Best stay at home strength training?

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I'm going to be staying home with my son this year and need suggestions for a strength program that I can do in the house with little equipment while he is napping. I don't have hundreds of dollars to drop, so the P90X and the other Beach Body programs are out for the time being.

I've been doing the body weight program on the MiCoach app, but the instructions aren't great and I find it a bit boring. Lots of people on here seem to like YAYOG and 30DS. They are both appealing, but I'm a bit worried I'll get bored. I'll be alternating between strength and cardio days (I love MiCoach for cardio).

I would love to hear your thoughts on these programs and any others that I may be missing. Thanks!
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Replies

  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Along with YAYOG, I've heard good things about convict conditioning, on here. No experience with it though.
  • sti1imatic
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    I once looked this up many many years ago:


    http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/15-best-bodyweight-exercises-men

    http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/ultimate-body-weight-workout

    http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/back-to-basics-the-best-bodyweight-exercises

    Not sure if that is what you are looking for, or an actual program to follow. I hate following directions, being told what to do, or anything with structure in general. I am a rebel for no particular reason.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    30DS is cardio, not strength training, and you'd quickly get bored as it's the same workout every time.

    YAYOG has an app you can follow and it's a progressive strength training program.
  • LoneWolf_70
    LoneWolf_70 Posts: 1,151 Member
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    look up the "prison workout"
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Start Bodyweight has a good basic routine. You can take it an build off of it.

    http://www.startbodyweight.com/p/start-bodyweight-basic-routine.html
  • valve90210
    valve90210 Posts: 11 Member
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    These look like interesting workouts

    Might also be worth getting a cheap set of resistance bands, they can provide a really good strength workout at home
  • jconnon
    jconnon Posts: 427 Member
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    Checkout the Rushfit program by George St Pierre. I think its about $60.00 on Amazon and uses minimal equipment, most of its bodyweight.

    Also you can do a lot of kettlebell workouts with just one or two bells.
  • sti1imatic
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    look up the "prison workout"

    Epic
  • FrazierSamuel
    FrazierSamuel Posts: 45 Member
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    I once looked this up many many years ago:


    http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/15-best-bodyweight-exercises-men

    http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/ultimate-body-weight-workout

    http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/back-to-basics-the-best-bodyweight-exercises

    Not sure if that is what you are looking for, or an actual program to follow. I hate following directions, being told what to do, or anything with structure in general. I am a rebel for no particular reason.

    A program would be good, but mostly I want someone to model good form and give clear directions. I feel like I'm not getting what I should out of the miCoach exercises I'm doing now and I don't want to injure myself.
  • shank35l
    shank35l Posts: 102 Member
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    I've just been using basic dumbells at home and focusing on areas with those.
  • marlyu
    marlyu Posts: 24 Member
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    I recently found this website with a husband and wife duo that have all kinds of workouts posted, many that don't require any or minimal equipment. They have full length warm-up and cool down videos and then actual workouts too that start at 20min and up. I've done two of their workouts so far and they're great. Clear demonstrations/instructions, built in timers, different levels too.

    http://www.fitnessblender.com/
  • jodynolte
    jodynolte Posts: 243 Member
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    Jillian Michaels 30DS or Ripped in 30 are good - even for guys! And you can get them on YouTube!
  • VibrantAnnette
    VibrantAnnette Posts: 43 Member
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    over quite some time I figured out some routines to do at home and in hotels (road warrior). these days it's less travel. Plus I don't need a bunch of equipment.

    * do lunges every hour as you walk between rooms.

    * keep a couple different size dumbbells, a pair in different rooms you hangout. grab a 5" set everytime you're in that room.

    * if you spend an hour in front of TV, then do it while either walking back and forth or walk high-step standing in one spot, and grab some long sets of Abdominal work ontop of your Bosu ball. Or, do upper body strength training with those dumbbells. Biceps get really strong when you do an hour of reps! You can do all upper body work too, sitting in front of the tube!

    * I'd recommend adding yoga strength training. you can do quick 5" sets, 20" or the full hour. there's tons of youtubes available too. maybe get a small book on it too. after 30 years of doing hatha yoga, I found the Bikram book which is very good instruction. Bikrams Beginners Yoga, by Choudhoury. Plus after scouring youtubes I found a great series illustrating the same Bikram poses, helpful as you start out. The book will then become a quick reference tool.

    * put a couple of calendar appointments to exercise and drink water, with alarm reminders, on your phone or computer (the one that stays on and with you the most). Or just link good habits onto other routine habits, like everytime you use the bathroom, add on a set of 20 squats or jumping jacks or 5" of yoga.

    * keep a tool in every room you hang out. it serves as a reminder to do a quick set of exercise. You'll find yourself grabbing the tool and just doing it. My faves are: dumbbells in home office, living room with bosu ball and dumbbells, yoga mats in front door hallway and 2nd bedroom where I read or do yoga, exercise ball, yoga bricks & strap, and two videos in bedroom... it's not messy as they are small tools.

    * homemade dumbbells: wash 2 empty gallon sized milk jugs. add water. instant 8# weight for free.
  • sab53
    sab53 Posts: 22 Member
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    I recently found this website with a husband and wife duo that have all kinds of workouts posted, many that don't require any or minimal equipment. They have full length warm-up and cool down videos and then actual workouts too that start at 20min and up. I've done two of their workouts so far and they're great. Clear demonstrations/instructions, built in timers, different levels too.

    http://www.fitnessblender.com/

    Kelli and Daniel are awesome. The workouts are free too. They have over 400 videos in all sort of fitness levels and training types.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    Get some adjustable or plate loadable dumbbells. muscleandstrength.com and bodybuilding.com have some good programs. I also second the recommendation of fitnessblender.com for their videos. The have a free 5 days program up right now, and you can by 8 week programs (basically them putting their videos together into a program to follow) for pretty cheap.
  • RevGillTC
    RevGillTC Posts: 61 Member
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    Or try Nerd Fitness videos - lots of body weight exercises and clear direction - and you don't have to sign up to the 'Academy' to watch them either!

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/resources/#resources-free
  • VibrantAnnette
    VibrantAnnette Posts: 43 Member
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    I absolutely love love love the routine Ultimate Body Workout published by men's health.

    This is not a sissy workout either! I can honestly say this is for serious body strengthening and fat burning.
    I find that the men's routines are much better for muscle strengthening, than their women's workouts.
    Their women's workouts are great cardio, where I need to build muscle that I've lost with aging. I've always been a strong well balanced girl that doesn't look like a guy.... any woman can benefit big time from this workout.

    http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/ultimate-body-weight-workout

    they publish a new version annually. I found it in book format back in 2008. Now that I'm familiar with the routine sequence, I just keep a few cliff notes in my iphone 'notes' app to take to the gym.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    30DS is cardio, not strength training, and you'd quickly get bored as it's the same workout every time.

    YAYOG has an app you can follow and it's a progressive strength training program.

    you apparently didn't do it...

    30DS has 3min cardio, 2min resistence/bodyweight training/1min abs and runs 2 more cycles...and it changes every 10 days or everyday if you want it to but there are 3 basic workouts, which are great because you can start with modified if necessary and keep challenaging yourself to do non modified...it's how I started.

    To the OP check out fitnessblender.com...husband/wife team hundreds of workouts.

    Also lookup you are your own gym and convict condtioning.

    If you have a barbell, bench and some plates check out SL or SS...
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    I also recommend YAYOG. The phone app is (I think) $3, and there are books (author Mark Lauren) that are pretty darn cheap, too (Kindle editions also available). Good old fashioned calisthenics do the job just fine (5 months of progress pics in my profile--never stepped one foot in a gym, either:wink: ). Fitness blender on You Tube is also great for a variety of workout ideas (and FREE!).

    Bonus, toddlers and young kids (don't know how old your little one is) love to do pushups and squats and jumping jacks along side mommy and daddy, too. It's fun!
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    I strongly suggest and organized program that provides progressive resistance. One has been mentioned (you are your own gym or yayog) and the other is convict conditioning. Body weight exercises that provide clear progression in difficulty.