Working out at home

[zinger]

Aside the occasional jog by the river, I've been doing pushups and situps every morning and night at home for a few weeks now. I'm looking to improve and expand upon my program to a full body workout, without purchasing weights or the like (if possible). Are there any good sites devoted to this kind of stuff? It'd be interesting to see you guys' workout programs too, ofcourse.

[szycag]

[Frederik]

Well, a basic set of two dumbbells works wonders, is very cheap and doesn´t take up much space. They are really the bread and butter of working out. I use them to work out my whole upper body with compound excercises, and it´s surprising how effective it is.

And in strength training you don´t need to train every day (it´s actually a very common beginners mistake). Train two or three times a week, but with very slow, controlled and intense motions, until you can´t do any more repetitions. Then do some more with less weight (for push-ups, you can move your weight from your toes to your knees for a lighter resistance) for the "final burn". If done right, you´ll be pretty sore for a couple of days after that for the first few times. When building up muscle mass rest (and good sleep!) is important. This may sound like a beefcake method, but this "high intensity" training is also used at health oriented training. Doing it slowly and controlled is the key. And yeah, no pain no gain (musle burn, not pain from training wrong or too often obviously).

What´s also very handy are these rubber elastic excercise tapes. They are even cheaper than weights and almost as versatile. For a tool-free training, do a google search for "bodyweight excercises". Oh, and I also love to do lunges, I find them much more effective than squats and even though some people think "Why should I train my legs? I use them every day already" it will stimulate your body a lot.

And don´t forget to take your magnesium

[GaijinPunch]

You can somehow get a hold of PaCrappa and ask him. He's fit as fuck and doesn't use weights. You should definitely look into resistance training exercises (w/ a band) as well as an exercise ball. Both are really good. I would buy a few different levels of bands though.

Jumping rope is also a pretty brutal workout.

[KindGrind]

I've found in the past that a couple of weights, push-ups, crunches and a great dose of motivation can go a very long way. Jogging, while terrible for the joints, is not bad way to burn some fat at first. Intervals are a real killer.

Shorter but more intense running (2 minutes, for example), followed by a 1 minute rest (walking), then running another 2 minutes, but reducing the resting period to 45 seconds... Until you basically run for 3-4 minutes non stop as fast as you humanely can. This generally results in near death experiences, quite a thrill in this day and age.

[Ed Oscuro]

Shorter but more intense running (2 minutes, for example), followed by a 1 minute rest (walking), then running another 2 minutes, but reducing the resting period to 45 seconds... Until you basically run for 3-4 minutes non stop as fast as you humanely can. This generally results in near death experiences, quite a thrill in this day and age.

Sounds like me going to class each morning, although unfortunately I only get halfway through that regimen.

Do get to go up four flights of stairs every day though, which puts some work on the calves.

I really need to figure out some training for my upper body though.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Don't eat bedtime snacks!

[GaijinPunch]

Sounds like me going to class each morning,

It's actually called HIIT. (High Intensity Interval Training). It's pretty fucking hard, too. Generally you try to build up to running a 30 second sprint, followed by a 30 second fast jog 15 times in a row. When's the last time you sprinted 30 seconds straight?

[Zebra Airforce]

Bands are really cool, because you can easily adjust the amount of resistance.

[Ed Oscuro]

Sounds like me going to class each morning,

It's actually called HIIT. (High Intensity Interval Training). It's pretty fucking hard, too. Generally you try to build up to running a 30 second sprint, followed by a 30 second fast jog 15 times in a row. When's the last time you sprinted 30 seconds straight?

My "get to class" run is somewhere between a jog and a full sprint. I should try the full sprint sometime. To answer the question, I can't remember when I last ran a full sprint, but I've always been slow (even when I was doing track & field in HS).

[LaserGun]

I do HIIT and this now and then to keep myself from getting unfit and blubbery.

When you're able to do the first workout without any problems, you should move onto the 2nd one.

[freddiebamboo]

Wikipedia has the basic bodyweight exercises here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:B ... t_exercise

[nimitz]

Depends on what is your goal.

But if you want to get strong and/or add some muscle you WILL need weights.

I trained in commercial gyms for 5 years but since I had less time to workout I switched to a rather simple home gym and I can tell you it works pretty well.



With about 300$-350$ you can have everything you need for a rather good setup at home.

the basic stuff you need is:
-A barbell (no need to be a real olympic BB) about 40$

-adjustable dumbells (with possibility to go from 20 to 60 pounds is a good start) 30$ - 40$

-some plates (weights, try to have your weights fit on both your DBs and BB) about 60$

an inclinable bench (one with a barbell rack, a few incline positions, a leg extension and preacher curl attachment)
something like this is great (this one can even do flies but looks a little fragile)

this will cost anywhere from 200$ to 400$ try to get a good deal.. But buying this is not enough you need to read around on the net, there are literally hundreds of exercices you can do with this simple setup.

Most people who start working out do it for the wrong reasons, but if you keep at it for a few years you will realize its real benefits.

[Jon]

Jogging, while terrible for the joints, is not bad way to burn some fat at first. Intervals are a real killer.

Try to keep to the asphalt or better yet a dirt trail to prolong the knees. The sidewalk is NOT your friend.

[zinger]

Thanks for the input. Though, a large set up is the last thing I'm looking for (especially considering the small dorm room that I have now). I'm still mostly interested in bodyweight exercise and I do remember PaCrappa talking about it at some point (can't find the thread right now). I'm considering getting a book on the subject, somehow I find it more trustworthy than youtube tutorials and whatnot. Hmm...

http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Best- ... 552&sr=8-1

[GaijinPunch]

I do HIIT and this now and then to keep myself from getting unfit and blubbery.

When you're able to do the first workout without any problems, you should move onto the 2nd one.

Any pictures for some of the exercises? Looks like good stuff to do in my newly founded "wake up and do something you lazy fuck" routine. I work at home, and generally in this city the average person walks 1-2km to work. That's a lot of walking I'm missing out on.

[Arvandor]

Generally you try to build up to running a 30 second sprint, followed by a 30 second fast jog 15 times in a row.

Are you serious? That's 15 minutes of running/jogging. If I could keep that pace, I'd be able to do a five minute mile, at least... And that'd put that excersize at around three miles, give or take. I mean... I'm certainly working up to that, ever so slowly, but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to pull that off o_O

[Ruldra]

Jumping rope is also a pretty brutal workout.

You know, I really could use some aerobic exercises and this could be a good way to get started. But isn't jumping rope also bad for your joints?

[LaserGun]

I do HIIT and this now and then to keep myself from getting unfit and blubbery.

When you're able to do the first workout without any problems, you should move onto the 2nd one.

Any pictures for some of the exercises? Looks like good stuff to do in my newly founded "wake up and do something you lazy fuck" routine. I work at home, and generally in this city the average person walks 1-2km to work. That's a lot of walking I'm missing out on.

He has some pictures and instructions for some of them here http://www.trainforstrength.com/exercises.shtml

For some of the other ones he doesn't give instructions for, I just googled them or searched youtube which gave me pics/videos and instructions of how to do them.

[D]

I borrowed one of those bench sets from a friend so now I work out, while taking a pauze, defeat an enemy in World Heroes Perfect, when I win, I go back to the bench, then pump 10 times, then go back to the game, etc.
I also hooked up an old pc that plays house music automatically when it has booted
It's an arcade and fitness studio in one.

[Acid King]

Thanks for the input. Though, a large set up is the last thing I'm looking for (especially considering the small dorm room that I have now). I'm still mostly interested in bodyweight exercise and I do remember PaCrappa talking about it at some point (can't find the thread right now). I'm considering getting a book on the subject, somehow I find it more trustworthy than youtube tutorials and whatnot. Hmm...

http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Best- ... 552&sr=8-1

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... bodyweight

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I do HIIT and this now and then to keep myself from getting unfit and blubbery.

When you're able to do the first workout without any problems, you should move onto the 2nd one.

Any pictures for some of the exercises? Looks like good stuff to do in my newly founded "wake up and do something you lazy fuck" routine. I work at home, and generally in this city the average person walks 1-2km to work. That's a lot of walking I'm missing out on.

A compact motorized treadmill works wonders for walking/running if space limitations are your thing, GP. It can be folded up and stowed away when not in use. ^_~

[Frederik]

Bands are really cool, because you can easily adjust the amount of resistance.

What´s also nice is that with a band you´re pulling where you would be pushing with weights, and I remotely remember that some muscle groups react better when doing pulling motions. I haven´t used mine in a while, but I´m thinking about mixing it with weight training because a variety of stimulations is always good.

Also, when you´re just beginning to work out, bands bear a much lower injury risk than weights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQAh7m4xsMo

I really like this guys videos, and even though I don´t aspire to get as meaty as him at all, he makes some very nice videos and explains everything very well. There is also a link to his training-at-home website which is good, too.

[BryanM]

The human body is the neediest, whinniest little bitch in the world...

I'm not a fan of body weight exercises. 200 (real) pushups every other day with my feet raised up on a bed did not accomplish anything beyond the first week. Weight simply has to go up; a 15 minute bench press is far more efficient.

I know there's wacky legends about guys, like Mas Oyama, who supposedly trained every day in the wilderness, sitting under freezing waterfalls, doing trillions of push ups, and hopping over bushes. I'm more inclined to believe a man can develop the strength to cut off the horns of an old bull with knife hands, than one being able to train every day and make gains. But then again, push ups...

I've tried a lot of things. The only one that even remotely works, is this stuff. Everything that program says is pretty much true, and lookit that... all the information is fucking free.

(Personally, I can not get anything from squats. I'm Irish. My upper body is tiny compared to my ox-like hind quarters. My spine has a circumference of about two inches. My legs, the size of tree trunks. I would if I could but I'm a misshapen freak.)

Some basic misconceptions, disinformation, and observations:

* The range of motion has to be maximized - go below 90 degrees. The only time you should not go below 90 degrees, is if you're doing aerobics. And if you're doing aerobics, why do you hate yourself so much? Unless you're swimming. Then why would you have dumb bells in the pool? They're cast iron - they'll totally rust in there..

Anyway, if you try to train with a 90 degree range of motion, you'll very quickly rise yourself up to the point where it's like those dickheads who use (crane-like) bench shirts. Blacking out from the AWE INSPIRING weight you can press from a partial range of motion is pretty awesome, but... not productive long term.

* Preacher curls. I could never do these; strange pain in my bones. As it turns out, holding the weight parallel to the ground is.. not how our bodies are built. Arms were made to throw spears and club bunnies. The bones in your forearm should be aligned vertically, like a wood beam. Simple information like grip is the most important thing to know, and is most often glossed over everywhere.

* The recovery cycle for muscle is something more like 52-56 hours. Everything is stacked against us from the start. When they say lift every other day for every other day up there, they mean it. Your muscles will immediately decide to atrophy the first day you take off, unless you have some strenuous job. Taking the entire weekend off? That isn't for the muscle tissue; that's for your joints. Everything is a trade off; everything a compromise.

... Anyway. If you had the space, a cheap barbell set (giving up on working out is a national pastime) from a flea market would be optimal. One with a stop so you don't trap yourself when you fail a rep.

The reason for that is the all-important 5 pound increments. Dumb bell sets are usually cast in 5 pound increments, so when you increase the weight... you can only go up in 10 pound increments, if you don't also have 2.5 lb magnetic weights.

Ideally for you in your dorm room; a pair of dumbells with weight plates would probably be ideal. A range of total weight from 50 to 200 lbs will be suitable for most people.

.......................

[Ed Oscuro]

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... bodyweight

Cool thread, funny to read about everybody's crazy physiques and handicaps (I like the exercise recommendations too).

I'll add my own handicap: my left elbow's kinda bad - can't extend my arm to 180 degrees (i.e. completely straight), only maybe about 170 or something. That comes from having taken a nasty fall right on the elbow a few years ago. Commuting back and forth to see some overpriced sports physician has kept me away from getting help. Any ideas?

[BryanM]

I think it's kind of amusing how everyone in that thread thinks everyone that disagrees with them is crazy and insane. I ttlly feel the same way. Sans vowels and all.

During my time in the Chair Force...

One of my co workers had a lady friend who was really into running. One day, she dropped fucking dead during a jog.

Our First Shirt liked running. His knee fucking blew out.

At least two other people dropped dead from this dire activity - but these were the guy who knows a guy style stories.

Weight training injuries seem more often from people being stupid, like this famous guy. Suicide grip - only n00bs use thumbs!

But he survived. The deepest pain he has from the ordeal is people on the internet going "ha, what a chump." Inside pain is the worst.

Nobody lifts a kettle bell and ends up an immobile lump of flesh. It takes a shitload of time, work, food, and steroids before flexibility is impaired.

.. That's misconception women somehow have. That training will magically turn them into she hulk. When it'd actually make them look more like the women on Shimmy.

... more TV shows should be like Shimmy.

[landshark]

In addition to whatever else you do, find a way to work in pull ups, the kind with your palms facing away from you. You can do wide grip (wider than your shoulders, narrow grip (*slightly* narrower than your shoulders), or have your feet at the same height as your hands and body parellel to the ground while pulling your chest up to the bar.

If pull ups get too easy, start strapping weights to your body while you do them.

But above all be careful. I can add my own injuries to the list here due to ramping up in weight too quickly or resuming high weight after an extended illness, but it seems like others are doing just fine with that

Might I also suggest rock climbing? Fun as hell, and makes you crazy strong.

[GaijinPunch]

Are you serious? That's 15 minutes of running/jogging. If I could keep that pace, I'd be able to do a five minute mile, at least... And that'd put that excersize at around three miles, give or take. I mean... I'm certainly working up to that, ever so slowly, but I'm not sure I'll ever be able to pull that off o_O

Yes, it's hard. That's the point. You're trying to get 45-60 minutes worth of cardio into 15 minutes. So, you have to go hard. Nobody said it was easy...especially me. You should start out slow. 4 sets. Still... a 30 second sprint is about 250 meters. The first one isn't that bad. From 2 on, they suck. I don't do HITT anymore. I just jog like 8k on my jogging days.

But isn't jumping rope also bad for your joints?

Running supposedly is too, but I know people that do it every day. Your body just has to get used to it. it's bad for your balls if you don't wear tight undies, definitely.

A compact motorized treadmill works wonders for walking/running if space limitations are your thing, GP

Boredom sets in after minute 20. Not my thing... in the least. I own a gym membership to the tune of $120/mo (cheapest anytime pass in the city) and still prefer the park in the cold rain on my running days.

One of my co workers had a lady friend who was really into running. One day, she dropped fucking dead during a jog.

Bummer. What from?

Also: BryanM, what's your opinion on not being fat in the ass? I do squats, but I'm fucking tall and lanky. Getting the 90 degree angle is pretty hard. I tried stiff legged dead lift, but I just don't "feel it". I swapped that out for lunges this week and now my ass is killing me.

pullups

Last work out I did closed grip, palms facing in (concentration on lat). Now I'm doing semi wide grip (about shoulder width) palms facing out. I've found that I generally have to do these immediately after my workout or I fail around the last rep or two of each set. I know that's bad, but hey, pull ups are rough. IMHO, the benchmark of strength.

[RackGaki]

Jogging, while terrible for the joints, is not bad way to burn some fat at first. Intervals are a real killer.

Try to keep to the asphalt or better yet a dirt trail to prolong the knees. The sidewalk is NOT your friend.

I jog with only Vibram Fivefinger shoes myself, but I'm a barefoot nut. Shoes usually initiates a walk that involves jamming your heel into the ground - no wonder half of America has back problems. The Big Macs can't be helping, either...

[Ex-Cyber]

But isn't jumping rope also bad for your joints?

Running supposedly is too, but I know people that do it every day. Your body just has to get used to it.

As far as I know, that philosophy doesn't really apply to joints, and runners are pretty-much a self-selected group of people who happen to have good joints (i.e. people with bad joints give up running pretty fast). I'd be happy to be proven wrong, though.