Strength Training w/o Gym

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helloclaire
helloclaire Posts: 191
in Fitness and Exercise
I got a Zumba membership today - trying to get back to it all. The first time I did MFP I lost 25 pounds rather quickly (but healthily!) and well, wow, that was already two years ago! I have gained back all of it and then a little, although most of it within the past few months.

Anywho. The first time I did it I did 30DS + some other exercise (such as walking 2 miles, another exercise video of 20-30 minutes, etc.) everyday and generally not eating back exercise calories. I tried to do 30DS again but just got so bored with it, so got a Zumba membership. I plan on going about 5 days a week, and walking back home (a little over a mile) from it everyday.

I realize that I do need some strength training but I don't want to spend more on gym membership. I have 3lbs weights at home that I used for 30DS. Does anyone have not only exercises I can do at home, but also like, how many sets, etc? I know I'm supposed to do it but I'm pretty clueless about HOW MUCH I'm supposed to do.

Thank you! :)

Replies

  • helloclaire
    helloclaire Posts: 191
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    Bump - anybody?
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
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    Knowledge is power. I would recommend either buying or borrowing from the library a booked call New Rules of Lifting for Women. It has a lot of good information that you will benefit from.

    Unfortunately you will need to either join a gym or spend money on weights to use at home.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    you're going to move quickly through those 3 lb weights.. get some 10s, 15's 20's etc or get some kettlebells.

    not all workouts involving weights are strength building. if you arent consistently overloading the muscle and increasing weights then you arent building strength
  • helloclaire
    helloclaire Posts: 191
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    Hmmm...I'm really looking for some more general guidelines on *starting* with what I do have. X number of X sets of X per day, etc, with or without weights.
  • tcraw15
    tcraw15 Posts: 223 Member
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    You can do bodyweight compound movements such as push-ups, chair dips, pull-ups (or pull-up negatives if you aren't strong enough to do pull-ups yet), squats, planks, and sit-ups/crunches. I do most of these at home (working on fitting core and legs into my workouts).

    There are apps that you can get for some of these, or you can go to www.onehundredpushups.com for a push-ups challenge. From there you can find dips, squats, and sit-ups challenges.

    I don't think I'll understand why women want to only lift 1-5lb weights. You need to challenge your body. You lift more than 1-5 lbs carrying groceries, lifting your purse, and everyday things like that. So what good is it going to do lifting that little amount of weight during workouts?
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    I don't think I'll understand why women want to only lift 1-5lb weights. You need to challenge your body. You lift more than 1-5 lbs carrying groceries, lifting your purse, and everyday things like that. So what good is it going to do lifting that little amount of weight during workouts?

    because they think they will look like she-hulk. even trainers at the gym will repeat this.

    once last year when i was celebrating and forcing everyone in the weight room to ^5 me because i had just deadlifted my old beginning body weight, a trainer was like you need to be careful because i would get bulky. i then told him he was right, i got so bulky from lifting that i went all the way from a size 22 pants to a size 14. it took him a while to get it.

    but imagine if you're new to the gym, and some trainer - who's supposed to be a pro at this stuff - tells you something like that? more than likely you're going to believe it
  • helloclaire
    helloclaire Posts: 191
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    No no no, I have 3lbs weights because that's just what we have around the house, not because I think heavy weights bulk you up. Because I have a very long work day and with the Zumba membership I got that I plan on using afterwards, and because I don't have the transportation to get to the nearest gym with weights in them, I was just looking for things I can get started with, just with the stuff I have already. :)

    What's a good number for those kinds of exercises?
  • TheStephil
    TheStephil Posts: 858 Member
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    I suggest getting the app called You Are Your Own gym. Its $3 and is a workout program using body weight. While a gym membership with large weights would be the best way to go, I'm in the same position as you are. I don't have the money for a gym membership right now. YAYOG is a good way to start out strength training.
  • tcraw15
    tcraw15 Posts: 223 Member
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    No no no, I have 3lbs weights because that's just what we have around the house, not because I think heavy weights bulk you up. Because I have a very long work day and with the Zumba membership I got that I plan on using afterwards, and because I don't have the transportation to get to the nearest gym with weights in them, I was just looking for things I can get started with, just with the stuff I have already. :)

    What's a good number for those kinds of exercises?

    Oh okay. Well, it was more of a general statement anyway. :)

    Just follow the programs and start at a point where it is challenging to you, but you are able to complete the workouts.

    @ StephanieHuns. I may have to look into YAYOG. Thanks for sharing that!

    @meshashesha20 Haha. Yeah. I can see what you're saying. I just think it's ridiculous how so many people throw that out there. Women don't have enough testosterone to become bulky like a dude. That is, unless they take supplements/steroids.
  • riboui
    riboui Posts: 8
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    You can do bodyweight compound movements such as push-ups, chair dips, pull-ups (or pull-up negatives if you aren't strong enough to do pull-ups yet), squats, planks, and sit-ups/crunches. I do most of these at home (working on fitting core and legs into my workouts).

    There are apps that you can get for some of these, or you can go to www.onehundredpushups.com for a push-ups challenge. From there you can find dips, squats, and sit-ups challenges.

    Right on! Lunges are another great bodyweight movement. Check out http://cfmoncton.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/comprehensive-bodyweight-workout-list-v15.pdf for complete workouts using bodyweight movements.
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
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    I agree with the suggestion of You Are Your Own Gym. I have the book and the ap. I'm a single mom of a young child and I spend what would be my only opportunity for gym time to go running, so I had to find other ways to do strength. I like it a lot because I had no idea how to do body weight excercises and make them progressively harder over time so I could continue getting stronger. The book/ap takes all the guess work out. The best part is that I can do the workouts anywhere, generally my living room after my daughter goes to bed but I've also done it in the office on lunch.

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