Yet another workout question
July 7, 2011 11:51 AM Subscribe
Looking for an exercise program that can be done in the house, with minimal equipment, with the wife...
Me: low 30's, 15-20 pounds over where I should be, desk-ridden job, two small kids. Wife same age, and she's beautiful. We're looking for an exercise program that fits into the following restraints:
Workouts can be done in about 30 mins, as that's really all we have daily with the kids and work and such
Workouts don't require a lot of space. We have a small apt with low ceilings.
Workouts can be done at home - with the kids, we can't both get out to run, for example, at the same time
Workouts don't require a lot of equipment
Workout is not P90x - we tried that, but my wife has bad wrists and couldn't do the push-ups/yoga/etc.
Workout isn't boring as *&%!
We want to get "back in shape", but recognize that this is part of a larger set of life (food/activity/etc) changes. To do that, though, we need to find a program we can stick to. Bonus points if my 55 year old parents can participate remotely as well.
Thanks!
Me: low 30's, 15-20 pounds over where I should be, desk-ridden job, two small kids. Wife same age, and she's beautiful. We're looking for an exercise program that fits into the following restraints:
Workouts can be done in about 30 mins, as that's really all we have daily with the kids and work and such
Workouts don't require a lot of space. We have a small apt with low ceilings.
Workouts can be done at home - with the kids, we can't both get out to run, for example, at the same time
Workouts don't require a lot of equipment
Workout is not P90x - we tried that, but my wife has bad wrists and couldn't do the push-ups/yoga/etc.
Workout isn't boring as *&%!
We want to get "back in shape", but recognize that this is part of a larger set of life (food/activity/etc) changes. To do that, though, we need to find a program we can stick to. Bonus points if my 55 year old parents can participate remotely as well.
Thanks!
I've found Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred to be useful.
Tip: find music with the correct beats per minute to replace Ms. Michaels and her soundtrack and you can actually enjoy this.
posted by sciencegeek at 11:54 AM on July 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Tip: find music with the correct beats per minute to replace Ms. Michaels and her soundtrack and you can actually enjoy this.
posted by sciencegeek at 11:54 AM on July 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Argh. One more requirement that I forgot about. Workout isn't boring (not that the first two answers were boring - I haven't looked at them in detail yet). I liked the variety of P90x, but would rather poke myself with sharp sticks than walk on a treadmill.
Thanks!
posted by um_maverick at 11:56 AM on July 7, 2011
Thanks!
posted by um_maverick at 11:56 AM on July 7, 2011
What about Power 90, the lower-intensity version of P90X? (The "X," as you might expect, stands for "extreme.") I'm not sure if that involves pushups, though.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 12:09 PM on July 7, 2011
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 12:09 PM on July 7, 2011
how old are your kids? get bicycles for the entire family and make going for a family ride part of your day.
posted by lia at 12:16 PM on July 7, 2011
posted by lia at 12:16 PM on July 7, 2011
Crossfit!! Most of it can be done with your own body weight and in minimal space.
But, I would recommend taking a foundations class so that you know how to do everything with good form (might help with the wrist problems to make sure you are doing everything correctly)
posted by LZel at 12:17 PM on July 7, 2011
But, I would recommend taking a foundations class so that you know how to do everything with good form (might help with the wrist problems to make sure you are doing everything correctly)
posted by LZel at 12:17 PM on July 7, 2011
One note: If you are looking to lose weight, exercising probably isn't the best way of going about doing this. Exercising is essential but for most people it is not going to mean weight loss without dietary changes. Especially if you only have 30 minutes a day. That is something to think about.
I second the Crossfit suggestion. However, that depends on what kind of goals you are looking to achieve. To utilize Crossfit or other workout routines effectively, you have to have the right state of mind. Essentially, you have to be able to do HARD work, but for very short periods of time. I would strongly suggest thinking about how hard and how much pain your are willing to endure. If you can focus and work hard, then your training could take 10 minutes. However, for those 10 minutes, you have to work EXTREMELY hard.
For example, interval or Tabata training. The idea with interval training is to do your actively as hard as you can for a short amount of time and then rest and repeat to see how many intervals you can successfully repeat. It is one of the most successful training methods you can use, too. However, it really takes mental focus in order to successfully push yourself within the interval distances or times.
For example, I am training for marathons and incorporating 400m intervals. That portion of the training ends up taking no longer than 20 minutes with a good amount of time warming up and cooling down. 10 minutes of hard exercise seems too good to be true for marathon training. Pushing yourself to capacity for short periods of time is not easy though. But it will give you fast results with minimal effort. Something to think about.
Here is a wiki link for more info and as a jumping off point for your own research.
Once again, if there is a Crossfit gym in your area, I highly recommend visiting and getting a training program going. Here is a link to the various Crossfit exercises so you can see what you are getting into.
Lastly, The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferriss can be a great jumping off point for getting in shape when you feel overwhelmed by the different facets of working out effectively. I thought it was a great read and many others in my life have used the information there to make awesome and inspiring changes to their body.
Best of luck.
posted by mungaman at 12:33 PM on July 7, 2011
I second the Crossfit suggestion. However, that depends on what kind of goals you are looking to achieve. To utilize Crossfit or other workout routines effectively, you have to have the right state of mind. Essentially, you have to be able to do HARD work, but for very short periods of time. I would strongly suggest thinking about how hard and how much pain your are willing to endure. If you can focus and work hard, then your training could take 10 minutes. However, for those 10 minutes, you have to work EXTREMELY hard.
For example, interval or Tabata training. The idea with interval training is to do your actively as hard as you can for a short amount of time and then rest and repeat to see how many intervals you can successfully repeat. It is one of the most successful training methods you can use, too. However, it really takes mental focus in order to successfully push yourself within the interval distances or times.
For example, I am training for marathons and incorporating 400m intervals. That portion of the training ends up taking no longer than 20 minutes with a good amount of time warming up and cooling down. 10 minutes of hard exercise seems too good to be true for marathon training. Pushing yourself to capacity for short periods of time is not easy though. But it will give you fast results with minimal effort. Something to think about.
Here is a wiki link for more info and as a jumping off point for your own research.
Once again, if there is a Crossfit gym in your area, I highly recommend visiting and getting a training program going. Here is a link to the various Crossfit exercises so you can see what you are getting into.
Lastly, The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferriss can be a great jumping off point for getting in shape when you feel overwhelmed by the different facets of working out effectively. I thought it was a great read and many others in my life have used the information there to make awesome and inspiring changes to their body.
Best of luck.
posted by mungaman at 12:33 PM on July 7, 2011
Shovelglove meets your requirements and is quite fun. It can be brutal on your knees and elbows though and I wouldn't recommend it if you have any tendency toward problems in those areas.
posted by phoenixy at 12:33 PM on July 7, 2011
posted by phoenixy at 12:33 PM on July 7, 2011
I can't talk to the full programme of exercise but supplement it with sex when you fancy it - great cardiovascular workout and meets your specs above.
posted by By The Grace of God at 12:35 PM on July 7, 2011
posted by By The Grace of God at 12:35 PM on July 7, 2011
You're basically looking for a quick and easy body weight type workout. There are a quite a few out there and i know there are a couple of people here who do Convict Conditioning and get great benefits from it. The problem with your wife's wrists needs to be mitigated in some way to simply workout her upper body though.
posted by P.o.B. at 12:38 PM on July 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by P.o.B. at 12:38 PM on July 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
When I was a single mom with 2 kids, I did the Canadian Air Force Exercises every day, and loved them.
http://www.amazon.com/Royal-Canadian-Exercise-Physical-Fitness/dp/0671246518
You gradually do more (and more difficult) exercises each day in the same amount of time, and then you get to check them off on a nifty little chart, and move on to the Next Level. An extra bonus if either of you is a compulsive list maker. If any of the exercises are not good on some part of your body, either modify or skip.
You might also re-think yoga exercises. There are plenty of yoga movements that won't hurt wrists, or any other tender bits; modify your routine to your own body. And the discipline of coordinating your breath with your movement is challenging but also deeply relaxing, something two busy people with young children can always use more of.
posted by kestralwing at 12:44 PM on July 7, 2011
http://www.amazon.com/Royal-Canadian-Exercise-Physical-Fitness/dp/0671246518
You gradually do more (and more difficult) exercises each day in the same amount of time, and then you get to check them off on a nifty little chart, and move on to the Next Level. An extra bonus if either of you is a compulsive list maker. If any of the exercises are not good on some part of your body, either modify or skip.
You might also re-think yoga exercises. There are plenty of yoga movements that won't hurt wrists, or any other tender bits; modify your routine to your own body. And the discipline of coordinating your breath with your movement is challenging but also deeply relaxing, something two busy people with young children can always use more of.
posted by kestralwing at 12:44 PM on July 7, 2011
I like to do the workouts on http://www.bodyrock.tv/ when I don't have all that much time to devote to a workout. They are intense, and generally from 12-25 minutes in length (not counting a warmup). Equipment is very minimal. There is also a strong focus on how t eat.
posted by smalls at 12:48 PM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by smalls at 12:48 PM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
^^^ Warning, big pictures of bikini-clad ladies in my above link to Bodyrock. May want to avoid if at work.
posted by smalls at 1:05 PM on July 7, 2011
posted by smalls at 1:05 PM on July 7, 2011
I love Convict Conditioning and as someone who's always been skinny and unmuscular, I'm seeing results from it that I've never seen before from any other physical activity. So's my husband (we're both working the program). Although it includes pushups, the way it's structured is that each of the Big Six exercises has 10 steps. Step 1 is basically "so you just got out of the hospital or have been sitting at a desk for the past 30 years and are badly deconditioned". (Step 10 is FEAR ME PUNY HUMANS!!!-level strength.) For example, Step 1 for Pushups is standing wall pushups: stand at arm's length from the wall in push-up position. Bend your arms until your forehead brushes the wall, then straighten them. Do 10 of those, then call it there until next time. Working up slowly will build strength, help rehab many existing problems, and avoid injury.
From the introductory section on Pushups:
If you do the Veterano training schedule, it's also good for being able to fit in a quick set of the exercise of the day almost anywhere. In fact, today is leg raises day — excuse me, I have to go do another set of 30 knee tucks.
posted by Lexica at 1:20 PM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
From the introductory section on Pushups:
When performed progressively and with correct form, pushups also have a strengthening effect on the joints and tendons, adding to their overall power and health. The tiny yet vital deep muscles and tissues which support the fingers, wrist, forearm and elbow become much stronger over time when pushups are performed, reducing the chances of carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, Golfer's elbow and general aches and pains. Some pushup variants (such as uneven pushups—see pages 58–59) utilize unstable surfaces, and this effectively bulletproofs the vulnerable rotator cuff muscles of the shoulders, muscles which cause a great many strength athletes endless injury problems. The increased blood flow associated with pushups removes waste products built up in the joints, eliminates glue-like adhesions and relaxes old scar tissue. Weight-trainers who include progressive pushups in their routine suffer a lot less from joint injuries in these important areas than guys who only pump iron. [p.42]No equipment needed beyond something to hang from for pullups, and even then you get up to Step 3 before you need anything more than a sturdy table.
If you do the Veterano training schedule, it's also good for being able to fit in a quick set of the exercise of the day almost anywhere. In fact, today is leg raises day — excuse me, I have to go do another set of 30 knee tucks.
posted by Lexica at 1:20 PM on July 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I have tenosynovitis in my wrists and pushups with my hands flat against the wall (othr problems prevent me from doing floor pushups) aggravate it. I now use pushup bars, which allow me to keep my wrists straight. Depending on what your wife's wrist problems are, they might help her.
posted by telophase at 1:36 PM on July 7, 2011
posted by telophase at 1:36 PM on July 7, 2011
Warning: the Bodyrock link may be NSFW if your boss recognizes Zuzana from back when she was doing porn.
posted by The Tensor at 1:40 PM on July 7, 2011
posted by The Tensor at 1:40 PM on July 7, 2011
My fiancée and her ex-dancer friends all are all into Physique 57.
posted by nicwolff at 2:03 PM on July 7, 2011
posted by nicwolff at 2:03 PM on July 7, 2011
If you're looking for cardio, this is going to sound silly, but try Dance Dance Revolution. You can get versions of this game for a lot of console systems, or if you want to use a computer, there is a free open-source clone called Stepmania available for Windows, Linux, and MacOS, and you can get free songs or download the original DDR songs from certain sites. The console versions tend to come with dance mats, but if you're using a computer you can order dance mats from any of a number of sites, or build your own if you're electronically inclined.
The game is quite a workout on the harder difficulty levels (which you will quickly reach with practice). Since the game is colorful and has silly music, and requires you to coordinate patterns on the screen with fast footwork and jumping, it's not boring, and the fact that the game keeps score and grades your performances motivates you to try over and over again until exhausted or you achieve a high score. Fun for the whole family.
The only caveat is that you will need to be able to stomp all over your floor, so if you have neighbors below, this might not work.
posted by Maximian at 2:34 PM on July 7, 2011
The game is quite a workout on the harder difficulty levels (which you will quickly reach with practice). Since the game is colorful and has silly music, and requires you to coordinate patterns on the screen with fast footwork and jumping, it's not boring, and the fact that the game keeps score and grades your performances motivates you to try over and over again until exhausted or you achieve a high score. Fun for the whole family.
The only caveat is that you will need to be able to stomp all over your floor, so if you have neighbors below, this might not work.
posted by Maximian at 2:34 PM on July 7, 2011
You can modify push-ups and push-up style things a lot. In addition to the above mentioned push-up bars, if you have enough padding you can do push-ups on a fist instead of flat hands (straight wrists, no wrist strain). Or if you need to hold a pose, such as plank or downward facing dog, you can substitute a forearm position (dolphin). You'll lose some of the arm work, but the core work is all still there and it won't hurt. You can even do dolphin push-ups which aren't a direct replacement for normal push-ups but can be substituted if you don't care about the arm work and just want to fill a hole in a workout.
posted by anaelith at 7:23 AM on July 8, 2011
posted by anaelith at 7:23 AM on July 8, 2011
Convict Conditioning has been helping a lot to strengthen my wrists, speaking as someone who had chronic tendonitis in high school and had a wrist operation in college. Its introduction to pushups has been awesome for my weak wrists.
Another thing that helped my wrists was switching to Dvorak from QWERTY 10 years ago, but I have always spent a lot of time on computers
posted by bookdragoness at 8:54 AM on July 8, 2011
Another thing that helped my wrists was switching to Dvorak from QWERTY 10 years ago, but I have always spent a lot of time on computers
posted by bookdragoness at 8:54 AM on July 8, 2011
Seconding bodyrock.tv. I'm in the best shape of my life and my friends ask me how I get my muscles.
posted by Fuego at 9:12 AM on July 8, 2011
posted by Fuego at 9:12 AM on July 8, 2011
TRX - you can buy the dvds and build the set yourself
posted by chinabound at 9:47 PM on July 11, 2011
posted by chinabound at 9:47 PM on July 11, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by hankscorpio83 at 11:54 AM on July 7, 2011