So I Hear "Weight Training" is kinda Important :D

LongMom
LongMom Posts: 408 Member
edited September 23 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello Fellow MFPers!

I'm in a bit of a bind :) I've been getting the message - Weight Training Helps - and it's sinking in! It makes sense and if I'm honest with myself, when I lost weight 10+ years ago I was an active member of a gym lifting weights.

So here's my problem, ZERO time. I know I know, some of you are shaking your heads right now saying "Suuuuure, never heard THAT excuse before" but please, hear me out!

I start my day off at 6:20am. I have 25 minutes to get myself ready before 6:45 when I wake my 2 and 4 year old girls up. We have 45 minutes to get them dressed, fed and we're out the door. I walk them to the babysitters, grab my bag and off I go to catch my commuter train into the "Big City" for work. I walk back in the door at 6pm (hubbby has already picked the kids up). Now during the day at work, I don't really have a lunch hour because I'm usually getting in from the train at 9:10am and leaving at 4:45pm to catch my train, so I eat at my desk and OCCASIONALLY go for a quick walk.

Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm back out the door for my Zumba-on-steroids class, Fuzion (www.fuzionworkout.com) at 6:30pm, home at 8:30pm. Hubby is on board with these classes because he understands and see's the benefits :)

So I pretty much have Mon - Wed - Fri with my kids from 6pm - 8pm and of course every day after they go to bed at 8pm, I'm washing dishes/laundry/making lunches and I don't know, SITTING DOWN AND RELAXING :D The last thing I want to do is rush BACK out on these "days off" to a gym.

Weekends tend to be "structure free". I could try and commit to attending a gym every weekend but again, we have SO MUCH Mon-Fri that I don't want to put that pressure on myself.

So I am here asking you my MFP friends, how can a busy woman get in a good effective weight training workout from HOME?

Appreciate the help!

Replies

  • LongMom
    LongMom Posts: 408 Member
    :sad:

    I think my post got lost when the site went down :huh:
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
    Firstly, I dont think you need a gym, or weights!

    You can get a good resistance workout just using your body.

    Google body weight exercises. There are loads of routines out there.

    But the main 3 are push ups, squats and pull ups. Along with a plank for deeper core strength.

    15 mins x2 times per week in front the tele when the kids are in bed?

    Totally worth it :bigsmile:
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
    :sad:

    I think my post got lost when the site went down :huh:

    And yes I think it did. This is the second time I'm replying :flowerforyou:
  • meadows654
    meadows654 Posts: 164
    I think maybe you should look into resistance bands. They don't cost too much and there are DVDs out there with instructions/workouts on how to use them. Or you could get just 2 or 3 hand weights to start: 2lb, 5lb, 8lb and use them with some interval training DVDs. That way you have them at home and you'd be more likely to fit it in (both your schedule and your closet!)
  • TMR001
    TMR001 Posts: 37
    I'm totally with you. Up at 5am, daughter up at 5:45, daycare by 6:30, work 7-4, home at 5pm, dinner, actually spend a little time with my daughter if I'm lucky, DD in bed by 8pm, ... hmmmm exercise or fall on the couch. I'm doing T & Th lunch circuit training for weights but need the cardio... thinking of doing C25K for that.... 20-30 walk/run 3 days... Figure Sat & Sun.... then maybe one night at 8pm... uggg. Weather is soon to shift to warm here in TX so can start biking on weekends.

    If you have 50-60 minutes at home The Firm provides awesome weight/cardio at same time. It got me very FIT and strong FAST several years ago (before kids & hubby)

    On another board there is a lot of talk about a book called The New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women..... may be something to check out.... I haven't yet but heard raves about it.

    Good Luck ! I have had so much trouble fitting working out into my life as a mom.
  • rose1617
    rose1617 Posts: 469 Member
    I know it's hard and the last thing you want to do is go out to a gym on your "days off", but truth be told 1/2 hour lifting weights (which I realize results in maybe an hour and a half out of the house) is something you need to make yourself fit in to your schedule.
    I had to get over the "i'm too busy" thing and once I did, I realized that my three to one schedule (three days working out, one day off) was perfect. I see three days off and think that at least one of those days you could be hitting the gym.
    If Zumba is Tues/Thurs, I'd be weight lifting Monday and Friday and then do Cardio (go for a run?) on Saturday and take Sunday off.
    Then you have Mon-Tues on, Wed off, Thurs Fri on, Saturday Cardio and Sunday off.
    You're doing 2-1-3-1 which is more than enough "rest days".
    My $0.02
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    I say get up earlier and do a video at home. All you need is a 1/2 hour with some bands and weights, walmart has some videos on right now for 5$ each. Or like someone else says do some moves at night while you watch tv.

    I personally have spent many nights after the kids go to bed working out......I'm talking 2 hours on the treadmill and lifting weights between 8-11pm (whatever worked best for that day) Then I'm up at 620 for work and out the door at 720.


    If it's important enough to you, you will find a way to fit it in.
  • LongMom
    LongMom Posts: 408 Member
    Thank you all for the GREAT suggestions! I'm going to try and find some DVDs and resistance bands. The gym is just not feasible for me both financially and in terms of time :) One day!

    Anna - I had a "duh" moment when you suggested planks/push ups/site ups! So freakin' easy to do when I'm watching TV! We even have a plank/sit up session after Thursdays class and I ALWAYS skip it because it's "too hard". I'm going to stop skipping it and learn the routine so I can do it at home on my own as well.
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