Nerd Fitness Routine

jadezia
jadezia Posts: 45 Member
edited November 14 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello all!
I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the beginners nerd fitness routine (found here), or any opinions on whether or not this is a decent routine for a true beginner?

I've never done any strength exercises before, so I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or what to look for. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym, and simply don't have the spare money or time, so I've been trying to do things at home. I have a little manual incline treadmill I've been using daily, and going on regular walks around the neighborhood, but I really feel like I should be adding some sort of strength training to retain any muscular structure I may have.

If you don't feel that the nerdfitness routine is worth anything, what might you recommend?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    It's a great place to start. If you feel like even what they are asking is hard- just modify it. No shame in modding anything.

    Go for it. You should be fine- it's a great place to start.
  • jadezia
    jadezia Posts: 45 Member
    Great, thanks for your opinion!

    The site is a little gimicky in appearance, which is why I was a little weary, haha.
  • mperrott2205
    mperrott2205 Posts: 737 Member
    As a fellow nerd, I would recommend the Buff Dude's 12 week plan:

    http://www.buffdudes.us/2014/04/buff-dudes-12-week-plan.html

    They have video instructions of each day and each exercise, they also give great recipe guides and macro advice.

    Plus they use lots of sprites and video game references, which is awesome. Good luck!
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    I like the NF routine.
    I've used it when I couldn't go to the gym.

    When the weightless squats get easier, grab a dumbbell and do goblet squats.

    If the push ups are too hard currently, start at an angle, like against a wall or counter, and slowly work your way down to horizontal - don't do push ups from your knees, the benefits aren't the same as doing angled push ups.

    If I recall correctly, he says to go 30s planks, start with what you can do and go up from there.

    Walking lunges or lunges with weight (or walking lunges with weight) to make it more challenging as well
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    defmut3 wrote: »
    As a fellow nerd, I would recommend the Buff Dude's 12 week plan:

    http://www.buffdudes.us/2014/04/buff-dudes-12-week-plan.html

    They have video instructions of each day and each exercise, they also give great recipe guides and macro advice.

    Plus they use lots of sprites and video game references, which is awesome. Good luck!

    As a true beginner, and one who doesn't have access to a gym, that plan isn't for the OP.
    Beginners benefit better from a 3x/week full body routine, such as NF or SL5x5, than a split program like you linked.

    And since she doesn't have the spare money to join a gym, she definitely won't have the money to create the home gym necessary to complete that program as written. And again, as she is a true beginner, she doesn't have the knowledge to determine the correct substitutions to make it a complete dumbbell routine. That program is meant for a gym since it calls for a few cable and stack machines.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I started out with the Nerd Fitness BBWW. It was a great starting point for me. I agree with modifying if it you need to. After a difficult first try at it, I dialed back the squats and lunges and only did two circuits for a bit. Gradually I added more reps and the third circuit. Once that routine seemed easy, I moved on to the startbodyweight.com basic routine.
  • phogbear
    phogbear Posts: 30 Member
    The book that really helped me was The New Rules for Lifting. There are several and one geared towards women. I found the older one in my library. Then requested they buy the newer versions. I really liked the books because he explains everything. There is a website listed int he Supercharged one that the author is active on to answer any questions you have. That has helped a lot.

    It can be done at home with bands and dumbbells for the most part. The dumbbells I got off craigslist. I bought new bands because they do wear out. They weren't very expensive. There are a few places you'll need a barbell, but those can be found on craigslist too.
  • WishesOnTheStar
    WishesOnTheStar Posts: 114 Member
    jadezia wrote: »
    Hello all!

    I've never done any strength exercises before, so I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or what to look for. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym, and simply don't have the spare money or time, so I've been trying to do things at home. I have a little manual incline treadmill I've been using daily, and going on regular walks around the neighborhood, but I really feel like I should be adding some sort of strength training to retain any muscular structure I may have.

    If you don't feel that the nerdfitness routine is worth anything, what might you recommend?

    For a woman, it's really not that big of a deal, you don't have the conflicting goals of losing fat on a calorie deficit and trying to gain muscle on a calorie surplus. As a woman you won't be able to add noticeable amounts of strength or muscle in a short time (i.e. less than a year of regular training) anyway simply because of physiology and hormones. Don't overthink it. Keep your diet under control and keep doing your cardio a few times a week, be consistent.

    Join a cheap 24 hour commercial gym for the cardio equipment. Varying cardio activity challenges your body in different ways. Bike/running/walking/rowing etc. Also these commercial machines should have calorie counters which will make it easy to log your exercise.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    jadezia wrote: »
    Hello all!

    I've never done any strength exercises before, so I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or what to look for. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym, and simply don't have the spare money or time, so I've been trying to do things at home. I have a little manual incline treadmill I've been using daily, and going on regular walks around the neighborhood, but I really feel like I should be adding some sort of strength training to retain any muscular structure I may have.

    If you don't feel that the nerdfitness routine is worth anything, what might you recommend?

    For a woman, it's really not that big of a deal, you don't have the conflicting goals of losing fat on a calorie deficit and trying to gain muscle on a calorie surplus. As a woman you won't be able to add noticeable amounts of strength or muscle in a short time (i.e. less than a year of regular training) anyway simply because of physiology and hormones. Don't overthink it. Keep your diet under control and keep doing your cardio a few times a week, be consistent.

    Join a cheap 24 hour commercial gym for the cardio equipment. Varying cardio activity challenges your body in different ways. Bike/running/walking/rowing etc. Also these commercial machines should have calorie counters which will make it easy to log your exercise.

    Not sure what you define as "noticeable amounts of strength" but I disagree. Women can certainly add quite a bit of strength in under a year, even while eating in a deficit.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    jadezia wrote: »
    Hello all!

    I've never done any strength exercises before, so I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or what to look for. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym, and simply don't have the spare money or time, so I've been trying to do things at home. I have a little manual incline treadmill I've been using daily, and going on regular walks around the neighborhood, but I really feel like I should be adding some sort of strength training to retain any muscular structure I may have.

    If you don't feel that the nerdfitness routine is worth anything, what might you recommend?

    For a woman, it's really not that big of a deal, you don't have the conflicting goals of losing fat on a calorie deficit and trying to gain muscle on a calorie surplus. As a woman you won't be able to add noticeable amounts of strength or muscle in a short time (i.e. less than a year of regular training) anyway simply because of physiology and hormones. Don't overthink it. Keep your diet under control and keep doing your cardio a few times a week, be consistent.

    Join a cheap 24 hour commercial gym for the cardio equipment. Varying cardio activity challenges your body in different ways. Bike/running/walking/rowing etc. Also these commercial machines should have calorie counters which will make it easy to log your exercise.

    You bolded a section of her OP but then ignored it anyway.
    And didn't answer her actual question.
    Or provide any alternatives.

    She's asking about an at home strength training routine yet you told her to join a gym for cardio...
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited March 2015
    jadezia wrote: »
    Hello all!

    I've never done any strength exercises before, so I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or what to look for. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym, and simply don't have the spare money or time, so I've been trying to do things at home. I have a little manual incline treadmill I've been using daily, and going on regular walks around the neighborhood, but I really feel like I should be adding some sort of strength training to retain any muscular structure I may have.

    If you don't feel that the nerdfitness routine is worth anything, what might you recommend?

    For a woman, it's really not that big of a deal, you don't have the conflicting goals of losing fat on a calorie deficit and trying to gain muscle on a calorie surplus. As a woman you won't be able to add noticeable amounts of strength or muscle in a short time (i.e. less than a year of regular training) anyway simply because of physiology and hormones. Don't overthink it. Keep your diet under control and keep doing your cardio a few times a week, be consistent.

    Join a cheap 24 hour commercial gym for the cardio equipment. Varying cardio activity challenges your body in different ways. Bike/running/walking/rowing etc. Also these commercial machines should have calorie counters which will make it easy to log your exercise.

    You bolded a section of her OP but then ignored it anyway.
    And didn't answer her actual question.
    Or provide any alternatives.

    She's asking about an at home strength training routine yet you told her to join a gym for cardio...

    Because women can't gain strength or muscle in under a year so they should just do cardio.

    giphy.gif
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    That's a good routine. I also like the Angry Birds workout on NF, and I use that alongside lunges/sit ups and balancing exercises to get a full strength/stability workout in.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    The nerd fitness beginner BW is a great start. There is a good bit of information on that sight.
    Don't let people try to tell you body weight workouts are only for beginners or are ineffective. You can build a great deal of strength with just your own bodyweight.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    jadezia wrote: »
    Hello all!

    I've never done any strength exercises before, so I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or what to look for. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym, and simply don't have the spare money or time, so I've been trying to do things at home. I have a little manual incline treadmill I've been using daily, and going on regular walks around the neighborhood, but I really feel like I should be adding some sort of strength training to retain any muscular structure I may have.

    If you don't feel that the nerdfitness routine is worth anything, what might you recommend?

    For a woman, it's really not that big of a deal, you don't have the conflicting goals of losing fat on a calorie deficit and trying to gain muscle on a calorie surplus. As a woman you won't be able to add noticeable amounts of strength or muscle in a short time (i.e. less than a year of regular training) anyway simply because of physiology and hormones. Don't overthink it. Keep your diet under control and keep doing your cardio a few times a week, be consistent.

    Join a cheap 24 hour commercial gym for the cardio equipment. Varying cardio activity challenges your body in different ways. Bike/running/walking/rowing etc. Also these commercial machines should have calorie counters which will make it easy to log your exercise.

    You bolded a section of her OP but then ignored it anyway.
    And didn't answer her actual question.
    Or provide any alternatives.

    She's asking about an at home strength training routine yet you told her to join a gym for cardio...

    Because women can't gain strength or muscle in under a year so they should just do cardio.

    giphy.gif

    He can come say that to my wicked awesome muscles and bodyweight deadlift.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    OP, the nerd fitness beginner routine is excellent, and a great place to start. the site can seem a little gimicky, but only because it's marketed to people that might not be so inclined to exercise regularly because of their nerd status.




    jadezia wrote: »
    Hello all!

    I've never done any strength exercises before, so I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or what to look for. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym, and simply don't have the spare money or time, so I've been trying to do things at home. I have a little manual incline treadmill I've been using daily, and going on regular walks around the neighborhood, but I really feel like I should be adding some sort of strength training to retain any muscular structure I may have.

    If you don't feel that the nerdfitness routine is worth anything, what might you recommend?

    For a woman, it's really not that big of a deal, you don't have the conflicting goals of losing fat on a calorie deficit and trying to gain muscle on a calorie surplus. As a woman you won't be able to add noticeable amounts of strength or muscle in a short time (i.e. less than a year of regular training) anyway simply because of physiology and hormones. Don't overthink it. Keep your diet under control and keep doing your cardio a few times a week, be consistent.

    Join a cheap 24 hour commercial gym for the cardio equipment. Varying cardio activity challenges your body in different ways. Bike/running/walking/rowing etc. Also these commercial machines should have calorie counters which will make it easy to log your exercise.

    lol
  • sun_fish
    sun_fish Posts: 864 Member
    I started with this routine and loved it. In addition to developing strength, it will also help bone density, something as you woman you need to think about.
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    jadezia wrote: »
    Hello all!

    I've never done any strength exercises before, so I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or what to look for. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym, and simply don't have the spare money or time, so I've been trying to do things at home. I have a little manual incline treadmill I've been using daily, and going on regular walks around the neighborhood, but I really feel like I should be adding some sort of strength training to retain any muscular structure I may have.

    If you don't feel that the nerdfitness routine is worth anything, what might you recommend?

    For a woman, it's really not that big of a deal, you don't have the conflicting goals of losing fat on a calorie deficit and trying to gain muscle on a calorie surplus. As a woman you won't be able to add noticeable amounts of strength or muscle in a short time (i.e. less than a year of regular training) anyway simply because of physiology and hormones. Don't overthink it. Keep your diet under control and keep doing your cardio a few times a week, be consistent.

    Join a cheap 24 hour commercial gym for the cardio equipment. Varying cardio activity challenges your body in different ways. Bike/running/walking/rowing etc. Also these commercial machines should have calorie counters which will make it easy to log your exercise.

    Bahahahaha!!!!! Yeah, no strong women 'round these parts. Good thing the bros can keep them straight, don't want no women being awesome or nothing.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    jadezia wrote: »
    Hello all!
    I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the beginners nerd fitness routine (found here), or any opinions on whether or not this is a decent routine for a true beginner?

    I've never done any strength exercises before, so I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or what to look for. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym, and simply don't have the spare money or time, so I've been trying to do things at home. I have a little manual incline treadmill I've been using daily, and going on regular walks around the neighborhood, but I really feel like I should be adding some sort of strength training to retain any muscular structure I may have.

    If you don't feel that the nerdfitness routine is worth anything, what might you recommend?

    Thanks!

    Nerd fitness is a cool sit and there body weight resistant routines are a great way to start off.

    Give a go and see how you get on.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
    dance the calories off

    tumblr_mjkjcqO7i61s823ndo1_500.gif
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    Someone seems to be confusing bulk with strength. There, there, dear.

    You absolutely can gain some strength early on! Women get newbie gains, too! I was doing bodyweight DLs within a couple of months and now can do a boy pushup. (I started on the stairs and gradually moved down to flat one step at a time.) I've got wee firm little arm muscles now and am noticing HUGE gains in terms of day-to-day strength on things like carrying 40 pound bags of cat litter and dog food around the house, squatting to lift cast iron pots off the bottom shelf, etc. But, those are official Ladytasks (tm), so I guess we aren't allowed to acknowledge that strength is involved.
  • Angelfire365
    Angelfire365 Posts: 803 Member
    jadezia wrote: »
    Hello all!

    I've never done any strength exercises before, so I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or what to look for. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym, and simply don't have the spare money or time, so I've been trying to do things at home. I have a little manual incline treadmill I've been using daily, and going on regular walks around the neighborhood, but I really feel like I should be adding some sort of strength training to retain any muscular structure I may have.

    If you don't feel that the nerdfitness routine is worth anything, what might you recommend?

    For a woman, it's really not that big of a deal, you don't have the conflicting goals of losing fat on a calorie deficit and trying to gain muscle on a calorie surplus. As a woman you won't be able to add noticeable amounts of strength or muscle in a short time (i.e. less than a year of regular training) anyway simply because of physiology and hormones. Don't overthink it. Keep your diet under control and keep doing your cardio a few times a week, be consistent.

    Join a cheap 24 hour commercial gym for the cardio equipment. Varying cardio activity challenges your body in different ways. Bike/running/walking/rowing etc. Also these commercial machines should have calorie counters which will make it easy to log your exercise.

    As a good friend of mine likes to frequently quote: "No uterus, no opinion". I have made huge gains in strength over the past 8 months or so, going from straight cardio to a trainer-supervised weight routine.
  • sun_fish
    sun_fish Posts: 864 Member
    jadezia wrote: »
    Hello all!

    I've never done any strength exercises before, so I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or what to look for. I don't feel comfortable going to a gym, and simply don't have the spare money or time, so I've been trying to do things at home. I have a little manual incline treadmill I've been using daily, and going on regular walks around the neighborhood, but I really feel like I should be adding some sort of strength training to retain any muscular structure I may have.

    If you don't feel that the nerdfitness routine is worth anything, what might you recommend?

    For a woman, it's really not that big of a deal, you don't have the conflicting goals of losing fat on a calorie deficit and trying to gain muscle on a calorie surplus. As a woman you won't be able to add noticeable amounts of strength or muscle in a short time (i.e. less than a year of regular training) anyway simply because of physiology and hormones. Don't overthink it. Keep your diet under control and keep doing your cardio a few times a week, be consistent.

    Join a cheap 24 hour commercial gym for the cardio equipment. Varying cardio activity challenges your body in different ways. Bike/running/walking/rowing etc. Also these commercial machines should have calorie counters which will make it easy to log your exercise.

    Hmmmm. Ok. No.

    I went from not being able to do one bodyweight squat to goblet squats at 40# for 4 sets of 12 in less than a year. And I was 51 when I started strength training. And I'm a woman with hormones and stuff.

    OP: Go for it, you'll be amazed at how quickly you progress.
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    I really need to start doing it again lol I just really hate lunges.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    I tried this and liked it, I stopped for some reason but wouldn't mind doing it again. I'm really wanting to add strength(not buk) and since I can fit stronglift into my schedule, I have to find something at home. My question is are you really able to have good progress with this? I've never seen a single transformation pic of somebody who followed this program. I'm almost at my goal so I really want to focus on strength/toning
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Robbnva wrote: »
    I tried this and liked it, I stopped for some reason but wouldn't mind doing it again. I'm really wanting to add strength(not buk) and since I can fit stronglift into my schedule, I have to find something at home. My question is are you really able to have good progress with this? I've never seen a single transformation pic of somebody who followed this program. I'm almost at my goal so I really want to focus on strength/toning

    Waldo, from strengthunbound.com, is a good example of somebody who has focused on bodyweight exercises, with great results. I don't know what his starting routine was but check out his site to see his monthly progress pictures while losing weight, bulking, and cutting.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    Robbnva wrote: »
    I tried this and liked it, I stopped for some reason but wouldn't mind doing it again. I'm really wanting to add strength(not buk) and since I can fit stronglift into my schedule, I have to find something at home. My question is are you really able to have good progress with this? I've never seen a single transformation pic of somebody who followed this program. I'm almost at my goal so I really want to focus on strength/toning

    Waldo, from strengthunbound.com, is a good example of somebody who has focused on bodyweight exercises, with great results. I don't know what his starting routine was but check out his site to see his monthly progress pictures while losing weight, bulking, and cutting.

    Thanks
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    urloved33 wrote: »
    dance the calories off

    tumblr_mjkjcqO7i61s823ndo1_500.gif

    Sigh. No.

    Dancing is great to get people moving but it's not a way get stronger. And it's really only a head nod to the larger world of fitness.

    Also lol women cannot get stronger in a shorter time frame. of. Silly wabbit free weights are for men!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Would anybody mind quoting the last post to make it visible? Thanks in advance.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    edited March 2015
    jemhh wrote: »
    Would anybody mind quoting the last post to make it visible? Thanks in advance.

    Yes. I can't see it either

  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    urloved33 wrote: »
    dance the calories off

    tumblr_mjkjcqO7i61s823ndo1_500.gif

    Sigh. No.

    Dancing is great to get people moving but it's not a way get stronger. And it's really only a head nod to the larger world of fitness.

    Also lol women cannot get stronger in a shorter time frame. of. Silly wabbit free weights are for men!

    Stupid jailbars. I wish the bug would get fixed.



    If youre on a mobile browser like I am, open the options and select 'request desktop site'. Allows you to see the posts from jailed users until MFP *maybe* finally fixes te bug
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