How fit can I get with little equipment?

**ermmok** · 03-10-2008, 10:38 PM

Iam 16 years old and started working out a few months back. I have very little to work with but so far it's been alright. I gained about 15 pounds of muscle, got farely fit, but I doubt my progress will continue with what I got.
Every day I wake up and run 5km on a treadmil, then I do a series of 60 push ups, 60 sit ups, then use some lame 20lb dumbbells. They aren't really effective and I have to do about 50 reps on both arms to become a strain.
This is all I have to work with cause I don't have time to go to the gym, so Iam wondering how effective could this be? I also don't take any suppliments of any sort, I live on just regular food. Is there any hope for more progress without getting a gym pass?

**ArnoldsProtege** · 03-10-2008, 11:47 PM

There are toooonnes of articles on the web that outline a plethora of full body exercises you can do without weight. I was where you were once, going on just what I had. Jogging, pushups, situps, planks, diamond pusups.

The fact is, you just cannot beat the gym. It is WELL worth it to join the closes fitness centre you have. I mean, your missing out on soooo much. Lower body exercises are sort of useless in my opinion without equipment, hard to do back unless ur good at doing pullups and even then, thats ALL you can do.

If you cant do the gym, Id recommend buying just a bit of equipment to maximize your gains with compound exercises. So many people get excited come January first and then give up and put their stuff on the internet. An adjustable bench that doubles as a squat box can hit two birds with one stone. They generally throw in the weights with them too. You can get those little adjustable dumbells too.ummm you could get a pullup bar too that u hang in your door frame. An exercise ball too can do wonders... it adds a serious dynamic to your workout.

I might have missed some things, but that should get your compound exercises for back, chest, legs, bis, tris. You can do shoulder press on the bench, as well as with the DB's provided u have enough weight. But hey, all of this is just my opinion, and I do not work out at home. Personally, I get my energy from the gym... I dont know if i could go as hard at home, and I also wouldnt have a spot every time. So if you CAN, id recomend gym all the way. If not, craigslist classifieds: jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, events, forums could set you up nice lol

**Smoo_lord** · 03-11-2008, 01:14 AM

Go to the supermarket and lift the havy bags of pool salt a few times

**Gazhole** · 03-11-2008, 05:00 AM

There are plenty of options for training at home, but having done both you really cant beat the gym because of the sheer volume of equipment they can fit there as opposed to your home.

I would however stop doing things every day, and come up with a decent program using what you have.

There are many many bodyweight exercises you can do with limited equipment. I would buy a pullup bar for one thing, as well as some adjustable dumbells.

If you want to try something a little different you could also try a training band, they are long elastic bands that you can manipulate in a number of ways to allow you to do a large range of exercises, and they take up basically no space.

Read the sticky topics in training to learn how to put together something balanced.

Try using things like:

Squats, lunges, pullups, crunches, planks, supine rows, dips...

You can rig up ordinary houshold objects to do things like dips (two chairs).

Also implement plyometrics like:

Jump squats, jump lunges, clap pushups, burpees, squat thrusts...there are many.

Try having days where you do things explosively (plyometrics) and then have days when you do things extra slowly (regular exercises, slow down the movement and pause in the hardest portion...)

There are a million things you can do at home, but be prepared to one day need to gym :P.

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