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Cheap Workout Gear

September 22, 2008 By 2 Comments

One of the nice things our new house came with is garage which included a fully carpeted and lit room which the former owners used as an office. Now that we’ve cleaned up the garage a bit, I’m thinking of turning this space into a gym for those days when I work from home. At the same time, we’re still looking to minimize expenses which means I’ve been trying to think of cheap ways with which to furnish a home gym. Here’s what I did:

What Workouts Are You Planning To Do?

This is the first thing you need to consider when creating a home gym, what workouts are you planning to do there?  For example, if I’m never going to do cardio at home then why do I need a stationary bike?  If I plan on doing cardio but there’s a really nice running track close by then maybe I could use that instead.  In other words, don’t just go shopping for equipment based on “oooh, that looks neat!”  Actually figure out what kind of exercise you’re going to do first.

My list of home exercise was:

  • Body weight exercises like pushups
  • Resistence training
  • Light cardio
  • Stretching

Make A List, Check It Twice

Once you know what sort of exercise you’re going to do, the next logical thing is a list of the gear you’ll need.  Keep it simple, that makes it more reliable and cheaper.  You don’t need a $600 bowflex when a pair of $20 weights will do.  The weights are far more versatile and they won’t break as fast as that overly complex bowflex.  Based on the exercise list I wrote up, I made up the following gear list:

  • Dumbbells that can go up to 80lbs on each side.
  • Jump rope
  • Weight bench
  • Punching bag (just because I’ve always wanted to try this workout)
  • Running shoes for home (my usual pair stays at work)
  • Exercise mat

Go Cheap Where You Can

Now if I was going to buy all that at retail, I would probably end up spending about $600 to $700 dollars.  Not too bad but considerably more than what I wanted to spend.  So now I needed to get creative.

  • A trip to goodwill netted me a really nice exercise mat for $5.  This thing was in almost new shape.
  • I already had dumbbells, I just needed some extra weight plates for them.  I managed to get those from Freecycle.  There’s nothing special about weight plates, they’re just metal disks with a hole in the middle so I wasn’t really concerned with their condition.  Still, the ones I got are great.
  • Weight bench I also found on freecycle.  The one I got is in good shape and looks brand new.
  • Jump rope came from our swap meet over the weekend.  My wife and I had a lot of extra stuff after our move so we came up with the idea of a swap meet party.  We put all the extra stuff on the drive way and then invited neighbors and friends over to bring their own unneeded things and take away anything they wanted for free.  We got rid of a lot of our stuff and I ended up with a new jump rope.
  • Punching bag I’m still looking for.  I saw one on Craig’s list but it was snagged before I could get it.
  • Running shoes I ended up buying.  This is the one area that I don’t want to skimp on so I went to the store and bought a pair of good running shoes for $70.

Total cost for my new home gym is under $100 (I’m including some money for gas to go and pick up the freecycle items).

Resources

  • Craig’s List – Plenty of free and cheap stuff here if you know where to look
  • Freecycle – Rather than throw stuff away, list it on freecycle and see if anyone wants it
  • Goodwill – You buy cheap (gently used) stuff and your money goes towards a good cause
  • Swap meet – Setup your own just like we did

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A home gym doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.  In fact, I would argue that the expensive home gyms are usually the ones that end up collecting dust or being used as expensive storage racks.

Filed Under: Gyms, Money

How To Setup A Company Fitness Challenge

September 3, 2008 By 8 Comments

I work out at an office gym. It’s a small place which is shared by multiple office buildings around it. That means most of the people I work out with are high tech professionals taking time out of their day to get in a workout. Most people at this gym workout alone. It’s rare to see people working out together since most of the gym goers here lead pretty busy lives and it’s hard to coordinate with friends or coworkers. So I was a bit surprised to see a personal trainer at this gym leading a group of about 5 people through a pretty challenging workout. Even more surprising, an hour after this group started, another group of 5 showed up and took their places. Ever the curious one, I asked them what was going on.

A Company Challenge

They explained to me that this was a company sponsored event.  The company they worked for hired a personal trainer and was encouraging people to go to the gym with this trainer 3 to 4 times a week.  I thought this was a great idea and asked them who had come up with it and how they managed to convince the company to go with it.  Here’s what they said.

First, The Idea

The person who originally came up with this idea was an engineer.  He used to be an athlete in college but had done very little physical exercise since then.  Because he spent such long hours at work, he decided that the work day was the best time for him to work out.  However, he needed two things.  First, he wanted to make sure his boss was ok with him taking off an hour every day.  Second, he needed motivation.  He had tried working out on his own before but never stuck with it.  He decided that the best way to accomplish both goals would be some kind of company project.  Working out with other people would provide him with motivation and making it an official company project would make it easier to get permission.

Second, The Plan

In order to accomplish his goals, our engineer came up with a project plan.  He outlined what he wanted to do and then presented it to his boss.  His idea was simple.  The company would provide a sign up sheet where groups of employees would sign up together to work out.  These groups or teams would work out together 3 times a week.

He justified his idea in multiple ways.  First, it would be a good team building exercise.  Working out together builds strong bonds as people support each other.  That’s good for overall company productivity.  Second, this would help build cross departmental ties and communication.  The teams would consist of people from multiple departments and, as people do, they would keep talking about work even as they worked out.  So engineers would talk to sales, marketing would talk to support and IT would finally talk to something other than computers.  Finally, he showed his boss multiple studies about lower health care costs and higher productivity from people who worked out and were in good shape.

Step 3, Good Response

His boss was impressed.  The plan was well thought out and the benefits seemed clear.  He agreed to a short trial but he actually added one more thing, a personal trainer.  The company found a trainer who would come to the office gym and lead the employee groups through their workouts.  They thought this would make the workouts more structured and productive.

Step 4, Turnout

Out of a company of 100 people, 20 signed up.  That meant 4 groups of 5 each.  The program had an 80% turnout rate.  That means that, on average, 4 people would show up for each session.

Step 5, Costs

The company, which now has 150 people, currently has 30 people participating in the program.  The trainer costs $50 per hour.  There are 18 sessions a week for a total of $3600 a month.  Total annual costs for the company are $45,000, not including work time lost, which I will discuss in a second.

Step 6, Results

On average, the 30 participants have lost 8lbs.  They’ve also increased their muscle tone, lowered their blood pressure and their cholesterol plus they’ve decreased their body fat.  All in all, great progress for 6 months of work.  The company itself says that, while the program has not run long enough to really measure, they’ve already seen increased morale, better communication and higher productivity from the people participating in the program.  On a related note, the company says the people who participate in the program are taking less sick days than their coworkers.  Overall, the company believes they are getting more out of the program than they are putting in and they’re planning to keep the program going indefinitely.

Recommendations

Some tips for those looking to start programs like this at their own offices:

  • Have a plan – Don’t just walk up to your boss and say “can you give me time off to go work out?”  Have an idea of what you’re trying to implement with enough details to make it seem real.
  • Show the benefits – Tell your employers WHY they should do this, not just why you want it.  There has to be something in it for them.
  • Show proof – Bring in articles discussing health care costs.  Show studies on productivity.  Whatever you have, use it to make your points real.
  • Put it in terms they understand – Companies care about their bottom line, not your waistline.  So if you’re going to convince them, make sure you’re talking about things they care about.  How will this increase productivity?  How much will it cost?  What will we save? and so on.

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One guy with a good idea managed to get time off from work and a personal trainer.  He got his motivation and the company got a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.  Sounds like a win / win all around.

Filed Under: Gyms, Money, Motivation, Work

Help! I’m Stuck!

August 29, 2008 By 5 Comments

When I first started working out, I could barely lift the bar with no weight on it.  Yep, I was that out of shape.  However, like most guys (do women have these issues too?) I felt a little embarrassed about this, especially when the folks around me at the gym were bench pressing entire cars (or at least it seemed like it at the time).  So my second week at the gym, I loaded up the bar with 20lbs on each side, lay down on the bench, picked that bar up, lowered it down to my chest and… nothing!

I’m sorry, were you thinking that this post was going to be some inspirational story where I tell you how I overcame my fear of weights by trying something I thought was impossible?  Oh no, this is the post where I tell you about how I spend 10 minutes with a bar across my chest because I was an idiot.

10 Minutes!

Yep, I lay there for 10 minutes trying to hoist that bar of my chest and nothing.  I couldn’t lift it.  I couldn’t even get it moving, much less lift it back up and onto the supports.  Of course, being a guy, I didn’t ask anyone for help.  Oh no, I just lay there hoping that somehow I would develop the strength to get this weight off my chest before I died of dehydration.  10 minutes of pure shame and desperation.  Finally, a fellow gym goer came by and said “need a spot with that?”  Now that’s kindness right there folks.  He didn’t say “hey dummy, need me to lift that light weight off your chest because you obviously can’t?”  Nope, instead he let me keep the tattered shreds of my dignity by asking if I needed a spot, as though this was a common every day occurrence.  I said “I suppose so, if you got the time” although I probably should have said “oh god yes, get this thing off of me!” and the kindly man lifted that bar up, releasing me from my predicament.

Oh The Shame!

I didn’t go back to the gym for a week.  I figured I was now known as “that idiot who tried to lift too much and got stuck”.  People would surely point and laugh when I walked in.  Little girls would walk up to me and say “Hey mister, need a spot?” and then they would giggle and walk away.  How could I return to this place where I had made a complete fool of myself?

You Know What?

Actually, it wasn’t so bad.  No one remembered or at least no one said anything, and I went back to lifting just the bar with no weights no it.  Slowly and gradually, I added a bit more weight and then a bit more and a bit more and so on.

So What?

So why am I telling you this?  Because I was talking to a friend the other day who said she was embarassed to go to the gym.  She felt fat and out of shape and thought people would make fun of her.  It was difficult for her to expose herself to that kind of potential embarassment and so she simply didn’t go.  So I told her that today, I would tell the whole world the most embarassing things that have ever happened to me at the gym.  Because you know what?  It’s really not that bad.  Everyone is a beginner at some point.  Everyone is out of shape when they start.  Heck, if you were in shape, you wouldn’t be thinking of starting to work out, right?

Believe me, we’ve all been there.  We’ve all been embarrassed and we’ve all felt like the whole world was making fun of us.  It gets better folks, it really does.  One day you find yourself not being afraid anymore.  So please, don’t use your fear as an excuse to not work out.  No one at the gym is out to judge you (and if they are, change gyms).  They’re there to help, support and encourage you.  We’re all rooting for you, so why not come out and join us?  I’ll be waiting by the bench press, just in case you need a spot :)

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And in case you’re curious, the second most embarassing thing I’ve ever done at the gym was fall of the treadmill while walking at 3mph and the third most embarassing thing was dropping a weight on my head because I was laughing too hard.  The fourth involved locker rooms, showers and missing clothes and no, I will not go into details.

Filed Under: Gyms, Motivation

A Day At The Gym

July 28, 2008 By 2 Comments

I worked out at the big gym close to my house this weekend. It’s a 24 hour fitness and I think I got there at peak time because the place was packed. I used to work out at this gym a couple of years ago but I would usually get there much later when the place was less occupied. Since those times, I’ve been working out at a small gym in my office complex.

I have to admit that my first idea for this post was a little bit of a rant against the people at the gym who made my workout a less than stellar experience.  You know who I’m talking about, the people who don’t put equipment back, the people who won’t let you work in and so on.  However, on second thought I realized this was a bad idea.  Ultimately, I got a good workout at this gym and I did enjoy my time there.  So rather than being negative about my experience, how about a little thank you to all the folks there who helped me enjoy my time?

Thank You

Thank you to the gym employee at the front desk who greeted me with a smile and then looked me up in the computer when I realized I forgot my wallet in the car.  I know you didn’t have to do this and you didn’t have to be so cheerful about it, but you did and that made me feel better.

Thank you to the gentleman who saw me looking for that other 45lb dumbbell.  He not only told me where he saw the other one, he also went over there and got it for me.  He even apologized along the way, telling me it was him who forgot it there.  You know what?  That’s ok, we all make mistakes and forget things, but you owned up to it and helped fix things, which really saved me a lot of time.

Thank you to the couple working out on the weight bench who saw me standing around and told me they’d be done in just one more set each.  I didn’t even have to ask.  They told me it would be a couple of more minutes which is fine, it let me do another set of another exercise while I waited.  When I came back they were wiping down the bench and getting it ready for me.  That’s great and it makes my experience much better.

Thank you to the personal trainer who agreed to spot for me even though I wasn’t his customer.  His customer and I were alternating bench press sets on the same bench.  Both the customer and the trainer were nice and considerate.  The client was pretty new but she seemed like she was enjoying herself, which is always nice to see.  I remember when I was that new.

Thank you to the pregnant woman on the elliptical machine next to me.  She chatted with me for 30 minutes as we both exercised on the machines.  It was a good change from listening to my iPod or watching the news while I workout and it made the time go by faster.  Before I knew it I was done with my workout.  I think we both kept going for a few extra minutes just to keep chatting.

It All Counts

All of these people made a difference.  It may have been a small difference but it matters.  It made my day better and it sure made my workout more enjoyable.  Sure, I would have gotten a good workout even without them and I would have kept working out even after one bad experience, but that’s not true for everyone.  There are many people who go to the gym once and then never return because of a bad experience.  So please, take note of what these people do and if you’re at the gym, try to be more like them.  The gym doesn’t have to belong to over muscled men and women in too much makeup and too little clothing.  It can belong to us, people who want to enjoy a good workout with good company.  All it takes is a little bit of friendly attitude.

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This post started out as a rant but I’m glad it didn’t end up that way.  Thank you to everyone who has made a difference, at the gym and in the rest of my life.

Filed Under: Editorial, Gyms

Free Weights Vs. Machines, The Gym’s Eternal Argument

April 14, 2008 By 4 Comments

It never fails, get three people together in a gym and ask them to discuss their workout and inevitably the conversation will eventually turn to machines vs. free weights. If you’re completely clueless about this argument, it comes from the fact that some people prefer free weights like dumbbells and barbells while others like to workout on specialized machines that offer a narrow range of choices for exercises per machine.

In fact, most gyms are set up to have one area in which people work out on machines and another area in which people use free weights. for beginners, this can be a little confusing. After all, it seems like these two options are identical. I can get on a machine and do some curls or I can use dumbbells. I could use the leg press machine or I could do some squats. What’s the difference?

Form Is Better On Machines

As I’ve said before many times, form is very important when you workout. You want good form in which you slowly and gradually move the weights around. You want to primarily use the muscle group which you intend to workout. That means if you’re doing curls, you shouldn’t be swinging your entire body around trying to lift those weights.

For the purposes of good form, machines are better. Machines force us to have good form by stabilizing our whole body. For example, when I do a curl on a machine, I’m sitting and my upper body is relatively immobile due to the various supports on the machines. That means it’s only my biceps which are doing the work. With free weights, I’m free to swing more body parts around which could contribute to bad form. In fact, you can see that if you click on the free weights curls link here. The person working out is swinging back and forth, which is bad form. By way of comparison, look at these machine curls here. You can see that the whole body is much more stable and only the biceps are working. Do free weights have to mean bad form? Not at all. It’s very possible to achieve good form with free weights, but it’s somewhat easier with machines.

Muscle Recruitment Is Better With Freeweights

What the heck is muscle recruitment? It’s that thing your body does when you lift something and need to maintain your balance. Think of it this way. When you do a squat, you’re lifting a weight up with your legs. Your leg muscles are doing most of the work lifting straight up, but your body also recruit quite a few smaller muscles groups to maintain stability, to keep you upright and to prevent you from falling over. If you did the same exercises with a machine, less of your body would be involved.

Muscle recruitment is a little like form. It means more muscles are involved in the exercise than just the ones you wanted involved. The difference is that bad form means you’re making things too easy for those primary muscles. You’re replacing the work they’re supposed to do by doing it with other muscle groups. Muscle recruitments means you’re adding more work which is being done by other muscle groups.

Take a look at a free weight squat here, vs a machine press here.  Both have very good form and in both, the legs are doing the same amount of work.  However, with the free weight squat, the user is also recruiting other muscle groups to keep himself upright and stable, which the machine press does not do.

Less Injuries With Machines

By their nature, machines limit the potential for injuries.  You’re not going to drop a weight on your foot, you’re not going to move your arm into a weird position and tear a tendon and you’re not going to find yourself pinned to the bench with too much weight on your chest.  Machines are in fact safer to use since they limit the range of things you can do.

More Accurate Progress With Machines

It’s easier to measure progress with machines since the movements and weights are always the same.  For example, if I use the example of the machine press vs. the squat I showed above.  The machine press is easy to adjust for less or more weight, but what about the squat?  My body weight ranges up or down a few lbs every day.  Since I’m also lifting my body weight, that could make things harder or easier.  Also, as you lose weight, exercises with freeweights could feel easier because you’re lifting less weight.  Finally, you could adjust your form or grip to make things harder or easier, something that’s more difficult with machines.  For example, if I’m doing a bench press, a narrow or wide grip on the bar could make things harder or easier.  With a machine press, there are places for you to grip, which means you always grip in the same spot.  All of these things combine to make machine workouts more precise.

Even Workout For Both Side With Free Weights

With machines, you typically workout both sides at the same time.  For example, when you do curls, you’re doing them with both hands at the same time.  This is not always true, but in general, that’s how most machines are set up.  That means one side could be doing more of the work and you might not notice it.  In fact, many people, when doing two handed exercises, will let their dominant hand or leg do most of the work.  With free weights, and specifically with dumbbells, it’s impossible to let one side do more of the work.  So you end up with a more even workout for both sides.

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So have we solved the argument?  Well, not really.  Personally, I’m a free weights fan.  However, I believe that most people who are new to the gym start out with machines before they use free weights.  That will help you learn good form and how to avoid injuries.  In the end, the best workout is the one you feel comfortable with.  The differences between free weights and machines are relatively small and both are far better than not working out at all.

Filed Under: Building Muscles, Exercise, Gyms, Illness and Injury, Work Out

The Basic Rules of Gym Etiquette

February 6, 2008 By 2 Comments

I’m on the road again this week, which means working out at a hotel gym.  They’re usually not so bad, but yesterday was a bit different.  I had the misfortune of working out with someone who was very rude or at least inconsiderate.  Rather than get into details, I thought I would share with you some basic rules of polite behavior in the gym.

Allow others to work in – There is a limited amount of equipment at the gym.  This is why people invented “working in”.  Working in means allowing someone else to do sets in between your sets.  It’s polite and it’s also a great way to make friends.  I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met and started conversations with just because we happened to both want to use the same machine.  On the other hand, I can’t tell you how annoying it is to encounter someone who refuses to let you work in just because they want to rest on the machine.

Don’t waste time on a machine – Again, gym equipment is meant to be shared.  If you’re standing on the only treadmill having a conversation on your cell phone for 10 minutes, then you’re being inconsiderate.   You’re making other people wait even though you’re not actually using the machine.  Either hang up or let someone else take your place.

Be aware of your noise level – Speaking of cell phone conversations, the rest of us don’t actually need to know what you and your wife are talking about.  If you’re going to have a lengthy conversation, how about taking it elsewhere?  And yes, I realize you need to be loud if you want the person on the other end of the line to hear you.  That’s because you’re at the gym, a place that’s not so good for phone conversation.  Perhaps you should take that hint.  I always have my cell phone with me but if it rings while I’m working out, I get off whatever machine I’m using and step outside the gym.

Not everyone appreciates your choice in television shows – In a related item to noise levels, almost all gyms have TV screens.  Some of them are built into the exercise machines and can only be heard through ear phones.  Those are fine, but others are simply screens scattered through out the gym which anyone can control.  If you want to watch TV on these, check with the other people working out if they don’t mind.  You should probably do this before changing channels.  Also, turning up the volume so you can hear the game or the news is not ok if it means turning it up so high that the ceiling shakes.

Bathe – Yes, I realize most people shower after a workout but believe me, sometimes it’s good to shower even before a workout.  Fresh sweat doesn’t actually stink, but it does make whatever you smelled like before you entered the gym a lot more powerful.  So please, for the sake of those around you, please practice some level of personal hygiene before working out.

Keep your belonging in the locker room – Your gym bag or purse do not belong on the gym floor.  This isn’t just a courtesy issue, it’s also a safety one.  Items like these trip people up and cause accidents.  Most gyms provide you with lockers for a reason.

Put stuff back in its place – If you work out with equipment like freeweights, then put it back in the right place after you’re done.  It’s annoying to have to search for weights because someone didn’t want to spend a few seconds putting them back.  It’s also rude to some people who may actually have difficulty moving heavier weights.

Clean up after yourself – I sweat when I work out, which is why I wipe machines down after I use them.  I think it’s just common courtesy.  A few of you don’t seem to agree.  It’s really not that hard to do and most gyms will even provide your with cloth or paper towels for this express reason.

The gym is not a meat market – This is the number one complaint I get from women who go to gyms.  Most of them end up being stared at or approached.  Remember, just because she’s wearing a tank top doesn’t mean she’s looking to be picked up.  It just means working out in a sweater isn’t comfortable.

Don’t be condescending – This is another one that guys are more guilty of.  If you see someone lost or doing something that might injure them, don’t just walk up to them and say “you’re doing that wrong!”  This is especially appropriate if you see a woman working out.  She’s not going to be eternally thankful and attracted to you if you walk up and try to show her why everything she’s doing is wrong.  Also, don’t assume they’re doing something wrong.  Remember, there are a lot of variations on exercises and they all work well.  Perhaps they’re doing something right and you’re not, ever think of that?  If someone does look a bit lost, I usually find a “you ok?” paired with a smile to be the best approach.  If they ask something, I answer it.  If they say they’re fine then I walk away.

If you need help, ask – The reverse side of the previous point.  If you’re lost and you have no clue what to do, ask.  Don’t just try something.  This is the gym, and trying something you have no clue about can cause injuries to you or to others.  It can cause damage to equipment or it can just make you look like an ass.  Believe me, most experienced gym goers are very willing to help.

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That’s all, just some basic rules on how to make friends instead of enemies at the gym.

Filed Under: Gyms, Work Out

Airport Gyms

December 21, 2007 By Leave a Comment

My wife and I are about to spend the next 24 hours in various airports and airplanes. Since travel is relatively common this time of year, I thought I might share a link with you that I find useful.

Airport Gyms is a site that has exactly what its name suggests, lots of gyms near various airports. It’s a good resource for finding something to do while you’re waiting for your next flight.  Take a look and, next time your travel, put that layover to good use. It will make the whole trip feel better.

Filed Under: Gyms, Time Management, Work Out
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