Exercise at home ( No Gym/ at home gyms)

Hi there! I have a question for anyone who has lost the weight at home, without the use of a gym or at home gyms like treadmills, weigh machines and stationary bikes. I don't have access to any of that right now and I'm looking at ways to exercise at home without that. I'm sure its possible, but how effective is it? Any tips would be great, or just let me know what you do when not at the gym.

Currently right now I walk, starting to jump rope and I use the wii fit. Soon I hope to be buying some inline skates.

Would just love to hear what others do, that maybe I could add to my plan.
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Replies

  • KimMc60
    KimMc60 Posts: 112 Member
    You can buy programs like the 30 Day Shred to do at home, or there are a lot of 30-Day squat/sit-up/etc challenges on the internet if you google for them. I don't have a gym membership but I've been doing the 30 day shred and it's done wonders for me so far!
  • Tflowers34907
    Tflowers34907 Posts: 51 Member
    I am a video junkie (I frequently find cheap but effective workouts at places like Wal-Mart and TJ Maxx), I love dancing (PRIVATELY, lol, so I can really let loose), running around the neighborhood and at parks, YouTube... You could always take it back to gym class with suicides, squat thrusts, push-ups, mountain climbers etc and kind make your own circuit workout.
  • LearnFromTheRed
    LearnFromTheRed Posts: 294 Member
    I just bought some 20kg dumbbells (they have 2x 3kg and 2x 1.5kg plates each). They don't take up much space and allow me to do all kinds of strength exercises.
  • SutapaMukherji
    SutapaMukherji Posts: 244 Member
    30 Day Shred works like magic. Also, you could try ab exercises, squats, push ups, etc.

    Swimming, and walking will be of good too.

    Hope this helps :smile:
  • kaylurzz
    kaylurzz Posts: 121 Member
    Youtube is great tool!
    Sometimes people even upload full videos from exercise DVD's.
  • pwnderosa
    pwnderosa Posts: 280 Member
    I just bought some 20kg dumbbells (they have 2x 3kg and 2x 1.5kg plates each). They don't take up much space and allow me to do all kinds of strength exercises.

    I love my adjustable dumbells too! There are lots of great bodyweight strength programs you could try too and of course yoga! Sounds like you have a lot of great options for cardio already but there's always dancing, jogging, and lots of free workouts to follow along to on YouTube. I prefer to work out at home because it's a time saver and a stress reliever for me.
  • MelissaL582
    MelissaL582 Posts: 1,422 Member
    I'm a stay at home mom, so I do lots of my workouts at home or I go for long walks around my neighborhood. There are some good workouts on Youtube :-)
  • Lysander666
    Lysander666 Posts: 275 Member
    I have a gym membership but I don't use it because I find the gym too annoying. I have been following my own plan for months.

    The following cardio is free:

    Walking
    Running
    Cycling

    I currently do a 5k run or two every week and a 10k about once a month.

    As for strength training, you can use your own bodyweight doing things like press-ups, crunches, planks, squats. However you will not build a lot of muscle without barbells or dumbells. I also have adjustable barbells and dumbbells that I use.

    Invest in a good mat as well. Carpet is just not the same.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    I recommend any of the Jillian Michaels DVDs. Best one I've found so far is her Body Revolution program. I didn't think I'd see results - I'm usually a "go to the gym and lift heavy things" kind of girl - but I decided to give it a chance and was amazed at how much my body actually changed. It's a bit pricey (well, I kind of got it for free through TOTAL LEGAL means...) but it's a 12-week program that gets harder as you go. It starts out at a beginner's level and by the end it's REALLY challenging. It's only like 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week. I loved it.

    Really, anything that gets you moving is good, though! Plenty of exercise DVDs, dance video games (I like Zumba for Wii), at home routines you can find online, etc.
  • mkmerrill
    mkmerrill Posts: 74 Member
    I love road biking the most! I do a video everyday. Hate the gym and find I workout better at home. Love Tae Bo, old school step aerobics, 30DS, Insanity (ok I cant even come close to doing the entire video). I have 8lb, 10lb weights, step platform and resistance bands...thats it
  • klight1236
    klight1236 Posts: 69 Member
    You could always use YouTube for your exercise needs there are a lot of Julian Michael videos on there and a lot of other videos such as Zumba, Hip Hop Abs, and Brazilian But Lift just to name a few or just random people showing you some exercises. I'm sure you can even find Insanity and Tap-out. I use the Videos everyday for my exercise all you need is to put it full screen on your computer or I know some people hook it up to their TVs,
  • xDita89
    xDita89 Posts: 6
    I do workout videos from www.fitnessblender.com . They have tons of videos to chose from. You could do cardio, interval training and strength for all body parts.The quality is really good and they explain everything perfectly. I love it and it's all free.
  • travlinjess
    travlinjess Posts: 243 Member
    I am a video junkie (I frequently find cheap but effective workouts at places like Wal-Mart and TJ Maxx), I love dancing (PRIVATELY, lol, so I can really let loose), running around the neighborhood and at parks, YouTube... You could always take it back to gym class with suicides, squat thrusts, push-ups, mountain climbers etc and kind make your own circuit workout.

    ^Great suggestions. I'm also a video junkie, I need to be told what to do. 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels is a great starting point and can be bought for really cheap or watched on YouTube. I used plastic bottles filled with water and cat litter as my weights…they worked great!

    Also when I started, I dusted off my old Tae Bo and Zumba dvd's which are a fun way to work up a sweat. I'm now following more intense programs made by Beachbody which incorporates all the above mentioned gym class moves. You can find deals on those on ebay, cragislist, etc.

    Nothing like squats, burpees, and push-ups to whip you in shape. Start at the level you need to and go from there. Just find something you enjoy doing so you'll stick with it. All totally possible without a gym…52lbs lost and counting...
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    I exercise at home- iv e lost 30 pounds............
    1. lesline sansone- 1 mile, 2 mile, 3 mile walk videos on you tube
    2, walking
    3. elliptical
    4. dancing- just pu t on music and dance
    5. low impact aerobic videos on you t ube
    6. playing catch/ playing Frisbee
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    I lost weight without that stuff. Walked and rode my bike and did Bodyweight exercises ( squats, lunges, planks, yoga, box jumps, hip drops, supermans, etc... So e times using a backpack with heavy books, or hand weights.) along with eating at a caloric deficit.

    I have recently been using a youth weight bench and the full weight bench/bar weights at my dad's house to drop a little more body fat and retain muscle.
  • sstillwell
    sstillwell Posts: 20 Member
    I walk. A LOT. Job is stressful, and the time alone to decompress and just BE is nearly as beneficial as the exercise itself is. Waiting for busted ankle to finish healing before trying to get back into running/biking.
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
    If you wanted to do strength training - you could try Convict Conditioning. If you google it, you can usually find the book as a free download.
  • AbsyPernet
    AbsyPernet Posts: 145
    It will work, everyone here is doing an awesome job!! You just need to up your game plan. I started and finished 30DS, then moved on the insanity and now doing P90X AND insanity, 6 days a week, so, keep doing what you are doing and add a bit more, week by week and you WILL see the results. I lost a few pounds, nothing to write home about, but dropped 2 dress sizes and got leaner :D

    Good luck in your journey:happy:
  • Elliehmltn
    Elliehmltn Posts: 254 Member
    hundredpushups.com
  • dixoncrew
    dixoncrew Posts: 186 Member
    I didn't have any of that when I first started my fitness journey. I bought 30 Day Shred and did that with 3 and 5 lb. weights. I also walked a lot. After I lost some weight and had been doing 30DS for a while I bought some new exercise DVDs and did those.

    I lost 40# and never had a gym membership.
  • My advice to you is to find something that you like to do. If it is dancing, then find a program that incorporates that. It is a great way to keep motivated to continue the workout on the days that you are one the fence. If it is something as simple as walking in the park, include that as part of a routine, or use it for a change of pace. Find what activities you love, and use that with the motivation you have to workout, and things will progress and evolve as you find what works for you.
  • OspreyVista
    OspreyVista Posts: 464 Member
    I have lost all my weight without a gym, or gym machines for the most part. I do have a treadmill because I can't be in the heat during summer as they trigger migraines, but when it's not hot out I take a walk to the park or go hiking a lot.

    Other things that I do that don't include machines: Jillian Michaels video's such as 30 day shred, ripped in 30, Fitnessblender which can be found on youtube, or their website at fitnessblender.com Dumbells are a good idea to have around, and they aren't that expensive and store easily. If you absolutely cannot spend money on dumbells right now, soup can's would work, or water bottles for substitutes. You can find zumba video's on youtube as well. If your looking for something super intense, I recommend Zuzka Light, however, when I mean intense, I mean intense. I thought Jillian was intense, until I started doing Zuzka's workouts and now Jillian is nothing. But Jillian's 30 day shred is a really great video to start out on, I've had great results from it, and so have many other people!

    I also go hiking a lot. Actually, a LOT of the weight I have lost has mainly come from walking/hiking and some Jillian. Swimming is another one of my favorites, especially when I have a river less than 5 minutes away and a lake that is 15 minutes away. Unfortunately can't do the lake right now due to algae, so that's out probably for the entire summer. Hmm, if you have a bike you can go for a bike ride, I recently got one and love to take it down to the library to rent out books :) Tennis is inexpensive really, just have to have a place to play it, which hopefully you should have a few around, and another person to play with.

    Zumba is a really great way to get cardio in and lose weight, you can find these on youtube as mentioned earlier. Most places (at least around here) offer a 1 hour zumba class for $5 or 5 for $20 Which is actually really cheap. I'm actually going to a zumba class on Sunday with a friend, I'm looking forward to it :D


    Anyway, these are a lot of the things that I do, just ideas to get you started that are not that expensive. ^_^
  • BrookeLee2
    BrookeLee2 Posts: 39
    There's this girl on YouTube who's channel is called Blogilates. She uses very little materials, and when she does, it's typically stuff you have around the household. (Chairs, stools, cans/other heavy-ish objects if you don't have weights).
    It doesn't seem that hard on some videos but once you get going it's just awesome.

    *Edit~
    Go hiking or walking. The only equipment you need for those are shoes:D
    Swimming?
    Biking

    That's what I do:)
  • toothpastechica
    toothpastechica Posts: 250 Member
    I hate gyms, so I haven't stepped foot in one since high school. My fitness is all outdoors until winter, and then it suffers. In the summer I run 3 days a week, walk every day that I don't run, and go canoeing and hiking as much as I can. In the winter I just do Zumba and Pilates. (DVD and Kinect). I also use the internet for inspiration for stretching etc...so I also am doing sit ups, squats, planks, light weights (should get into something heavier, but lack of money for now), push ups etc, at home.
  • caoimhe0
    caoimhe0 Posts: 15 Member
    30 day shred is what i used, there is loads of threads on here showing before and after pictures have a wee look see what u think, though id deffo recommend it :)
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I jog in place, do calisthenics, and find heavy things to pick up and put back down.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    You lose weight primarily by reducing calories, but I have done exercise at home. I've had machines at times, but my simpler equipment has included:

    Dumbbell weights and a weight bar
    A weighted vest
    Stools for stepups
    A Swiss ball
    An electronic jump rope
    Resistance bands
    A Bosu
    A balance board
    Stretching straps

    A heart rate monitor
    A counter
    An interval timer
    Gloves (they weren't necessary)
  • I really like dailyhiit.com they have new workouts everyday and its free and you don't have to sign up or anything either. They do a blog as well and all the trainers post good tips and encouragement on their Facebook pages. Zuzka Light is good too, she uses to be with the dailyhiit folks when it was bodyrock, hers is a little more intense though.

    For dailyhiit you can do most workouts with no equipment, I just have 5 lb weights and everything else I use things in my home in place of actual equipment.
  • BeastlyMaple
    BeastlyMaple Posts: 40 Member
    Wow, you guys are awesome! This really motivated me that I can do this at home, and it takes the pressure off of me, I was thinking I wasn't going to do well without a gym and the gym equipment. Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply to this thread and helping me learn.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    There's this girl on YouTube who's channel is called Blogilates. She uses very little materials, and when she does, it's typically stuff you have around the household. (Chairs, stools, cans/other heavy-ish objects if you don't have weights).
    It doesn't seem that hard on some videos but once you get going it's just awesome.

    Ooh great suggestion here, forgot about Blogilates! Cassey is awesome. On her website she posts a calendar each month telling you which workouts to do on which days. Then you just do the videos for each day and you're done! She's so high-energy and fun, but the workouts are tough if you do them right. I definitely recommend checking her website out.