Workout Routine at Home

[Racso]

What is a good routine that I can do at home to help me build some muscle. I don't have the $$$ to go to a gym, so thats out of the question, but I would like a home routine that we help me get back into shape. I don't need a routine based on loosing weight (as the ammount of weight I need to loose is will just happen as most excercises anyway).

To get a better idea of what I want, I play rec sports and I would like to be a little stronger (throw ball harder/ farther, run faster, more agile, etc.).

Is there a number of situps/crunches I should do? Push ups? How long should I ride bike or jog? Etc.

I don't want to build enough muscle to bench a car, I just want to get back into good shape as my desk job is taking it's tole on me and my waist.

[UH_OH_5_OH]

Try reading this thread....ignore the goofiness...and pm me if you have more questions !

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1140681

[joeychitwood]

Buy a used set of free weights. I've been lifting at home for 18 years. I can work out any time of the day I wish, whether a health club is open or not. There are many good workouts online aimed at your goals.

[UH_OH_5_OH]

You might also look at prosource.net...there is a link to Articles...then click on Fitness Articles and pick one that covers what you want to target...wt. loss, muscle building, MMA fight training !

[coyoteseven]

US Army Ranger Workout (http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=fitness&category=workout.plans&conitem=d667d1a785827010VgnVCM100000cfe793cd____) ... ... ... no special equipment needed. ;)

[dc]

I don't think I'll ever be a ranger. :lol:

[Randall_James]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10148464#post10148464 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coyoteseven
US Army Ranger Workout (http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=fitness&category=workout.plans&conitem=d667d1a785827010VgnVCM100000cfe793cd____) ... ... ... no special equipment needed. ;) Holy crap.... you could go to jail for assisted suicide with that workout and me....

I just bought lower toilets to work the legs (daily squat)
Higher cupboards (lifting cups and dishes from dishwasher)
Filled the garage with motorcycle stuff so I have to park further away and walk
Let the grass grow 2" higher to make the mower push harder (self propelled)

Oh and I buy only bottled beer (heavier than cans)

[UH_OH_5_OH]

every little bit helps ya Randall !!!

[Randall_James]

:) seriously need to dump about 25lbs.... now how to motivate myself.... I quit smoking, drinking and a few other vices.... just can not motivate to ....well..... sweat

[chica83]

Is there a number of situps/crunches I should do? Push ups?

yes dood start by doing 50 or less if you can't do it , if you can do more than that, go to 100 until do can do 200 situps per day .

How long should I ride bike or jog?

i'd start by doing it for 30 mins running, but don't try killing yourself if you can't, one thing that i used to do before finish running is... i'd run as fast as i could (sort of like running for my dear life :D)for a few mins :) ....then just walk and strech.

I'm no expert but a few years back i used to work out everyday from aerobics, boxing, kick boxing and just work out.
I used to be able to run for 2 hours and lift weights :D ...but after i had my kids... well let's just say that i went down down baby :lol: :D .

[victor_c3]

You're going to find a lot of conflicting advice about how to best get into shape. Unfortunately, different things work for different people. It just takes experience and practice to figure out precisely what works for you.

You don't need to buy any special equipment or spend hundreds of dollars a month on supplements to get into a good, all around, decent shape. The biggest obstacle is discipline and forcing yourself to stick to your routine (both diet and fitness). Here are a couple of things that you need to keep in mind:

1) The average American gets 16% of their daily calories from drinking soda alone. Switch to drinking diet soda (or better yet, water), and you can easily cut a significant number of calories from your diet.

2) A pound of fat consists of 3,500 calories. If you can drop 500 calories off of your daily caloric intake, then you are on the track to losing a pound a week.

3) You didn't get to your current shape (or lack thereof) overnight. Gains and change isn't going to come overnight either.

4) Most people don't drink enough water. Many people's brains get their thirst and hunger reflex confused and feel hungry when in fact their body really craves water. Drink more water, be less hungry, and also help to purge your body of toxins and keep your kidneys healthier. A chronic lack of water can also be blamed for a lack of energy and headaches.

5) Don't view "dieting" as something that you do for the short term. You need to change your eating habits for life. You also don't need to be insanely strict with your diet. Reward yourself and help keep your cravings for junk food in check by eating a cheat meal 1-2 times a week. Just be sure to keep your cheat meal within limits (don't go out and eat an entire pizza, but 2 slices and a beer would be fine).

6) Do some reading on "ideal heart rate" or "target heart rate" (google these terms). There are certains areas where your heart operates to burn energy the most efficiently. A nice slow jog can be better for burning fat than a an all out 20 minute sprint.

7) There is no such thing as "spot reduction". In other words, if you do a lot of crunches, this alone will not get rid of your gut.

There is a large fitness forum at www.bodybuilding.com. There are a lot of guys who only focus on weightlifting on this forum, but many people are just trying to get into decent all around good shape.

I've spent a lot of time in the gym and the biggest problem I see people have with their routines is that they don't have one. They just show up to the gym and do whatever they see the person next to them do. Sit down, come up with a well thought out routine, and stick to it.

Give me some time and I'll see what I can do to come up with a solid beginer's routine that I can suggest to you that doesn't require any gym equipment.

[victor_c3]

When I was an Infantry Platoon Leader in the U.S. Army a few years back my platoon used to do something that looked like this for our fitness routine.

Monday

5-10 minutes stretching and warm-up
15 minutes upper body
5 minutes abs
20 minute moderate jog
5-10 minutes stretching and cool-down

Tuesday

5-10 minutes stretching and warm-up
5 minutes upper body
5 minutes abs
Several sets of pull-ups
20 minute wind sprints
5-10 minutes stretching and cool-down

Wednesday

5-10 minutes stretching and warm-up
5 minutes upper body
15 minutes abs
20 minute moderate jog
5-10 minutes stretching and cool-down

Thursday (light day)

5-10 minutes stretching and warm-up
5 minutes upper body
5 minutes abs
Several sets of pull-ups
10 minute wind sprints
10 minute slow jog
5-10 minutes stretching and cool-down

Friday

5-10 minutes stretching and warm-up
40 minute+ long slow distance run
5-10 minutes stretching and cool-down

Wherever I mention "upper body", we mostly focused on pushups. By varying your hand position, you can focus your work on different upper body muscles. Keeping your hands close together is going to focuse more on your triceps. The further out you push your hands, the more you are going to work your chest. If you happen to have a set of dumbels, incorporating some shoulder pressed into this portion of your workout would be appropriate. I wouldn't focus too much on doing bicep curls on chest days. If you are going to do bicep curls, throw them into the mix on days when you do pull-ups.

For "lower body" workouts, I focused mostly on abs. Situps and cruches work well as do "leg raises", "cherry pickers", and the "supine bicycle". Basically anything you can do while you keep your legs and feet off the ground and your head and shoulders off of the ground is going to work your abs.

Pull-ups are self explanitory. They are hard and intimidating to most people, but they are a great all around exercise. Doing several sets with a variety of wrist and hand positions. Wider hand grips work the back muscles different from closer hand grips. If you face your hands towards you or away from you, you are also working these muscles differently. Aside from primarily working your back muscles, pullups also work your biceps. I'd throw a few sets of bicep curls into your workout on days that you do pull-ups. After having done a few set of pullups, your biceps are going to be warmed up and it will only take a few sets to completeley smoke your arms.

When you do an average paced run, you shouldn't be so out of breath that you can't talk at all. On the same toke, a full blown conversation shouldn't be easy either.

By wind sprints, I mead you run slow for a minute or two, sprint with all you have for 30-60 seconds, then run slow for a 1-2 minutes until you start to catch your breath, then sprint for 30-60 seconds, etc.



I'm not sure of your age, but I'd say that for a 25-30 year old that you would be in pretty decent shape if you could do the following:

- complete 60 strict pushups within 2 minutes without resting or taking any weight off of your arms

- complete 60 strict situps within 2 minutes without resting or letting your back rest on the ground

- run two miles in about 14-15 minutes

- complete 6 full pullups, completely straightening your arms on the bottom of each rep

[Flint&Eric]

abs- see the link uh_ oh posted, i gave a full at home ab circuit you can do. if you do that 2-3x's a week and eat right you will have some great ab's. do abs every workout immediately after warming up.

push ups - wide grip, narrow grip, diamonds, off center etc....

dips- great for chest and tri's

pull ups - wide grip and regular

shoulder press push ups- difficult but one of the best shoulder exercises, takes some serious strength.

lunges - walking and step back

glute raises- gotta work the buns

calf raises

squats - regular, wide stance, narrow, sissy etc...

wall sits

plyo box jumps- cross over, knee drive ups, etc...

sprints

jump rope....

the list goes on and on

[Randall_James]

makes me tired reading the previous post

[chica83]

I've spent a lot of time in the gym and the biggest problem I see people have with their routines is that they don't have one. They just show up to the gym and do whatever they see the person next to them do


LMAO!!!! that is SO true :lol: ..... sometimes people don't even know what the heck is the machine for, but they just do it :lol: ..... one thing, if you're gonna be trying to lift weights or whatever, make sure you're doing it the right way :D .

That routine sounds good and easy ..... heck i should try it myself :p:D .

[Flint&Eric]

so true chica ! i would say 90% of the people at the average gym do not know what they are doing. some of them may have a workout but they do not do the exercises correctly.