Working out without equipment
 

I've really fallen out of shape bumming around this summer before starting college, and I'd like some help finding a short morning workout routine I can do without any equipment. I've no money atm, and just getting on the bus in time to get to class, let alone getting to the school gym, could be problematic to say the least.. My goal isn't really to lose weight (i'm 150 and 5'8 right now), but gain some muscle mass and endurance (havn't dirt biking/mountain biking/hiking this summer much and can now really notice the strain that was never there before)

Thanks a ton
-bayd

Take a look at this thread. Talks about working out on the road, which is, essentially, working out without equipment:

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=93639

Well, that is the issue here. You don't need money, or fancy equipment, you need to make working out a priority.

If you don't have time to work out, what do you have time for?

You can do 'body weight' exercises, like push-ups, hand stand push-ups, dips off a chair.
You can go for a run to get the endurance back.
You can do chinups off of anything above your head you can grab onto that will support your weight.

But that isn't the problem here. You need to make time for your fitness, and nothing I or anyone else can say will help you until that happens.

Dude, you have access to the school gym, but you are stating in this thread that you don't have any equipment.

Best workout advice? Look at your schedule and ask yourself "Is this more important than my health?"

How much TV, computer game time do you have each day?
Drinks / hanging out with friends?

What Ben said. Also, not only do you need TIME, you need DEDICATION. You can't go to the gym once and all of a sudden up your bench by 50 lbs. You have to do it often, and consistently.

And you can't make a decision once and all of a sudden up your motivation by 50 "points". You have to do it often, and consistently. Starting small, just like you start with small weights.

If he wants to start small it's up to him.

You can do something like this:
DayA: push ups, chair dips
DayB: chinups

3 sets to failure ~10 reps, week plan: day A, day B, rest, day A, day B, rest, rest (repeat).

Pretty basic but there isn't much to do without equipment. You can throw in some more exercises from that thread Rodney posted, but if you throw in too much you should change to 3 workout days a week (no repeated days in a week) so that you don't overtrain.

You can throw on a backpack with heavy stuff in to weigh down the exercises. This is very important: a gradual progression of weight. Don't do exercises that you can do very many reps with, they're just a waste of time unless you are training for endurance for that muscle.

Admittedly I really doubt you'll build any noticable muscle without weights, because probably the most basic principle of building muscle/strength is to gradually increase the weight... which is hard to do without weights. You'll gain muscle endurance training without using some sort of variable resistance but not size or strength. And it won't make you fitter, either. If you want to be better at the activities you listed, run.

But play around without weights for a while. I think you'll find you will be disappointed with what you can achieve without weights, and realise that training is actually pretty fun and satisfying, and find time to take the next step and get to a gym :)

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...orking+weights

Try this thread too. A lot of info here