if you had to improvise

Ben dur · 09-07-2008, 02:57 PM

im going to revisit an oldy here

if you couldn't go to a gym
and you had to do your entire workout at home from improvised equipment what would you use

more creative you get the better

Ben dur · 09-07-2008, 02:57 PM

home/around home
local park
etc

**Gazhole** · 09-07-2008, 03:54 PM

Currently writing an article about bodyweight/home training. Most of my thoughts will be in there :P.

Basically, try and construct a balance workout/program using whatever exercises you can think of. If you need extra weight, theres plenty of heavy things in a house or garage you can use.

Perhaps circuit training while running a circuit. Go to the local park, and run around it/a field stopping every 100 metres or so to do a set of burpees or squats or pushups or something, and just keep going.

fufu · 09-07-2008, 04:30 PM

My home is my gym at the moment. I took a bunch of old packing clothes and rolled them up and taped them together, slung them over a thick branch and do pull ups and bodyweight rows with them.

**Built** · 09-07-2008, 04:33 PM

Gazhole, I'll be very interested to see what you come up with since I literally get asked this one ALL THE TIME. Many of my colleagues travel for work, and hotel gyms are notoriously lacking in equipment.

rahaas · 09-07-2008, 06:17 PM

If I had too I have plenty of heavy stuff around the yard to pick up and set back down to get by for awhile. It would be really tough to keep track of where I'm at and if I'm making gains though. That's probably the hardest part weighing stuff then adding to it.
How far can you possibly advance having to make due?

Built, good point on those who travel.

Hoglander · 09-07-2008, 07:14 PM

Ben dur · 09-07-2008, 09:20 PM

im not saying this was my plan

i paid my gym membership upfront for 3 years

and im only about 6 months into the "contract"
i can freeze the account if need be too

so my account is paid for and essentially free for a solid 2 years from now

i was just curious as to what you all could think of

Ben dur · 09-07-2008, 09:26 PM

my favorite ideas

a pull up bar (as shown above trees can suffice, otherwise 4x4s are only a few bucks)
a cheap olympic bar and weight set off craigslist
tires (big ones for flipping, smaller ones for various other fucked up and painfully effective cardio/agility training)
sandbags

aside from those
id say much of the work one could do out of sheer improv would be more for endurance/time rather than big numbers

fufu · 09-08-2008, 08:09 AM

Weighted vests are invaluable. You can do so many things with them. Resistance bands as well. Not the baby rehab ones, but ones like jump stretch or iron woody bands.

rahaas · 09-08-2008, 08:40 AM

My buddy and I were just discussing the possibilty of holding a strongman contest on a piece of property I own.
One of the ideas I had was to get a mason's pan - it's a metal pan a brick mason would mix mortar in - and tie a rope on it, fill it with weight (stone, bricks, rocks...etc) and drag it thru a sand pit. Can you image the lower body workout dragging it facing away from the pan then pulling it facing towards the pan. You could even pull it in cable row fashion for a back workout.

**Gazhole** · 09-08-2008, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Built

Gazhole, I'll be very interested to see what you come up with since I literally get asked this one ALL THE TIME. Many of my colleagues travel for work, and hotel gyms are notoriously lacking in equipment.

Cool, ill make sure i let you know when im done

Just took a look at it now, and for some reason word processor decided to corrupt the file. The text is still there if i open it with a basic text editor, but surrounded by gibberish, so ill have to dig it out of there first. Goddamned technology.

At the moment its mostly a large list of bodyweight exercises with descriptions and links to pages about them, but theres also some example workouts, and i have plans for the obligatory "Putting this into a program" section, lol.

I must have something like 30+ exercises listed in there though which is pretty cool.

**Built** · 09-08-2008, 05:25 PM

I know there are water-filled weights you can buy for travel, but something where you could improvise would be much more helpful IMO.

Ben dur · 09-08-2008, 07:55 PM

dive bomber push ups? any opinions on there effectiveness?

bench dips, with chairs

park could be full of all different kinds of bars and such, great for improvised back workouts, and dips

09-07-2008, 04:30 PM	#4
fufu fiendish thingy Elite Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 16,447 Photos: 7	My home is my gym at the moment. I took a bunch of old packing clothes and rolled them up and taped them together, slung them over a thick branch and do pull ups and bodyweight rows with them.
	fufu's 1337 Journal Your diet will set you free.

09-08-2008, 08:09 AM	#10
fufu fiendish thingy Elite Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 16,447 Photos: 7	Weighted vests are invaluable. You can do so many things with them. Resistance bands as well. Not the baby rehab ones, but ones like jump stretch or iron woody bands.
	fufu's 1337 Journal Your diet will set you free.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

09-07-2008, 06:17 PM	#6
rahaas Member Elite Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Delaware Posts: 261	If I had too I have plenty of heavy stuff around the yard to pick up and set back down to get by for awhile. It would be really tough to keep track of where I'm at and if I'm making gains though. That's probably the hardest part weighing stuff then adding to it. How far can you possibly advance having to make due? Built, good point on those who travel.

09-07-2008, 07:14 PM	#7
Hoglander Cleaner Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Washington Posts: 1,230 Blog Entries: 1 Photos: 10

09-08-2008, 08:40 AM	#11
rahaas Member Elite Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Delaware Posts: 261	My buddy and I were just discussing the possibilty of holding a strongman contest on a piece of property I own. One of the ideas I had was to get a mason's pan - it's a metal pan a brick mason would mix mortar in - and tie a rope on it, fill it with weight (stone, bricks, rocks...etc) and drag it thru a sand pit. Can you image the lower body workout dragging it facing away from the pan then pulling it facing towards the pan. You could even pull it in cable row fashion for a back workout.