Home exercise routines?

January 25, 2006 3:35 PM

ExerciseFilter: I'm not a gym going guy and I'm not "out of shape", but I'm looking to clean up a little bit...

...I sort of really hate the gym. When I was a kid (Well, now, too), I was brutally inadaquate at sports. I have the coordination of a llama. I can't remember the last time I hit a baseball that wasn't on a tee. Anyway, I developed a real aversion to the idea of "physical activity". As I've gotten older, I've found the outdoors to be a pretty great place to be. In the summer and spring, I'll hike and walk, blah blah. Point being, I'm not hanging out in my room playing videogames all day.

However, I've started to develop a little more belly than I really care for. I still would rather not hit the gym (Not that I'd know what to do there even if I went) and I've developed, based on research, a small program of situps and pushups that seem to being having a negligible impact. So, I implore you, home fitness gurus of the world, is there hope for me or am I going to step into Bizzaro world and go hit the treadmill?

posted by GilloD to sports, hobbies, & recreation (14 comments total)

www.shovelglove.vom
posted by notsnot at 3:51 PM on January 25, 2006

er, .com
posted by notsnot at 3:51 PM on January 25, 2006

Buy a flat bench and three or four sets of dumbells. Then, set up a training program where you do the exercises all in a row, rest for a minute and then start up again. Its called circuit training, and you should start with only one circuit and low numbers of repetitions per set. Then you can move up by set and by rep, SLOWLY, to three circuits. In a half an hour each day you will get in great shape.

Check with your doctor about exercise first.
posted by Ironmouth at 3:52 PM on January 25, 2006

I know what you mean about the gym. I made it work by putting an Ennio Moricone collection on my iPod and having an epic battle with the tread mill. The Rocky soundtrack is also useful. The gym isn't as tough a place on your self-image as you might imagine; at most places people are too busy working out to really pay much attention to any one else -- provided they aren't wearing lots of spandex.

Mountain biking is also a fun way to exercise if you get out and explore your surrounding area.

Search the threads because I'm positive that variations on this question have been asked many times.
posted by dobie at 3:56 PM on January 25, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

You should do some cardio, but that doesn't mean you have to use the treadmill. How about swimming? Michael Phelps is not graceful on land. Or you could try racquetball. It's fun and a good workout, even if you're not good. Or you could even walk and hike outside in the winter with some cold-weather gear (unless you're somewhere supercold, like Russia, or having enough daylight is a problem).
posted by Airhen at 4:04 PM on January 25, 2006

Running or swimming an option?

Chinup bar. Alternate as many chinups as you can one day with as many chestups as you can the next.

Not quite enough to help you burn the gut (aerobic exercise is far better for that) but it'll help you tone your upper body and "disguise" some of the flab.

Remember to breath correctly.
posted by PurplePorpoise at 4:32 PM on January 25, 2006

I was never good at sports either, which is why the gym is a love/hate thing for me--I only go because I love food and if I didn't, I'd just get fat sitting on my butt.

My goal is to drop in 3x a week for cardio after work. I used to try to work in weights at least once a week, usually on weekends when I had the time and it's less busy at the gym, but I've been too lazy to get out of the house on a weekend with the cooler weather.

For a while, my favourite machine was the elliptical because I'd get shinsplints from running, but I find that I'm seeing more results working up a sweat on a stationary bike, which I resorted to since there tends to be a bit of a wait for the treadmills and ellipticals to free up right after work. I bring my iPod to drown out the conversations and music playing on the gym's sound system and make time with my management theory books. I'm in and out of there in about 45 minutes.

I've only been at this new routine for about 6 weeks but I've been able to fit back into my "skinny" jeans which was a pleasant surprise given how long I used the other machines without any real results. YMMV though.
posted by phoenixc at 4:44 PM on January 25, 2006

I got a treadmill last month, and it's awesome. I hate the gym too, and now there's no waiting, no meat market scene, no driving to get there, I can do it whenever and watch whatever TV station I want.

If getting your own treadmill isn't an option, I second swimming. Not my thing, but burns a ton of calories and doesn't have the same atmosphere as the weight or excersize room. Doing sit-ups will certainly tone your ab muscles, but it won't do much for the fat that's covering them. You want to burn fat, you've got to do cardio.
posted by Meredith at 4:44 PM on January 25, 2006

Actually, video games might not be a bad idea. If you live on the ground floor, a Dance Dance Revolution mat, or Eyetoy: Kinetic might do the trick for aerobic exercise that's also pretty fun.

Of course, not everybody's into such things. Barring that, I'd second biking as a really good workout. If you can bike to work, it'll also help you save money and your mind.
posted by Durhey at 4:44 PM on January 25, 2006

+++ on the chinups. Spectacular exercise. Also good are situps, although even better when you lay flat and lift your legs (keeping them straight) to 90 degrees. Push ups are good too. Body resistance exercises are nice and simple, and you can work up repetitions quickly.

For whatever reason I like to kick my knees; run in place, only lift them as high as you can. Work jumping in with the knee lifts and not only will you improve what little coordination you have, but it's quite aerobic.

I also really don't like gyms. Go for find a park or a track at a nearby school and run. Or bike, or swim. I think just running is the bane of existence. I just can't do it. But I'll run nonstop the course of a 90 minute soccer game. Biking is better, because I can work it into my day (bike to school, work). If you can't do sports, find something mildly entertaining, with whatever fitness value - it'll probably do you better in the long run then forcing yourself to do stupid boring shit you can't stand.
posted by kjell at 4:52 PM on January 25, 2006

GilloD... I'm still sort of trying to figure out your question. If you do a google search for "home workouts" you'll come up with a lot of good suggestions that are much more thorough than most mefi's would usually post.

But I think there's another aspect to your question, and that is that, childhood traumas aside, you're equating going to the gym with a skill, like "being good at sports." I don't think that's a fair comparison.

My gym is a mix of old, young, fit, not so fit, and *really* not fit working on things (good for them). It's an adult gym and people are, for the most part, just interested in getting their work out done, not trying to pass judgement on people. I don't think it's quite the bizzarro world you imagine.

Also, every gym I have joined always offered one free session with a personal trainer that can talk to you about your goals and show you how the equipment works. With weight machines, it's pretty straightforward and easy. Most of them have illustrations on them on how to use them. There really is not a lot of skill involved other than just starting off at a reasonable level of weights and working yourself up slowly. It really does not involve a lot of skill -- throwing a football, playing tennis, hitting a baseball homerun -- these things do involve a skill. But that's not what going to the gym is about.

Unless your only option for a gym is a steriod-rage-filled-competitive body building a-hole haven, then you're right, stay away. Otherwise, I would say give the gym a chance. Most of them usually offer some sort of try-for-free offer... maybe just one workout, or maybe one free week.

I guess, maybe this boils down to maybe me trying to get you to give a gym another chance.

Good luck!
posted by jerryg99 at 5:20 PM on January 25, 2006

If you have a gaming console of any sort, buy yourself a copy of Dance Dance Revolution (any mix). Or you can get Eyetoy Kinetic. Both are available at EBgames.

Kinetic is basically a fitness program that tracks calories burn each day, and it's even sort of fun to do.

I do 40 minutes of cardio a day, mostly off of a playstation 2. The console costs $120 or so used, each game is $40, the eyetoy (you don't need it if it's just DDR) costs $40, and a dancemat, $15. It's relatively cheap, and Kinetic is like an at home personal trainer.

If you don't have a console, stepmania is free for the PC user.

You can also check my blog for other fitness/food tips. (I'm not too keen on diets.)
posted by Sallysings at 5:41 PM on January 25, 2006

OMG... ShovelGlove is pure genious! I wasn't really even looking for a workout, but I'm totally going to be doing this.
posted by ewagoner at 6:44 PM on January 25, 2006

Spin class was made for this.

I'm an uncoordinated 47 year old woman who up until 2 years ago had all the athleticism of a tree sloth. Spin class changed all that.

Plus it burns more calories than almost anything in the gym.
posted by konolia at 7:43 PM on January 25, 2006