If you don't go to the gym all that much, why spend a good deal of money for getting a home machine? Besides the cost, there's also the space issue--will you have enough room in your house?
There's that. But I've been looking into a treadmill of some kind, and I'm convinced I'd use it if it were down the basement instead of a couple of miles away, by car, at the rec centre. Maybe that's just what I'm telling myself, though.
Bought a treadmill for the home on New Year's Day, they are surprisingly big and space consuming, sofa size would be far and they do dominate. If you know yourself you will know how often you will get on it.
As for doing in front of the TV the noise is surprisingly loud.
What Brno said. Plus pressups, squats, crunches, etc.
I chucked my gym membership 9 months ago because it was on the wrong side of town. I sorted out a home routine using an old yoga mat and a couple of dumbells and a swiss ball instead of a bench. (PM me if you want some ideas.) With the added bonus (/boson /bos'n /whatever) that I can watch recorded telly or listen to the cricket while I'm at it.
But any half decent machine will cost an absolute fortune and you'll probably waste your money. I've used cheap stuff before and it rattles and sways alarmingly when used by anyone over 7 stone. Go for a jog outdoors: walk a minute, jog a minute if you need to, you'll pick up fitness faster than you think. Spend the cash you've saved on a small DB radio or iPod and listen to podcasts if you really need to take your mind off it.
And just keep thinking, "What would Andrew Strauss do?"*
*Walk through a German forest clutching bricks, obviously.
I recently ordered a home workout DVD - Kate Lawler's Cardio Combat. Can this possibly be any good? Or will I feel like a wally jumping around in front of the TV and give up?
I guess it all depends on your own motivation and how well you know yourself. I've had exercise equipment at home and done absolutely fucking nothing with it because I didn't feel any motivation. I would think that paying money each month would make me want to go and get what I'm paying for...but on the other hand I don't like exercising in front of other people, especially ones that aren't chunks like I am.
I recently ordered a home workout DVD - Kate Lawler's Cardio Combat. Can this possibly be any good? Or will I feel like a wally jumping around in front of the TV and give up?
Nah, those are great. I sit and watch 'em all the time. Keep an ear open for the missus pulling into the driveway, mind.
I would not bother with a home gym unless you have a massive house.
As Chris J says Quality treadmils and cross-trainers cost a fortune and some the cheaper stuff feels a bit flimsy (and probably wont last too long).
I really don't understand people who drive to the gym only to start running on the treadmill.
Why don't you jog there and then do some weights or other stuff.
Unless you are doing some bodybuilding, then you don't need much weights. To lose weight and get trim then I would suggest some modular dumbells sets like these
I've become a big fan of the Concept2 rower, I believe you were raving about it a few years back, TG. It's like weights and cardio combined into one excercise. There's one at my gym.
I have a storage room in the shared heated basement at my new place that would accomodate a Concept2 rower, just about. But then there are Laydeez at the gym.
I really don't understand people who drive to the gym only to start running on the treadmill.
Why don't you jog there and then do some weights or other stuff.
Some of us live in places where the temperature outside is well below zero (and I mean well below) for 4 months plus every year. I broadly agree with the sentiment above, but there are times of the year where jogging or cycling outside are just impossible. And hence the value of the treadmill/indoor bike
You beat me to it. By the time dinner's over and the kids are down, it's 7:30 and minus 10 outside. I did go for a run last night, but it was tough going. Not the cold so much as the out-of-shapeness of it all.
If it gets that cold Andy, maybe you could round up some local canucks and european northerners to play some hockey on a makeshift rink. Barring this, head for the forest for some snowshoe trecking, best workout you could get.
Looking forward to getting back to Quebec in a few weeks...
That dips bar that TG linked to looks good, but I had a similar one for doing pull-ups (a Powerbar, I think it was called) and it kind of wrecked the door frame after a while.
For what it's worth, I bought a fairly cheap stationary bike a few years back (I think it was from a sports shop in town) and used it about 4-5 times a week for a year or so while watching the first few seasons of The Wire. It was a bit creaky, but it served its purpose.
I cancelled my gym membership over a year ago having only sporadically been going in the previous year; it was so tedious. Instead I invested in a few things for using around the house, but as others have indicated, what you purchase really depends on what you're trying to get out of the training.
Kettlebells are great, but they're reliant on strong technique so you'd need an instructor for a while, and you'd probably want to invest in a training programme which'd need updating as you progress.
The different resistance bands available now are good too, and portable. They're not so good for upper body work I've found, particularly if you're trying to train on a heavy weight.
However, I think people greatly underestimate the amount that can be gained just from doing body-weight related exercises. Pull ups, dips, press ups, squats, lunges. A routine that combines variation on these will kill and get great results ((TM) every personal instructor you'll ever meet).
I'd avoid the cheaper end of treadmills and X-trainers.
We took the kids forest-snowshoeing just last weekend. What a blast. And a workout.
Back to Quebec, linus?
I've been away since christmas, mostly in France, my father has been pretty sick. The original plan was to take winter off and tour SE Asia but I'll be going on a quick tour of the mideast instead.
Looking forward to getting back to Quebec before the end of winter and just before maple season.
I've become a big fan of the Concept2 rower; I believe you were raving about it a few years back, TG. It's like weights and cardio combined into one exercise. There's one at my gym.
I have a storage room in the shared heated basement at my new place that would accommodate a Concept2 rower, just about. But then there are Laydeez at the gym.
I have been to a gym twice in Sweden, safe to say I did not get much training done.
I love the concept2. As an all over body workout, I don’t think anything can touch it.
In addition to that, it kicks out a fair breeze so it keeps you relatively cool. If you have the space and can afford it, I would recommend it above a cross-trainer and especially a treadmill as its less pressure on the knees and lower back which can get very painful for those who are overweight or unfit and begin exercising.
Ad Hoc
Some of us live in places where the temperature outside is well below zero (and I mean well below) for 4 months plus every year. I broadly agree with the sentiment above, but there are times of the year where jogging or cycling outside are just impossible. And hence the value of the treadmill/indoor bike
I was actually going to add that caveat as well as people who for medical reasons are susceptible to colds or pneumonia but since most OTFers live in temperate climes where they don’t experience extreme temperatures, I didn’t bother.
TMA
I have not used the specific bar I linked to so don’t know if it’s as good as advertised.
Ibn.
Kettlebells are good, but without specialist training you are unlikely to gain much and probably do yourself a bad injury (back).
Your right about Bodyweight related exercise.
You would be surprised how many of those preening peacocks you guys see in the gym and admire cannot lift their bodyweight.
If anyone is interested I can devise a home workout routine for various body parts that would only require a set of dumbbells.
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