Starting a strength/weight routine without actual weights?

Sasha1417
Sasha1417 Posts: 59 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have extensive back injuries, so I started walking about four months ago with doctors okay, did a bit of Pilates, and yoga, and I finally have my food binging under control. I've lost ten lbs and met my first goal of losing those ten. Now I'm on to the next ten....but I want to start building muscle and toning up, I see people who weigh a lot but look amazing so I don't want to focus so much on numbers.

I am so weak it is embarrassing. I have to push my daughter on a stroller which is super heavy and running is hard for me. With the walking going on, can I also start doing push up, crunches, squats, and lunges? Will this be enough to help me start off? I cannot join a gym, and won't buy weights, I have a set of 5lbs and 20lbs, but as I stated I'm weak as he*l! Btw I'm 26, 5'3and weigh 174.

Thank you!

Replies

  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    Absolutely start with bodyweight exercises and your current dumbbells :) If you are weak, that's the perfect place to start, imho. A lot of the bodyweight ones will probably be quite hard to do, too, lol. My body weighs a lot :D
  • Nelliemay420
    Nelliemay420 Posts: 6 Member
    Those types of body weight exercises are extremely challenging so you will not be getting off easy by doing those! I don't use weights very often. I am fortunate that I work with a trainer and we often do lunges, squats, pushups, tricep dips, burpees, and all sorts of other stuff that require no machines or weights at all. Believe me you will be in pain and tired but of course feel great!!
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    Absolutely start with bodyweight exercises and your current dumbbells :) If you are weak, that's the perfect place to start, imho. A lot of the bodyweight ones will probably be quite hard to do, too, lol. My body weighs a lot :D

    Agree with cafeaulait :smile:

    Look up "You Are Your Own Gym"....I think that would be a great place for you to start. There are ways to modify body weight exercises to make them easier and ways to make them more difficult.

    You got this :happy:
  • Sasha1417
    Sasha1417 Posts: 59 Member
    Lol, yeah I felt so silly trying to do a push up. Uuuuugh but I figure if keep at it, I will eventually turn one to two and so forth. Also, I must mention I have to really push myself to even do more tha the walking. So any routine has to be basic because I have to start working it into my daily life slowly, it's just my way....
  • littlebudgie
    littlebudgie Posts: 279 Member
    I highly recommend You Are Your Own Gym. There's an app, but the book is even better, because it shows you how to modify exercises to make them easier/harder.
  • Manda_1986
    Manda_1986 Posts: 42 Member
    I agree with what everyone else has said. You can do an intense strength workout just using your own body. By adding in those light weights you have you will really get the heart pumping.
    Seeing as you are just starting out with strength training my main advice would be to make sure you do the exercises correctly. Focus on technique first then increasing reps etc later. You don't want to go doing further injury from doing something incorrectly. Good luck :).
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    I don't lift weights beyond a couple of DB's at home. All bodyweight exercises and weighted bodyweight exercises (and not high reps either, I hate high reps).

    There are no limits to what can be achieved.

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