do I really need to join the gym and purchase weights?

amyrmca
amyrmca Posts: 33
edited September 26 in Fitness and Exercise
There have been exercises that have been suggested to me that require weights. But to be honest I don't have the money for them. I'm a strugging college student who is living paycheck to paycheck so I really can't afford to go by weights right now. I've been told that in order to get more weight off my arms I need to lift weights but as I said I can't afford them right now. I've also been told to go get a medicine ball, the ones that are weighted but its the same thing with that as well. I just can't afford them right now. My question is, is there any other thing I could use for weights besides weights? I get thats why they call them weights but I truly can't afford them right now. So if anyone could give some suggestions to other options I'd appreciate it.
My next thing is that I keep being told to join a gym but the problem is money once again. Most gyms in my area charge an arm and a leg to join and I just can't afford it. Do I really need to join a gym? I get there are workouts that require a gym but do I really need to join one to get the weight off. I could and would use our university gym as its free for students but it is currently under construction. I just want to know if joining a gym is a must?

Replies

  • ablueskier
    ablueskier Posts: 104
    Water bottles and canned food. Look at the ounces and every 16 oz makes it a 1 lb weight. Get gallon jugs and now you are lifting much heavier weights. Or but multiple cans in a bag and work on lifting the bags. Also remember that you can burn the most with cardio and going for a walk or run costs nothing.
  • sarah307
    sarah307 Posts: 1,363 Member
    there are plenty of ways to work out without the gym and/or weights !

    take a walk outside
    push-ups, push-ups, push-ups!!
    running in place during commercials
    triceps dips on the edge of a chair
    purchase $10 workout dvds! (and then swap them with your friends!)


    just a few ideas!
  • ImSoPerfectlyFlawed
    ImSoPerfectlyFlawed Posts: 127 Member
    Water bottles and canned food. Look at the ounces and every 16 oz makes it a 1 lb weight. Get gallon jugs and now you are lifting much heavier weights. Or but multiple cans in a bag and work on lifting the bags. Also remember that you can burn the most with cardio and going for a walk or run costs nothing.

    I like the way you think :drinker:
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Doesn't your school have a gym that you can use, probably for free?
  • deannar417
    deannar417 Posts: 193 Member
    Water bottles and canned food. Look at the ounces and every 16 oz makes it a 1 lb weight. Get gallon jugs and now you are lifting much heavier weights. Or but multiple cans in a bag and work on lifting the bags. Also remember that you can burn the most with cardio and going for a walk or run costs nothing.

    That's the advice I was goin to give. Great job on that :flowerforyou: And walk and runs cost nothing so that's a great way to help to. Weight will come off everywhere. Amy you can also go onto Amazon.com and buy the 30 day shred each level for 1.99. It's cheap and you can buy a level at a time so the cost isnt so much.
    Good Luck with your journey.
  • color_me_skinny
    color_me_skinny Posts: 106
    Water bottles and canned food. Look at the ounces and every 16 oz makes it a 1 lb weight. Get gallon jugs and now you are lifting much heavier weights. Or but multiple cans in a bag and work on lifting the bags. Also remember that you can burn the most with cardio and going for a walk or run costs nothing.
    what she said!!! ^^^^

    :-)
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    I didn't join a gym until a year after I started losing weight. I just got some cheap workout DVDs and one Wii game to start. I had a set of light weights, only 5 lbs, and that's all I really needed. Resistance bands are a great replacement for a bunch of weights, since you can adjust how challenging they are. My cable TV has free workouts, so does my Netflix. You can find workouts for free on Youtube. There are lots of sources.
  • lisapickering
    lisapickering Posts: 374
    there are plenty of ways to work out without the gym and/or weights !

    take a walk outside
    push-ups, push-ups, push-ups!!
    running in place during commercials
    triceps dips on the edge of a chair
    purchase $10 workout dvds! (and then swap them with your friends!)


    just a few ideas!

    You took my ideas!!

    Yes, pushups, tricep dips, planks, crunches, and lots more - you should try googling it, I'm sure there will be tons of ideas. And cardio is easy no need for equipment - walking, running, swimming, jumping jacks, running / walking the stairs.
  • rharris86dc
    rharris86dc Posts: 635 Member
    Does your college have a gym? Most have some sort of fitness center, and are generally equipped with the standards (free weights, machines, cardio equip, etc). And the use of the center is usually included in your tuition.

    But if not, then yeah, canned foods/water bottles work well in a pinch. And walking/running/pushups/crunches/squats don't cost anything!
  • donicagalek
    donicagalek Posts: 526
    Doesn't your school have a gym that you can use, probably for free?

    ^^^ THIS ^^^

    Use of your school's gym is usually included in your tuition as a fee - regardless of whether you use it or not!
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
    The Ancient Roman Gladiators didn't have the luxury of going to gyms and they were pretty fit no? There are ways to work every part of your body with just your body weight!

    IN fact, the majority of professional sport training involves body weight training over "traditional" (Bodybuilding style) weight training.
  • donicagalek
    donicagalek Posts: 526
    And if you live on campus and get free cable, check to see if you get FitTV.
  • ablueskier
    ablueskier Posts: 104
    Several of you need to check the last line of her post. The school gym is under construction.
  • classicshell
    classicshell Posts: 59
    I'm sorry your gym is under construction! That does make it difficult. I am a struggling college student as well, and I'm even on food stamps because I cannot afford even the food I get. However, I have found cans, one gallon jugs, and heck - even your BOOKS (and as a college student, I know that you KNOW those are some major pounds) can be used as weights. Push ups are FREE, crunches, squats, etc. Those are all free too!

    You can even find free work outs on YouTube - especially cardio. :)Good luck!
  • brandilea_willoughby
    brandilea_willoughby Posts: 45
    the bottles and can thing is awesome, I would also suggest hitting up your local thrift stores, the equipment is hard to find and goes fast, but lots of folks donate their unused and often in perfect working order gym equipment.
  • uubulldawg06
    uubulldawg06 Posts: 102 Member
    there are a ton of 10 to 15 dollar work out videos that you can pick up. if you aren't opposed to used equipment you can look at consignment and second hand stores ( salvation army or goodwill) and could probably find some really good stuff. but until you find something you can get there is always jogging, push ups, sit ups, jump rope, all the basic training stuff. You said you were a student check and see if your school is partnered with any local gyms or community places.
  • jcb2kds
    jcb2kds Posts: 40
    I won't join a gym for the same reason. I had a personal trainer a couple of years ago, and while she did do wonders for me, most of the moves she taught me were things I can do at home with no or minimal weights/equipment. Plus, most of it was proper nutrition. I would recommend doing exercises that only require your own body weight. I found this site:

    http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/basictraining.htm

    I do most of these at home - push ups, dips, planks, etc. - but I also use a kettlebell w/DVDs. But, most of my workouts not only use the kettlebell, but incorporate push ups and the other exercises I mentioned. I have definitely have noticed the difference in my arms as well as the rest of my body.

    So, no you don't need to join a gym or buy weights:-)
  • donicagalek
    donicagalek Posts: 526
    Just read the last line - sorry. Do you have any other local colleges that your college allows you to take classes at? If so ask if you can use their gym since you're probably paying for use of the gym in your activities fee.
  • amyrmca
    amyrmca Posts: 33
    As I said in my post, the gym is under construction.
  • amyrmca
    amyrmca Posts: 33
    No the only free one that I could use is my school one every other one charges an arm and a leg for the membership.
  • jllipson
    jllipson Posts: 646
    Yard sales and thrift stores.

    On the water bottle idea - not sure what weight would be, but if you can find some rocks/pebbles/dirt to fill the bottles with, I would think it would be a heavier weight. Also, go for the 20 ounce bottles - even from diet drinks...
  • CatseyeHardcast
    CatseyeHardcast Posts: 224 Member
    Not sure about America but in Australia we have a group of websites called freecycle. People put up stuff they no longer want for free collection and in turn people also put up requests for stuff. I got a boxing set up for $0.

    Also google DIY suspension trainer. A couple of bucks in rope and you have a great work out system.

    If all that fails, walks, run, swim, push ups, dips, lunges etc.

    (I noticed you said you were told in order to lose the fat from around your arms you need to do weights? Don't listen to this. Firstly, you can get stronger by using body weight training, and secondly, we can't "train" our body to lose fat in certain areas. Watch what you eat, train your entire body (strength AND cardio), and you will look damn fine)
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