Your Home Workout Routine : Recommendations, Experiences & Questions

[TommyGirl]

Whilst we have Yoga and Daily exersice threads, I thought this could be appropriate subject, too.

I am huge consumer for exercise dvds and have tens, or maybe hundread, of them. But I am always seeking for something new, so please share your experiences of working out at home! I will make reviews of my own ones, so I start with this:

Jillian Michaels, Ripped in 30

source: play.com

This dvd has 4 different programs, one for each week. Jillian recommends to do it 5-6 times per week, but I mixed it with other workouts. Weeks 3 and 4 gets very intense, but still doable, because they`re only 30 min long (including warm up and cool down).

All weeks has the same pattern, 3 minutes of strength (functional, for example you do lunges and biceps at same time), 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute for abs, and it`s repeated three times in each workout. Plus, there is different moves for every week.

This dvd is pure gold fore someone who wants to work out hardcore and really feel the burn Knowing Jillian, there is no choreographic steps, so it is easy to follow what comes to co-ordination. But the moves are hard, escpecially blank-cardio moves are murder!

She has two girls working out with her, and other one is always showing the alternative modification and the another one the hard-core version. Jillian does basic version. For some moves there are no modification, because "if 300 pound person can do this, you can"

Music is dull, it is usual non-copyright stuff, but it is alright with this kind of workout. Jillian is friendly, but hard on you and her yelling makes me do the thing till the end, no matter how tired. But I understand if her personality annoys someone, not me tough.

Overall, this is one of the workout dvds made seriously, so it totally works, even with mixed with other workouts and not doing this particular dvd everyday. If you want to be in good shape and have good strength exercise and cardio at the same time in short time, this is for you. But I warn you, when she says at week 1, that no more push ups next week, it only means there will be harder version of push ups next

If mods see this thread is unappropriate, please delete, but it would be nice to share!

 

[TommyGirl]

And after the preview I`d like to ask some questions:

1. How many times per week you exercise?
2. How you share between strength, cardio and for example stretching?
3. What is your current shape, and I mean physically, not aesthetic-wise?
4. Which are your fav thing to do for workout and which you don`t like so much, but do anyway ?

My answers:

1. 4-6 times per week, from 1 h to 2 h per day.
2. I try to do now a bit more cardio, but I do quite equally both strength and cardio, always short stretching right after work out and then 1-2 times per week I do proper 1 h whole body stretching session.
3. I am not in my best shape atm due to long break, but as I have moved pretty much all my life, my shape "recovers" quite fast. But my arm muscles are really sad Not much strength in there. My legs and butt are the places where all the power seems to go. Pretty good abs, but blanks are still hard.
4. I am very into high energy aerobic at the moment, and I love choreographic and terpsichorean workouts. This intense strength side is on peeve list now, but just because I would like to spend all the time I have to dance and aerobic.

 

[MulletProof]

Thought we could revive this thread as most people that exercise have no option but to do it at home these days.

I always struggled with being motivated enough to work out regularly at my place.. now I'm wondering if I'll ever go back to a gym cause I actually been enjoying far more the privacy of home: less clothes, horrible music I don't have to limit to my earbuds, not having to compete for a spot in the studio or wait around for a treadmill or deal with strangers' sweat in unexpected places, plus the freedom to experiment with some exercises knowing you may fall and look miserable+hilarious trying to do (e.g. pulse sit-ups in my case lol). I used to work out one hour or sometimes just 45 mns but I'm currently having a hard time doing less than 1.5 hrs.. I usually just go for 2.

What has made a major difference for me is a treadmill.. I really can't work out if I don't run for over 20 minutes and everything's boiling hot. Past that point, I'm far more flexible and energetic to endure more demanding routines. Most of my friends are professional dancers and they have been recommending me some pretty lengthy stuff they're doing at home (from ballet classes to following some choreographers to even yoga privates) but I just can't with that.. what I did enjoy is MadFit, this former ballet dancer gone fitness youtuber of some sort. She's awesome and her song workouts (after cardio) are fun and excruciating.




There also used to be a lot of Tracy Anderson videos online but I only find this one-hour workout...


It's pretty effective but sort of boring too.. I need something more upbeat if I'm going to be exercising at home.

Would love to see more workout recommendations.

 

[MulletProof]

Forgot to add the VS girls trained by Dogpound also have some pretty good butt workouts!.. this one is insane, I think I've only been able to do it entirely.. 4 times?



Chloe Ting (also on youtube) has great tips and info on how to engage muscles one normally neglects and sometimes I'll do some of her exercises but her approach seems primarily devoted to losing weight.. which doesn't interest me frankly and I find quite debatable.. I think mental health is the best, long-term reward and an effect on your body WILL come with that, as a consequence, not as a goal. But yeah, her channel is good if you struggle to do some type of abs (like me doing sit-ups with a wonky lower back).

 

[ediesedgwick]

I bought a NordicTrack during quarantine just as an effort to get more fitness and movement in my life, I love it. I really like doing at-home yoga DVD’s (I have s collection from before I purchased my smart TV) and my favorite collection is from Gaiam. I have their yoga mat and a matching case for it (though I think of yoga as something I prefer to do in the privacy of my own home).

 

[cestmagique]

^^ooo, the butt workout... I should try that! I agree about weight loss not being the ultimate goal, I think it's demotivating when that's what you're primarily focused on. As a New Year's resolution, I decided I want to feel more athletic this year and framing my goal that way, it's been something I've actually followed through on. I've definitely got more stamina now and that's been encouraging and rewarding for me.

 

[MulletProof]

^ I moved on from that video cause it feels rough on the shoulders in the long run.

I recently found some quick and effective ones, they're amazing (just 10 minutes in total but you will feel so sore the next day!)



...I always got her channel in my recommendations but refused to click just because.. she's orange, those freakin' heart and peach emojis, the clickbait colors in the thumbnail .. but anyway, I caved in and now I LOVE her , she's just so positive and explains every movement and encourages to push yourself a little harder..

 

[Phuel]

^^^ That looks too lightweight for you... Push-up with bars or pull-ups do wonders for your core and shoulders.

 

[Benn98]

^^^ That looks too lightweight for you... Push-up with bars or pull-ups do wonders for your core and shoulders.

Bait!
I ran in here hoping to see your routine, Phuel. Instead I see the likes of Mullerproof, who oddly enough seems quite fond of these 'babe' type workouts? Who would have thought! Guess we all have that corny side to us.

I follow Joe Wicks' channel religiously, because, well it's Joe Wicks. Who doesn't like him? LOL. But honestly, I think it's because he's not hot or hyper buff, so it's easier for me to focus on the workouts only. His PE workouts are great early starters.



Chris Heria may seem a bit 'bro' ish which I actually find off-putting, but I've seen the quickest results with his routines. Especially the ones that only require dumbbells or no equipment at all. He just seems like a guy working out, and enjoying it. Not feeling himself like 99% the men's fitness gurus.

 

[Phuel]

Just straightforward bootcamp grunt workout :shrugs:...: Classic cardio and weights. Run and lift heavy but very slowly so I feel the pain right away. Same with pushups/pull-ups, do them sloooooooooowwwwwwwwllllllllllllyyyyyyy (…:cough:ruscapturedboys:cough: style…)

But honestly, I think it's because he's not hot or hyper buff, so it's easier for me to focus on the workouts only.

LOL So mean...

 

[MulletProof]

^ I feel like 8:45 of Benn's last video is your idea of a quality workout or what you have in mind for me.

I really don't care much for my arms and shoulders.. I have a herniated disk (in the neck, pretty tiny but still) so that adds to the discomfort of adding too much focus or weight on that area, it makes my wrists fall asleep right away. I'm sure more muscle around the area would add cushion and actually help me, but then I'd look super buff. I relegate the last 3-5 minutes of my workout to arms and it looks like this...


Sorry to disappoint, Benn, it's the bimbo in me!. Once you hit rock bottom doing abs to Bieber's Yummy, you can just.. continue to dig deeper . I've had trainers like that Joe guy, with that Chris vocabulary ('here's an exercise to tear those deep muscle fibers'.. what does that even mean, bro?).. it's just hard to relate, I really don't want that much out of exercise, just mental health.. running is seriously the only thing that completely switches off my brain so anything else is more like decoration, I have basic ambitions and certainly very simple thoughts after running so I need to hear.. yeah, that simple stuff LOL ('your butt is going to look like the peach emoji!').

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Oh shoot— herniated disk does not need the added stress of heavy-lifting/heavy resistance. Just that women usually avoid these very accessible bootcamp workouts when it’s as effective for them as it is for men. “Bimbo workouts” are nothing to snort over, of course. I had a BF who had the body of Superman, but he couldn’t even sit cross-legged or bend down to squat— and he was a mess with yoga. So basic flexibility isn’t a natural ability for everybody, apparently.

 

[eugenius]

The Peleton is looking mighty fine to me. But the pricepoint is a smidge hefty to me. And in addition to the price, I think you have to subscribe to the classes, which costs even more money. But, my brother-in-law recently bought one, and he's now at a point where he can't start his morning w/o 30 mins on it first (and he's never been interested in anything remotely related to physical fitness). So if it works for him, maybe it can work for me.

But then there's the "Where do I put this thing?" connundrum. I don't think I'd want it in the bedroom, and having it in the living-room is a hard no...so there's that.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Their system is structured for a certain personality type: People that need to be around others— IRL or virtual, when they’re training. Frankly, I find it very distracting, like an orgy (...one-on-one is best). And crosstrainer personalities always annoy TF out of me. If you’re that type that needs social motivation, then this would likely benefit you. I’d recommend any of the Bowflex cycles if you can do it on your own.

 

[cestmagique]

Anyone use resistance tubes/bands? I haven't tried them out yet. Part of me is like why bother if you already use weight machines... but it's something I can do at home, so I'm tempted anyway.

 

[MulletProof]

^ I've used Therabands for stretching on a regular basis for years now (it's the only thing that helps me with my eternal war on thigh knots) so I decided to try resistance bands during lockdown and I found them a bit impractical. I feel like you have to think first on preventing the thing from moving (rolling up, getting uneven) and then focus on the muscles you're working with. I found them annoying but I imagine it's the kind of thing that gives quick results (but I wouldn't know because I quickly lost interest ).

 

[cestmagique]

[amazon]

My gym has some similar to this, which seem straightforward enough... I can imagine the flat stretchy ones being more irritating to use! Plus I'd be worried about them snapping and hitting me in the face. I guess I want them because although I do use weight machines, there are some that I don't know how to use and that take a little bit of set up, so the tubes would expand what I can do and give me an at-home option. But I also wonder how effective they are because I can't imagine the resistance compares to the amount of weight I can lift on the machines.

 

[Phuel]

The band snapping and hitting my face, whether from breakage or misstep has always been a concern.

Calisthenics is an impressively, powerful conditioning direction— apparently Jarrod Scott mainly trains this way. Many that train with calisthenics are stronger and developed better cardio than those that just train traditionally with weights/machines, even when they don’t look as buffed. If your home can support a pull-up bar set, that would be so much better than these bands. An ex would train mostly with pull up bars, and his upper body and core was amazingly chiseled.

 

[cestmagique]

^that's a good suggestion because I do want more back definition. I broke my wrist last year and it's a bit weaker than it used to be, so I've avoided the pull-up bars at the gym but I should give them a try.

 

[MulletProof]

Anyone use resistance tubes/bands? I haven't tried them out yet. Part of me is like why bother if you already use weight machines... but it's something I can do at home, so I'm tempted anyway.

circling back on this cause I was introduced to resistance rings a few months ago and it's HARD.. but it won't slap you or roll up like a band and definitely reaches areas that the bands can't or just take longer.. highly recommended:


[amazon]

Not recommending it in terms of results btw, it feels pretty effective (esp with the upper part of the inner thigh), but I just did pilates with a friend a couple of times and called it a day cause I was got too sore lol. I haven't worked out in so long until this past week and... I'm ****ng dying.