Starting No Equipment Strength Training, need some advice.

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Zyphun
Zyphun Posts: 102 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started out with just watching calories and doing thirty minutes on a recumbent bike five days a week. I then added walking an hour on the weekend and then finally hiking. On the bike I am now up to 21-22mph at variable resistance (highs and lows keep me at a high aerobic heart rate). I also hike on trails with decent elevation changes. I feel like I am just about ready to take up jogging/running soon. 

I did not strength train up until now because of my extreme obesity. I don't have access to a gym and no budget for equipment so I decided to hold off until I hit a better weight to start.

Well I am now 50 pounds down from where I started and ready to start.

Thanks to my time on the bike my legs are really well toned, but my upper body strength is horrible.  For the next couple weeks or so I will focus on BerryH's push up guide (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BerryH/view/how-to-do-10-full-push-ups-what-worked-for-me-126396). I will keep at it until I can do a full pushups.

My idea was to do an eight minute abs work-out combined with the 100 push-ups routine (once I can). After research I though adding chair dips wasn't a bad idea either.  

Once I completed 8min abs and 100 pushups I hope to move on to Insanity or something, but one step at a time.

I am going to start tomorrow, going three days (Monday, Tuesday, and Friday). I am going to keep up my cardio Monday through Friday too.

The reason for all the exposition is I am hoping for suggestions on what else to add or do differently. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, even if it is only to say I am doing the right thing. :)
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Replies

  • Zyphun
    Zyphun Posts: 102 Member
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    *bump*

    Anyone, Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? ;)
  • Zyphun
    Zyphun Posts: 102 Member
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    Sadness. I was hoping for at least some reply before starting tomorrow. :/
  • rainlover711
    rainlover711 Posts: 74 Member
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    Sorry no one has responded. I don't know if I will be much help, but here's a few ideas.

    Start lifting cans of food. You can use a grocery bag and start out with one can in each bag and then add more every week or so?
    You can also use books and lift over the head, etc.

    Cans of paint?
    i'm concentrating more on lifting options for you.

    i also did a search for arm workouts without weights as an option, and here is just one link that came up.
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/406152-arm-workout-without-weights/

    I would suggest doing a massive internet search for other options.

    good luck!!
  • amonpas
    amonpas Posts: 10 Member
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    A job well done. Conradulations on sticking with a program.
  • houseofcarpenter
    houseofcarpenter Posts: 127 Member
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    i was looking the the same sort of information i think your own bodyweights would be a good starting point... squats and lunges if its possible to get something like jillian michaels 30 day shred is pretty cheap and that has a lot of what your looking for in it, i have it at home and was great for building strengh - good luck x
  • ChrisWag
    ChrisWag Posts: 169
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    If you google it there are several sites that teach you how to use your own body weight as strength training. I rarely use weights but I stay pretty muscular. Good luck :)
    And GREAT JOB!!!!
  • sabgoe
    sabgoe Posts: 65 Member
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    I just started the 30 day shred. It is for free on youtube. I bought some 3 pound weights for $20, but if that is not in your budget, maybe you can lift some cans or water bottles or something.
  • TurtleRunnerNC
    TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 768 Member
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    Push ups, squats, lunges, planks, crunches..........
  • ifeelbetterworkingout
    ifeelbetterworkingout Posts: 38
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    planks are a good way to strengthen your lower back and is the natural workout for your ab muscles which are used more to support your back rather than to lift you up say for a crunch..............push ups are great..........make sure that if you are trying to build a bit of strength that you work out the muscles in different ways........meaning dont just do regular pushup every week.............start with standard push ups....then next week do diamond push ups.......then the next do widespread to incorporate your pectoral muscles in your chest.......then the third week to a combination where you start with diamond and do as many as you can....then go to standard pushup and do as many as you can...then do widespread to finish everything up.........this will give you cardio and strength.....its all about muscle confusion...........if you have any more questions just message me
  • Sixalicious
    Sixalicious Posts: 283 Member
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    Push ups, squats, lunges, planks, crunches..........

    Adding dips to this list.
  • Zyphun
    Zyphun Posts: 102 Member
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    Thank you so much for replying and your advice. :)

    I have done a major research. It is how I came up with pushups and crunches. :) I have wondered about doing strength training with improvised weights, but I wonder if it is better then doing pushups and chair dips. Nothing seems to beat crunches though.

    My plan is start with five knee push ups (I can do those), five alternating curls, five foot to foot crunches, five chair dips. I practiced them all this weekend, getting my form and breathing down. Each time I do them I will increase the rep by one until I get to ten. I am also going to practice just holding my legs up at ninety degrees when I am on my back, I seem to have problems doing that and keeping the position in good form.

    Livestrong seems to be a great resource. I find in my researching I end up there more often then not.
  • ShmoozyQ
    ShmoozyQ Posts: 390 Member
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    You Are Your Own Gym by Mark Lauren. It's not anything *revolutionary* as far as bodyweight work goes, but it has tons of exercises all wrapped up in one neat little package.
  • tolygal
    tolygal Posts: 602 Member
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    I read a couple of books about strength training using your own body weight. One was 'You Are Your Own Gym' - can't remember the author... Check to see if your library has it, that way you don't have to pay for it until you know if you really want it. It gives you TONS of excercises that you can do - and they look very challenging to me!! I want to do it myself one of these days.

    I think you will want to add more excercises to keep things balanced. Especially squats and pullups. There are more, but I'm too tired to think, and I'm sure others will mention them.

    Good luck and great job!
  • LuckyTerrier
    LuckyTerrier Posts: 73 Member
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    sparkpeople.com has a pretty good workout generator. You can enter the part of your body you want to work and the equipment you have (none is an option) and it will give you a number of exercises that you can do. I've tried a few of them and really enjoyed it.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
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    Hi! This is a great decision you've made and one you certainly won't regret. This is a bodyweight circuit that I started with a few months ago. I've tripled my strength and am setting and breaking new personal records every few weeks. Definitely try it out!

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
  • Zyphun
    Zyphun Posts: 102 Member
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    Wow! So many people replied while I was writing my reply to Rainlover711. Thank you everyone! I have heard good things about both 30 Day Shred and You Are Your Own Gym. They were both on my list, but decided on 8min Abs And 100 Pushups. I might end up changing my mind though.

    All of your suggestions have been really helpful. I agree I need more in my routine, I will add more as I go along. Hopefully replacing my Tuesday and Thursday cardio with a serious strength training routine that is high enough it counts as cardio too.

    I really plan to keep varying my pushups, as well as my crunchs. I will definitely be adding planking to my routine immediately. I kind of saw it as a fad, as something you did with pushups anyway, but after looking closer I see how it is different. And I will add squats immediately too. Pullups are a bit beyond me at the moment, but once I get a little stronger I really want to add them. My plan is confuse the heck out of my muscles. :)

    I will look into SparksPeople Workout generator, I had some trouble making an account.

    I love the body weight workout on Nerd Fitness and as a nerd, I approve of the site name! a new site to look at!

    Thank you all again!!
  • acbabbitt
    acbabbitt Posts: 50
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    I'm brand new, but I wanted to say that my son (17.5 yrs) washes out milk cartons & lets them dry completely. Then he fills them with sand or rice or beans & uses them for resistance training.

    He's a goofball, but creative!
  • Zyphun
    Zyphun Posts: 102 Member
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    I'm brand new, but I wanted to say that my son (17.5 yrs) washes out milk cartons & lets them dry completely. Then he fills them with sand or rice or beans & uses them for resistance training.

    He's a goofball, but creative!

    That is a great idea! Thank you! And welcome to the community!
  • juicemoogan
    juicemoogan Posts: 999 Member
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    body weight only movements like squats, lunges, push ups, sit ups, doing the stairs, walking outside.

    These will all get your heart rate going, wont cost you anything, and will help you get more active.

    Get at it!

    :)
  • Zyphun
    Zyphun Posts: 102 Member
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    This is kind of resurrection of my own dead thread, but on the off chance someone finds it in a search and perhaps as a way to preserve what I am doing for posterity, here is how my week went.

    I started off Monday with resolve. It wasn't hard. I set my beginners circuit. It was

    Squats, Push Ups, Foot to Foot Crunchs (laying down and bending at the waist to touch the side of your foot), Chair Dips, Plank (2 seconds I concider a rep) and Alternating Crunchs (reaching for your opposite knee with your elbow).

    I started Monday with 5 reps in one set. It isn't a lot, but it wasn't ment to be. Instead I made sure I just counted each rep that was done in correct form. It took some work, but I felt by the end I was getting the hang of it.

    I do my little strength training after my cardio, and I found by doing that I was really keeping my heart rate up and increased the impact of my cardio.

    I rested Tueday and I have to say I really dreaded Wednesday. I had to really push myself. I was ready for a Faustian deal to get out of it, but in the end it was making a mountain out of a mole hill. I did ten reps in one set and it had the effect I hoped it would. It boosted my confidence.

    Thursday more rest and Friday came and went with 15 reps in one set. Let me tell you I was starting to feel it. A nice burn in muscles that had lived through a life time of ice ages.

    Next week is 10 reps in two sets. Increasing 5 again until it is 20 reps in two sets on Friday. After that, 10 reps in three sets and finally settling in fifteen reps in three sets.

    I am also going to do leg lifts in bed before I go to sleep (I got the idea from a thread here). I just did ten and OMG did I feel it.

    For the record, this is everything I hoped it would be. It is easy enough that I can't make excuses to stop myself. But, this is also only the start.

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