Machine-free workout
May 11, 2006 2:03 PM Subscribe
What's a good, thorough full-body workout that you can do without any machines, like in a hotel room?
The Hacker's Diet has a decent exercise plan that you can do with no equipment. It has multiple levels so it works well for people of varying degrees of fitness.
posted by bove at 2:08 PM on May 11, 2006
posted by bove at 2:08 PM on May 11, 2006
Response by poster: Yea, I do yoga already - I'm looking for more strength training.
posted by gottabefunky at 2:09 PM on May 11, 2006
posted by gottabefunky at 2:09 PM on May 11, 2006
Anything that uses your own body as resistance. Push ups, leaning against wall pushing out thingies, sit-ups, on all fours lifting legs behind you things, etc.
Resistance bands/elastics are useful for creating resistance.
posted by birdie birdington at 2:14 PM on May 11, 2006
Resistance bands/elastics are useful for creating resistance.
posted by birdie birdington at 2:14 PM on May 11, 2006
Lots of ideas here.
Parkour folk have good workouts too.
posted by the cuban at 2:26 PM on May 11, 2006
Parkour folk have good workouts too.
posted by the cuban at 2:26 PM on May 11, 2006
I'm sure shovelglove.com and burpees are going to get mentioned again, so let me get there first.
posted by Big Fat Tycoon at 2:30 PM on May 11, 2006
posted by Big Fat Tycoon at 2:30 PM on May 11, 2006
Previously: I need an exercise to do indoors w/o any equipment...
posted by mbrubeck at 2:33 PM on May 11, 2006
posted by mbrubeck at 2:33 PM on May 11, 2006
Do you do sun salutations in yoga? A sequence of seven or ten or so, done slowly, especially focusing on your alignment in going from plank to chaturanga (and back up), doing a wide-armed cobra to get the triceps and back, and adding in chair pose for your thighs, and calves pretty much covers a great deal of strength training for your body.
Really, as long as you're practicing proper alignment and not just sinking into the poses, yoga's should be giving you a lot of strength.
posted by occhiblu at 2:37 PM on May 11, 2006
Really, as long as you're practicing proper alignment and not just sinking into the poses, yoga's should be giving you a lot of strength.
posted by occhiblu at 2:37 PM on May 11, 2006
(I don't know what on earth happened to my grammar abilities in that last comment....)
You could also add vasisthasana, possibly with your upper leg in tree pose, to the sun salutation sequence, for more intense upper body work.
posted by occhiblu at 2:48 PM on May 11, 2006
You could also add vasisthasana, possibly with your upper leg in tree pose, to the sun salutation sequence, for more intense upper body work.
posted by occhiblu at 2:48 PM on May 11, 2006
And this thread on what you could use for a workout in a hotel room also probably has what you're looking for.
posted by bibbit at 2:57 PM on May 11, 2006
posted by bibbit at 2:57 PM on May 11, 2006
You can buy fairly cheaply inflatable dumbells that you fill with water so you can do weight training.
posted by essexjan at 3:13 PM on May 11, 2006
posted by essexjan at 3:13 PM on May 11, 2006
if there's enough space for it, capoeira is a seriously ass-kicking workout.
posted by sergeant sandwich at 4:14 PM on May 11, 2006
posted by sergeant sandwich at 4:14 PM on May 11, 2006
Pushups for chest, with varying hand positions, speed and reps. Don't underestimate what a change in hand position can do to stress the biceps or different parts of the chest.
Dips off the edge of a chair for triceps, place some luggage on your lap and your feet up on the bed to make it more challenging.
One legged squats for legs and balance, do them facing the mirror.
Calf raises on the edge of something (even just a book or something to get your off the ground a bit). Hold something in your hands to make it more challenging.
Situps and crunches for your core -- seriously and endless variety of these that you can do.
Pullups for your back, if you're lucky enough to have a bar somewhere.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head.
posted by dead_ at 5:46 PM on May 11, 2006
Dips off the edge of a chair for triceps, place some luggage on your lap and your feet up on the bed to make it more challenging.
One legged squats for legs and balance, do them facing the mirror.
Calf raises on the edge of something (even just a book or something to get your off the ground a bit). Hold something in your hands to make it more challenging.
Situps and crunches for your core -- seriously and endless variety of these that you can do.
Pullups for your back, if you're lucky enough to have a bar somewhere.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head.
posted by dead_ at 5:46 PM on May 11, 2006
Check out the latest issue of Men's Journal. It's got a section on page 124 of the May 2006 issue called, "The Anytime, Anyplace Workout" that pretty much covers everything and meant to be done all in a row. Some of them I had to chuckle at for the rep count, "to failure". It has full-color photo illustrations and I've got it thumbtacked to my bedroom wall, no equipment necessary, all self-resistance exercises. I tried hunting it up online, but couldn't find a web copy of it. Though, I do have a scanner... hmmm
posted by vanoakenfold at 7:46 AM on May 12, 2006
posted by vanoakenfold at 7:46 AM on May 12, 2006
The 5BX plan (also known as the Canadian Air Force exercises) might be useful. It can be done in a small space with no equipment, but it's a very short, basic workout, only 11 minutes.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 7:58 AM on May 12, 2006
posted by TheophileEscargot at 7:58 AM on May 12, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mkultra at 2:06 PM on May 11, 2006