So since the last 2 days, I’ve been building the courage up to start doing exercises. I’m starting with weights that were just collecting dust so thought “hell why not, never too late to start getting fit”
Now I’m being realistic knowing that starting off you’re not gonna be shredded like a wrestler but I’m just tryna get leaner and fitter body wise.
Is it reasonable for absolute novices to never go to the gym for their exercise and fitness journey? I feel like would be saving some dosh even though I could be missing on some equipment they use there.
A penny for your thoughts?
When it comes to exercise the struggle isn’t doing it, it’s finding a routine that works for you. That’s the key, figuring out something you can do and make a habit of it so it becomes routine, like brushing your teeth.
I bought a collapsible bench and hand weights in late 2024 so I could cut the gym membership from my budget, and I’ve been able to maintain my usual habit of lifting 3-4 times a week. The added benefit is that it’s nice not to have to deal with other people or wait for equipment. You can learn better ways to work out from professionals for free on Youtube, and you can add equipment to your home gym over time.
It’s definitely reasonable to be new and never go to a gym.
Yeah it’s definitely realistic. Look up some calisthenics workouts and they have harder variations when you get stronger. Also, don’t neglect your cardio. You might have to use your furniture for some workouts.
First off - I’m excited for you!! Your future self will be so fucking grateful.
I absolutely think at home workouts are a fantastic starting point.
I get the gym can be intimidating and if that stops you from working out then do something else.
But major note is: what’s your goal?
- Lose weight?
- Gain muscle?
- Just be stronger?
- Something else?
If you are trying to lose weight, your biggest goal should just be more activity + calorie deficit. You can only do strength so often and while it will help you lose weight, it’s way better to do strength + walking (or other easy cardio).
I recently lost about 15 pounds in the last 6 ish months and I did it by getting around 10,000 steps per day and 1-2 strength training days per week, and being on a calorie deficit.
If your goal is to gain muscle, then you can absolutely do that with minimal weights or just bodyweight at the beginning.
Personally this got a little boring (if just a lot of reps and for me doesn’t feel as fun as some of the gym equipment I use now).
But above all: DON’T underestimate the dieting portion. Whether your goal is to gain muscle or lose weight, what you eat is half if not more of the equation.
Happy to share more details but didn’t want to type a book without knowing what you need :)
Good luck!!
Ideally I just wanna lose my gut, I’ve already started cut back on alcohol and ONLY take two sweet treats in my lunch for work.
Oh and skipping the elevator and rather go up two levels of stairs to my workplace, I find that more rewarding as I think that’ll contribute.
Muscle gain wise, I’m starting off with bicep curls and over head press, nothing crazy.
I think I plan to lose the gut and flatten it before I do any sit ups lol.
Thank you for your message.
I just wanna lose my gut
The most critical part of losing weight is counting the calories of what you eat, so you know exactly what you have to do to lose the weight. One pound of body fat is equivalent to 3500 calories, so if you can manage to eat at a 500-calories-per-day deficit you will lose one pound per week (most people lose scale weight at a faster rate than this when they first start dieting, but this is water weight loss and won’t be maintained in the long term).
Will drinking less alcohol and fewer sweet treats put you into a 500 calorie daily deficit? There’s no way to know unless you start recording the calories of everything you eat on a daily basis.
Totally feel that! Also one thing I learned is that a lot of my “gut” was actually bloat/gas built up. Like I noticed as soon as I started being more active I slimmed up faster than I should be able to, but I think my digestive system just did better.
Also something I forgot to note - get good sleep! I know it can be hard but getting at least 7+ hours of solid sleep every night does wonders for your body.
The only thing I think you might want to look into is doing compound movements (like squats, bench press, rows) instead of isolated movements like bicept curls. These activate a lot more muscle and overall help towards your goal of fat loss. You don’t need to work abs individually either - if you are doing squats and other compound movement with correct form, you’ll be hitting the too.
Of course not trying to tell you how to live your life! But this is what I’ve seen echoed from many different fitness resources and chatgpt. :)
Honestly it makes me sound like a shill but the Apple Watch / fitness+ stuff has been incredibly helpful and motivating. I went from not doing anything to getting at least 30 mins a day after about 6 months. I work from home and am the primary caretaker of a toddler so getting to the gym hasn’t really been in the cards.
The real trick is sticking to it. But I promise it’s worth it for you and everyone in your circle. You can do it!!
Agreed! Making it so brainless that it’s easy to stick to is KEY.
Kettlebells! Kettlebells are a great tool to have for home workouts. You might want to start with a lighter one–even if you’ve worked out some, you can still wear yourself out with even a 35 lb. kettlebell.
I started with yoga and did it for over a year before I started going to the gym again. Fully doable
The best form of exercise for you is the form that you actually do consistently week after week. If this means working out at home, then that’s fine. Given that you’re not trying to break any records, this might just be fine for you.
I’ve done many different forms of working throughout the years, one of which was to work out at home/local outdoor gym. I did this because there were no gyms at what I considered to be a reasonable distance from home, and I considered that to be too much of an impediment to actually get the work done consistently.
I did get stronger from it, and used it as a part of losing weight, which I wanted on account of being overweight at that time.
I’ve since stopped doing that routine and moved to lifting weights at a gym, which I considered attainable since I moved to a place with gyms very close by. I did this because working out at home had basically reached a plateau as far as strength was concerned - lifting weights at a gym will get you stronger at a faster pace.
I think checking out the stuff that Hybrid Calisthenics does could be worthwhile for you. Do some stuff at home for now if that feels better for you, and then evaluate later on if it keeps working for you.
Personally the home workout route never worked for me. I’m sure there are a ton of people that it has worked for but I need a routine. Having a set time to go to the gym without distraction is really what broke through.
It your looking for apps to track progress check out fitnotes for exercise tracking and OmNom Notes for diet tracking. Took me a while to find good non sleazy apps
So my biggest tip, if you want to start out exercising make sure you have a clear goal. For me the goal is to feel good in my limbs and body, so I don’t have pains and aches and have more energy. For others it is looks or muscles or mental health or whatever.
If you know why you are doing something it is a lot easier to do. I think focus often ends up on the visible aspects like looking better or losing a little weigth but these goals will take a lot more commitment than just feeling good by exercising, so make sure you know what the goal is and that you are realistic about it.
For doing at home, you could start with easy yoga and some weights and a RUBBER BAND. Rubber bands are fucking awesome for at home exercise. Put it under your foot, around a doorknob… Whatever. Short jogs are underrated. Five minutes around the block is a good warmup.
Jog five minutes, do a yoga set 20-30 minutes (find on youtube for example, eventually design your own), then rubber band exercises for ten or so and done. That is a good exercise you can do at home in many different ways.
Lookup body weight fitness. There is a Reddit sub and I think also a lemmy community. The body you build from that also is more lean. It can be very modifiable and doesn’t require much fitness.
you can do a lot at home! if youre new to lifting consult your resources and work on your form. if you feel a little lost, you can always book a session or two with a personal trainer and they will teach you your way around weights. i was a trainer for about 2 years and most of my clients needed some corrections their first few sessions (and some reminders past that!)
Go for it dude. I’ve been working out ny whole life and have never paid for a gym membership (I used the gym at college, then at my various apartments, and then when I got a house I set up a home gym). You can get an awesome workout in with nothing more than some free weights, a bench and a little creativity. You mention being a “total novice,” but I feel like most people that go to a gym are working out on their own anyways so unless you’re thinking of getting a personal trainer there’s really not much difference. If you have any questions about form just take a look on YouTube.
The other factor is, what will motivate you to exercise more? For me, it’s the convenience of knowing i can just walk into a room in my house and work out. Whereas I know some people that are more motivated by group exercise classes. So you’ll have to figure that out yourself.
The biggest issue with working out at home is that people simply don’t do it. They think they do but they dont. I’ve yet to meet a fit person that doesn’t go to gym, but hey - maybe you’re the first one. Or maybe you should just go to the gym.
I have a friend who got VERY fit mainly with Beat Saber.
I have another friend who did the same with Supernatural (the game, not the show)
Weirdly, they’re the only two people I know who got in shape with VR…and they have the same first name.
I’m a fit person who doesn’t go to the gym, but my house has an outbuilding that I converted into a nice home gym.
So you do go to gym
I’m not sure I would call it going to the gym, though.
Very reasonable approach to start at home. You can get absolutely shredded doing just a small handful of body-weight resistance exercises: pushups, pull ups, squats, lunges, and maybe sprawls. That’s literally all you need. Add in some yoga or pilates routines occasionally to strengthen your core further, a ton of material for that on YouTube. Congrats on the big step of starting your fitness journey!
I’ve exclusively worked out from home for the last 5 years using only an adjustable dumbbell set and a foldable bench (I recently got a exercise bike too but that is a new addition). I’m not huge or anything but I get compliments on my physique fairly often. For me when I tried getting a gym membership I found myself missing days a lot because I didn’t feel like going anywhere. I can force myself to work out or I can force myself to go out but apparently not both at once. Just doing everything at home I almost never miss a day. The only downside is space. I’d like to get a squat rack but I don’t have room for it.
Your goals sound very achievable at home. I would say I am “lean and fit”. I will also say the lean part comes from your diet so make sure you are mindful of that as well.
