Is there a way to get by without going to the gym?
The whole idea is loathsome to some people including but I expect not limited to me that think a sentient being investing in its meats is infeasible. Boring, too.
The whole idea is loathsome to some people including but I expect not limited to me that think a sentient being investing in its meats is infeasible. Boring, too.
You'll still get the benefit of being away from your work for a short while, doing something physical and focussing on improving at something else.
Copying a part of a book review:
Convict Conditioning is a book of bodyweight only training. It utilizes six training exercises, each having ten different variations. The six exercises are called "the Big Six", and they are one-arm pushup, one legged squat (pistol squat), one-arm pullup, hanging straight leg raise, stand-to-stand bridge, and one-arm handstand pushup. You don't start with these exercises, but rather easier versions, and they represent the ultimate goal of the workout.
The workout is structured so that each exercise of the Big Six is divided into ten steps, the final step being the exercises listed earlier. As a general rule, the first steps are the easiest and you move gradually to more challenging variations. For example, you start the pushups series with standing pushups against the wall, and progress from there into incline pushups against a table, then kneeling pushpus, and so on until you reach the one-arm pushup.
http://www.amazon.com/Convict-Conditioning-Weakness-Survival...
I personally love to lift weights, but for the next year I'll be lifting less and doing bodyweight exercises more as an experiment.
I mean, you're just standing/sitting there, pumping weights going through the repetitive movements. It's absolutely mindnumbing, boring, and you can't help but going through every single other thing you'd rather be doing with your time.
Right?
My solution is audiobooks.
I usually pick a book that's already a favourite, that I've read once or twice (because it's different than reading, if your attention drifts for a moment, you miss a bit--so pick a book you already know but enjoy re-reading so you don't have to rewind all the time).
Also get some good earphones because sometimes the music in the gym can be loud. For running I have those things that clip behind your ear, but in the gym those plugs that actually go in your ear might be best for shutting out the music (get cheap ones from a dollar store/K-mart type of place, you're not getting them for sound quality and I wouldn't spend much on something that's going to get crudded with earwax real quick).
You can also try podcasts. I find that because they're usually in a bit more loose/radio DJ/interview style, it's no problem if you miss the occasional bit, because people talk quite redundantly in general, unlike a book where every sentence counts.
For example, during summer I come home/go to work on kickboard sometimes. I do listen to podcasts en route.
All you need equipment-wise is a pull-up bar. I have a wall-mounted pull-up bar which is very stable. Maybe a cheap one for the doorframe will do the trick as well.
simplefit consists of progressively harder levels[2]. If you manage to finish "day 3" (judgement) in under 5 minutes, you go to the next level.
[1] http://www.simplefit.org/ [2] http://www.simplefit.org/workout.html#workouts
EDIT: forgot to mention that the simplefit exercises are done with bodyweight only. Also, they are laid out in a way that will keep your heart pumping and thus you will get fit pretty fast and in a time-efficient manner. No routine takes longer than 20 minutes. In fact, only "day 1" is ultimately bound by time (20 mins), the others are to be finished "as fast as you safely can". This is key for me and the reason I stuck to it over many weeks now. It doesn't take long and I still see results.
Really easy to do at home and cheap. By the time your strength outgrows the sandbags, you should be motivated enough to invest in free weights or get to the gym. Or not, but you'll still have the sandbags and the muscles that result.
Think about it as a way to improve blood circulation to your most valuable organ: your brain.
You might find this guys' videos fun: http://www.youtube.com/user/scooby1961?blend=1&ob=4 ; He sounds geeky enough to be trusted