Question?

Liss_Bee
Liss_Bee Posts: 187 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I can't financially afford a gym membership, I have been doing strength work but with light light light weights (3 pounds) and "chair dips". I tried to price heavier weights and they are just a bit much, and now am looking into resistance bands. The guys at my work (I work with mostly guys and they are all fitness buffs) say that they are just as good if you are not trying to bulk up, but know you need to tone and to get tone need strengthening in your workout. Any thoughts and please don't be rude, I just want honest opinions of others that have tried. If I could financially go to the gym for the heavy weights I would, but it is just not even close to possible.

THANKS! =]

Replies

  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    "Tone" comes from having visible muscle, which comes from lowering body fat to enable one to see said muscle, which is mostly through diet/calorie deficit. If you get heavy resistance bands and make sure to do compound lifts, you should be fine for the time being. You may also want to look into a progressive bodyweight program.
  • akdollie
    akdollie Posts: 69 Member
    The bands should work fine. Also, yoga does good for building long, lean muscles with only your body weight. You can probably find a lot of videos or stills of how to modify the lifts to accomodate using the resistance bands.
  • Liss_Bee
    Liss_Bee Posts: 187 Member
    I don't understand what a bodyweight program is? I do 40 mins of cardio everyday with the exception of Sunday, I started adding strengthening as in light weights with multiple reps, crunches and "chair dips" or reverse push ups if you will. I've lost 36 pounds in 3 1/2 months doing this and the normal deflect MFP advises for a 1 to 2 pound a week loss? I can open my diary and page if it is needed. >.<
  • Liss_Bee
    Liss_Bee Posts: 187 Member
    My sister lent me a yoga/pilates video and it was amazing! I may look into buying a yoga video! Thanks. =]
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Get a sandbag or trx instead. Nobody uses those bands for very long. They get boring and are hard to progress.
  • Liss_Bee
    Liss_Bee Posts: 187 Member
    Thank you I will look at those as well. =]

    OUCH! Pricey... Sorry I can't do $200..... I thought I mentioned I'm very limited on budget? The bands run from the range of $10 to $40 on amazon. =S
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    Bodyweight exercise examples would be things like air squats, push-ups, lunges, etc. you can start with a basic version and work your way to something harder. For example, push-ups. You might start on the wall, the progress to a table, then a step, then the floor on your knees, then a full push-up, then a one-armed push-up, etc.
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
    Look into You Are Your Own Gym, and Nerd fitness.

    YAYOG has an app you can get for your phone, I think it's like 3 dollars.

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
    Thank you I will look at those as well. =]

    OUCH! Pricey... Sorry I can't do $200..... I thought I mentioned I'm very limited on budget? The bands run from the range of $10 to $40 on amazon. =S

    Search for suspension trainer on Amazon. I just got a knockoff that's great quality for 30 bucks.
  • Liss_Bee
    Liss_Bee Posts: 187 Member
    Ohhhhhh, yes I do those. I mentioned I've been doing the chair dips, I also do crunches and lunges. I'm horrid at push ups, but I have been trying.... ~cough~ 4 or 5 a day ~cough~ sad... ~cough~ lol. But the chair dips I do 20 a day and 100 crunches a day. Lunges I do every other day or 4 days a week with my other light weight lifting. Typically I do 2 or 3 sets of 10 with 3 pound weights and 30 lunges. =S
  • Aeramis13
    Aeramis13 Posts: 135 Member
    Check out Craig's list for weights and such. You should be able to find them crazy cheap cuz people have them sitting in their basement/garage collecting dust for 3-427 years and then want to dump them quickly to ignore the guilt over never having used them. Great place to get a cheap treadmill, etc., as well.

    And definitely check out the stuff jackien2js said.
  • Liss_Bee
    Liss_Bee Posts: 187 Member
    I'll look, I really needed to stay around the 20 or 30 dollar range for now. That is a lot of help, Thanks =]
  • Liss_Bee
    Liss_Bee Posts: 187 Member
    I have a treadmill, I WALK for now 40 mins every day. I'm building to running. =]
  • missomgitsica
    missomgitsica Posts: 496 Member
    The resistance bands are a good idea. And from what I've always heard more reps at a lower weight have the same effectiveness as fewer reps of a higher weight, so maybe just invest in some 5 or 8 pound weights. It would be as beneficial as trying to buy something much heavier, and those weights cost maybe $15 each at the most, wihch isn't a huge investment.

    Also, do you have health insurance? If you do, sometimes you can get discounts on gym memberships through them. Joining my gym through my insurance instead of the gym itself made the cost $25 instead of $45 monthly.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Thank you I will look at those as well. =]

    OUCH! Pricey... Sorry I can't do $200..... I thought I mentioned I'm very limited on budget? The bands run from the range of $10 to $40 on amazon. =S

    How does spending 40 bucks on something that you'll use twice help your budget? Just go on Craigslist and someone will probably give you a set for $5 just to get rid of them.

    I'm not trying to be negative. But notice how no one responding actually uses them? Its a good idea that doesn't work IRL
  • Liss_Bee
    Liss_Bee Posts: 187 Member
    I have minimum health insurance. I work for a family business (my brother in law) and we have decent but not amazing. I doubt there is anything in the package for that... don't even get me started on health care though. LOL! We are all in big trouble soon is all I can say.

    I will see about 5 to 10 pound weights and possibly the resistance bands are a good option for me. Defiantly getting a yoga video to do with my already walking/running everyday. Will keep doing the crunches, push ups, chair dips and lunges as well, but maybe add the lower weights with them. =] Thank you everyone for commenting!
  • SolanumSunrise
    SolanumSunrise Posts: 244 Member
    I tried both resistance bands and bodyweight exercises for strength training and found that the bodyweight exercises were easier to stick with and more practical to progress with. I used a book called Body By You, which is similar to You Are Your Own Gym, only it is designed for women and has easier progressions. There are several good bodyweight exercise books out there if you can find a cheap used one, get it. There are also decent bodyweight strength training programs online for free (a lot of people like nerd fitness). The only thing you might need to buy eventually is a pull-up bar. I have also found youtube to be a vast source of free workout routines, and there might be some bodyweight routines to be found there. I was successfully able to lose a moderate amount of weight and keep my LBM doing bodyweight strength exercises 20 - 30 minutes 3x per week, plus now I'm stronger!
  • BossLadyDSimp
    BossLadyDSimp Posts: 257 Member
    I had bands ... they did not make me dance ( ha ha ... its a song) ANYWAYS ... I like the sworkit app that I use, the HIIT workouts on Youtube. I have a gym and I use it, but I think there are plenty of other alternatives if you do not. I find a lot of the people I know use their own body weight programs and have success.

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  • Liss_Bee
    Liss_Bee Posts: 187 Member
    Thank you both for your suggestions and I will look into them as well! I have lost 36 pounds so far, I'm looking to not hit a brick wall and of course get the most out of my workouts. I will still do my cardio, but adding strengthening will defiantly help as everyone on this site says over and over. lol

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