[Tyson]

I had to quite my gym due to budget reasons and was looking around for something I could do at home that would still be reasonably results-oriented.  Someone recommended the book Convict Conditioning - I read it and got started about a week ago.  Its all about using body weight as a means to becoming strong.  I've been doing it about a week so far and I have to say that I like it a lot!  They have you start out VERY easy with the exercise variations and really focus on building technique in the beginning, while slowly adding reps.  It's basically 6 exercises:

1. Pushups
2. Body weight Squats
3. Pullups
4. Leg Raises (for abs/core)
5. Bridges
6. Handstand pushups

I like that you only start with the first 4 as a beginner and that they are very, very easy at first.  I have to say, moving your own body around is quite a bit different (and better, IMO) than doing barbell squats and bench press at the gym.  I'm still pretty weak as a rank beginner, but I can already tell that being able to do these movements well will translate into better "real world" strength, and just better overall comfort/competence with the body. 

Anyway, the Kindle version is super cheap and it's a great option for people that hate going to the gym and want to start slow and build up progressively over time.  Highly recommended!

[Odal3]

Thanks for sharing - I'm a big believer in using functional movement type of workouts. Haven't tried the convict training specifically but used a mtb specific trainig program based on the same principles with great results. Btw: After you completed the convict training, check out one of Alwyn Cosgrove's workout programs that incorporates some dumbells and kettle bells as well. Kettle bells are great for the home gym. Alwyn is considered as one of the best in the industry.  Ignore the silly book titles and front covers, the programs are really good. I believe this is the latest in the book series
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1583334653/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1583334653&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwalwyncosgr-20.

Looks like $4 used. He has some good blog posts as well.

You may already know all this but if not and interested in reading more, also seek out articles and stuff by Michael Boyle and Gray Cook. Good info on both training and to get some motivation.

[Odal3]

Clarification  - my comment was not to try to get you start another program. It doesn't really matter which program one follow, it's all about completing it fully before starting something else. So let us know how it goes. The references are more for later and some references for learning more.

Btw: the funny part is that the discussions on training forums are just as heated as the ones in audio.

[WGH]

I work with a trainer 3 times a week and she is a big believer in functional workouts, half of our sessions use no weights, just body movements. I usually sweat more during the functional workouts. A variation of leg lifts are hand offs using the dreaded beach ball:

Lay flat on your back with a small beach ball between your feet and your arms outstretched over your head
Lift legs while holding the ball keeping legs as straight as possible
At the same time lift shoulders, move arms up and grab the ball
Lay back flat with ball now over your head and legs flat on the floor
Pass ball back to feet, that's #1
Repeat 20 times

I did 20 hand offs this morning with a 8lb ball and I'm 66 years old so you should be able to do it with a lightweight beach ball. 

Wayne

[cedman1]

Program looks really good and many variations can be created from those movements to work in traditional sets or circuits or even a full body complex.  I have been doing the same 8 basic core exercises for the past three years with the only change being how they are grouped and the intensity per day.  Also changing up the amount of time between the movements will dictate whether you're achieving a cardiovascular benefit versus the strength side.  I don't believe their is a wrong answer to either.  Looks fun, enjoy it 

[Tyson]

It starts out sooooo easy, like the initial pushup variation is a wall-pushup.  Basically lean over against a wall and do some reps.  Same with pullups - stand next to a door frame, grab it at shoulder height and lean back and pull yourself forward.  Super, super, super easy.  Start with one set of 10.  Keep adding reps till you are doing 3 sets of 50.  But it lets me really focus on the form. 

Next level is slightly steeper angle for the pullups, so back to 1 set of 10, work up to 3 sets 50, then start doing half-pullups with 2 arms (for example).  Start over at 1 set of 10, and so on... Eventually you work up to 1 arm pullups for reps.  I can hardly believe that that is possible, but I'm going to stick to the course and see if/when there are sticking points. 

[Tyson]

Well, I gotta say I really like the workout and the structure of this.  I got to 3 sets of 50 on two of the exercises so far (wall pushups and vertical pulls), and even with the easy basic movements, they get pretty hard once you start getting into the 50 rep range.  Then back down to one set of 10 for the next harder variation. 

So pushups have gone from 3 sets of 50 wall pushups to 1 set of 10 table pushups.  Now, instead of leaning against a wall to do some reps, I lean over and grab the edge of a table to do some reps.  A bit more of an angle and a bit tougher to do. 

Same for pullups - I went from 3 sets of 50 vertical pulls (stand inside a door frame, grab the edges with both hands, lean back and pull yourself up/forward).  Now I'm doing 45 degree angled pullups using some gymnastic rings attached to the top of my door.  Harder, but still quite doable.  I can see how this type of progression gets you to be able to do regular, full pullups in relatively short order.

Again, there's something very, very cool about actually using your muscles to move your body around.  It's a different kind of fitness than using free weights or machines, and I think its actually better (having done free weights for years and years and years myself). 

[Tyson]

Its been another few weeks and I'm happy to say that even with an every-other-day workout schedule, I'm still making smooth progress on all the exercises in this program.  I'm amazed, at the end of each workout I actually want to do more!  That's a stark contrast with the normal weightlifting and cardio work I used to do, where I couldn't wait to get done and get out of the gym.

A couple other observations - because the steps are so easy at first, and so gradual over time, and the reps are built up to a fairly high count, you are able to stop worrying about "making my reps" and really focus your mind on your technique.  Which leads to much cleaner reps and better control over your body.  That's pretty neat. 

The other thing - it translates into "real world" strength much, much better than weightlifting ever did.  I'll give a couple examples of what I mean.  The other day I was dancing like crazy to Michael Jackson with my 8 year old daughter, and about halfway through I remember thinking "Wow, this is a LOT EASIER than the last time we did this."  Then it dawned on me, it's because of the calisthenics.  The other example happened to me today - I play a lot with my dog who's 16 lbs and has incredible jaw strength.  He'll clamp down on a toy and I'll do a tug of war with him, often lifting him entirely off the ground and then setting him back down (with some effort).  Today I lifted him up and set him down almost effortlessly.  Again, the calisthenic training is the only thing "new" that can explain the change. 

[RDavidson]

An every other day workout schedule is plenty to make weekly progress, unless you're new to working out or are still in your early/mid 20's. In the latter cases, one can experience progress on a per workout basis.

Depending on the type of workout, one can easily run into over-work with daily training (which often leads to injuries, which leads to the individual avoiding training for fear of re-injury). With age, our bodies lose the ability to recover (rebuild muscle tissue) quickly enough to handle another intense beating the next day. Even with a perfect diet and 8 hours of sleep per night, there's nothing that can replace the advantages of youth with regard to workout recovery.....well, except maybe steroids, but that's stupid.

On your off days, I suggest a brisk 30 minute walk (about 2 miles). This keeps you active, without stressing your body in any significant way. In fact, the slight increase in heart rate and body temperature (from increased blood flow) can aid recovery from your workouts.

[megabigeye]

Hey Tyson,
Wondering how this workout regimen is going for you?  Are you still keeping it up?
I picked up this book in April, I think, and I have to say so far I'm really enjoying it!  I've never been one for gyms because I am out of shape and self-conscious.  Not to mention gym memberships are expensive and I have little knowledge of how to use weights and less desire to learn.
I was a little skeptical (I still am a bit, I guess) that I'll be able to get into as good shape as the author claims, but even the beginning series is a lot harder than it sounds, especially once you get into the higher reps.  Before I started I could do about 40 regular pushups, struggling toward the end...  after I had mastered the first beginning series of exercises I pumped out 50, no sweat!
The other day one of the vendors at my work even asked if I'd been lifting weights!  Ha!  Success!  I just smiled for a minute, not really feeling like explaining myself.  Eventually I said, "Not lifting weights, but working out."  He laughed and asked if that meant I'd been doing a whole bunch of pushups.  "Yeah, something like that."

How far have you gotten?  I'm on step 2 of the first 4 exercises (haven't started the bridges or handstand pushups).  Also, what sort of gymnastics rings are you using?  I've been using the Iron Gym Upper Body Workout, but it's a little bit less than ideal.

[Tyson]

Hey Tyson,
Wondering how this workout regimen is going for you?  Are you still keeping it up?
I picked up this book in April, I think, and I have to say so far I'm really enjoying it!  I've never been one for gyms because I am out of shape and self-conscious.  Not to mention gym memberships are expensive and I have little knowledge of how to use weights and less desire to learn.
I was a little skeptical (I still am a bit, I guess) that I'll be able to get into as good shape as the author claims, but even the beginning series is a lot harder than it sounds, especially once you get into the higher reps.  Before I started I could do about 40 regular pushups, struggling toward the end...  after I had mastered the first beginning series of exercises I pumped out 50, no sweat!
The other day one of the vendors at my work even asked if I'd been lifting weights!  Ha!  Success!  I just smiled for a minute, not really feeling like explaining myself.  Eventually I said, "Not lifting weights, but working out."  He laughed and asked if that meant I'd been doing a whole bunch of pushups.  "Yeah, something like that."

How far have you gotten?  I'm on step 2 of the first 4 exercises (haven't started the bridges or handstand pushups).  Also, what sort of gymnastics rings are you using?  I've been using the Iron Gym Upper Body Workout, but it's a little bit less than ideal.

It's going well.  I'm not as consistent as I should be, but I'm on step 3 of most things now.  I like doing the higher reps so I'm sticking to 50 as my goal rep range, even as the exercises get harder.  The exercises are actually getting a bit more difficult now!  I'm still on step 2 for pull-ups, but that's because the way he has it set up was too difficult, too big a jump to go from standing wall pulls to 45 degree horizontal pulls.  So I did a progression where I only leaned 30 degrees back, not 45 degrees, and it helped to strengthen my hands/forearms enough to graduate to the full 45 degree pulls.  I'm at the point where I can do 30 of them at a time, but want to keep pushing it to 50.  It's slow going sometimes, but worth it.

I just wish my gut would go away, but unfortunately I'm finding that chocolate and ice cream are one of the few things that dial down my alcohol cravings.  So till that's a bit more settled, I'll have to live with a bit of a gut.  I'm trying to ride my bicycle a lot more to compensate.  One thing is certain - I feel a hell of a lot better now than I have in a long time.

[Tyson]

Just another quick update.  I've been a bit more consistent lately and making more progress.  I'm currently at:

Knee pushups - 1x30 and 1x15.  Working my way up to 2 sets of 30, then will work up to 3 sets of 30.

Half Squats - 1x20.  Working my way up to a set of 50, then eventually to 2 sets of 50.

Door Pulls - 1x27.  Working toward one set of 30, then will work toward a 2nd set of 30, and then a 3rd set of 30.  These are by far the hardest/slowest exercises to progress on. 

Frog Leg Raises - 1x15.  Working up to 3 sets of 25.

Angled Bridges - 1x12.  Working up to 3 sets of 30.

So all in all, I'm pretty happy!  It's a much slower progression than I'd normally do for myself in the gym with weights, but on the other hand I'm not hitting the sticking points that I'd normally hit when doing weights.  Overall I am still very, very pleased with the program.

[megabigeye]

Good to see you're making more progress.  I'm always having trouble finding time and energy to work out these days.  Excuses, excuses!  I'm going on vacation next week and I'm kind of assuming I either won't do it at all, or I'll do an abbreviated version.
Honestly, I kind of like that the progress is slow.  I don't get so discouraged when I do a bit of backsliding.

I'm currently just finishing the 2x20 of the Step Two exercises.  I'll probably do something similar to you, work up to two sets of the higher reps and then three sets.  I'd agree that the jump from the Vertical Pulls to the Horizontal Pulls was too much and I'm doing something similar with reduced angles.

Do you add in any other exercises?  I was doing some running in place for cardio, but it makes the workout take a lot longer.  I also do plank drives in the hope that I'll get rid of my love handles.  Also, standing side leg lifts since I used to suffer from IT band issues.  Not to mention maybe twenty minutes of stretching before and ten minutes of stretching after.  I'm happy to say that I have more flexibility in my knees and back than I did a few months ago.

[Tyson]

Nope, I am just doing the CC routine for my strength training.  For aerobic training, I actually am getting a lot of exercise from riding my bicycle around nowadays.  The funny thing is that I didn't/don't do it to "exercise".  I do it for financial reasons - I've been reading Mr Money Mustache and have made the commitment that any errand I have to run that's less than 5 miles from my house, I use my bike.  It's let me reduce the amount of insurance on my car, plus save on gas and mileage.  Mostly my car just sits in my driveway nowadays. 

[JimJ]

The only commercial establishment within 5 miles of me is a gas station :-p

[Tyson]

Haha - maybe make it 10 miles?  That would be a workout, indeed!

We have a ton of stuff within 5 miles, but also pretty wicked hills.  For example, the best grocery store around is only about a mile from my house.  But it's on the other side of a giant hill.  So the first half of the way there is straight uphill, and then on the way back I have to go back up the same hill on the other side, only now, with the weight of groceries! 

For runs to Costco or Target I got one of these, you can take the seats out of it and the whole thing becomes a cargo bay:

[Tyson]

Oh, and the post that inspired my new-found motivation for biking everywhere:

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/04/18/get-rich-with-bikes/

[megabigeye]

I checked out MMM a little while ago when you posted something about it.  I like some of his ideas, but I found his writing style to be a bit grating, so I didn't read as much as I'd have liked.  I might check it out again later.

I wish I biked more.  I used to ride to work, but I find riding here (outside Boston) to be more stressful than it's worth.  Instead I enjoy walking.

[Tyson]

I love walking too - still walk my dog every day.  Just getting out of the house or out of the office and into the world is worth the time/effort. 

I do have to admit though, I cheat a bit with the bike - I got a Hill Topper electric converter kit (which I installed in about 10 minutes), and now I can use it to help me get up the hardest parts of the hills, and I can also use it to get me up to a little over 30 mph the few times I do have to use a busy road. 

The irony is that when I first bought it, I thought I'd be using it all the time.  But the truth is that once I am actually out and about, I almost never use it.  Just knowing that it's there, and that I "could" use it if I wanted to, just makes the whole prospect of getting on my bike and actually using it much much easier.  And the truth is, if I wanted to just press the button and have the motor just carry me around the whole time, that is ALWAYS an option. 

Anyway, it wasn't cheap so I'm not sure MMM would approve, but on the other hand it's gotten me riding my bike more in the past 3 weeks than I have in the entire past 12 months.  So for me it's been totally worth it. 

[Photon46]

I wish I  felt safe biking anywhere! When I was much younger, I'd ride to work everyday and any other time I could. Now, central Florida has one of the highest pedestrian death rates and there isn't a week that goes by without some sort of news story about a vehicle/bike/pedestrian collision it seems. People are so distracted by their phones or so angry at anyone that gets in their way, it seems suicidal to "share" the roads with them. I'm afraid I've consigned my self powered locomotion to walking or jogging