and eating more, but healthy stuff with protein.
As a grad student, I don't really have much time or money for the gym thing. I'm starting some strength building stuff around the house like plank pose and lunges. Does anyone have other suggestions for strength/muscle-building exercises I can do at home with water bottles or just my own body weight?

ivykivy

Try bodybuilding.com and youtube for videos showing proper technique. Check the library for DVD. Can you not use the gym at your school? You may can some of the coaches or other student to assist you in their down time.

hiddensecant

Exercisetv.com will also have some workouts. And if you have cable, try on-demand.

Stephomie

You can do push-ups, squats, lunges, shoulder presses, lateral raises, rows, biceps curls, triceps extensions, toe raises, wall squats, all with very little equipment. The list is almost endless. If you can't afford hand weights, pick up some resistance bands from Target or Walmart, you can get a great workout with these. You can progress your push-ups by changing hand positions (wide, narrow, military) add a leg lift or do with a leg raised. Your squats can be done with your feet wide and toes pointed out, feet shoulder width, pretty much anything you can think of. Have you seen anyone besides your ob-gyn about your inability to gain weight, that seems unusual considering how long it has been. If you have and everything checks out OK, ask your doc if you could get a referral for physical therapy, you can get a complete home exercise program and be certain that you are performing the exercises correctly. (this is typically covered by insurance, and you would probably only need a few sessions at most).

Hope that helps!

Stephanie

PinkShoes

I've been doing Jackie Warner's Workout One-On-One DVD and love it! It includes 3 20-minute strength training workouts (upper body, core, and lower body). You just need the DVD and a pair of weights...a lot cheaper than a gym membership! Also, I've found that amazon.com has better prices than stores so you might want to check there!


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kermiehiho

Thanks for the tips everyone :happy:
I know I could probably get my weight up by just eating more, but the thought of just gaining fat is not really appealing to me. Instead, I am trying to increase my portions a bit and adding on some protein-rich snacks (like almonds) in between. Hopefully with everyone's ideas, I can get up to my high school weight again... >v<

singfree

Consider the P90X workouts from beachbody.com. Super fitness program and I guarantee that you will put on muscle and become very healthy and fit. It's a one-time investment for the program ($120). You just need some exercise bands, or dumbbells and a pullup bar, that's it! Do it in your living room, takes about one hour per day.

WantToBeMoreActive

check out exercisetv on the internet...there's free workouts icluding strength training

kermiehiho

I see the P90X commercials on fittv all the time. My friend's boyfriend is doing it, and she says it's super-intense. Don't you need a pull-up bar for that too?? I'm kind of restricted to bottled water or an exercise band for resistance/weights, that's why I'd prefer something using my own body weight.

Right now, I'm doing push-ups, walking lunges around the house (yes, my family thinks I'm nuts, but doctor's orders... ), and abdominal.