Exercise!

lmitchellf
lmitchellf Posts: 110 Member
Hey you beautiful, wonderful people! Feel free to discuss any and all forms of exercise you incorporate into your weight loss journey!

I am a runner, that's has always come easiest and stuck with me the best. My goal is to successfully complete a Savage Race in May. I can run 5 1/2 miles comfortably and am close to my goal of 7. Typically, I run 3 to 4 times a week.

Where I struggle is weight training. I don't have time/money for a gym membership, but I do have space in my basement for using my own body to exercise. Does anyone have any favorite work outs they use to strengthen and tone without weights? I just have a hard time staying consistent! Hope to have some support and help from you all!

Replies

  • dropdeadkate
    dropdeadkate Posts: 27 Member
    If you have money for some off brand trx bands I highly suggest them. Nothing has ever kicked my *kitten* as hard as suspension training.

    If not, plyometrics are really good too. It's muscle and Cardio training all at once. Jump squats. Jump lunges. Burpees. All VERY good body weight exercises.

    There's also about a bajillion pushup variations. If you can't do them start on your knees and work your way up!

    YouTube has lots of bodyweight exercise routines too
  • lmitchellf
    lmitchellf Posts: 110 Member
    Do you have a specific YouTube person you follow for suspension training? Never done it, sounds interesting.
  • dropdeadkate
    dropdeadkate Posts: 27 Member
    edited December 2015
    nah i don't follow anyone specifically. I will go on youtube and google HIIT workout or HIIT TRX and there's loads of them. I usually watch them first to make sure it's my level of workout. Suspension training is a lot harder than it looks. I'll see if I can find the off brand bands for you. TRX brand ones are like 200 dollars wtf

    found them: amazon.com/WOSS-Military-Trainer-Black-Built-/dp/B00HHZRA0E/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1451408133&sr=1-4&keywords=suspension+trainer
  • hawkeyebrows
    hawkeyebrows Posts: 10 Member
    Yay another runner! I ran in high school and college, 5 to 8 miles everyday and I was super lean. Since graduation I haven't and I miss it, and want to do a marathon. Mostly I want to get back into my running and learn how to cook, I know losing the weight will follow.

    I hate lifting tho, I will ask my friend to teach me.
  • lmitchellf
    lmitchellf Posts: 110 Member
    Hawkeyebrows, that is an excellent goal. I've never done a full marathon, just a half. That was pretty awesome though, hoping to do another in the fall. I gotta get the weight off me though, slows me down.
  • Jamison121
    Jamison121 Posts: 5 Member
    Beginner "mover" here. When I get off my butt, I enjoy Piyo, dance games, volleyball, and hiking. For now I will start with walking to get a routine back. I dusted off my fit bit and synced it to my profile here. Running I might try after I lose some of this weight first.
  • Jamison121
    Jamison121 Posts: 5 Member
    I walked 2 miles yesterday. It felt good! Thanks for the kick start event. It helped motivate me to move. I will continue each day at this pace and bump it up next week
  • lmitchellf
    lmitchellf Posts: 110 Member
    Jamison121 wrote: »
    I walked 2 miles yesterday. It felt good! Thanks for the kick start event. It helped motivate me to move. I will continue each day at this pace and bump it up next week

    Nice job! Keep yourself moving. We can continue to do events like that. Any suggestions?
  • southassassin
    southassassin Posts: 10 Member
    I figure I might tell you guys what I am doing as exercise. So I'm doing strength training each day is 2 muscle groups and then 20 minutes cardio on the tredmil. Everytime I get on the treadmil I raise the speed .1, I started on 3.5 now I'm on 5.5.

    I've been doing this for awhile (~2 months), today I set myself the challenge of completing the entire week. So Mon-Fri. I also on ocassion do heavier cardio like battle ropes and sometimes martial arts with a cardio focus.
  • Xannedoe
    Xannedoe Posts: 48 Member
    I figure I might tell you guys what I am doing as exercise. So I'm doing strength training each day is 2 muscle groups and then 20 minutes cardio on the tredmil. Everytime I get on the treadmil I raise the speed .1, I started on 3.5 now I'm on 5.5.

    I've been doing this for awhile (~2 months), today I set myself the challenge of completing the entire week. So Mon-Fri. I also on ocassion do heavier cardio like battle ropes and sometimes martial arts with a cardio focus.

    Sounds awesome man, keept it up!!!
  • lmitchellf
    lmitchellf Posts: 110 Member
    I figure I might tell you guys what I am doing as exercise. So I'm doing strength training each day is 2 muscle groups and then 20 minutes cardio on the tredmil. Everytime I get on the treadmil I raise the speed .1, I started on 3.5 now I'm on 5.5.

    I've been doing this for awhile (~2 months), today I set myself the challenge of completing the entire week. So Mon-Fri. I also on ocassion do heavier cardio like battle ropes and sometimes martial arts with a cardio focus.

    You've got this!! Do you like battle ropes? They seem fun to me, but I've never used them.
  • southassassin
    southassassin Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks guys. The battle ropes are just that, battle ropes. I personally feel like they get there name from the idea that you have to battle yourself to actually do them. They're tough but certainly worth it.
  • hawkeyebrows
    hawkeyebrows Posts: 10 Member
    Ran home from work yesterday (25 minutes) and to work this morning (22 min). It's 2.3 miles flat, but I want to whittle my time (and my weight) down to 18 minutes. I've been wanting to do this forever, since I live so close to work, save gas money, good for the environment, etc. I figure why am I driving such a short distance and time (10min) when I can run/walk this? Should have started doing this a year and half ago when I first started, but oh well. Better late than never I guess! Haha the coworkers think I'm crazy/inspired, it's a nice feeling.
  • southassassin
    southassassin Posts: 10 Member
    So an update, I reached my first goal, went to the gym Mon-Fri. Pretty darn happy! Now my next goal is to do a full week, all 7 days. Hope everyone is having excerise success.
  • marsdahl
    marsdahl Posts: 24 Member
    So an update, I reached my first goal, went to the gym Mon-Fri. Pretty darn happy! Now my next goal is to do a full week, all 7 days. Hope everyone is having excerise success.

    Congrats, that's awesome!! But don't burn yourself out! I started by going three days a week for a few months, now I'm up to six days of workouts: three days of lifting and three "off" days of HIIT (usually bike, run, or row). Sometimes I do my cardio at home, too. It's always good to have at least one day off as long as you don't sit on the couch all day. :)
  • dropdeadkate
    dropdeadkate Posts: 27 Member
    So an update, I reached my first goal, went to the gym Mon-Fri. Pretty darn happy! Now my next goal is to do a full week, all 7 days. Hope everyone is having excerise success.

    While it is a good goal to have theoretically, 7 days working out hard/lifting is actually not beneficial. Use one of the days to just take a long walk or yoga or something. Let your body have a recovery day. It will also help prevent injury in the long run.

  • lmitchellf
    lmitchellf Posts: 110 Member
    So an update, I reached my first goal, went to the gym Mon-Fri. Pretty darn happy! Now my next goal is to do a full week, all 7 days. Hope everyone is having excerise success.

    That's awesome! Honestly, going 5 days is probably good for you, rather than 7. Recovery is actually really important to any workout/diet plan. I'm so proud of your achievement though!
  • lmitchellf
    lmitchellf Posts: 110 Member
    Ran home from work yesterday (25 minutes) and to work this morning (22 min). It's 2.3 miles flat, but I want to whittle my time (and my weight) down to 18 minutes. I've been wanting to do this forever, since I live so close to work, save gas money, good for the environment, etc. I figure why am I driving such a short distance and time (10min) when I can run/walk this? Should have started doing this a year and half ago when I first started, but oh well. Better late than never I guess! Haha the coworkers think I'm crazy/inspired, it's a nice feeling.

    Don't you get all sweaty at work?
  • southassassin
    southassassin Posts: 10 Member
    Yeah, I've revised my efforts to focus on more long term sustanability. At the moment I am between semesters in Uni so I will work hard in the gym, when Uni starts again I'll need ease up. Thanks for all your advise :)
  • hawkeyebrows
    hawkeyebrows Posts: 10 Member
    So I was doing a little reading and the US Surgeon General's exercise recommendation for adults is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. ("Healthy physical activity includes aerobic activity, muscle strengthening activities, and activities to increase balance and flexibility.") Which got me thinking, am I getting 30 minutes of set-aside quality exercise time at least 5 days a week? The fact that I couldn't answer a HELL YES! without hesitation kinda bothered me, I had to think about it and came to an inconclusive I think so? Just curious what yall's thoughts on this are. As a side note, the recommendation for kids is 60 minutes per day, which I think is a good goal.