Bodyweight intervals: replacement for cardio intervals (noise issue)

yirara
yirara Posts: 9,801 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I enjoy doing some interval workouts I find out youtube and various websites. Often they include some cardio intervals like skipping or jumping jacks, or some exercises involving jumping. As my floor is very creaky and neighbours below me would not be amused if I jumped around I usually do more difficult variants without jumping.

But the cardio part is difficult to replace for me and I'm looking for more variations.
fast high knees: I usually do slower high knees with more core involvement on a step
other things: faster bodyweight romanian deadlifts and changing sides, skaters, kicks over the back of a chair both legs in same direction and both legs back, I can do some kind of jumping side lunges with ground touch without much noise. All those get my heart racing somewhat. Sometimes I do kettlebell swings though I feel it's not meant for short bursts of cardio due to the momentum of the weight and I might eventually get injured.

I cannot put any equipment up on the walls or ceiling and I'm not very strong. Lightest KB I have is 8kg.

Any other ideas?
«1

Replies

  • Bann554
    Bann554 Posts: 44 Member
    Try Lucy Wyndham-Read on YouTube. She had modifications that might not get your neighbors upset.

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,801 Member
    Hmm.. not sure.. I've heard toning, weight-loss etc in 5 minutes more often than I read here in a day. And yes, it's noisy what she does, plus walking on the spot hardly gets my heartrate up. I don't think this is what I'm looking for. Sorry.

    I think I was looking more for specific examples rather than spend my day watching videos.
  • smariere
    smariere Posts: 459 Member
    Maybe some mountain climbers? Not sure if those would still be too loud, but they are quieter than jumping jacks etc and definitely get your heart rate up. Also, maybe something where you stand on one leg, arms over head and other leg extended behind you and then crunch in to the middle. If you do those quickly they can give a decent cardio workout.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Side crawl pushups add an extra aerobic component to a regular push-up. You do the push-up, then in the up position, “crawl” 3 steps to one side and do another push-up, then 3 to the other side, etc. You can find YouTube video that will show person doing just one crawl step to see the form. If you do three, it bumps the cardio response into a low/moderate aerobic level.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,801 Member
    smariere wrote: »
    Maybe some mountain climbers? Not sure if those would still be too loud, but they are quieter than jumping jacks etc and definitely get your heart rate up. Also, maybe something where you stand on one leg, arms over head and other leg extended behind you and then crunch in to the middle. If you do those quickly they can give a decent cardio workout.

    Yes, mountain climber works though my shoulders don't like them. Added to my list. Thanks a lot.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,801 Member
    edited February 2018
    Azdak wrote: »
    Side crawl pushups add an extra aerobic component to a regular push-up. You do the push-up, then in the up position, “crawl” 3 steps to one side and do another push-up, then 3 to the other side, etc. You can find YouTube video that will show person doing just one crawl step to see the form. If you do three, it bumps the cardio response into a low/moderate aerobic level.

    I currently cannot do a proper pushup, thus walking to the side would cost too much time. And if you just do 20-60 seconds of cardio burst then doing this would not really result in much of an increase of cardio levels I think.

    And.. well.. I don't have the space. I can do walking lunges of about 5 in total. Three steps in one direction, the other two at a 90 degrees angle, about 1m width each. That's the space I have.

    I'd guess the reason for doing those is also to give the muscles a short break, but to get the heartrate up in the meantime.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    edited February 2018
    Kettlebell swings/cleans are just the ticket. 10-15 should take you 20-30 seconds.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    Azdak wrote: »
    Side crawl pushups add an extra aerobic component to a regular push-up. You do the push-up, then in the up position, “crawl” 3 steps to one side and do another push-up, then 3 to the other side, etc. You can find YouTube video that will show person doing just one crawl step to see the form. If you do three, it bumps the cardio response into a low/moderate aerobic level.

    I currently cannot do a proper pushup, thus walking to the side would cost too much time. And if you just do 20-60 seconds of cardio burst then doing this would not really result in much of an increase of cardio levels I think.

    And.. well.. I don't have the space. I can do walking lunges of about 5 in total. Three steps in one direction, the other two at a 90 degrees angle, about 1m width each. That's the space I have.

    I'd guess the reason for doing those is also to give the muscles a short break, but to get the heartrate up in the meantime.

    So- part of the point of doing a lot of this is being able to work with it- stop making excuses. I realize you have limitations- but learning how to jump more quietly- is a thing.

    bring a chair to your workspace- is a thing.
    doing modified push ups on the table/counter/wall- is a thing.

    There are solutions for every thing you have.
    If you can't do walking lunges jump in place- buy a mat- do them in your socks. I have a video of a work out I did in my kitchen on my channel- it's not big- and my floor is creaky- granted I have no neighbors down stairs- but It annoys me- so sometime I go out of my way to do "quiet" type workouts.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    https://youtu.be/CY7uiCan93Q

    Here ya go
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    You've been given some good suggestions. Kettlebells are ideal for what you are trying to accomplish. Jorocka has good advice too. If you can't do walking lunges, do them in place. Take a forward lunge, then step back and do a drop lunge. Those will fry your legs. To add difficulty to planks and help build some shoulder strength, add shoulder taps while in a plank position. Or do a kick through. That will get your heart pumping.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    rybo wrote: »
    You've been given some good suggestions. Kettlebells are ideal for what you are trying to accomplish. Jorocka has good advice too. If you can't do walking lunges, do them in place. Take a forward lunge, then step back and do a drop lunge. Those will fry your legs. To add difficulty to planks and help build some shoulder strength, add shoulder taps while in a plank position. Or do a kick through. That will get your heart pumping.

    Once you acclimate to the shoulder taps, add weight with the KBells. either palming the Bell with the shoulder taps, or switching to/including renegade rows. Or all of the above.

    Pushup, tap
    Pushup, row
    Pushup, tap other side
    Pushup row other side

    Or cross over every rep
    Tap/tap
    row/row

    Tons of variation options
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    I'm confused... what exactly are you trying to accomplish?

    You mention having someone living below you - you could just walk the stairs multiple times. Carry something to add difficulty.

    Kettlebells were my first thought based on your first post. Mountain climbers were my second. Squat thrusts, burpies, and similar are options, and learning to control your body to land lightly/quietly probably has a lot of other benefits too... though I understand being sensitive to the people below you.

  • Rosemary7391
    Rosemary7391 Posts: 232 Member
    Can you get an indoor bike? Or otherwise do cardio outside? I do sympathise with your predicament. Flats are horrible.

    How softly is it possible to land when jumping? I can't see anyway of doing it without bothering the folks below you.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Rosemary7391 wrote: »
    Can you get an indoor bike? Or otherwise do cardio outside? I do sympathise with your predicament. Flats are horrible.

    How softly is it possible to land when jumping? I can't see anyway of doing it without bothering the folks below you.

    It's very possible, and actually better for you. If you can control the landing and absorb the shock, it's much easier on your body. Same with running. You shouldn't be very loud with your footfalls. I've run up behind countless walkers at the park who where startled when I went around them because they never heard me. I always get a laugh out of it.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,801 Member
    edited February 2018
    Rosemary7391 wrote: »
    Can you get an indoor bike? Or otherwise do cardio outside? I do sympathise with your predicament. Flats are horrible.

    How softly is it possible to land when jumping? I can't see anyway of doing it without bothering the folks below you.

    If I only have a narrow 2.5m and 1.5m space in my flat then I cannot put a stationary bike up anywhere. Part of the 1.5m space is my desk space anyway, thus where my desk chair is. Part of the 2.5m space is where you walk through if you go anywhere in my flat. And yes, my neighbours hear me when I walk or do pushups. Anything harder than that is problematic. As would a stationary bike which also makes noise.

    What I'm exactly looking for is something to do to give my muscles a rest while not being restless. So yes, something like jumping jacks would be something like that, but I can't do them as they are too noisy.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Rosemary7391 wrote: »
    Can you get an indoor bike? Or otherwise do cardio outside? I do sympathise with your predicament. Flats are horrible.

    How softly is it possible to land when jumping? I can't see anyway of doing it without bothering the folks below you.

    Try- it's definitely possible.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,801 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    Rosemary7391 wrote: »
    Can you get an indoor bike? Or otherwise do cardio outside? I do sympathise with your predicament. Flats are horrible.

    How softly is it possible to land when jumping? I can't see anyway of doing it without bothering the folks below you.

    Try- it's definitely possible.

    Slowly: yes. Fast and with a noisy floor? Nope. Tried it.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited February 2018
    So you want something low/zero impact for minimal noise... low resistance to allow muscles to rest... high intensity to keep HR elevated... that requires virtually no space or equipment... that can be done indoors/in your home... does that about cover it?

    I'm out of ideas.

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,801 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    So you want something low/zero impact for minimal noise... low resistance to allow muscles to rest... high intensity to keep HR elevated... that requires virtually no space or equipment... that can be done indoors/in your home... does that about cover it?

    I guess I'd go with planks and similar.

    Yeah, basically. A replacement for rope skipping, jumping jacks and similar things that some interval workout programmes contain. But planks again are more muscle than cardio. I listed a few things in the first post that I can do. There must be more though.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    So you want something low/zero impact for minimal noise... low resistance to allow muscles to rest... high intensity to keep HR elevated... that requires virtually no space or equipment... that can be done indoors/in your home... does that about cover it?

    I guess I'd go with planks and similar.

    Yeah, basically. A replacement for rope skipping, jumping jacks and similar things that some interval workout programmes contain. But planks again are more muscle than cardio. I listed a few things in the first post that I can do. There must be more though.

    go for a run.

Categories