Top 3 Ways to Get in Shape Without Lifting Weights

Friday, October 30th, 2009 | local info

Many people (especially men) equate getting in shape with lifting weights. That means buying a lot of expensive equipment, or going to the gym to workout next to people who are already in great shape and look great — which is not a big incentive for many people. Here are three great exercises you can do at home that cost you nothing while yielding fast results.

1. Push ups. Push ups are a classic exercise, and are great for building up your chest and arms. If you’re more interested in looking trim than getting bulky, then do a lot of push ups quickly. If strength and bulk are your goals, go more slowly.

2. Crunches. To cut that flabby stomach, instead of doing the classic sit up, do crunches like this: lay on your back with your knees bent and close to your body. Without moving your back, lift your legs while keeping them bent and close to your stomach, then lower your legs back to the ground. Your toes should touch the ground as close to you as possible. You’ll find that doing just a few of these crunches a day has great results.

3. Pull ups. Instead of doing curls with dumb bells or on a machine, just do pull ups. I have a dog kennel in the garage, and the space for the door makes a great pull-up bar. Pull ups work a large number of muscles in your arms, too, and you’ll see results fast. Not only will you look better, but you’ll build a lot of strength fast. Just start off with a few a day and build your way up.

Building muscle is important for weight loss, because for every pound of muscle you add you burn 50 extra calories per day without doing any extra work. So build five or ten pounds of muscle and you’ll see that extra weight melt off quickly.5

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