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Good advice above. including rebounding, small footprint in the house and good stuff. Also, have you consider things other than weights and gym. Things that maybe your wife would like. Maybe swimming? Hiking?
I have a radical suggestion, look for a long-term solution to help your schedule. Find a different job or move closer to the office. I know that sounds drastic but I'm serious. I know it's not always possible but I do my best to have a job (and build the skills and network that support it) that allows me to balance my other priorities, including my health. I live closer to work because for me a hour commute really impacts my quality of life.
Or maybe there are options within your current company. Can you consider working from home a couple times a week? That way you'd gain the commute time back.
I'm not saying don't take the advice above and definitely do what you can with that you have but also maybe consider a longer term strategy to build an environment that allows better balance.0 -
Welcome to the community. I wish you the best on your journey.
I'm a "get up early" person so that I can work out. When I get home from work, I want to spend time with my family and that's it. I sacrifice about an hour of sleep to allow for that morning workout, and for me it is worth every penny.
Someone else mentioned Body Beast and I too would recommend it. It takes up a small footprint in your home (stability ball and a few weights) and that's basically it. Mine is tucked away in a corner and I pull it out as needed.
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I think you need to focus more on diet and less on working out. I would try to accurately record what you are eating for a couple of days. Then find a way to cut out 500 calories a day.
For me I found I was having lots of goodies (a croissant here, a cookie there) - cut things like that out. Plus alcohol, instead of a glass or two every night I'm a cut back to about 3 times a week. Pizza - instead of ordering once a week, now its once a month.
Working out is great obviously, but the real calorie savings come from eating fewer calories.
Also do you a have a lunch hour? Could you go for a brisk walk?
Congratulations on the baby btw!1 -
Wow. There are a lot of comments and feedback here - more than I expected. I'll address a few of them. Also, thank you for the support!
As far as the distance from work - This is a newer job for me and the wife and I plan to purchase a house in a better location but it's a year or so away yet. That being said, I don't want to put off my health and wellness any longer than I have to.
My employer has a small corporate wellness gym in the building, however it's more geared towards beginners and those seeking out cardio. There is no free weight bench press, no squat rack, just a smith machine (yuck!) for bench and squat, etc. So as nice as it would be to work out at lunch, it just isn't viable with the current facilities they have. There is a LifeTime Fitness not far away which would give me everything I'm looking for and everything I need. The cost of a membership is not an issue.
I have the P90X discs at home, the issue with home is that's usually where I unwind and relax, rather than have a focused mindset, such as when I'm at the gym to lift and that is my whole intent of being there.
In reference to food and diet, this is the part that actually concerns me the least. I know what it takes to manage healthy food choices, we actually cook many meals at home during the week and eat good food options. The only issue here is portion control. I will take the advice of pre-portioning the meals we cook and apply that to the current meal as well as leftovers for lunches. (Thank you!)
To the individual who referenced discipline - I can appreciate the perspective and understand that you're giving a straight answer, no fluff. For that, I thank you. Every once in a while we all need a kick in the *kitten* to get moving again. That doesn't necessarily make us weak, it just means we lost sight of the bigger picture.
I am going to move forward with getting up earlier in the morning and seeing how that type of a routine will work with my schedule. This way I won't have to sacrifice my evenings with my family and when my child arrives I will still have that time at home with them.6 -
From everything you have described, my guess is your best option is going to be the early wake-up and a gym membership. I only live a half mile from work so drive time is not an issue, but my job does eat 45-50 hours a week of my time. I found that when I was home after work my family needed my attention, and that was usually to eat/cook dinner, grocery shop, deal with kid issues, spend time with wife, etc. etc. My wife as well does not work out so evenings were full of "are you done yet? We're hungry!" type of situations. I was rushed, or had to skip workouts all together. So, I started getting up at 4:45 in the morning and starting my 90 minute workout by 5:30 at the latest. I get it done and nobody bothers me. However, the drawback is I need to sleep by 10pm at the latest each night that I get up that early.
Since I work out 5 days a week, I made sure my rest days were during the week. That's two work days I don't have to get up that early and can catch up on an extra hour or so of sleep. The weekends are open for me usually so even if I don't get my workout done in the early morning, I can sleep in then do it, or do it any time during the day when time permits. I no longer have kids at home, but it seems like you're soon going to have a new baby. Trust me, work out early while you can, and be prepared to do shorter workouts because sleep is not going to be your friend once the baby arrives for at least a year. You can reach your weight goals with calorie restriction, and that you can do with sheer willpower. That's the good news. The bad news is that you're going to have to take every opportunity you can to work on building and maintaining muscle and there may not be much time for it in the near future.
Free weights are an option, and they don't take up much space. Bowflex, and others, make a free-weight set that takes up very little space, and the weight is selectable (Select-Tech). They also have a somewhat compact bench and I'm sure some others do as well. My free weights (standard ones) sit in the corner of a spare room because there's no room for my weight bench which is in the garage covered by a bunch of other crap. I grab them from time to time and will use them while watching TV. You do what you have to do. I do mostly bodyweight anyway, and that takes very little room as well. It may be a good idea to consider simple caloric restriction, some cardio early in the morning (running/jogging/walking), and body weight exercise to build/maintain muscle. You wouldn't even need a gym membership for that. I do Circuit Training that is 100% body weight exercise. I'll never look like Arnold Schwarzenegger but never wanted to anyway.1 -
If I had to get up at 4:45 that means I would have to be in bed by 8:30pm. Wouldn't work for me, but clearly some folks can get by on less sleep than others.1
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Didn't read this all so someone may have suggested it but get one of those door gyms. They are elastic ropes and have a decent amount of resistance, enough to get you by in between real gym visits. A friend have me a body by Jake one years ago and I love it. Takes up zero space and you can do it randomly at times.0
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Is there any space in your place to workout from home? Even if you break up your work outs..40 min morn, 30 min eve and possibly start meal prepping with your wife? Also, not sure how far the grocery store is from your house but if it's in walking distance, maybe you guys can walk to the store. Little things like that should help a little bit, at least to get started.
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llaurenmarie wrote: »I too stopped going to have each evening with my boyfriend.
Now I get up at 4am to make it still possible (:
Edited to correct the plural "boyfriends". I...only have one.
You're no fun.
OP, I applaud your ambition, but you already know what to do. Do it.
You've already received excellent recommendations of the stuff to consider buying and using. Do and do.0 -
If you are content on waking up early...Congrats! That will work...and Congrats on the new baby! My only advice (mom to 3) is to set up your routine NOW, before baby is here. That way when the sleep deprivation kicks in (and it will) you will have a set schedule/routine to lean on. My husband shared night time duties and would help with changing etc... I worked out on the days following my "off nights", I felt more refreshed haha. Overall when baby comes, go easy on yourself...being a parent is hard and amazing all at the same time
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bytheplanets wrote: »I think you need to focus more on diet and less on working out. I would try to accurately record what you are eating for a couple of days. Then find a way to cut out 500 calories a day.
For me I found I was having lots of goodies (a croissant here, a cookie there) - cut things like that out. Plus alcohol, instead of a glass or two every night I'm a cut back to about 3 times a week. Pizza - instead of ordering once a week, now its once a month.
Working out is great obviously, but the real calorie savings come from eating fewer calories.
Also do you a have a lunch hour? Could you go for a brisk walk?
Congratulations on the baby btw!
There is nothing wrong with this advice, but a word of caution. If you do go the route of focusing less on your working out, don't try to be too aggressive with weight loss at the same time. The 500 deficit (1 lb per week) we be the most aggressive I would consider if I wasn't working out along with it. And thumbs up for sure on the brisk walk during lunch break suggestion. You can burn a lot more than you think just doing that.
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Something is better than nothing. Why isn't "beginner" gear good enough when you are beginning a new workout and diet plan?My employer has a small corporate wellness gym in the building, however it's more geared towards beginners and those seeking out cardio. There is no free weight bench press, no squat rack, just a smith machine (yuck!) for bench and squat, etc. So as nice as it would be to work out at lunch, it just isn't viable with the current facilities they have. There is a LifeTime Fitness not far away which would give me everything I'm looking for and everything I need. The cost of a membership is not an issue.
Maybe a place shouldn't be referred to as a "gym" if it doesn't have a power rack and barbell available somewhere, but one thing at a time.
"Fitness Center | Wellness Center" <> "Gym"?
HIIT or even Steady-State cardio at work, dumbbell, Smith machine or Universal machine lifts... do it and track it.
Stop worrying that the Smith machine is crap. I agree, it is far less than ideal for almost any lift and terrible for others.
But it is still far more than you are doing NOW. Make do with what you have for now instead of procrastinating.
Again: Fix your diet and logging. If you don't do that then your progress will be far less than ideal.
You can do that no matter how bad the equipment is anywhere.
You are wasting time looking for the "best" workout arrangement when you could have been doing *something* almost every day at work.
A lot of great physiques have been built over the centuries with far worse / much less equipment than you seem to have free access to.
Is a Smith machine squat, bench or deadlift mechanically ideal or very efficient? No.
Can you safely use a Smith machine to effectively hit the Big Three for a while if you focus on your form? YES
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your workout buddy doesn't have to be your wife. If there's someone relying on you to be there, it's much easier to get up and be there. Same for them. I'd find someone to work out with, and crack the whip on each other!0
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My wife is not someone I can go to the gym with. I am content to spend an hour to an hour and a half lifting weights if I go. She wants to get in and get out and wants to leave after half an hour. I can't do what I want to do in half an hour. So I am forced to cut my workout short, even if we're not doing the same things. That doesn't help fix my problem unfortunately =(
I think I am going to try and look at waking up earlier and trying to get into a routine where I go work out before work. The gym I can use has showers so that won't be a problem. The biggest challenge I'm looking at if I do this is motivation and sticking with it. How do you guys/gals keep getting up at 4am?
It honestly depends on how badly you want to reach your goal. 2 -
I think a new baby, especially your first, is going to take more time and energy than you can possibly imagine. And you will be sleep deprived; your wife will be both sleep deprived and healing from pregnancy/birth. She's going to need more of your time, not less.
I'd consider a few things. Perhaps move closer to work to make the commute shorter and free up some time that way. If the gym at work doesn't have anything you need, consider asking the company to buy more equipment or buy your own equipment and keep it at the work gym. Find an accountability friend at work to meet you early each morning for exercise.
Figure out a way to work out at home. If you have a living room/den, move the furniture aside each day and exercise. That's what I do. Or park the car in the driveway and set up some equipment in the garage or in half the garage. It's Spring/Summer...do you have a yard? You can keep some equipment in a closet and move it out onto the patio each day to work out. You probably don't need as extensive an amount of equipment as you think. Pick up a weight bench and some dumbbells at a local garage sale.
I would say that it sounds like you want only the most ideal circumstances...1 1/2 hours of intense work on the best equipment. You will find that 1/2 hour on equipment you're using to make do will work well, too. It may be a little more difficult or inconvenient, but it will be effective. Once you've got a baby waking you up a half dozen times a night, ideal pretty much goes out the door.1 -
Wow. There are a lot of comments and feedback here - more than I expected. I'll address a few of them. Also, thank you for the support!
As far as the distance from work - This is a newer job for me and the wife and I plan to purchase a house in a better location but it's a year or so away yet. That being said, I don't want to put off my health and wellness any longer than I have to.
My employer has a small corporate wellness gym in the building, however it's more geared towards beginners and those seeking out cardio. There is no free weight bench press, no squat rack, just a smith machine (yuck!) for bench and squat, etc. So as nice as it would be to work out at lunch, it just isn't viable with the current facilities they have. There is a LifeTime Fitness not far away which would give me everything I'm looking for and everything I need. The cost of a membership is not an issue.
I have the P90X discs at home, the issue with home is that's usually where I unwind and relax, rather than have a focused mindset, such as when I'm at the gym to lift and that is my whole intent of being there.
In reference to food and diet, this is the part that actually concerns me the least. I know what it takes to manage healthy food choices, we actually cook many meals at home during the week and eat good food options. The only issue here is portion control. I will take the advice of pre-portioning the meals we cook and apply that to the current meal as well as leftovers for lunches. (Thank you!)
To the individual who referenced discipline - I can appreciate the perspective and understand that you're giving a straight answer, no fluff. For that, I thank you. Every once in a while we all need a kick in the *kitten* to get moving again. That doesn't necessarily make us weak, it just means we lost sight of the bigger picture.
I am going to move forward with getting up earlier in the morning and seeing how that type of a routine will work with my schedule. This way I won't have to sacrifice my evenings with my family and when my child arrives I will still have that time at home with them.
It sounds like you have it figured out: Join LifeTime fitness, do the P90X at home, preportion your food, and set a schedule. This is the discipline that will benefit you. Your motivation is the little one on the way. Motivation gets us going and helps us focus, but habit/discipline keeps us going. I don't think about whether I feel motivated on any given day, I just do what I've planned to do because that's what I've decided to do to accomplish my goals. You can do this!0 -
bytheplanets wrote: »I think you need to focus more on diet and less on working out. I would try to accurately record what you are eating for a couple of days. Then find a way to cut out 500 calories a day.
For me I found I was having lots of goodies (a croissant here, a cookie there) - cut things like that out. Plus alcohol, instead of a glass or two every night I'm a cut back to about 3 times a week. Pizza - instead of ordering once a week, now its once a month.
Working out is great obviously, but the real calorie savings come from eating fewer calories.
Also do you a have a lunch hour? Could you go for a brisk walk?
Congratulations on the baby btw!
I was going to suggest exactly this.
Also, look up "You Are Your Own Gym". Excellent bodyweight workout.0 -
My wife is not someone I can go to the gym with. I am content to spend an hour to an hour and a half lifting weights if I go. She wants to get in and get out and wants to leave after half an hour. I can't do what I want to do in half an hour. So I am forced to cut my workout short, even if we're not doing the same things. That doesn't help fix my problem unfortunately =(
I think I am going to try and look at waking up earlier and trying to get into a routine where I go work out before work. The gym I can use has showers so that won't be a problem. The biggest challenge I'm looking at if I do this is motivation and sticking with it. How do you guys/gals keep getting up at 4am?
You may think you can't do "what you want" at the gym in 30 minutes, but you can certainly build an efficient program that can accomplish the results you want in less than 90 minutes.
I hope the schedule you're planning leaves time for you to take over solo care of your newborn for 90 minutes two, three, four, five times a week (however often you're working out) so your wife can spend similar amounts of time doing what she wants to do for her physical/mental/emotional well-being.5 -
Congrats on the baby on the way! Cut out processed carbs is where I'd start. That can help for most people. You can lose weight without exercise, its doable. Focus on your foods - more veggies & protein! You mentioned you work a desk job, I too do the same. You can get a under the desk cycle thing ( I have no clue what the actually name is lol) It fits under your desk and you can cycle away .. It has helped me to get some movement in. Having a support system also is a help. I have 4 kids at home, so I am doing this solo and it can get hard. I come here for questions, support and motivation! You can do this! 0
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First child. Priorities change. Your life changes. Brace yourself young man and begin the mental preparation for the trials you're about to endure.Tried30UserNames wrote: »I think a new baby, especially your first, is going to take more time and energy than you can possibly imagine. And you will be sleep deprived; your wife will be both sleep deprived and healing from pregnancy/birth. She's going to need more of your time, not less.
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