resistance training without the gym?
curvykatie
Posts: 870 Member
ok, so i do have a gym membership but i HATE using the weights and the resistance machines - i either have blokes laughing at me or old men perving.
so can anyone suggest any resistance work i can do outside the gym?
so can anyone suggest any resistance work i can do outside the gym?
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Replies
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The gym is the most effective way. Why are they laughing at you? Are you using the equipment wrong ? If so a good trainer would help. I find when I am plugged into my ipod, I ignore what is going on around me. Try that or a new gym0
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im using the equipment properly i think its just coz they're all big (muscly) guys, and im a small girl lol0
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I would stare them down and ask what it is exactly they're laughing at? Ask them if they were born in a cave,... THEN ask them if they'll be laughing when you wup their *kitten*...
Of course, I think you should use your gym membership. Todays economy demands you get every pennys worth, even at the gym. Can you find another time to go? or, if it really matters, end your membership if you can, and find a gym that is geared toward women or is a womens only (like Curves).
Otherwise, things like resistance bands, gallon jugs with water in them, soup cans, and calisthenic exercises like triceps lifts off a chair, pushups off the floor, etc, are your only alternative. But I wouldn't let a bunch of knuckle-dragging perverts sway you. If you keep with it, you'll have the last laugh. Gym time, is ME time--- I pay no attention to anyone else there unless they actually speak with me in a civil manner.
edit: I had another thought....if you don't already own one, an i-pod usually effectively blocks out unwanted noise, and conversation! Listen to music during your workouts. If you don't look at them, you can't see them laughing and certainly can't hear them! I don't own an Ipod, but I have a cheapie version ($20) with tons of really cool techno downloaded on it free. Coby or Sandisk make really good versions of ipod, and motiontraxx, podrunner, and fitmusic are all sites with free podcasts for d/l...0 -
I have not been using the gym. I do Chalean Extreme DVDs but that involves buying weights but you can also do it using resistance bands those are really effective and are not that expensive.
I would not stop going to the gym because of othe people though. I am lucky and have a girls only gym but still they shouldn't be laughing at you that is rude. Are they literally laughing at you if so then say something or if you just think people are watching you try not to even think about them you are there for YOU not them!
good luck!0 -
I will do what I do and tell a story.
When I started at the gym I was 47 yrs old, 170 pounds of dead weight, and was winded going up the stairs to get to the cardio equipment. I mean I literally had to stop at the 20th step to catch my breath.
I used the treadmill, but wouldn't go near the weights or the Eliptical machine. The Elip seemed like a mountain to climb for me.
I had a young hot studly
friend who was a trainer there. He came over one day, took me by the hand and lead me to the elip. He told me to start at 1 minute if I must, but I MUST.
So I did my one minute and thought the alarms would go off and the oxygen mask was going to fall from the ceiling like on an airplane!! But it didnt.
I worked up to about 6 minutes over a 2 week period, when one night a young cutie guy came and stood in front of me, waiting for the machine, He apparently thought I would either die or stop very soon.
This really pissed me off so I decided to go until he walked away. Well, the SOB stood there for another 30 minutes, meaning I continued on the Elip for almost 40 min straight............and no they didnt have to call the ambulance!!
As I exited the machine I said to him
" HA......you thought you were gonna get a machine quick in front of this fat old lady, huh??!!" in between gasps of breath.....
He looks at me :huh: " Hey lady, didnt even notice you, I was waiting for my girlfriend who is working out beside you!"
Moral of the story: No one really cares. If they look at you it is boredom.
I spoke with my friend later and he said the guys at the gym always look at the younger girls and say " Man, can't wait to see what she achieves! She's gonna be HOT!" he said about the older or mom kinda women " I can't wait to see what she achieves....she is gonna be HOT!!!" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Guys think with their.............well, they love women let's just say that. If they giggle when you are on the machine, ask them if you are doing it wrong-can they help you!!
You need to use the machines, they are there for you!!0 -
That was a great story, Jeannie; a great suggestion: make them help you - guys love a 'task' - makes them feel important. Instead of standing around like a 12 yo in the school yard, put 'em to work!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:0
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ps. are you sure they're laughing? you're really pretty, and I'm more inclined to say they're just enjoying a a good view
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Jeannie... what a way to challenge yourself:laugh: I have found since I have started losing weight that people do notice you but they don't judge you. I am hearing tons of compliments at the gym now but nobody ever told me I was too fat to be there before ( other than me). Now they just comment on how much I have lost. That is true motivation!0
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ps. are you sure they're laughing? you're really pretty, and I'm more inclined to say they're just enjoying a a good view
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I just hate the gym for the germ cesspool it is...plus with the girls in daycare 2 days a week, we get our share of viruses and bacterial infections coming through here...:sick:
and with two small children and competing with my husband for a "night at the gym" - I just prefer doing my own thing in my home.
Treadmill/stability ball/some free weights/my own body weight/and soon my pool and resistance bands... and a dog - I hope to be in the best shape of my life by Christmas :happy:0 -
If you have access to great weight training at the gym, take advantage of it! It always makes me sad to see what a "boys club" the weight room is. In my ups and downs of fitness, I have found that the time I spend in the gym weight training is usually much more effective than the time I spend doing cardio. It is important to do both, but building muscle is the key to burning maximum calories when you are doing cardio or even just resting!
I used to do a lot of cardio, and while I was on the elliptical or treadmill would notice that the women that were in really good shape were generally the ones that were lifting weights or using resistance machines. I decided that I wasn't going to let intimidation keep me from being as FIT and HEALTHY as I can be.0 -
What a great story! I used to be self-conscious going to the gym, but soon found out that most people are so self-absorbed they don't care. Maybe it's just our gym but there are mirrors all over the place - kind of a dead giveaway what most people want to look at :laugh:0
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Also, if you want to start doing resistance training at home, a simple set of a couple hand weights and a bench can be very helpful. Resistance bands help too. I agree that using a trainer can be a really helpful way to get started, so that you know you are doing the moves correctly in a way that will prevent injury and get the most out of the motion. Or recruit a fitness buddy to help spot you if you are really pushing yourself.
Simple push-ups, sit-ups, and planking can be helpful moves that don't require any equipment at all!0 -
arewethereyet,
BEST.STORY.EVER...
And truer words have never been spoken. That's one thing I always tell myself or anyone else who has any sort of self-consciousness issues: No one cares. And I don't mean it in a mean way, it's just that most people are so absorbed with their own thoughts and concerns that whatever's going on with the stranger in front of them doesn't give them a second thought. At worst, they they'll spare you a second or two of thought and then move on. But as they say, "those who matter don't care, and those who care don't matter!'
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This is a common issue in fitness centers. About 10 yrs ago when I was involved in the start up of a large hospital wellness center, there were some who were pushing the idea of separate women-only workout areas for just the reason you describe. I was quoted in a New York Times interview saying that I disagreed with the idea because I thought it sent the wrong message.
The architects for our center originally designed the free weight room to be a self-contained 600 square ft area--completely enclosed w/a separate door. When I asked about that design, I was told "oh, you don't want those guys running around in the open--that's for all the muscle heads to go and play their music and grunt and scratch themselves".
I replied that the very idea of stereotyping the free weight area in that way was the antithesis of what we were trying to achieve in our center. It also showed that they were out of touch with the way free weights were currently being used---and who was using them.
We ended up with a 2000 square foot free weigh/plate loaded room with the entire 65' side open to the rest of the center. It was fully integrated into the rest of the fitness area. We deliberately put in Hammer Strength plate loaded equipment as our second line of strength machines (in addition to a line of selectorized pieces).
We only hired staff with an enlightened view of working with diverse populations and made it a core part of the "culture" that EVERYONE was to feel comfortable in all parts of the center. The staff was required to be proactive in encouraging and instructing those who traditionally would not use free weights to go to that area if it was the best fit for their needs. I enjoyed nothing more than walking on the fitness floor and seeing women, beginners, seniors, et al--all using the free weights and the Hammer Strength pieces.
My gut feeling is that, while you may get some funny looks at first when venturing into the boyz treehouse, if you stand your ground, you will earn their respect.
Think of it this way--the majority of guys who engage in "caveman" behavior in the gym are overcompensating for their feelings of inadequacy. That's why they are there in the first place. Deep inside, most of them are weenies and I suspect they are much more intimidated by you than you think.0 -
On the day I cannot go to gym.. I do this at home.
Push up
Squat
Lunge
It takes time to get use workout in the gym, specially in free weight lifting are.
I feel very timidated (sp?), incomfortable and conscious at the beginning but now I get used to it.
I like to hang out where personal trainners are working with their clients so I can watch them while
I'm taking a rest.0 -
The gym is the place - don't get hung up on other people in there.
A good gym will provide instructors and a program suited to you and your requirements (weight loss).
Focus on your goal of weight loss - get your i-pod on and you will think you are the only one there.
By the way I do not believe that weights will help - do a planned hour on the cardio machines - better still get that planned program.
Good luck, from one of your older gym users - most time too exhausted to look at what anyone else is doing 0 -
I will do what I do and tell a story.
When I started at the gym I was 47 yrs old, 170 pounds of dead weight, and was winded going up the stairs to get to the cardio equipment. I mean I literally had to stop at the 20th step to catch my breath.
I used the treadmill, but wouldn't go near the weights or the Eliptical machine. The Elip seemed like a mountain to climb for me.
I had a young hot studly friend who was a trainer there. He came over one day, took me by the hand and lead me to the elip. He told me to start at 1 minute if I must, but I MUST.
So I did my one minute and thought the alarms would go off and the oxygen mask was going to fall from the ceiling like on an airplane!! But it didnt.
I worked up to about 6 minutes over a 2 week period, when one night a young cutie guy came and stood in front of me, waiting for the machine, He apparently thought I would either die or stop very soon.
This really pissed me off so I decided to go until he walked away. Well, the SOB stood there for another 30 minutes, meaning I continued on the Elip for almost 40 min straight............and no they didnt have to call the ambulance!!
As I exited the machine I said to him " HA......you thought you were gonna get a machine quick in front of this fat old lady, huh??!!" in between gasps of breath.....
He looks at me :huh: " Hey lady, didnt even notice you, I was waiting for my girlfriend who is working out beside you!"
Moral of the story: No one really cares. If they look at you it is boredom.
I spoke with my friend later and he said the guys at the gym always look at the younger girls and say " Man, can't wait to see what she achieves! She's gonna be HOT!" he said about the older or mom kinda women " I can't wait to see what she achieves....she is gonna be HOT!!!" :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Guys think with their.............well, they love women let's just say that. If they giggle when you are on the machine, ask them if you are doing it wrong-can they help you!!
You need to use the machines, they are there for you!!
way to tell it!!!0 -
Yep, my dear, I would have to say, and I know cuz it's how I feel all the time, that I think EVERY "muscley" guy is starring at me, evaluating my weight amount, form, endurance...etc.
But in truth, they don't care, I was one of those young guys once, truly, 90% of the ones who are in very good shape are in that shape because they take the gym seriously, and really don't pay attention to other people there. There are only a few reasons why they would give you more than a glance, 1) you're on the machine they want to use. This is fine, as long as they are being respectful about it, they usually don't mind waiting a few minutes. And 2) you're hot. Which is also fine (don't you think? ), again if they are being respectful. Course there's always that *kitten* that DOES care. But there's a few bad apples in every bunch.
Look, we all feel self conscious at the gym, everyone does, it's human nature. When you feel comfortable doing a routine, it's time to start thinking about switching up the routine, because you're body is getting too used to it (that's just my opinion, but I feel like it's a good gauge).
Now, some people just can't handle the self-imposed scrutiny of it. That's fine. If you feel like you MUST work out away from the gym, buy some resistance bands, you can do about 60% of the work you do at a gym with resistance bands, and they only cost about 20 bucks. And you can do them right in your living room. Are they as good as a gym? No, probably not, but they still work pretty well.0 -
The gym is the place - don't get hung up on other people in there.
A good gym will provide instructors and a program suited to you and your requirements (weight loss).
Focus on your goal of weight loss - get your i-pod on and you will think you are the only one there.
By the way I do not believe that weights will help - do a planned hour on the cardio machines - better still get that planned program.
Good luck, from one of your older gym users - most time too exhausted to look at what anyone else is doing
I do believe the weights will help. Cardio is only a part of my work out... weights are a whole different part. Resistance training for women is very good and can help prevent osteoperosis in your later years as well as making a sexy toned body.0
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