Bodyweight exercises

darklyndsea
darklyndsea Posts: 56 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I can't afford either weights or going to the gym right now, so bodyweight exercises it is! I just have very little idea of what I'm doing. Most of the things I've read have been too complicated for me at the moment, so please keep things simple.

What I'm doing right now: Walks most days of the week, 2-7 miles in length. I've been increasing the length/duration whenever I feel good enough to continue when I hit the point where I turned around last time, which has been surprisingly often.

I have basically no muscles beyond what's used during my daily activities, so the exercises I've found are sometimes to hard for me to do even one rep, and I don't know how to modify them. I also don't know what muscles I should be working out, how to make sure I'm working all of the important ones, or which muscles are which.

I want to avoid losing muscle as I lose weight, and I want to eventually get some nice arm and torso muscles. My wrists are prone to RSIs, so I think I probably have to work on strengthening them (if that'll even help?) before I can do a lot of arm work.

Can you help me find a starting place?

Replies

  • ConfidentRaven
    ConfidentRaven Posts: 1,428 Member
    I’m just starting out too and this is the site I found. I can’t do the full work out yet, but I figure every bit that I do is better than none. Good luck.

    https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/strength-training-101-where-do-i-start/#9_strength_training_exercises


    https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
  • Ken2Pam
    Ken2Pam Posts: 15 Member
    Simple body weight squats. Lots of good examples on the internet. However think sitting in a chair. Most people learn how to squat by standing with their feet just at shoulder width apart, tighten your stomach muscles (core) that is a simplified explanation of core. Put a steady chair or bench behind you where you can sit comfortably without falling. While standing up you do the exercise by lowering your backside slowly as low as you can as if you were sitting down, then pause and tighten your backside muscles and stand back up. Push through your heals NOT your toes, this will help protect your knees. NOTE make sure the chair or bench is stable and able to stay in place if you need to sit down, you don't want it to slide away from you.

    One more simple body weight exercise is a wall push up. Start with your feet far enough from a wall that you lean slightly into it. Bend your arms slowly as far as comfortable then extend. Repeat... If it hurts your wrist to flex try using one or two pound dumbbells, one in each hand. If you hold the dumbbell in your fist then put that against the wall it may be just enough to allow your wrists to be straight and not flexed.

    Stability, safety and form first. Stay strong, you can do this!
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
    Check Popsugar Fitness on YouTube. Lots of free workouts!
  • Bellkat2019
    Bellkat2019 Posts: 10 Member
    Good advice! I’m doing an exercise video called One & Done! Just bought some hand weights online from Walmart. Two 10lb weights for $14.95 each, but you can buy just one if you can’t afford much. I’m just starting also.
  • TrishSeren
    TrishSeren Posts: 587 Member
    Nike Training Club app is free and has heaps of workouts, you can set it to no equipment workouts and it'll even give you an entire plan. It has videos to help you, the whole nine yards.
  • Mcwi3681
    Mcwi3681 Posts: 67 Member
    Reddit has an excellent free program at r/bodyweightfitness. It's called the Recommended Routine (RR).

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