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weisegirl1119
weisegirl1119 Posts: 122 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Do you think you can lose weight without going to a gym or do strength training without weights? All I have is a set of 3 lb weights and cant afford a gym membership.

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  • zellagrrl
    zellagrrl Posts: 439
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    You can do a lot of body weight exercises-- I would search for those and start. Pushups and plank are always a good start.

    If you have $30 or so, I would invest in a few more weights, like 5 or 8 lb and the Personal Training With Jackie: 30 Day Fast Start DVD.

    You can also trade up your weights via Craigslist and Play It Again Sports :)
  • baxgilter
    baxgilter Posts: 246 Member
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    Do you think you can lose weight without going to a gym or do strength training without weights? All I have is a set of 3 lb weights and cant afford a gym membership.

    If you have a local Y they might provide a scholarship program for those who can't afford a membership. Mine does and I only pay $10 a month. Just a thought.
  • LadyIntrepid
    LadyIntrepid Posts: 399 Member
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    You may want to invest in a set of resistance bands along with a guidebook with exercises to go with them. They take up no space, are waaaay less expensive than weights or a gym membership, and you can do all sorts of strength training with them at home or on the road. For $75 or less you can set yourself up for a full body workout. And if the resistance bands are still a stretch financially, there are still options with what you may find around the house -- gallons of water, filling gallon bottles with stones, etc. If you pick it up, it's heavy, and can be held safely, it can be used as weights.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Absolutely! Trust me, your bodyweight is more than enough, especially to get started. I'm betting that you probably can't do a ton of pushups or chinups right now, and bodyweight squats and lunges will be exhausting experienced gymrats like myself.

    Losing weight is mostly done in the kitchen, not in the gym, but for cardio you can walk, run, bike or jump rope outside for free. And there are 1000s of bodyweight workouts that you can find on youtube for free. My wife's favorite is zuzka. I like her stuff but won't do it myself because a lot of the routines are women-centric (hips, glutes, abs), but even I can recognize how tough they are, even without weights.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    body weight exercise + running or walking or jogging.
  • Grandysl
    Grandysl Posts: 189
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    You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises

    This is a great book. I have it an getting started. I have to work around some injuries so lifting weights is a bit difficult for me.

    I got it from Amazon for under $15.00.

    Good luck with your journey.
  • doubglass
    doubglass Posts: 314 Member
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    Yes, remember Jack Lalanne? A lot of his program was devoted to workouts you can do at home. Chair dips, pushups etc.
  • Nicola0000
    Nicola0000 Posts: 531 Member
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    Body weight exercises, Couch 25k is a great programme, get exercise dvds. There's no excuse, and you dont need a gym :smile:
  • omanitshann
    omanitshann Posts: 179
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    I lost 15 pounds without ever entering a gym. And i think body weight training is very effective, but probably harder
  • Debbe2
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
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    Yes you can lose weight without a gym membership and without working out as long as you take in less calories than you use but yet enough for your body's normal daily functions. However, you may be happier and healthier and certainly stronger if you do workout by being active in your daily life. Looks like you already lost quite a bit. Congratulations!
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
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    Do you think you can lose weight without going to a gym or do strength training without weights? All I have is a set of 3 lb weights and cant afford a gym membership.

    If you have a local Y they might provide a scholarship program for those who can't afford a membership. Mine does and I only pay $10 a month. Just a thought.

    Yup, I pay $31.50/month

    However there are many things you can do at home. Walking/running/biking outdoors is easy and free :)

    Push ups, planks, tricep dips, squats, lunges don't require a single thing.

    You can be creative, you just need to find things you like to do and stick with them!
  • mmsilvia
    mmsilvia Posts: 459 Member
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    Of course you can!! Become a member of your local library. They have exercise DVD's available. I love that it costs me nothing & always have a variety of workouts available to me.

    As far as weights go, be creative; soup cans, fill milk jugs or laundry detergent bottles with water (as they start to feel light add sand for weight). Also, the great outdoors is one of the best gyms around!! You can walk, run, hike, swim all for free!!

    I am unable to afford the monthly fees at a gym and have a young son so it's just easier for me to work out at home. But, I did save my change (I collect cans from my office too) and in just a few months I was able to roll it & purchase some used weights off of craigslist.

    Think outside of the box & be creative. You can do it!!

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