Any online fitness websites that aren't geared towards weight loss?
November 27, 2010 10:37 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for a fitness website that will generate workouts and allow me to track my progress. Added challenge: I'm not looking to lose weight, and I'd like to avoid eating disorder triggers.
I've seen this question, but I'm going to ask anyway, because my specifics are slightly different.
A few months ago I joined a gym near my office because I bike to work and wanted the shower. Now that the weather is getting cold, I don't really need the shower, but I don't want my membership to go to waste. I thought I'd use the gym for its intended purpose. My gym is very new and shiny and well-equipped, and I'd like hints on how to use some of the shiny equipment. I'd also like to have an exercise program and a place to log my progress. I'm definitely interested in both cardio and strength training, and I'd love to work on my flexibility as well. I'm a 30-something woman, and I'm not in fabulous shape. I could run a mile, but I think it would be a challenge to run two.
My main issue is that I don't want to lose weight, and I also don't want programs that are geared towards losing weight. I have a history of eating disorders, and while I'm doing fine now, I find a lot of fitness stuff pretty triggering. I don't want anything that requires me to track my weight or measurements, and I'd rather not be told how many calories a given workout burns. Ideally, I'd like the focus of the website to be on increasing fitness, rather than on how one looks.
Any good sites for me? Free would be lovely, but I'm willing to pay for something really great.
I've seen this question, but I'm going to ask anyway, because my specifics are slightly different.
A few months ago I joined a gym near my office because I bike to work and wanted the shower. Now that the weather is getting cold, I don't really need the shower, but I don't want my membership to go to waste. I thought I'd use the gym for its intended purpose. My gym is very new and shiny and well-equipped, and I'd like hints on how to use some of the shiny equipment. I'd also like to have an exercise program and a place to log my progress. I'm definitely interested in both cardio and strength training, and I'd love to work on my flexibility as well. I'm a 30-something woman, and I'm not in fabulous shape. I could run a mile, but I think it would be a challenge to run two.
My main issue is that I don't want to lose weight, and I also don't want programs that are geared towards losing weight. I have a history of eating disorders, and while I'm doing fine now, I find a lot of fitness stuff pretty triggering. I don't want anything that requires me to track my weight or measurements, and I'd rather not be told how many calories a given workout burns. Ideally, I'd like the focus of the website to be on increasing fitness, rather than on how one looks.
Any good sites for me? Free would be lovely, but I'm willing to pay for something really great.
CrossFit is free. Everything's scalable and challenging. There's even an affiliate that scales the workout of the day for beginners.
If you need a website to track your CrossFit WOD progress on: statulo.us.
This is certainly not a program that's geared toward weight loss. It's used by military, law enforcement, and first responders to build serious fitness. It's also different every day and you never know what tomorrow will bring until it's posted on the website this evening. Routine is the enemy, workouts are short and intense.
Even if you don't follow that program, they provide a lot of useful technique and lecture videos about all kind of topics, which are useful even if you decide the rower or kettlebells or Olympic weightlifting is your new path to badassedness.
3, 2, 1 GO.
posted by phoebus at 11:00 AM on November 27, 2010 [3 favorites]
If you need a website to track your CrossFit WOD progress on: statulo.us.
This is certainly not a program that's geared toward weight loss. It's used by military, law enforcement, and first responders to build serious fitness. It's also different every day and you never know what tomorrow will bring until it's posted on the website this evening. Routine is the enemy, workouts are short and intense.
Even if you don't follow that program, they provide a lot of useful technique and lecture videos about all kind of topics, which are useful even if you decide the rower or kettlebells or Olympic weightlifting is your new path to badassedness.
3, 2, 1 GO.
posted by phoebus at 11:00 AM on November 27, 2010 [3 favorites]
I used this book to some success many years ago. It includes workouts using gym equipment (as well as home alternatives, great if you travel for work) and the tracking charts are all about watching your lifting weight and endurance increase. While it does mention weight loss, the focus is more on building strength and getting in shape. It includes a nutrition section, so I'd skip that along with the testimonials to avoid anything that might trigger.
posted by smirkette at 11:05 AM on November 27, 2010
posted by smirkette at 11:05 AM on November 27, 2010
I'm trying to gain (lean) weight and strength, and I haven't found anything better than just using a spreadsheet of my own construction to track progress. Pretty much everything out there assumes the opposite goal, or at best tangential ones.
Not that I'm entirely satisfied with my spreadsheet, because what I'm recording is more of a database, conceptually. But the data is a bit too weird in structure for an actual database program to handle well.
IMO, using CrossFit and Workout-of-the-day type things will probably get in the way of getting a handle on your progress. It creates too much variation between workouts, making it difficult to compare across time in a meaningful way.
If you plan on lifting weights at all, and you're looking for people to comment on your progress, the startingstrength.com forums is decent place to post your training logs.
posted by Hither at 11:35 AM on November 27, 2010
Not that I'm entirely satisfied with my spreadsheet, because what I'm recording is more of a database, conceptually. But the data is a bit too weird in structure for an actual database program to handle well.
IMO, using CrossFit and Workout-of-the-day type things will probably get in the way of getting a handle on your progress. It creates too much variation between workouts, making it difficult to compare across time in a meaningful way.
If you plan on lifting weights at all, and you're looking for people to comment on your progress, the startingstrength.com forums is decent place to post your training logs.
posted by Hither at 11:35 AM on November 27, 2010
I think most websites will focus a lot on tracking, at least as far as weight is concerned, so I'd recommend a different approach:
Depending on how you feel about talking to someone about your eating disorder, I'd suggest talking to a personal trainer at the gym. You provide them with a goal, and they'll give you some basic instructions on how to use the machines and some techniques that would best suit you. You don't necessarily have to keep track of anything this way, just follow the routine they show you. They can even help you pick out the best classes for you, if your gym offers them.
Also, when dealing with personal trainers, it helps to me honest with them as far as how often you can afford or would like to buy sessions. If you aren't honest, they'll likely try to keep selling you sessions. Just say, "I can afford x-number of sessions a month/year, and I need you to help me make a plan for that period of time."
posted by two lights above the sea at 2:27 PM on November 27, 2010
Depending on how you feel about talking to someone about your eating disorder, I'd suggest talking to a personal trainer at the gym. You provide them with a goal, and they'll give you some basic instructions on how to use the machines and some techniques that would best suit you. You don't necessarily have to keep track of anything this way, just follow the routine they show you. They can even help you pick out the best classes for you, if your gym offers them.
Also, when dealing with personal trainers, it helps to me honest with them as far as how often you can afford or would like to buy sessions. If you aren't honest, they'll likely try to keep selling you sessions. Just say, "I can afford x-number of sessions a month/year, and I need you to help me make a plan for that period of time."
posted by two lights above the sea at 2:27 PM on November 27, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 10:45 AM on November 27, 2010 [3 favorites]