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Comment by pqs | Hacker News Reader

If you do strength training at home, as I do with two kids too, you don't need much preparation. I just take off my t-shirt, do some pull ups, push ups, squats, etc. following a well thought plan, and most of the time the shower is not needed. You don't even need to do all the exercises in the same time slot. You can do pushups as you watch your baby, a few pull ups while your watch your son wash his teeth, etc. Not changing, not much preparation.

I apply this method and it is amazing how stronger and leaner I am now. And doing pushups, some cardio is also done.

I do cardio while bicycling to the office (no clothes changes needed again; maybe just the t-shirt in summer), and walk up the office and home stairs (4 floors in both cases) two steps at a time.

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This! My father used to work out when we were kids while we were playing video games, brushing teeth, homeworks, etc...I still remember him teaching me the multiplication table while doing pushups or pull ups and asking me : I did 3 sets of 8 pull ups, how much does it makes ? Good times

That is exactly what I'm doing! ;-)

> following a well thought plan

This is a much bigger hurdle than it might seem; at any rate the biggest one for me personally. I have absolutely no idea how to create an exercise plan for myself, which exercises should I do and in which combination. And additionally, even if I had such a plan, I have no idea how to measure my progress, or whether and how to modify the plan depending on the progress.

The nice thing about being incredibly out of shape is that any plan will work. It's only the people that are in relatively good shape that need a good plan to see improvements.

That isn't quite true either, though. Though it becomes more difficult to aim to low, aiming too highly can easily lead to injury.

No, poor form can lead to injury.

Poor form is sometimes caused by fatigue, but that's about knowing your limitations.

Parent's point stands. Anything - in a reasonable sense - is better than nothing. If you do handstand push-ups day one, you deserve what you get.

Rippetoe's stuff is pretty good. The first book on why barbells and getting started:

* https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Train...

After a few months you'll exhaust that (perhaps just take it out of the library?), and need more intermediate-level information:

* https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Programming-Strength-Traini...

Otherwise, some others have suggested a few Reddit threads; see also /r/fitness.

> I have absolutely no idea how to create an exercise plan for myself

Don't over complicate things. Do 5 sets of 5 reps of: * Bench Press (barbell) * Front Squat (barbell) * Dead Lift (barbell) * Pull Ups (weight hangs off a chain linked through a squat belt)

Have 1.5 to 2 minutes of recovery between each set. Do this 2 to 3 times a week with as much weight as you can lift.

How to progress: Write down exactly what you lift in a notebook and attempt to do exactly what you lifted for the previous workout with the only change being an increase of 1 to 5 lbs on one of the sets.

Cost: A monthly gym membership or about 50 cents a pound for second hand weights. About $25 for a second hand barbell. $25 for a second hand bench w/rack. So starting out pickup 300lbs of weight which is about $150 plus the cost of the barbell, bench w/rack, and squat belt should set you back about ~$200 (or the cost of a gym membership for 4 months.).

There are pre-prepared plans that you can follow, like https://old.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommend...

You are right. I started with the book "Body Weight Strength Anatomy" by Bret Contreras. Then I used the internet to complement the gaps, watch youtube videos, etc.

Quiting social networks and watching/listening to news has helped to find time to learn and think about training.

Julian has a pretty good guide which I followed and gained substantial muscle from. It covers everything from diet to measuring growth

https://www.julian.com/guide/muscle/

I like this one (7 exercises to keep firm body) which requires only some small hand weights and a chair:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/02/06/muscle.mainten...

If you can afford to spend a few hundred dollars then sign up for a few personal training sessions at your local gym. A good certified personal trainer can teach you proper form to avoid injury, and put together a customized workout routine that you can follow on your own.

Bodyweight training is incredibly effective. The problem is that it's simple and free, so you'll find very few people trying to sell you on it. Much of the noise about exercise is from someone selling you a program or some equipment.

So true! I'm doing body weight strength training and I'm amazed about the results. What is important is to annotate everything on a spreadsheet, in order to gauge progress, understand the concept of progression, and build a program that covers the whole body. But, don't obsess about the program, two years ago, when I started, my program was bad, and I have been improving it gradually, as I have been learning things. Due to work constrains I can't have a fixed plan (the same every Monday, Wednesday, ...) so I have to adapt constantly, which is great, as the results have been good. Bodyweight training adapts well to your life (not the other way around) and you can even workout in a hotel room!

Seconding this - bodyweight training is exactly how I got started in fitness for a year before eventually signing up for a gym after moving to the city. The /r/bodyweightfitness subreddit http://reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness is a great resource with pre-made plans to ensure you're hitting all your muscle groups evenly. Highly recommend it!

I can do a few push ups etc. I wouldn't call that a workout though.

Running or cycling to work is not an option. I live in Cyprus where summer is regularly over 40 degrees C and autumn/spring regularly over 25. Also, there are almost no bike roads.

Why bodyweight strenght training is not a workout?

What it surprised me is how little you need to do to change your whole body. I'm stronger as ever working out 20-30 minutes three times a week the best weeks, even less sometimes.

I understand you not cycling in Cyprus.

Check the Strava heat map. Some people seem to be running and cycling on Cyprus, so this should give you an idea for local routes.

https://www.strava.com/heatmap#9.00/32.94155/35.10759/hot/al...

Since you're on an island you might also try open water swimming.

Isn't it better to have an aerobic warm up before doing any strength training (to prevent injury), along with pre/post stretching exercises?

I jump and run on the place for a couple minutes. You don't need more. I haven't had an injury in two years and I'm stronger than ever (8 pull ups, for example).

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