Exercise w/o Any Gym Membership/At-Home Equipment

Hello all! For the past seven days, I've begun to refine my diet and eat healthy...and wow, the lbs are shedding off! Eating well isn't enough to make a person healthy, though. I'm pretty lacking in the way of physical fitness (my mile time is embarrassing) and don't have any gym access or exercise equipment. I have some of those workout apps on my phone that suggest ab exercises and whatnot but that gets pretty tedious.

I'm looking in to buying a compact recumbent bike and some weights but in the mean time, does anyone have any recommendations for me? YouTube video workouts for beginners or things I can do to tone my body?

Much appreciated :smile:

Replies

  • Tdacks
    Tdacks Posts: 136 Member
    My favorite new discovery has been http://www.fitnessblender.com/

    No hokey dance music, no outlandish claims, just good full length workout videos for FREE. The couple that runs the site is really down to earth, and emphasize making reasonable fitness goals and preventing injury. You can search the videos by various categories, including type of exercise, muscle group, equipment/no equipment, length of video... they even give you calorie burn estimates for each video.

    You have to make an account for all of the search features, but the videos themselves are hosted on YouTube if you don't want to make an account. Just search for FitnessBlender.
  • dabucks
    dabucks Posts: 82 Member
    Get insanity! No weights, no gym membership - no equipment. I'm in week 2 and I'm already down 5lbs and have gained a lot of muscle/tone. I'm loving the program.

    It's tough, but you can modify it to your physical ability - just do your best.
  • sargessexyone
    sargessexyone Posts: 494 Member
    Do you a game system? WII U fit is pretty fun and Xbox has some good workout stuff to. Jillian Michaels 30 day shred on youtube is good. She uses weights for some of the stuff but if you don't have them use canned food to start with.
  • aylajh
    aylajh Posts: 5
    My favorite new discovery has been http://www.fitnessblender.com/

    No hokey dance music, no outlandish claims, just good full length workout videos for FREE. The couple that runs the site is really down to earth, and emphasize making reasonable fitness goals and preventing injury. You can search the videos by various categories, including type of exercise, muscle group, equipment/no equipment, length of video... they even give you calorie burn estimates for each video.

    You have to make an account for all of the search features, but the videos themselves are hosted on YouTube if you don't want to make an account. Just search for FitnessBlender.

    Oh yeah! I've seen these people when I looked up workout videos on youtube before. A lot of them were too difficult for me so I did the best I could, then got discouraged/distracted. I didn't realize there were so so so many videos though, I'll search...there's gotta be a handful that I can keep up with. Thank you so much!
  • aylajh
    aylajh Posts: 5
    Get insanity! No weights, no gym membership - no equipment. I'm in week 2 and I'm already down 5lbs and have gained a lot of muscle/tone. I'm loving the program.

    It's tough, but you can modify it to your physical ability - just do your best.

    I'm still getting the hang of this site so bear with me if this reply doesn't post correctly. Thanks for the suggestion! I've looked into insanity and a couple other DVD regiments, trying to decide which would be best for me. Glad to hear it's working for you, keep at it :~)
  • cmanningjr
    cmanningjr Posts: 12 Member
    One of the best "Gadgets" I've used in the past.....jump rope.
  • aylajh
    aylajh Posts: 5
    Do you a game system? WII U fit is pretty fun and Xbox has some good workout stuff to. Jillian Michaels 30 day shred on youtube is good. She uses weights for some of the stuff but if you don't have them use canned food to start with.

    I don't, but my mom brought up Wii U to me once before. She's 61 and thought it might be a fun thing for both of us to do together, it would be a nice thing for us to bond over while getting in better shape. I saw a thread on here with before/after results of Jillian Michaels 30 day shred and holy cow, they're not kidding around. I'm a little bit intimidated by it but if so many people on this site could push through it, I think I could too. Thanks a lot for your suggestions
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    This YouTube channel has a lot of good workouts.

    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jessica+smith+tv&sm=1

    Hulu.com has a health & fitness channel too

    30 Day Shred is high impact (jumping jacks).....likely not for your mom
  • My top 3:

    1. EZ bar and weights to go with it (or just a kettlebell to start)
    2. A 20 lb weighted vest (for when standard lunges, planks, and squats become too easy)
    3. A Pullup bar that can fit in your doorway (and some bands that can help you do a pullup if you do not possess the strength yet).

    I specialize in "non-gym fitness" so if you have a question about where to buy that equipment (for cheap), send it my way. Good luck!
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    YAYOG
    Convict conditioning
    Nerdfitness

    No equipment needed
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    YAYOG
    Convict conditioning
    Nerdfitness

    No equipment needed

    Agreed - this, plus just to say if you cannot perform a single or many chin-ups or pullups, I would add a couple of resistance bands and slip a foot or knee into the band(s) as a support sling to take some oft he weight until you gain strength.

    No Gym Membership or Home Equipment could easily be your advantage.
  • Laura3BB
    Laura3BB Posts: 250 Member
    Walking and running is free too and burns calories...though it's not a workout....
  • KeriAnn06
    KeriAnn06 Posts: 49 Member
    Insanity may be a little tough although it's awesome. Jillian Michaels has lots of home dvd's that are pretty decent too.
  • NatalieG525
    NatalieG525 Posts: 65 Member
    My favorite new discovery has been http://www.fitnessblender.com/

    No hokey dance music, no outlandish claims, just good full length workout videos for FREE. The couple that runs the site is really down to earth, and emphasize making reasonable fitness goals and preventing injury. You can search the videos by various categories, including type of exercise, muscle group, equipment/no equipment, length of video... they even give you calorie burn estimates for each video.

    You have to make an account for all of the search features, but the videos themselves are hosted on YouTube if you don't want to make an account. Just search for FitnessBlender.

    This!!

    FitnessBlender is my favourite. I always use them on youtube :)
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    Hello all! For the past seven days, I've begun to refine my diet and eat healthy...and wow, the lbs are shedding off! Eating well isn't enough to make a person healthy, though. I'm pretty lacking in the way of physical fitness (my mile time is embarrassing) and don't have any gym access or exercise equipment. I have some of those workout apps on my phone that suggest ab exercises and whatnot but that gets pretty tedious.

    I'm looking in to buying a compact recumbent bike and some weights but in the mean time, does anyone have any recommendations for me? YouTube video workouts for beginners or things I can do to tone my body?

    Much appreciated :smile:

    Run - it's absolutely free!!! And you can do it all year long in every condition (provided you have the clothes for it).

    What else is free? Lunges, push ups, sit ups, calf raises, stairs, planks, core exercises, squats without weights, and any body weight exercise you can do...

    The LeMond recumbent is an excellent home machine with a nice console with multiple workouts and the ability to download or upload workouts and keep track of them at online training sites. It's under the HOIST Fitness portolio...

    http://www.hoistfitness.com/lemond/equipment/g-force-rt_exercise-bike
  • zeno2014
    zeno2014 Posts: 6 Member
    Hello,

    I've been working out at home for the past 4 months and just love it. I turned a bedroom into a small gym. I have a treadmill, a step, free weights and resistance bands AND a good set of speakers!!

    I love doing power walks with Leslie Sansone on Exercise TV:
    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=exercise+tv&qpvt=exercise+tv&FORM=VDRE

    and cardio with Kendell Logan again on Exercise TV:
    http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=exercise+tv+kendell+hogan&qs=VI&form=QBVR&pq=exercise+tv+kend&sc=1-16&sp=1&sk=

    I try and mix the cardio part every other day.

    So my training is about 60-90 minutes including 20 min. of weight exercise.

    It's true what they say, it becomes a drug. Never thought I would experience that.

    Good luck!

    Lyne :wink:
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,519 Member
    I have a Nordictrack bike (it was pretty expensive). I used to use it often though before I joined a gym. I also have a treadmill, which I have been using all week since it's too snowy to get to the gym.

    Between the two, I think the bike is more effective at burning cals; it can be a serious cardio workout. I do use the treadmill more often though; it's my go-to.
  • LabrakaDebra
    LabrakaDebra Posts: 47 Member
    Do you a game system? WII U fit is pretty fun and Xbox has some good workout stuff to. Jillian Michaels 30 day shred on youtube is good. She uses weights for some of the stuff but if you don't have them use canned food to start with.

    I don't, but my mom brought up Wii U to me once before. She's 61 and thought it might be a fun thing for both of us to do together, it would be a nice thing for us to bond over while getting in better shape. I saw a thread on here with before/after results of Jillian Michaels 30 day shred and holy cow, they're not kidding around. I'm a little bit intimidated by it but if so many people on this site could push through it, I think I could too. Thanks a lot for your suggestions

    You can find level 1 of the 30-Day Shred for free on Youtube, so you can try it out:

    http://youtu.be/1Pc-NizMgg8
  • Fitnessman168
    Fitnessman168 Posts: 85 Member
    I suggest insanity or T25 in T25 you can use a resistance band and those are pretty cheap just make sure to get a good one that won't snap in half after one day.

    Insanity you don't even need weights just your body which is why I love that program it's hard but fun.

    Another one I suggest is tapout xt if you buy from there site you get the resistance band or you can always buy off eBay to.

    Tapout xt is more MMA style fighting but does require a resistance band.

    Also les mills combat might be a good choice.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    I love my winter routine-

    3 days/30 minutes of Mark Lauren's Body By You strength training program (book is under $20). No extra equipment is needed and I can definitely feel and see results!

    3 days/20 minutes on a rebounder (mini trampoline), got mine as a Christmas gift but I think they're under $40 at Walmart. I do 10 minutes of jogging, then put on 1lb wrist weights and do 5-7 minutes of the jump roping motion.Then finish up with more jogging. Love the rebounder and have had two people go out and get one after trying mine :)
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I work out at home with my road bike and a kurt kinetic trainer.

    For sub $2k you can get a pretty good setup going, then all you need is a tv and cable or chromecast and you're good to go.
  • There were some really good "bodyweight" and low tech equipment suggestions on here. Give those a couple months of serious effort before you spend money on a bike or treadmill. You likely won't need it; only get electronic gear if you want it and will enjoy it.
  • hmcminton
    hmcminton Posts: 49 Member
    Until you can get equipment, you can try the 7-minute workout. No equipment needed, just a chair. If I am not doing another workout that day, I will usually do 3 or 4 rounds of this without stopping in between. It definitely gets your heart rate up. You can google for the time clock for it and that way you don't have to pay attention to a stopwatch, it will verbally count down for you on your computer.

    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/the-scientific-7-minute-workout/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
  • smoholland
    smoholland Posts: 4 Member
    I agree with some of the others, Insanity would be a bit much for you at this point. I've done a number of programs and if you are ever interested in learning more about the beachbody programs, send me a message or connect on my facebook page and I'd be happy to help you out!
  • zilfig64
    zilfig64 Posts: 71 Member
    YAYOG
    Convict conditioning
    Nerdfitness

    No equipment needed

    This!!
    and http://strength.stack52.com/periodic-table-of-bodyweight-exercises/

    I use nerdfitness - good basic routine to get started. After a couple weeks add other bodweight exercises for different parts of the body. I can work-out anywhere - gym, home,hotel, etc. - great workouts, and you can customize and change around so you don't get bored.

    Have Fun!
  • AtomicOvary
    AtomicOvary Posts: 32 Member
    (Commenting to save this thread to read later)