At home strength exercises?

FaithfulJewel
FaithfulJewel Posts: 177 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Long story short, I don't have money for the gym and I'd prefer not to (yet) buy any exercise equipment, at least for about 3 months before I can save enough for something and guarantee I'll keep the exercise up!

So, what can I do to improve strength at home? Using can of beans as basic dumbbells? Something simple to get me going (gently) for a few months before I know I can keep at it and can afford "real" stuff.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I already have a little exercise bike thing that you could use for arms as well as legs, so that might be worth considering too.

Replies

  • medeamama
    medeamama Posts: 47 Member
    Your body is a weight!
    You can do squats, lunges, pushups (on the floor, or against the wall if you are a beginner), walk-outs, crunches, planks, and all sorts of holds, all without a single weight other than our sweet self!
    Pilates are also good to look into for strengthening and stretching.
    I often just google things like "favorite exercises" or "floor exercises" for ideas.
  • Mrsfreedom41
    Mrsfreedom41 Posts: 330 Member
    Your body is a weight!
    You can do squats, lunges, pushups (on the floor, or against the wall if you are a beginner), walk-outs, crunches, planks, and all sorts of holds, all without a single weight other than our sweet self!
    Pilates are also good to look into for strengthening and stretching.
    I often just google things like "favorite exercises" or "floor exercises" for ideas.

    This is excellent advice and it works!
  • steve_mfp
    steve_mfp Posts: 170 Member
    http://www.marklauren.com/

    You are your own gym. His app for the ipad is great but he has some example videos on youtube also.

    http://www.youtube.com/user/MarkLauren2/videos
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    I use resistance bands. I bought a set with 4 different strengths and a door anchor for about $35. I love them and to be honest...I would rather use them instead of the free weights that I have access to. They also take up no room.

    For hand weights...try milk jugs. You can fill them with sand...cat litter...even water to whatever weight that you want and then increase them as you get stronger. Maybe start out with half gallons...work your way up to gallon jugs.

    You can do straight leg deadlifts with a laundry basket even...just put a small amount of weight in...then keep adding as you go. Books would be perfect to load in your basket.

    If you have access to a flight of stairs...good for you legs and knees.

    The list goes on and on. Just think of the everyday things that you do and try to turn them in to exercises...

    If you can't do squats yet...try chair squats...just getting up and down out of a chair.

    Side bends (holding your milk jugs)...ab twists...bent over rows (once again....with those jugs)...

    You don't need a gym nor weights when you first start.
  • FaithfulJewel
    FaithfulJewel Posts: 177 Member
    Thanks very much for the help everyone :)

    I'll make a note of all the suggestions and see what I can do. I could use stairs, for example, but I live in a self contained flat so I'd probably wind the downstairs neighbours up! :D
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    I found the SworkIt App was great in giving ideas all based with NO equipment! Check it out - it has a strength section, and a yoga/cardio section!
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    Train with your Bodyweight. There is always a modification to every exercise to make it harder; resistance is unlimited. You can achieve everything with bodyweight that can be achieved with weights, knowledge is your only limitation.

    Going to the gym and/or buying a weight set is absolutely NOT necessary to strength train. My physique is 100% untainted by gyms.

    Here's a beginners guide to bodyweight training that I wrote that can help you get started at least.
    http://strengthunbound.com/bodyweight-strength-training-beginners-guide/
  • Nikkiash667
    Nikkiash667 Posts: 39 Member
    Planks, do them on your hands and for uber core strength, do them with your arms bent and on the floor.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Train with your Bodyweight. There is always a modification to every exercise to make it harder; resistance is unlimited. You can achieve everything with bodyweight that can be achieved with weights, knowledge is your only limitation.

    Going to the gym and/or buying a weight set is absolutely NOT necessary to strength train. My physique is 100% untainted by gyms.

    Here's a beginners guide to bodyweight training that I wrote that can help you get started at least.
    http://strengthunbound.com/bodyweight-strength-training-beginners-guide/

    Listen to this advice.
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    Long story short, I don't have money for the gym and I'd prefer not to (yet) buy any exercise equipment, at least for about 3 months before I can save enough for something and guarantee I'll keep the exercise up!

    So, what can I do to improve strength at home? Using can of beans as basic dumbbells? Something simple to get me going (gently) for a few months before I know I can keep at it and can afford "real" stuff.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated. I already have a little exercise bike thing that you could use for arms as well as legs, so that might be worth considering too.

    I have not used a gym since joining MFP and have no intention of joining one. At best, I may use the exercise equipment at our community centre on the rare occasion. I use an elliptical (no more than 10 min sessions), stairs, walking indoors, dumbbells ($6 for the pair new), resistance band ($7), medicine ball (came with core trainer on sale $19.99), several apps (free and low cost), and free YouTube videos. I recently bought a weighted stability ball (on sale $19) but haven't used it yet. I am focusing on strength building with minimal cardio. Of my 2 hr daily work-outs, only 30 min is cardio. I also cannot do high impact. Many of the apps have strength training sessions.
  • 2v2nv
    2v2nv Posts: 12 Member
    Do you have a video game system?
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    I found the SworkIt App was great in giving ideas all based with NO equipment! Check it out - it has a strength section, and a yoga/cardio section!

    I use Sworkit too :)
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    Long story short, I don't have money for the gym and I'd prefer not to (yet) buy any exercise equipment, at least for about 3 months before I can save enough for something and guarantee I'll keep the exercise up!

    So, what can I do to improve strength at home? Using can of beans as basic dumbbells? Something simple to get me going (gently) for a few months before I know I can keep at it and can afford "real" stuff.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated. I already have a little exercise bike thing that you could use for arms as well as legs, so that might be worth considering too.

    I have not used a gym since joining MFP and have no intention of joining one. At best, I may use the exercise equipment at our community centre on the rare occasion. I use an elliptical (no more than 10 min sessions), stairs, walking indoors, dumbbells ($6 for the pair new), resistance band ($7), medicine ball (came with core trainer on sale $19.99), several apps (free and low cost), and free YouTube videos. I recently bought a weighted stability ball (on sale $19) but haven't used it yet. I am focusing on strength building with minimal cardio. Of my 2 hr daily work-outs, only 30 min is cardio. I also cannot do high impact. Many of the apps have strength training sessions.

    Sorry, I forgot to add that I use a HRM/pedometer upgraded from regular pedometer to track my steps towards my daily 10,000 step challenge.
  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
    Someone on here told me to google. "body weigh" exercises. I found some on a site called NerdFitness.com. The beginner body weight routine is short, he explains the exercises, and even gives modifiers, and uses things that around house (milk jugs) for arm weights, etc. I like they way he writes/talks, because it is down to earth easy.

    I am just getting myself started - and I have yet to get a good, steady routine that I like yet. I get up each morning and try to do 20-30 minutes of something. Whether that be bodyweight, jumping rope, wii fit, or some DVD or Youtube video. Eventually I'll find the ones that work best for me and get a steady routine, but since I'm just getting started, I figure as long as I am moving while I am deciding what works for me - that's better than I was doing! (I already decided I hate Zumba because I am SOOOOOO not coordinated! LOL - at least the kids were entertained/laughing so hard they fell off the couch!)
  • mank32
    mank32 Posts: 1,323 Member
    Train with your Bodyweight. There is always a modification to every exercise to make it harder; resistance is unlimited. You can achieve everything with bodyweight that can be achieved with weights, knowledge is your only limitation.

    Going to the gym and/or buying a weight set is absolutely NOT necessary to strength train. My physique is 100% untainted by gyms.

    Here's a beginners guide to bodyweight training that I wrote that can help you get started at least.
    http://strengthunbound.com/bodyweight-strength-training-beginners-guide/

    Listen to this advice.

    tagged
  • FaithfulJewel
    FaithfulJewel Posts: 177 Member
    Thanks everyone :)

    I've downloaded Sworkit (although I have a feeling if I try yoga, I'd fall over trying to do even the mountain pose) and will have a go at some of the stuff on there over the next week :)

    I do have a video game system, but no fitness games - best I have is Kinect Adventures and a Dance game I bought for my brother, but both get you moving more than sitting on the sofa, so it's better than nothing!

Categories