I love getting in the gym, putting together a grandiose workout that lasts 2 hours, and leaving all ripped with veins a bustin’. But you don’t have to do that and usually my best workouts aren’t at the gym at all.
Some gym-rats think the only good way to get an excellent workout is to, well, hit the gym. Surprising at it may seem, people a long, long time ago got really fit without the gym. What did they do? Well, some were slaves, others warriors, or get this…your Average Joe. There was a time when people ate right and got their daily workout without lifting a barbell. And you can too.
Workouts don’t have to be so serious. You don’t have to workout next to my sweaty ass in the gym to be fit and healthy. You just need to get outside and do something. ANYTHING! Yes, it will take some creativity some times, but more often than not there is a type of workout that you can do outside any time. Even if you can’t get outside, you can do basic workouts indoors. Either way, they don’t have to be serious and boring. They can be fun and purposeful.
Here is a LONG list of workouts you can do without a gym membership:
- Walk
- Run
- Play at the park (i.e. frisbee golf, horseshoes,etc.)
- Ride your bike
- Swim
- CrossFit
- Play with children/niece/nephew
- Rollerblade
- Skateboard
- Build something (ANYTHING!)
- Hike
- Climb
- Mountain Bike
- Surf
- Snowboard
This list is just what I could type without stopping. There are a thousand other things you can do to get a workout. So stop acting like workouts are so dreadful and serious and start having fun becoming fit and healthy.
LifeEx Action Steps:
Where to Start…
- Focus on getting your heart rate up
- Maintain constant movement for extended period of time (25-30 minutes)
- Relax and let it happen
Dave
LifeExcursion
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I wish more people would understand that movement is movement…and just moving helps…Housework somedays is my major cardio. Put on the ipod, and get off my butt…
.-= Dawn´s last blog ..Getting back on the path…to happiness! =-.
‘Get off my butt’ ….Sounds like a great guest post. Interested? Thanks for your comment Dawn!
Dave
Lifeexcursion
I just came back from a walk. 40 minutes at a comfortable rate, where I can hear myself breathing, but not gasping for breath. Took a shower and now ready to tackle the world.
You are so eff-ing right. Do SOMETHING, ANYTHING!
.-= Rasheed Hooda´s last blog ..Weekly Roundup and Reviews 9-27-09 =-.
I hear Rasheed, and agree with this article. I just spent an hour and a half in the gym. I have recently begun my own fitness program with a workout plan I got from a boxing coach. 6 days in the gym is a lot of commitment, for sure, but I am seeing the results, FAST. I have to say that physical fitness is the one main factor that has changed my life _completely_ in the past month.
Eli
I am glad you are getting such great workouts in the gym. Hopefully, you can mend those workouts with the premise here of workouts outside. Much of what you do inside the gym can be done outside minus heavy lifting. Many MMA places now train half indoors and half out. Great way not to feel bogged down by the gym
Dave
LifeExcursion
I agree with this article. I just spent an hour and a half in the gym. I have recently begun my own fitness program with a workout plan I got from a boxing coach. 6 days in the gym is a lot of commitment, for sure, but I am seeing the results, FAST. I have to say that physical fitness is the one main factor that has changed my life _completely_ in the past month.
Eli
I recommend Matt Furey’s book, “Combat Conditioning” to help you work out when you’re not in the gym. So many different body weight exercises.
.-= Gordie Rogers´s last blog ..Review: Free Ebook- Breaking Free. =-.
Sounds like I need to pick that up. Thanks for the sugg…
Dave
LifeExcursion
Sweet post, Dave. My staple workout of the past three weeks or so has been (what I like to call) Tabata burpees.
A tabata workout is a spin on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts which are made to increase VO2 max and short term stamina, improve recovery time, and increase RMR (resting metabolic rate). What you do is a super intense 20 seconds of your favorite easily repeatable exercise (bodyweight squats, crunches, and pullups all work) followed by 10 seconds of rest. You repeat that 8 times for a workout lasting 4 minutes. However, crossfit popularized 16 minute tabata workouts, where you’d do 4 different exercises for 4 minutes each (using the same 20:10 second work:rest ratio) for a total of 16 minutes of utter hell, as there is no rest between exercises.
But I took an excellent full body exercise, the burpee, and put it into the tabata framework for the most intense workouts I’ve ever had. A burpee is pretty much a pushup followed by a squat jump. Today’s workout was 15 and a half minutes of tabata style burpees – 31 intervals.
Keep in mind that my goal isn’t to bulk up, however. I’m a hockey player, and need to strike a balance between lean and strong – maybe agile is the best descriptor. As such, the tabata burpee is the best workout for me.
I’m also a HUGE fan of mountain biking. If you have trails in your area, it is a must. One of my favorite things to do.
For those of you who want links on tabatas:
Ross Training on tabatas
And a link to burpees:
Burpee video
Also, I’ll tip my cap to Gordie Rogers, who mentioned combat conditioning. SO many of those exercises can be plugged into a tabata interval workout. Excellent resource.
.-= bretthimself´s last blog ..Demigod Theory =-.
Thanks for the resourceful comment Brett. I will have to check out ASAP.
Dave
LifeExcursion