Strength training

[NoWhereGirl]

Can someone tell me some strength training exercises I can do just using my body.

[this little piggy]

Hmm.... just using your body? Well, never rule out good old crunches, push ups, and squats.

Plus... if you have access to the "8 minute" series (8 minute arms, 8 minute abs, 8 minute legs)... Those are great and they can be done with no weights or anything.

[abrannan]

Yes, yes, and yes. There are near infinite variations on the pushup, each serving to work a different set of muscles. The same goes for squats, though they don't quite have the same amount of variability. Another good approach is a good Yoga class. It may not seem like it, but holding some of the postures can build a surprising amount of strength. Gymnastics is another good source of bodyweight exercise. Handstands, even done against a wall for support, are great for the shoulders and upperback. Back bridges work your core muscles, and give you a good stretch at the same time, too.

[NoWhereGirl]

Thanks

I need to tone up

[Misery]

Download aim and I have a bunch of goodies I could provide you with concerning getting toned up.

[The Charming Canuck]

hmmm I don't know if this would be the right place, but what do you think about wearing weights around the ankles and wrists for exercise while DDRing. I think it would be okay cause people run n junk with those weights on and aerobics so I don't see why wearing them while dancing would be any different. Hmm has any one tried this before with good results?

[this little piggy]

EEeeeeepp... The general consensus is.. weights bad! No weights!

They can seriously mess up your knees and probably various other body parts... cause you're jerking around a lot. I've tried.

[sakura]

one word boflex

[abrannan]

sakura said:

one word boflex

Bowflex is neither "just using your body" or a viable alternative to "wearing wrist and ankle weights while you play DDR".

[dancingbear]

Sit-ups (crunches), push-ups, squats, dips, and calf raises can all be done using only your body's weight and strengthen a variety of muscles. Part of the problem is that when you are heavy (really heavy), that much weight can be too much.

Push ups are easier if you pivot from the knees rather than the feet until you work up to using your feet. I've also seen people lean against a wall and do the push up standing up to reduce the load on the arms.

Squats can be hard until you build up the strength. I've read that the knees shouldn't bend more than 90° when doing squats.

Yoga and pilates are also good options from what I've heard, but I've never tried them.

[sakura]

fine for arm strength curls, for torso wall sits, and for lower body leg raises or www.bodybreak.com

[Misery]

Or... You know.. Don't download aim.

[matthius100]

www.bodyweightculture.com

A good way to do these is with time restraints. Take some of the exercises on this website that you can do and put them in rep ranges that are challenging for you, but don't bring you to absolute failure. Write these exercises and numbers down, then give yourself 10 minutes to warm up with joint rotations, some easy stretches, and an easy song or two. Then start a timer for about 10-15 minutes, and wrack up as many points as you can.

Every exercise in your "challenging" rep count is one point. Record your results. Cool down with an easy song and stretching. This way, every workout when you get more points you know that your in general better shape than before, rather than "I did more pushups today" or whatever.

Do this every 2 days. Your muscles need 48 hours to recover. You can still do DDR, as it is cardiovascular exercise, and thus doesn't stress your muscles in a way that would prompt a recovery time, and thus aids healing by getting blood to the muscles. Increase the number of exercises you can do and reps as you get stronger, and have fun with it. Work out to music.

[Ixi0n]

And because no one else is here to beat me to it. Hooray for thread revival!