Basic (but difficult) Bodyweight Workout for Self w/ caveats
December 22, 2014 11:04 AM Subscribe
I am not short on bodyweight books. In fact, Your Body is Your Barbell and You are Your Own Gym are a few. I like the first book the best but it is so jammed with stuff I don't know what I should do first to modify for my own attention. Some caveats are that I have a rotator cuff irritation so cannot do too much with overhead lifting along with a sloooooow healing plantar fascia (working through) where I cannot do certain running in place things that strike the heel.
That all being said (excuses?), I am interested in a basic workout that will help me between days at the gym for muscle growth and cardio weight loss (need to lose my final 20 lbs). I am willing to buy a kettlebell if I can do things not exacerbating the dang rotator cuff. I have steps and a basement space. I am willing to buy a chinup bar. It isn't so much that i am lacking information in the books I own, but have some ADD-like proclivities of not knowing how to just have a basic starting program. Any thoughts are appreciated. I can do pushups, plank and such with variation but not sure what else. Thanks and have a good holiday season (safe driving and all).
That all being said (excuses?), I am interested in a basic workout that will help me between days at the gym for muscle growth and cardio weight loss (need to lose my final 20 lbs). I am willing to buy a kettlebell if I can do things not exacerbating the dang rotator cuff. I have steps and a basement space. I am willing to buy a chinup bar. It isn't so much that i am lacking information in the books I own, but have some ADD-like proclivities of not knowing how to just have a basic starting program. Any thoughts are appreciated. I can do pushups, plank and such with variation but not sure what else. Thanks and have a good holiday season (safe driving and all).
Best answer: 2nding r/Bodyweightfitness, that is a pretty helpful subreddit.
In general, make sure you do both pushing and pulling exercises in each workout. For example, I do: pullups and headstand pushups in one workout, and rows and dips in the other workout, and alternate between the two.
posted by pravit at 11:33 AM on December 22, 2014
In general, make sure you do both pushing and pulling exercises in each workout. For example, I do: pullups and headstand pushups in one workout, and rows and dips in the other workout, and alternate between the two.
posted by pravit at 11:33 AM on December 22, 2014
Best answer: This site has the r/bodyweight beginner routine in a simple to follow format, with videos demonstrating each of the exercises.
posted by Diablevert at 11:55 AM on December 22, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by Diablevert at 11:55 AM on December 22, 2014 [3 favorites]
Best answer:
A pull-up bar would be an awesome idea. I found that doing dead hangs in both pull-up and chin-up grips improved my shoulder mobility and helped prevent and heal rotator cuff problems. Do push-ups help or hurt your rotator cuff problem?
In the meantime without answers to those questions, why not just do burpees? Don't overcomplicate things. "As many burpees as you can in 5 minutes" is a fine workout as long as it doesn't aggravate your shoulder. If you're looking for more variety, try the iOS workout app I made. You tell it what equipment and general level of strength you have, it gives you cardio workouts to supplement strength training. It has options for a kettlebell/dumbbell and pull-up bar, and it won't tell you to go running if you tell it not to.
posted by daveliepmann at 2:08 PM on December 22, 2014
I am interested in a basic workout that will help me between days at the gym for muscle growth and cardio weight loss (need to lose my final 20 lbs).Well, what do you do at the gym? It's tough to say much without knowing that.
A pull-up bar would be an awesome idea. I found that doing dead hangs in both pull-up and chin-up grips improved my shoulder mobility and helped prevent and heal rotator cuff problems. Do push-ups help or hurt your rotator cuff problem?
In the meantime without answers to those questions, why not just do burpees? Don't overcomplicate things. "As many burpees as you can in 5 minutes" is a fine workout as long as it doesn't aggravate your shoulder. If you're looking for more variety, try the iOS workout app I made. You tell it what equipment and general level of strength you have, it gives you cardio workouts to supplement strength training. It has options for a kettlebell/dumbbell and pull-up bar, and it won't tell you to go running if you tell it not to.
posted by daveliepmann at 2:08 PM on December 22, 2014
Something like the scientific 7 minute workout (eg, 7-min.com) works at home with just a chair and will leave you in a pool of sweat flat on your back, gasping. Do two sets with a one-minute rest between, it's over in about 20 minutes. Maybe do step-back lunges instead of regular lunges if you're worried about your heel.
There's an 'advanced' version too, that calls for lifting dumb bells over your head.
posted by carsonb at 2:41 PM on December 22, 2014
There's an 'advanced' version too, that calls for lifting dumb bells over your head.
posted by carsonb at 2:41 PM on December 22, 2014
Response by poster: @davelipemann - I didn't want to belabor my question with my alternating gym workout (db bench press/flyes, tri press, puldowns, squats, planks shoulder raises front/side/rear etc along with HIIT on elliptical) b/c I do variations on the theme of all these and was concerned it would sidetrack my question but yes, indeed, it would be helpful to know that in some cases. Perhaps I should have stated this as a blank slate approach and kept the gym out of it, which also changes things but all good. I sacrificed detail for conciseness, which is something I have difficulty doing. #ADD
Burpees are *wonderful* KISS plan and that was an AHA! moment. The iOS app sounds great but I have android tablet/phone and older iMac computer at the moment.
posted by chicaboom at 2:50 PM on December 22, 2014
Burpees are *wonderful* KISS plan and that was an AHA! moment. The iOS app sounds great but I have android tablet/phone and older iMac computer at the moment.
posted by chicaboom at 2:50 PM on December 22, 2014
Response by poster: @pravit - that makes sense...i just can't do handstand pushups due to the cuff. I probably at best do 20 lbs dbs when I overhead press. I do have some elastic bands that work in a pinch for some resistance. I figure at the least I have a)pushups in various positions b)tricep dips between chairs c)pull-ups of some fashion when I get a bar...I don't trust the towel nor my door. d)cardio like jumping jacks, burpees (killer), and jump rope.
Plus read more on keeping it basic. I'm no Adonis here.
posted by chicaboom at 3:42 PM on December 22, 2014
Plus read more on keeping it basic. I'm no Adonis here.
posted by chicaboom at 3:42 PM on December 22, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
http://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/
posted by MillMan at 11:10 AM on December 22, 2014 [2 favorites]