At Home Work Outs v.s. the Gym.

So many people gauck at the idea of lifting, women, runners and beginners especially. What they don't realize is that it is vital. Want to run faster and longer? Build that beautiful glute of yours. Want better posture, have stronger bones and improve balance? Weight train.

I am currently studying at university to achieve a bachelor's degree to train others to be fitter, healthier people. Please feel free to ask questions. I will not make plans or anything like that for anyone though, it is time consuming and I personally feel it should always be personalized.

[VinceField]

Originally Posted by Newtly

So many people gauck at the idea of lifting, women, runners and beginners especially. What they don't realize is that it is vital. Want to run faster and longer? Build that beautiful glute of yours. Want better posture, have stronger bones and improve balance? Weight train.

I am currently studying at university to achieve a bachelor's degree to train others to be fitter, healthier people. Please feel free to ask questions. I will not make plans or anything like that for anyone though, it is time consuming and I personally feel it should always be personalized.

That's right. A common excuse is "I don't want to get too big." What a load of **! For the average person, getting "too big" requires significant steroid use. This excuse is usually either a cop-out or the result of ignorance. Most people struggle to gain even a few pounds of muscle. I see it all the time in the gym. Personally, I've been able to consistently gain one to two pounds of muscle per month lifting weights, although this is a result of proper training and proper nutrition, which I notice many gym-goers lacking, and thus they remain overweight or stick-figures.

As an example of a real-world benefit of lifting weights, working out out my legs has put inches on my vertical jump in a matter of a few months, which has helped to improve my volleyball game. I also enjoy a lot more energy throughout the day and feel healthier than the times when I am not in the gym.

[nummi]

Originally Posted by VinceField

That's right. A common excuse is "I don't want to get too big." What a load of **! For the average person, getting "too big" requires significant steroid use. This excuse is usually either a cop-out or the result of ignorance. Most people struggle to gain even a few pounds of muscle. I see it all the time in the gym. Personally, I've been able to consistently gain one to two pounds of muscle per month lifting weights, although this is a result of proper training and proper nutrition, which I notice many gym-goers lacking, and thus they remain overweight or stick-figures.

As an example of a real-world benefit of lifting weights, working out out my legs has put inches on my vertical jump in a matter of a few months, which has helped to improve my volleyball game. I also enjoy a lot more energy throughout the day and feel healthier than the times when I am not in the gym.

Those who work out but don't seem to gain muscle are eating wrong. Their bodies aren't getting the nutrition they require. And they of course are completely oblivious to it, and if they do say "have to eat this or that" then even in that they are generally wrong. Protein powders? No! Real meat, eggs, fish, animal organs, animal fat - this the body needs to build muscle.

Been to gyms myself. Sight is awful. No one really knows what they are doing, not even the "trainers". When I start counting how many different exercises they do I get on average 70, but there are thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands... (I took onto myself to make my training more varied, thus more exercises, I ended up doing thousands of exercises and variations but came nowhere close to how many there really are, but made rough calculations of how many there really are.) the general gym goers only do on average 70 exercises - it's sad.

Nor does anyone know what "eating right" is. Generally they load themselves with carbs - huge mistake. Muscle mass does not come from carbs, fat mass comes from carbs. So yes... they do get "bigger" - by eating far too many carbs - bigger with body fat.
As to being fat, those guys who lift really heavy weights but are round balls of fat... They have no idea what they are doing... You don't have to look an abomination to be able to lift such weights, in fact you'd lift easier and heavier weights if you actually knew what you were doing, and while looking lean and muscly and just good while at it.

Most gym goers spend 1-3 hours there. A huge mistake and wasted life. They don't even know how to train right.
30-60 minutes is enough. Unless running for long periods or doing similar exercises where duration is important. But for gaining strength and mass, 30-60 minutes and not above.

Done many of these mistakes myself when I didn't know anything.

I notice many do only light exercises, like yoga. But the thing is... you're not supposed to be doing only light exercises. Your body also needs heavier exercises.
Lifting weights, endurance, stamina, functionality, balance, flexibility, asymmetric exercises, yoga type exercises, stretches, whatever else. All are needed. And all should be included. It's okay to have 7 day "breaks", before doing the same type exercises again. The body needs about 5-7 days to grow and learn from the done exercises anyway... You can't speed this up by overtraining. In fact overtraining makes it all go slower.

This reminds me I need to make a new exercise "plan", this time including everything. Essentially heavier days, endurance/stamina days, lighter days. Just to go through and get the experience, and eventually have no "plan" but to know and feel "by heart".

To gain muscle and good looks is about 90% diet, and 10% exercise.

[nummi]

Originally Posted by nummi

I've made homemade weights with old bricks. 2, 3, 4 and 6 brick sets, sort of like dumbbells. Two of each. Connected with wood and screws (a wooden frame).
Then soon, probably, I will make different "dumbbells", essentially sandbags of different sizes.
And then a method to connect the weights to a strong wooden pole, strong enough to hold them and not break if I lift it up over my head.
And hopefully this summer also a pullup bar and such things, made of wood.

Why spend mountains of money going to a gym if you can get essentially the same nearly for free?

Even better and easier when using the tough and resilient bags meant for storing grain and such things. Then triple garbage bags (three bags together). Then sand. Then water.
the water might be a problem during freezing winter. So for that time dry sand would be good.

Take those triple garbage bags. Fill them with sand. Then pour water in there. Then tie it close. Then put all that into the strong bags.

Really cheap and easy. I'm in euro zone and metric system, so for me sets of 2x20 kg, 2x30 kg, 2x40 kg, 2x50 kg would cost this way 10-15 euros.
Now how much would real metal dumbbells cost? Around 1000 euros, probably more... So...

[VinceField]

Originally Posted by nummi

Even better and easier when using the tough and resilient bags meant for storing grain and such things. Then triple garbage bags (three bags together). Then sand. Then water.
the water might be a problem during freezing winter. So for that time dry sand would be good.

Take those triple garbage bags. Fill them with sand. Then pour water in there. Then tie it close. Then put all that into the strong bags.

Really cheap and easy. I'm in euro zone and metric system, so for me sets of 2x20 kg, 2x30 kg, 2x40 kg, 2x50 kg would cost this way 10-15 euros.
Now how much would real metal dumbbells cost? Around 1000 euros, probably more... So...

I've built a home gym in my garage with wood, concrete, and iron bars. I made a complete dumbbell set from 35 lbs- 95 lbs, free weights for the barbell from 5 lbs-45 lbs, made an e-z bar from a straight bar, a barbell rack with heights from knee-high to shoulder-high, a flat bench that I can adjust to incline/decline by simply propping it up with bricks or a dumbbell, had a pull-up bar installed, made a triceps pull down machine with a metal wheel rim and rope, and suspension ropes. If anyone is interested in how exactly I constructed any of this I'd be happy to share. Easy, cheap, and effective.

[Eternal Paradox]

Personally I believe in body weight exercises unless you're trying to become a body builder long term.

Just getting started again, a lot of planks, squats and pushups. Im on my feet all day at work so that is good cardio, but I'll probably run and jump rope on weekends.

I may buy a weighted vest however (breaking my own weightless rule lol), simply to add some weight to my own body weight

[Shekinah]

Private at home work out better for health. At a gym you are breathing the pheromones from sweat of many people which spikes your testosterone (if a male) or estrogen (if a female). There be a link between elevated hormone levels and prostate and breast cancers. Also these hormones increase aggression as a natural animal mating function.

[VinceField]

Originally Posted by Shekinah

Private at home work out better for health. At a gym you are breathing the pheromones from sweat of many people which spikes your testosterone (if a male) or estrogen (if a female). There be a link between elevated hormone levels and prostate and breast cancers. Also these hormones increase aggression as a natural animal mating function.

LOL Stay away from the gym people, it will give you cancer!

[Eternal Paradox]

Ha. I bought some resistance bands today and I have to say I love them. I like the comfort of home, having the TV on or something to take my mind off what Im doing a bit.

[FaithMD]

I love working out at home because it's so convenient. Try fitera (super cheap and they post new workouts each week)