Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with workout and resolved

Help me be a stronger person

misha — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:06:36 -0800

I work out at home. I'd like to add some free weights to my workout routine, but I don't know where to start. I'm naturally introverted and prefer working out at home to going to a gym. So I have a stair machine set up in front of a TV and also do sit-ups and push-ups. If I get bored I head to the living room and put in an aerobics or belly dance video.

I really feel like some free weights would help tone my upper body and add more to my workouts.

I have some dumbbells...somewhere, but they are really light, and anyway I feel that I need different weights for different muscles (biceps can take more than triceps, I'm pretty sure). What weights do I need to get started?

I also wonder if I should have a bench? I'm not planning on building muscle or anything, just toning up, so would that be overkill? I'm thinking of setting up in our den, if I can free up enough space--is there a problem because it's carpeted?

Lastly, any suggestions for a routine to start out with?

The first session was free, but are the next ones worth it?

filthy light thief — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:45:39 -0800

FitnessFilter: how should I evaluate options for a personal trainer at a local gym? Lots more discussion inside. I recently joined a local gym with my wife, and I was told we received an evaluation or something of the sort with the membership. We're both gym novices, so I was glad to be shown around the gym and given help figuring out how things worked.

I went to the evaluation-type session today, and it was basically to get me to pay for personal training sessions. The work-out was good, and I'm sure I'd benefit from the sessions. I signed up today, after the initiation fee ($99) was waived, and I was given 5 free sessions ($35 per half-hour session).

It's $280 for 8 sessions per month, which doesn't sound that much right now, but we'd have to be tied into a year of training, or we have to pay a cancellation fee. I'm skeptical of gyms in general, and the sales pitch with fees that weren't disclosed up front today ($49 for processing, and the waived $99 initiation fee) didn't help.

I have a few days to try out the personal training set-up, and figured others would have some insight. Could I refer to training books or websites and come out fine? Or is it a good idea to invest in a trainer for a year while we get into working out at a gym? We're not looking to get bulging muscles, just to get fit and start some good work-out regimes.

Help me build an exercise routine.

so_gracefully — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:22:29 -0800

General advice in the area of finding my exercise/fitness niche? Good, structured DVDs or programs to try? I am a female in my mid-twenties, and I have never been too "sporty" or all that excited about exercising in general. I want to become excited about it, but I have not yet been able to find something that I really like or something that feels like it's working well for me. I also have no idea how to structure it so that I'm doing something that is definitely worthwhile, so I guess that's my main question--what can I add in to create more structure so that it's effective and simple to stick with?

Goals:
- Improve heart health, lose a little bit of weight, feel more connected to my body, strengthen my muscles and make myself less vulnerable to aches/pains in my largely sedentary job.

Limitations:
- Can't afford a gym membership or even yoga classes right now
- Don't really have any equipment, or access to any

Things I already know/like:
- I am working on the nutrition part, and that is going well.
- I like to try to challenge myself a little bit throughout the day, like taking the stairs instead of elevators whenever possible, parking at the back of a parking lot to give myself more of a walk, etc.
- I have really loved yoga classes in the past, but the DVDs I currently own are very meditation-focused, and I want something more strength- and challenge-focused.
- I like walking and sometimes hiking; how can I incorporate them in a way that maximizes their benefits?
- I would love to be able to swim, but don't have access to a pool!
- I have been having fun playing Dance Dance Revolution. Dance-focused workout videos make me feel very defeated because I have some problems with coordination.
- I like to follow along with DVDs, and currently I have: some basic yoga videos, some basic pilates, cardio pilates (this is the one I enjoy the most). I am definitely looking for recommendations on good videos that are meant to increase overall strength and encourage weight loss, while being fairly simple and not complicated with a lot of intense dance moves!

A clean pair of clothes...really?

abdulf — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:50:46 -0800

Is gym-provided workout clothing safe to wear? I'm trying out a fancy gym close to work that provides work out clothes in addition to towels and other amenities.

It sounds like a great concept. I would rather not carry a change of clothes and then have to handle wet sweaty clothes until I get home. But what are the risks?

The clothes come from a common pool, like towels, so you don't keep your own. Someone else may have worn the shirt or shorts the previous time.

They also provide jock straps, but that's touching a little too close for comfort.

The clothes look and smell clean but I'm concerned about things like skin diseases spreading to me and possibly some sort of STD.

I mean, people buy and wear used clothes from thrift stores after washing them. Is a wash cycle with hot water and soap enough to eliminate most of the risk?

I have little understanding of how hardy virus, bacteria, fungus, skin flakes really are. Please enlighten me.

Bikemata workout work-around

EatTheWeak — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:08:26 -0800

Does anyone know any good upper-body exercises that don't require the use of my hands? So here's the situation: I took a bad spill off my bike last night that left my palms pretty shredded. I'm thinking it'll be a week at the least before they heal enough to make my hands useful again. Obviously, I can still type and function well enough, but heavier tasks are mighty painful at the moment.

Thing is, I've made strenuous upper body workouts a part of my regular schedule, and now I find myself unable to do most of my routine. With my palms out of commission, the dumbells/resistance band/push-ups & pull-ups stuff I do all hurts too much to keep doing for now. But I go pretty batshit if I don't get my workouts, and I don't want to lose any of my progress while I'm waiting for my hand skin to return.

So what I'm wondering what I ought to replace my usual routine with in the meantime. How can I work my arms, chest and upper body in general without having to grip or press my hands against anything? Is such a thing even possible? I've never heard of hands-free strength training, but then, I'm certainly no expert. Any and all advice shall be appreciated; specific exercises and routines shall be most celebrated.

Thank you!

Building stamina

Zosia Blue — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 14:56:59 -0800

Slow stamina increase while exercising. When will it get better? I'm 25, and female. I started working out every day (exercise ball, aerobics video, walks, etc.) about three weeks ago after a lifetime of being sedentary, and I'm not noticing an increase in stamina, at all. Like, after 15 minutes of aerobics, I feel like puking or sleeping, and I can only walk a mile before I have to rest on the side of the road. I don't feel like I'm pushing myself too hard because, as I mentioned, I can only go about 15-20 minutes before I feel like life has left the building. Along with this, I started school this January, and have classes on high floors. I take the stairs each time, but now, even three months later, after climbing the stairs every day, I still have to take a breather every other flight.

I've Googled this, and received wildly different answers, ranging from one week to months before noticing a stamina increase. I'm not overweight, eat great, get enough sleep and drink enough water to hydrate a nation. I'm not a couch potato by any means, but I'm not the most day-to-active person on the planet, either. I have an appointment for a physical later in the week, but I wanted to check around to see if what I'm experiencing is normal, or if it might be a sign of an underlying health condition. Am I doing too much? Too little? Too impatient? Is there anything specific, beyond what I've mentioned, that I need to bring up with my doctor? Thanks for any advice.