In a different thread, I said I would post a link to a person who illustrates body weight exercises. Here’s the one I was thinking of:
If anyone else has found some videos or websites that are helpful, for body weight training (including stretching, yoga, HIIT/aerobics, etc,) perhaps we can post them here.
I see people saying “I can’t go to the gym” all the time, but there are plenty of exercises to do at home, many of which require little to no equipment.
Also, cross fit has some workouts suitable for beginners and (way) beyond, and a great set of nutrition information too:
These are not free, but the Onnit classes are awesome. Six weeks of progressive exercises with clear instructions, excellent warm ups and cool downs and very creative workouts. Also there are three levels of difficulty, so you could repeat the 6 week cycle many times and stay challenged. I’ve taken the kettlebell and steel mace courses (which obviously require equipment) but there’s a bodyweight one as well.
Highly recommend.
If by “body weight exercises” you mean exercises for weight loss, then be aware that studies have shown that exercise is of very little value for losing fat. But exercise has many other benefits, including muscle-building and metabolic health, and is well worth doing for those reasons, if one is so motivated.
I’ve had considerable success constructing a personalized program I designed while drawing upon the following resources:
“Bodyweight Strength Training” / Bret Contreras
“Your Body is Your Gym” / Peter Paulson
“Designing Resistance Training Programs” / Fleck/Kraemer (includes weights)
“HIIT” / James Driver
“The HIIT Bible” / Steve Barrett
“Power of 10” / Adam Zickerman
“Strength Training Anatomy Workout” / Delavier
“Tabata Workout Handbook” / Roger Hall
Perhaps some of these might prove helpful. Best wishes
Paul, you don’t have to tell me. I’ve been exercising since I was 14 (15? 16?), body building, jogging, cycling (road and mountain), etc., and still managed to gain 90+ pounds. 56 now. ALWAYS have exercised. Only stopped gaining when I went low carb/keto.
Sounds good. I’m not a big believer in the “you must exercise for health” mantra, but I do feel better after exercising, and it does help reduce stress for me. Though I’m sure one could paint, visit with friends, go to church, listen to/play music, etc., and probably get similar benefits.
About the middle of 2020 I started experimenting with some body weight resist training, using Jerry Teixeira videos as a starting point. I’ve never been to a gym or used weights but have done an easy yoga class for 7 years. So I was pretty much a noob to strength training.
Last week on holidays interstate, I joined a little home gym session with some family members for the first time. They have been using weights for 2 years now, I didn’t even know which weights I should pick up for which exercises, but pretty soon, I’m VERY proud to say, I was using the heaviest weights* in the room and breathing the least. And I’m the oldest. Happy happy dance - healthy metabolism and J Teixeira for the win!
I just wanted to share this little success here with my healthy ketoing pals.
Just hand weights, not anything extreme. I felt fantastic afterwards tho and it makes me want to join a gym… maybe
I used to do weight training, and I even had my instructor certificate (although I never instructed anyone). I no longer use anything but the lightest weights, for various reasons.
Training with weights can be dangerous if you don’t use proper form. You can hire a trainer or inform yourself using online resources and videos. Good luck!
I’ve using a combination of Jerry Teixeira’s stuff and books. I’ve just started exercising 4 days per week, up from three. I’m also now splitting my body into 2 workouts (thus, 4 days, legs/back 2 days, chest 2 days), as I was hitting 1 hour 20-30 minutes for a full body weight workout. That’s too long, as I work out in the morning and have to get my daughter to her bus stop too.
I’ve hit the highest “weights” for a lot of what I’m doing.
I’m combining BW workouts with aerobics/HIIT. I’ve even started jogging again. (!)
Thanks Laurie, I feel like I’ve taken it slowly, in spite of my “when I feel like it schedule” and hope the form is good enough. To put numbers on it the heaviest dumbbells were 15kg, but although I picked them up to test, I didn’t use more than the pair of 10kgs in the routine. I can see how easy it would be to want to give bigger a go, So I will resist! I’m back home with my back pack and my milk bottles so it’s mostly body weight from today.
Bob, that’s fantastic! Well done you. I do a lot of hiking when the season and company works out so probably 2 strength per week is about right. I hope to separate my yoga from resistance- it’s all got mashed in together which has me missing out on the deep relaxation benefits. That’s my NY resolution plan, so now to see if I still can’t do even one real push-up… stay tuned!
Great work everyone, love hearing about how strong and active you all are
I am quite a newbie to strength training (about 8 months) and have been mainly using 8kg kettlebells in my class…only just starting to progress to 10kg in recent weeks, and 12 for some easier exercises like deadlifts. But I’m already feeling a huge improvement from last year when I practically dislocated my shoulder lifting grocery bags off the seat beside me… (all that lovely meat and dairy…)
Starting strength training is the best thing I did in 2021. Thanks for the links and the inspo!
I’m a fan of this guy. More nerdy and understated than the typical fitness YouTuber.* Most of his advice involves weights but if you dig through all his stuff there are some bodyweight exercises.
*with apologies to Bret Contreras, who manages to be a hairy dude-bro and an academic ;^>
I realized last summer that my leg muscles never really recovered much after my hip replacement five years earlier (at age 51). Trying to keep up with weight training more in the last six months. Weirdly, my good knee hurts a little more lately, but my bad knee (cartilage tear) stopped hurting! A net win. We’ll see how long that lasts…
Point taken. I still have a problem with exercising for its own sake, however. It’s a mental block, one of long standing. On the other hand, I am reasonably active, so I am getting some exercise, without having to think of it as exercise.
Another big benefit of exercising is that it promotes mitochondrial health.
I also think that each type of lifting has benefits and detriments. As a life-long weight lifter, I started transitioning to body weight training a few years ago. BW training has certain benefits over weight lifting. Even though people gush about squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, BW training to me develops the “core” more. Many of the exercises, for instance, require a lot more balance. Try to do shrimp squats, for instance:
Additionally, while I always loved squats, I STILL cannot get my knee to touch the ground for the shrimp squats and can’t go all the way down for pistol squats, and that’s after almost 2 YEARS of doing them. They take more flexibility than weights. (For the pistol squats, for instance, I have to do the “pistol squat off a box” in the link above.)
I also think people who do body weight training look different from those who lift weights. Or at least I can easily tell who does what.
