your best non-gym workout!

Megabot

I have to be away from my home/gym for about 2 months. Blah.

What is everyone's favorite non-gym excercise?

I'm specifically looking for things I can do to maintain my muscle tone/strength I've gotten at the gym, but using no gym machines, but no workout DVD stuff either. (I won't have a TV.) I want to put together a simple set of excercises that 'll get my heart rate going, burn some calories, and continue to make me strong, while I'm away. My examples below won't a whole workout make.

for example, lunges, push-ups, regular situps.
maybe you have variations on things I should try, too!

gracie2586

does sex count lol

thebigcb

I think Burpees are the best exercise you can do outside the gym, whole body work out, killer to do, little space needed. A few circuits of Burpees, squats, push ups, situps you will be fine

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

does sex count lol

I would consider that more a sport, maybe wrestling LOL!

Seriously you can also try tricep chair dips. You can do it anywhere.

lisa28115

GET SOME RESISTANCE BANDS TO STICK IN YOUR SUITCASE

thebigcb

I've posted this before, but seriously

check out Tabata training. It'll more than make up for the gym. Or just get out there and run

PurpleStarKatz

Do you have free weights or an exercise ball? I know I've seen a lot of exercise charts on pinterest that are workouts you can do just with your own weight. Maybe try a google or google images search on that? Actually I've even seen something about making your own weights with sand and empty laundry detergent containers (for poor college students, haha). Will you have a computer? Youtube also has a lot of free workout videos on there.

http://media-cache.pinterest.com/upload/103160647684128361_4rvlXXag.jpg

http://muddlingthruthegrays.tumblr.com/post/9372971935

http://mylifehello.tumblr.com/post/5519258382/i-i-officially-love-this-just-what-i-need-to

DeadlyDame13

Turbo jam!!! N sexo ...lol

kmalex

I don't know what they are called but it is a sit-up variation that my mom's trainer had her doing.

At the gym I do this with an exercise ball, but at home I do it with whatever I can get my hands on. A balloon, empty box, small laundry basket, etc... The bigger your "ball" the more weight you are adding.

Start by laying flat on your back, legs straight, arms reached out above your head holding your "ball"
Lift your arms and legs both towards the ceiling (folding yourself in half so you can touch your toes in the air) and pass the "ball" so you are holding it between your feet.
Return to your starting position (flat on the floor, legs straight, arms above your head) but now your "ball" is between your feet.
Repeat the move in reverse passing the "ball" back to your hands and laying back down with it above your head.

I usually do 25-30 (counting the move and the reverse as one) and I can do about 70 normal sit-ups. When I get up the next morning my abs, legs, and chest are all sore. :-)

GymAnJuice

if you'v got a laptop you could always pop a workout dvd in there?

Werglum

Tabata workout!!

thebigcb

I agree, Tabata all the way. And there a free apps to time it for you as well

NicoleBecca

hill climbing... guess it depends if you live close to the bush though, but I love tramping

willyzification

Any form of crossfit (HIIT) workouts generally require no equipment and not much room, just a small towel is all you need.

This is pretty simple stuff, but a killer workout within 25 min.

There are 9 exercises that you repeat for 3 rounds. Each exercise you do for 30 seconds and then you rest for 15 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. There are no rests in between rounds just in between exercises for 15 seconds.

1. High knee jumps
2. Towel situps (It may seem like nothing, but if done correctly with a tight towel it is a real killer!)
3. burpees (full range of motion with a proper jump at the end. no lazy business)
4. yoga plank glute raises
5. mountain climbers
6. leg lifts
7. high knees
8. air jacks
9. toe touching crunches.

The trick to this workout is to make sure it is a HIIT (High intensity interval training) workout.
This means you do a little maths....
220 - (your age) = max heart rate. Now take 80-90% of your max heart rate and thats the level you want to maintain whilst doing this workout. So for me I am 20, so my max heart rate is 200 bpm. So I need to aim for 160-180 bpm whilst doing this workout to really get its worth.
A easy way to tell is to simply stick your fingers on your cartoid artery on your neck during the 15 second rest and time how fast the beats are for 10s. Then times that number by 6. If its within your HIIT heart rate (so for me its between 160-180 bpm) range then good work, keep up that intensity and keep at it. If its below the range, then you need to up your intensity, push yourself harder cause your being lazy and you can do better than that!
Generally when I do this workout with my speed and intensity my heart rate is 170-180 bpm which is good.

JonesJennings

I've been doing the following circuits as part of my weekly training.

3 x 12 of each:

1. Chin up. (I can't do 3 x 12 of these, so I do 3 x 6)
2. Tricep Dip
3. Press Up
4. Sit Up
5. Dorsal Raise
6. Squat
7. Lunge

The list has come from an old Army recruitment poster, so hopefully will be fairly well rounded.

ummommyme

I agree with the Tabatta, HIIT-bodyrock workouts, zwow on youtube. So many to choose from so you never get bored and always hard to do and quick.

bugsymalone521

Run stairs.

chiera88

bump

crisanderson27

This:

Another Bodyweight Culture article, this one courtesy Cheesedog at:

http://www.bodyweightculture.com/forum/showthread.php?11058-Bodyweight-Strength-Training

Bodyweight Strength Training

People are always asking about strength training using only bodyweight. This is nothing new or revolutionary. I am borrowing HEAVILY from Rippatoe, Bill Starr, and lots of other great authors and trainers. This is your basic 5 x 5 template. (To clarify, 5x5 is 5 reps x 5 sets. The idea is to work at a difficulty level where you could only do maybe 7-8 reps on the first set, and are struggling to finish 5 reps on the last set). You would do strength training 3 times a week, say Monday-Wednesday-Friday with the weekends off. These are done "lazy circuits" style, with about 1 minute rest between each set.

Workout A
1A. Knee dominant - 5 x 5
1B. Horizontal push - 5 x 5
1C. Horizontal pull - 5 x 5
2A. Ab - flexion - 3 x 5
2B. Ab - static 3 x 30 seconds

Workout B
1A. Knee dominant - 5 x 5
1B. Vertical push - 5 x 5
1C. Hip dominant - 5 x 5
1D. Vertical pull - 5 x 5
2A. Ab - rotation - 3 x 5
2B. Grip and neck training - 3 x varies

Exercise Progressions - with regular weight training you can just add weight to the bar. With bodyweight progression is mostly about changing your leverage. These are just a few examples, I'm sure we could come up with dozens more if needed. You can always add resistance in the form of a weighted vest or backpack or resistance bands.

1. Knee Dominant -- squats, lunges, step-ups, bulgarian split squats, unilateral bent leg deadlift, partial one leg squat, one leg squat, box or stair pistols, full pistols.
2. Horizontal Push -- pushups, decline pushups, resistance pushups, side to side pushups, stair one arm pushups, negative one arm pushups, full one arm pushups.
3. Horizontal Pull -- body row, resistance body row, negative one hand row, incline one hand row, full one hand row.
4. Ab - flexion -- crunches, situps, resistance or incline situps, reverse situp, resistance or incline reverse situps, hanging knee or leg raise, hanging pikes, rollout from knees, rollout from feet, dragon flag. Also included are oblique moves like side lying crunches with or without resistance and side lying two leg raise.
5. Abs- static -- 4 point prone bridge, 3 point prone bridge, 2 point prone bridge, 4 point supine bridge, 3 point supine bridge.
6. Vertical Push -- pike pushup, hindu pushup, divebomber pushup, decline pike pushup, decline hindu pushup, decline divebomber pushup, one arm pike pushup, negative handstand pushup, handstand pushup with head touching floor, full handstand pushup.
7. Hip Dominant -- supine hip extension, good morning, one leg stiff leg deadlift, split one leg good morning, one leg supine hip extension, hyperextension, one leg hyperextension, natural glute-ham raise.
8. Vertical Pull -- jumping or assisted pullups, pullups, resistance pullups, side to side pullups, negative one hand pullups, one hand pullups. All these can refer to chinups or neutral grip pullups as well.
9. Ab - rotation -- twist crunches or situps, resistance or incline twist crunches or situps, russian twists, lying windshield wipers, standing rope rotations, hanging windshield wipers.
10. Grip and Neck Training -- for grip you can use handgrippers, deadhangs from a pullup bar (especially a fatbar or gripping a towel). For neck nothing beats wrestlers bridges. If you are involved in a striking martial art or sport, finger and fist pushups are very important also.

None of these lists have to end here. If you get strong enough you can always add resistance to your full range of motion one limb exercise. Or if you can do more than 5 one hand pushups do decline one hand pushups, or start working on one hand hindu and then eventually one hand dive bombers, and so on.

The nice thing about this routine is it scales dramatically depending on your fitness level, from absolute beginner, to extremely advanced. If you can't do even ONE regular pull up, you can scale it down and do assisted pull ups (legs on a chair), or ballistic pullups (where you jump to provide the initial momentum). It's actually easier to do properly when you're very unfit...because once you're healthy and strong...you're going to be searching for challenging enough exercises to only allow you 5 reps max by the finish of the 5 sets.

Cris

You need NO equipment other than a pullup bar (and even that is skippable for a month or two if you're just trying to maintain away from the gym). I go to the gym myself, and have found that skipping the gym for a week or two, and doing this, is actually an incredible challenge.

I also used this exact workout exclusively to lose almost 40lbs in just over 3mos.

Edit ~

For the record, this exercise routine takes me only 30 minutes or so to complete (45 tops when I was new with it). I use my Polar HRM and keep my heart rate above 140 for the entire workout.

jukemaster

I have to agree with the previous posters. Tabata, HIIT, and resistance bands are all good things to do when you're away. It'll be more than enough for the two weeks time.

Lisamar74

Squats and lunges without a doubt. Swear by them for lifting your buttocks and toning your thighs to perfection.