weight training without going to the gym??

[slinkerbell]

is there a way to do weight training at home without buying expensive bowflex machines? i don't really want to join a gym because i love being outside so i do all my cardio outside and even if it gets cold i have an elliptical at home. also, i'm not rolling in the money right now so gym membership would be hard to do.

i have free weights that i do upperbody work with. i guess i'm trying to figure out how i can do strength training for my lower body at home.

any suggestions are appreciated!

[Chef]

Originally Posted by slinkerbell

is there a way to do weight training at home without buying expensive bowflex machines? i don't really want to join a gym because i love being outside so i do all my cardio outside and even if it gets cold i have an elliptical at home. also, i'm not rolling in the money right now so gym membership would be hard to do.

i have free weights that i do upperbody work with. i guess i'm trying to figure out how i can do strength training for my lower body at home.

any suggestions are appreciated!

Hi SB,

Like to do my Charles Atlas exercises check out the site you can google it and get the course. I did the course when I was 14 now 52 I recommend it. I sould have kept doing it everyday I would not be fat right now and I would be strong it is true. Check it out.

Cheers

Jim

[BrianSCohen]

You can do exercises at home at least in the short term. I would encourage you to beef up your at-home capabilities through places like craigslist and castoffs from friends and families. Although you say you have free weights, you really need a set of dumbells at least up to 50lbs, particularly if you are going to try to do lower body. Try to get a basic weight bench as well.

You can really work your lower body through squats and lunges. Clean the dbs up to your shoulders for front squats and then hold them at your sides for lunges. You can do bulgarian squats from a bench, or even using a chair if needed. You can do modified straight leg deadlifts with the dumbells to work your hamstrings.

Start with light weights on the moves, use proper form and full range of motion and then increase the weight when you can.

[slinkerbell]

Originally Posted by BrianSCohen

You can do modified straight leg deadlifts with the dumbells to work your hamstrings.

thanks for the helpful info - this is great! and yes, i've been looking on craigslist for home weight training stuff. i know something will come along if i keep looking.

could you explain the modified straight leg deadlifts a little further for me? i am particularly interested in developing the back of my legs - the hamstrings and butt. i run regularly and hike so my quads are quite strong and muscular, but the area between my hamstrings and butt could use some toning.

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by slinkerbell

thanks for the helpful info - this is great! and yes, i've been looking on craigslist for home weight training stuff. i know something will come along if i keep looking.

could you explain the modified straight leg deadlifts a little further for me? i am particularly interested in developing the back of my legs - the hamstrings and butt. i run regularly and hike so my quads are quite strong and muscular, but the area between my hamstrings and butt could use some toning.

Here is a db based straight back deadlift and a straigh leg deadlift:





Here is a db squat



I could not find a db front squat, but think about doing the following with the dbs at your shoulders, not with your arms crossed, but in the same position you would use for a shoulder press.

[JuliaL]

Slinker - there are some great workout videos you can get to show you how to do lower body weights exercises at home. One that I recommend is Kathy Smith's Lift Weights to Lose Weight. She has some great lower body exercises on that video that just use a chair. Also, Cathe Friedrich's weights videos are awesome! You definitely don't need a home gym - free weights and your own body weight are plenty.

[slinkerbell]

Originally Posted by JuliaL

Slinker - there are some great workout videos you can get to show you how to do lower body weights exercises at home. One that I recommend is Kathy Smith's Lift Weights to Lose Weight. She has some great lower body exercises on that video that just use a chair. Also, Cathe Friedrich's weights videos are awesome! You definitely don't need a home gym - free weights and your own body weight are plenty.

thanks for the info! i'll check those out. this is exactly what i was hoping to hear - i really enjoy working out at home and being outside - i don't see any need for a gym membership but i need more strength training in my routine.

thanks to all that have answered - i read a bit about charles atlas -- i think the direction that everyone is saying is isometrics and resistance.

[fieldofroses1]

may I reccomend "jari love "ripped"workouts. strength training at its best, plenty of lower body stuff

[sandyn]

Brian- are those pics from Star Wars?

[BrianSCohen]

Originally Posted by sandyn

Brian- are those pics from Star Wars?

There is something funky in the way that the board loads in hyperlinked images. This are animated gif images from an exercise web site. The first one is "http://www.exrx.net/AnimatedEx/Hamstrings/DBStrtBackStrtLegDeadlift.gif." If you paste that in your browser, you will see the image. Now hit the back key, and magically it is properly embedded. At times, when an embedded image link is somehow "denied" it will show up as a star wars image. I have no idea why this happens. I am becoming convinced it is the work of aliens.

[inatic]

Db front squat also known as a goblet squat

What are Goblet Squats? Goblet Squat Instruction

[CarlynB]

I work out at home using Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training.

I do my TT workout 3 days a week, and Callanetics 3 or 4 days a week.

[uclangel422]

I recommend the Wedding Workout. It divides up the sections into lower body, upper body and abs/core. It is geared towards women and it doesnt really have anything to do with weddings. I have really enjoyed it, especially since the trainer is not annoying at all.

[AskTheTrainer]

Originally Posted by slinkerbell

is there a way to do weight training at home without buying expensive bowflex machines? i don't really want to join a gym because i love being outside so i do all my cardio outside and even if it gets cold i have an elliptical at home. also, i'm not rolling in the money right now so gym membership would be hard to do.

i have free weights that i do upperbody work with. i guess i'm trying to figure out how i can do strength training for my lower body at home.

any suggestions are appreciated!

Here are some exercises which you can do at home w no equipment

No Equipment Exercise Videos