Help me get physically fit!

November 9, 2007 6:04 AM

Weight loss/Fitness Filter: I have a treadmill and a jump rope. Can someone please help me put together a training regime to help me lose weight and get more physically fit.

I want to lose weight and add muscle tone. I will not go to a gym but id like to workout at home without weights. I would like to utilize exercise that i can do that will help me get in shape(drop weight) and add muscle tone. Maybe sit ups, push ups, etc... Please help me put together a weekly plan.

posted by flipmiester99 to health & fitness (8 comments total)

Maybe this google search will help you setup a good programme.
http://www.google.ca/search?&q=working+out+without+equipment
posted by PowerCat at 6:40 AM on November 9, 2007

Couch to 5k plan for building running/cardio endurance... use with your treadmill.
posted by anaelith at 6:59 AM on November 9, 2007

I just started doing Simplefit.
posted by SampleSize at 7:03 AM on November 9, 2007

jumping rope is one of the best cardio/resistance exercises around; you're making yourself into a big spring, so pretty much every muscle group is doing something.

that and the treadmill will help you drop weight, but the most important part of dropping fat is changing your diet. exercise does it really slowly as a direct force, but combined with diet, it's great.

the treadmill will be a good source of cardio -- you'll need to be a lot more faithful to your cardio training than strength training. strength training results stick around for longer and come back faster if you've not done it for a while. with your cardio, unfortunately, you get rusty faster, so you should probaby plan on doing it every day. if that means you actually do it 5 days a week, then great.

as far as weight loss, my trainer suggested doing intervals of 30 seconds and a minute. since i run, it means sprinting at about 80% of my max heart rate (:30) and then slowing down to a walk (:60), and then doing this for about a half hour at a time. been working nicely so far.

it sounds like your requirements and goals might be in conflict with each other. you need resistance from weight to build muscle mass. using only body weight will get you a decent amount of strength, but you may be wanting more.
posted by patricking at 7:35 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Kudos for starting, that's the hardest part.

For resistance training, I've had a lot of success with simply push ups and sit ups. The key, for me, was tying them to TV. I committed to watching TV on the floor and anytime commercials came on I did push ups until failure then sit ups until the show resumed. If I got too tired -- sorry bub, no more TV. Coupled with lots of running, this got me in shape, got me to watch less TV, and didn't have to pay for a gym.

As far as weekly plan, doing something everyday is the key for me. I don't knock myself out every day, but if I skip a day that almost automatically turns into two days. If a busy day starts slipping by I take a quick jog around the block. I'm not much of a planner of workouts, but I listen to my body and push when it can endure it.

Good luck!
posted by GPF at 8:08 AM on November 9, 2007

tkchrist mentioned something like this here in the jumprope thread and it sounds like a good idea to me.

Pullups are the best thing you can do at home if you have a bar. Otherwise there are pushups, squats, and, if you're quite nimble, handstand pushups. Also Hindu pushups are good once you get a little strong, they really build strength in your shoulders, neck and upper back; you can find some picture half-way down the page here.

I would just take everything you can do at home and throw them all together in a series of sets like: 15 pushups 30 squats 5 pullups 30 situps 10 Hindu pullups jumprope for 5 minutes, repeat three times. If you don't rest in between then you've got a strength and cardio workout.

Or do simple-fit and on the days in between run on the treadmill for a half-hour.
posted by creasy boy at 8:28 AM on November 9, 2007

Crossfit. See videos from Oct 1 and Oct 8 with Buddy Lee teaching the Basic Bounce.
posted by tiburon at 10:32 AM on November 9, 2007

Excercise will only have a small effect on your weight. You will need to make long term changes in your diet.
posted by dzot at 11:16 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]