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    Default Gym emergency, please respond.

    I just realized today that after Friday when I take my last final, I will be without a gym for 3 whole weeks during my winter break. I do not have a gym membership in my hometown and I don't think it is viable to drive 1.5 hrs to my uni gym every time I want to lift.

    Please help, what exercises can I do without weights to give me a balanced work out? I don't want to lose my gains, but I also have no money to pay for a new gym membership.


  2. #2
    Stranger in a strange land Moderator Hooahguy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gym emergency, please respond.

    While not ideal, you can always work out at home. You can live without weights for 3 weeks and substitute them with pushups (normal, wide-arm, diamond, always good to switch them up), situps, leg lifts, planks, jumping jacks, squats, the like. And running of course.

    For 95% of our workouts we never used any real equipment, really only used kettlebells with any frequency. Of course that was only during circuit training but that was a whole different story.
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    Old Town Road Senior Member Strike For The South's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gym emergency, please respond.

    Pull ups. Push ups. Buy and 80 pound bag of cement and do squats with it.
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    Ranting madman of the .org Senior Member Fly Shoot Champion, Helicopter Champion, Pedestrian Killer Champion, Sharpshooter Champion, NFS Underground Champion Rhyfelwyr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gym emergency, please respond.

    I'm kind of in the same boat at the minute ACIN since I'm only doing bodyweight exercises due to what I'll call an injury.

    You can do a lot with push ups and I've been surprised at the pump these give my chest and arms. I'm currently doing three variations. Firstly, I do the bog standard one you can see in the wikipedia gif - these particular target the chest. Then, I do ones where go into the same position, but then move my body forward somewhat so that my hands are further down my body, and your elbows are more at a maybe 45-60 degree angle to your body, rather than 90 degree in the first lot - this type will target your arms and in particular your shoulders. Finally, I do diamond push ups, where your thumb and second fingers of each hand meet to form a diamond, and you should come down so that the diamond just about touches the middle of your chest - these will really hit your triceps.

    When doing the above, imagine you are sticking your bum in the air a bit and make sure to keep your core rigid. I only do 2 sets of each since I am tight for time and am taking it easy at the minute - 3 sets would be the ideal.

    Next are dips. Most people say they do these by putting two chairs together. Personally I use the corner of a kitchen counter. But these are very easy to improvise. Keep your form strict with these and go right down and you will work your chest and triceps well.

    Finally, improvise if needed to somehow do bar exercises. Invest in pull up bar if you can't use a plank of wood or something (I use a bench press bar by lodging it between a tree and a wall). If you can't do proper pull ups at first, kick yourself up for the first one and do a short range of motion.

    So in summary:

    1. Standard pushups
    2. 'Arm' pushups (not sure what their name is)
    3. Diamond pushups
    4. Dips
    5. Pull ups

    As I said I do everything in sets of two, but in your case make it 3. I tend to do a set number for the first set and only go to failure in the second.

    In your case, I would also add squats. Even bodyweight ones will have some effect, but like Strike said try adding weight somehow. I can't do these at the minute sadly!
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    Mr Self Important Senior Member Beskar's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gym emergency, please respond.

    Nerd-Fitness usually has a bunch of free advice from their mailing lists and around the website. Obviously has optional books too.

    This article is called the 20-minute Hotel Workout, where it is designed to be done in a bedroom/alone area when on a roadtrip or similar.
    Last edited by Beskar; 12-11-2013 at 09:55.
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    Boy's Guard Senior Member LeftEyeNine's Avatar
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    Default Re: Gym emergency, please respond.

    There are towels everywhere.

    Edit: Oh, and on a more comprehensive at-home plan, you got the famous P90X.
    Last edited by LeftEyeNine; 12-12-2013 at 17:54.

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