Which strength exercises are the best for at-home training?

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MarianMarMoi
MarianMarMoi Posts: 87 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was not sure if this thread was suitable for this place or the "gaining weight and body building", but I decided to place it here :)

I am 168 cm tall and weigh 52 kg, I've recently stopped eating junk food and huge amounts of salty food (chips/crisps) and kgs are falling off, I am still adjusting the diet so that I don't eat too little, but much of the weight I've dropped has probably been water from the long over-consumption of salt. I started off at 57 kg and the weight falling off me is getting slightly concerning, even if it's just water going away. Last time I stepped on a scale it was 51.7 kg, and that was fine when I was a teenager, but now?
I feel better than ever, my skin is thriving, but it's time to put some kg back on, muscles!

Now to the problem: I'm poor, can't afford to go to a gym and all I own (that I consider strength training related) is a pair of very light dumbbells (1kg each).

I don't know which way would be the best to go about it.
I find so many different exercises when I search on google and I simple don't know which ones to go for. Which exercises could I do at home, without any proper equipment, that are the best for strength training? Would be nice to have a few for each muscle group so that I could go through the entire body. How many times should I do them? how many times per week?

I should be able to afford a gym card to maybe january next year, but I want to have done something till then.


Thank you all in advance! I am very new to this but greatly looking forward to getting healthier :)

Replies

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    I would definitely recommend following a structured program. There are many out there that don't require a lot of equipment or use bodyweight. You can check out this thread for a list of them:
    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • MarianMarMoi
    MarianMarMoi Posts: 87 Member
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    Thank you for the tip! I will take a look around in that thread (and all the links) :)
  • AverageJoeFit
    AverageJoeFit Posts: 251 Member
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    Really you can start with body weight exercises. Pushups, chair dips and burpees don't need anything but a floor and chair with no wheels.

    Squats, lunges and Calf Raises can be done with your 1kg weight.

    It's a start until you can afford a gym.
  • MarianMarMoi
    MarianMarMoi Posts: 87 Member
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    Thank you for your tips/suggestions! I will look them up
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    You can get very far with bodyweight exercise, you may never find the need to go to a gym. Look up the following resources, YAYOG, Convict conditioning, Al kavadlo, GMB, nerdfitness
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Nerdfitness is in the link above. It is a bodyweight programme and is simple and effective for the novice.
    If you have to modify it to begin with, do so, and make your goal completing it as written.
    Once it becomes too easy add more moves or complexity to the existing ones.

    Cheers, h.

    ETA: Here is another simple routine to get you started. You can always use household items as extra weights. Milk or detergent jugs filled with water or sand work well.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U0bhE67HuDY
  • MarianMarMoi
    MarianMarMoi Posts: 87 Member
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    Thank you both! I will probably read everything on all those links and look up everything you guys mention, so thank you :)

    I've already looked around a bit, and I'm not sure how I got into it, but do I have to consider my body type at this point? Maybe it's more relevant when I can go to the gym and do heavier exercises? I seem to be a mix of ecto and mesomorph, mostly ecto.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
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    Body types as you describe are a myth. Completely ignore that information.

    You can be a pear, apple, ruler etc depending on where you genetically carry fat, and you can have bigger, denser, heavier bones. This is genetics too and may affect what your ideal weight is within the BMI normal range, but doesn't have and substantial effect on how you decide to exercise.

    Chose a routine that suits your abilities and as you get fitter, stronger, healthier change it up so you are always challenging yourself.

    Cheers, h.
  • sammyjo0218
    sammyjo0218 Posts: 108 Member
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    Body weight exercises you can even use a weight in place of a kettlebell swing. Push-ups, dips, burpees, squats, lunges. Jumping in place like you would with a jumprope all are a great start. To find cheap home workout equipment go to local yard sales they're usually good finds or find things at your home like water jugs to lift or anything outside like tire flipping get creative with it.
  • MarianMarMoi
    MarianMarMoi Posts: 87 Member
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    How odd that so many write information about those three (endo, meso and ecto) if they're myths! Why would people do that? Oh well, then I can ignore that.

    At the moment I have to place thought even when it comes to buying food. Even if I could find cheap equipments it wouldn't be something I could buy unless it's less than a few dollars, but thank you for the tip :)
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    MarianMarMoi wrote: »
    How odd that so many write information about those three (endo, meso and ecto) if they're myths! Why would people do that? Oh well, then I can ignore that.

    At the moment I have to place thought even when it comes to buying food. Even if I could find cheap equipments it wouldn't be something I could buy unless it's less than a few dollars, but thank you for the tip :)

    Businesses are trying to sell stuff and people love an excuse!
  • brunetteballa88
    brunetteballa88 Posts: 8 Member
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    What works for me that I do daily is 200 crunches, 3 sets of 15 reps of kettlebell swings (10lb-15lb weight works), 50 squats(with weights), one leg lunges, and I use my elliptical machine too. this routine works for me, everyone is different. Just gotta try different things that work for you!
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
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    bvt3sm7xy5lt.jpg

    Here is the list that I do 3x per week. I do have a 10 lbs medicine ball and a 15 lbs kettlebell but you could skip those if you don't have the equipment. I hold the plank as long as i can, which is only about 70 seconds at this point, and the last one, air punches up above my head holding my 5 lbs weights i do for 60 seconds. I typically do 8 reps of each 2 or 3 times over depending on my time that day.
    Good luck to you!
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    my trainer ran a 'challenge' one month that was for turkish getups. just do them all month and keep a running tally on his whiteboard [honour system :P]

    i've always stayed out of challenges, but i couldn't pass up the chance to learn how to do these. they were pretty challenging to start with but once i started to get comfortable that was probably the best all-body integration and overall mobility that i've ever had.

    and absolutely the healthiest shoulders and ab muscles.
  • MarianMarMoi
    MarianMarMoi Posts: 87 Member
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    Thank you all for your answers and suggestions! I'm not sure where I would get heavier weights from as it is now, our milk cartons etc don't have handles.

    I will go through everything you guys have given me here and see what it ends up being :) thank you again!
  • adelitazzz75
    adelitazzz75 Posts: 18 Member
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    I do Jillian Michaels 30 day shred 4 x a week. Level 1 & 2 are available on u-tube for free & they are each 20 mins in length. They are great for strength with a bit of cardio in between each circuit. I only use 2 kilo weights but have seen definite results in the 2 months I've been doing them. I don't bother with level 3 as that requires purchasing the DVD! - just alternate level 1 & 2. Good luck!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    If your goal is to gain muscle, you need progressive overload and adequate calories. That means, following a predesigned program that is designed to increase reps, weight/tension or sets to increase total load on your body. You can do that with programs like Convict Condition, YAYOG or even StrongCurves. If you are looking long terms, it may be work investing in StrongCurves (it's a book) that has both a body weight program and a barbell program. You can start out with the body weight to develop a strong foundation and then move to barbell when you can afford to do so.

    Nutrition, at the very least, you should have calories at maintenance or in a slight surplus. If you goal is to gain muscle, and you want optimal conditions, than you would want to latter, recognizing you will have to cut after 3-6 months as you will gain fat as well. But since you are borderline underweight, I'd definitely not suggest losing weight. The nice thing about your position is, you are lean and a noobs. These are optimal conditions to allow your body to gain muscle.

    In short, move to maintenance until you get the program and you figure out your actual maintenance levels. Then add 10% or 250 calories on top of that (~100g of protein) and track your progress. The goal would be to increase volume each week so you get stronger.
  • croftie4
    croftie4 Posts: 221 Member
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    Could you afford a kettlebell cheaper than buying loads of weights.

    I second the Turkish get up
  • krazy1sbk
    krazy1sbk Posts: 128 Member
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    There are tons of workout videos online for free (eg., youtube) - you can look for "no equipment needed" videos specifically. Find one (or several) that you think will be motivating for you and make a schedule! I find I won't work out if I don't plan for it or if it's one of those videos where they yell at you or encourage you the whole time. I found a simple video that just explains the exercises as you go.
  • MarianMarMoi
    MarianMarMoi Posts: 87 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Thank you all for the tips/suggestions and information! They help a ton. :)


    psuLemon wrote: »
    In short, move to maintenance until you get the program and you figure out your actual maintenance levels. Then add 10% or 250 calories on top of that (~100g of protein) and track your progress. The goal would be to increase volume each week so you get stronger.

    Thanks a lot for all the info! I will do that.
    Do you mean I should add 100 grams of protein to what I already eat or aim to eat a total of 100 grams of protein each day?

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