Body weight exercises

Annieapple12
Annieapple12 Posts: 122 Member
edited November 10 in Fitness and Exercise
I'd like to start doing some strength training but can't afford the gym so was thinking of trying this workout http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ every other day

Does it look OK to people for a beginner? I like to log my exercise and I am not sure what it would come under. Circuit training maybe?

Replies

  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
    edited January 2015
    If you can just barely do all the exercises now, it seems reasonable for your first couple weeks. My biggest concerns--(a) Who will correct your form to avoid injury? (b) What upper-body "pull" exercises are you doing; I don't see pull-up or easier suspension alternatives, (c) How will you adapt these if you're not up to this level, or progress if you're already beyond it?

    As an example, many newcomers can't do a full squat correctly. They may graduate from high box squats, to low box squats, to bodyweight squats. How long will "20 bodyweight squats" be a good workout? Probably for a couple weeks. Then, you're looking to progress.

    Progression requires increasing your workload. :)
  • Annieapple12
    Annieapple12 Posts: 122 Member
    Thanks! I will start tomorrow and see how hard it is. If I find it too easy I will look elsewhere.
  • Annieapple12
    Annieapple12 Posts: 122 Member
    I guess if the squats get too easy I could hold light weights when I do them and get progressively heavier. I think I am getting ahead of myself though.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    Check out "You Are Your Own Gym"
  • Huppdiwupp
    Huppdiwupp Posts: 50 Member
    I can recommend fitnessblender.com - all workouts are free (you can buy a plan, but that's not necessary), and you can search for workouts based on time, difficulty, and equipment required, among others.
  • sloseph
    sloseph Posts: 157 Member
    jdhcm2006 wrote: »
    Check out "You Are Your Own Gym"

    this, YAYOG has a few 10 week programs starting from as basic as doing a push up against a wall then eventually building up to doing handstand push ups

  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Annieapple12 wrote: »
    I guess if the squats get too easy I could hold light weights when I do them and get progressively heavier. I think I am getting ahead of myself though.

    Yes, this is a great way to make the squats more challenging. if you have dumbbells, hold them at your shoulders.

    If you are able to invest in a pull-up bar (they cost very little) then this will address the upper body 'pull' exercise. Resistance bands can be used to do assisted pull-ups.

    This could be logged as circuit training or strength training (I think the MFP estimates for these are similar).
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    Convict Conditioning has ten progression steps for six big moves. You are your own gym might have something similar. This lets the joints adapt slowly enough.
  • Annieapple12
    Annieapple12 Posts: 122 Member
    That's every one. I will check those out
  • November_Fire
    November_Fire Posts: 165 Member
    Some other good progression sites are:
    http://www.startbodyweight.com/
    http://strengthunbound.com/bodyweight-strength-training-beginners-guide/
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Checkout 12 minute athlete. Bodyweight exercises are awesome.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    I'm going to also suggest "you are your own gym". There's even an app that walks you through the workouts with videos and everything. It's not free ($2.99 I think), but it's well worth the few dollars. The app is called "bodyweight training" and is orange with a white stick figure guy doing a weird squat thing.

    Excellent program and you don't need anything you don't already own (like a towel & a chair).
  • cbills65
    cbills65 Posts: 164 Member
    Fitnessblender has a great variety of workouts many of which require no equipment. They cater to all fintess levels and you can pick and choose your criteria for your workout including length of time and calorie burn. You can start as slow as you want and progress to insane levels of activity. They are on YouTube and are FREE.
  • Annieapple12
    Annieapple12 Posts: 122 Member
    I just did the nerdfitness one. I did work up a bit of sweat in the 3rd circuit but I can see that I will need something more challenging in the future.

    Thank you for all your suggestions. Keep them coming! I will check all these things out.
  • Annieapple12
    Annieapple12 Posts: 122 Member
    Fitness blender is brilliant
  • amtru2015
    amtru2015 Posts: 179 Member
    edited January 2015
    If you have a smart phone Nike Training Club (app) is like having your own personal trainer. The most equipment they really ask for is a set of dumbells, medicine ball and a jump rope. I used to use a gallon of milk before I bought my own medicine ball lol. Anyway, try it out, I love it
  • Holla4mom
    Holla4mom Posts: 587 Member
    7 minute scientific workout (several apps) is a bodyweight circuit
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
    edited January 2015
    If you want to do bodyweight exercise for strength or to build a little muscle, check out Startbodyweight.com. All the exercises are progressive, and whatever level you're at you should be able to find a progression step in each movement you can do.

    If you're just interested in bodyweight exercising as an aerobic/ HIIT workout, there are lots of good places like fitnessblender as mentioned that will give you a wide array of workouts to choose from.

    I checked out the NerdFitness programme before, but felt it to offer too few progression steps, and thus making progression a lot trickier (large jumps between advancement steps), and sub-optimal as a result. I'm glad there's such information out there, but from what I've seen, I haven't been able to find a better bodyweight progression range that's all in one place, than the one at startbodyweight.

    I do believe there is also a decent programme on the reddit for bodyweight/ calisthenics, but while I've browsed the reddit for general information, I found the way the programme was laid out a little confusing. It would seem to be an equally great programme, I just found it hard to absorb everything fully, and would argue it's pitched at an intermediate audience (I was a well-read beginner, and beginner dabbler at the time. Maybe now I might understand it fully better).
  • Annieapple12
    Annieapple12 Posts: 122 Member
    Thank you for all your advice.
    I have downloaded a 7 minute work out app and will give it a go.

    Start body weight looks interesting and i will browse when I have more time

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    iloseityes wrote: »
    If you want to do bodyweight exercise for strength or to build a little muscle, check out Startbodyweight.com. All the exercises are progressive, and whatever level you're at you should be able to find a progression step in each movement you can do.

    If you're just interested in bodyweight exercising as an aerobic/ HIIT workout, there are lots of good places like fitnessblender as mentioned that will give you a wide array of workouts to choose from.

    I checked out the NerdFitness programme before, but felt it to offer too few progression steps, and thus making progression a lot trickier (large jumps between advancement steps), and sub-optimal as a result. I'm glad there's such information out there, but from what I've seen, I haven't been able to find a better bodyweight progression range that's all in one place, than the one at startbodyweight.

    I do believe there is also a decent programme on the reddit for bodyweight/ calisthenics, but while I've browsed the reddit for general information, I found the way the programme was laid out a little confusing. It would seem to be an equally great programme, I just found it hard to absorb everything fully, and would argue it's pitched at an intermediate audience (I was a well-read beginner, and beginner dabbler at the time. Maybe now I might understand it fully better).

    I think that the NF program is really good for a beginner who is completely out of shape. It is where I started. After a couple of months I moved on to the Startbodyweight.com basic routine. I think that it (the SB routine) is a really good progression and well rounded workout.

  • Annieapple12
    Annieapple12 Posts: 122 Member
    I actually didn't find the NF one too challenging. I was little warm by the end of the third circuit but I could probably have done another. I did 30 day shred when I lost weight in 2013 and that was a lot more challenging.

    I am going to try the 7 minute scientific one tomorrow. It looks a lot harder! I am aslo planning to buy a kettlebell and want to do Jillian Michael's shred it with weights.
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