Improvised gym equipment
- Thread starter LGQ7
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3 chairs walking
Place 3 chairs in a triangle facing each other.
The sides of the triangle should be about the distance between your feet in a yoga Extended Arms and Legs Pose (Utthita Hasta Padasana). [Like ballet, it helps to use one common term of reference. For example: normal people (English): tip toe, bodybuilder: calf raise, ballet: relevé (universally).]
Stand on 2 chairs (if it has a hollow back) and 2 arms grab onto one other chair. Wear gloves for cushion.
Walk around the chairs clockwise and counterclockwise.
I tried turning 1 chair around. The plus is it creates variety, forcing you to think and adapt. The minus is it works your legs more. I like the symmetric because it evenly distributes your weight throughout 4 limbs.
That's a great weight bearing cardio exercise I just invented.
Place 3 chairs in a triangle facing each other.
The sides of the triangle should be about the distance between your feet in a yoga Extended Arms and Legs Pose (Utthita Hasta Padasana). [Like ballet, it helps to use one common term of reference. For example: normal people (English): tip toe, bodybuilder: calf raise, ballet: relevé (universally).]
Stand on 2 chairs (if it has a hollow back) and 2 arms grab onto one other chair. Wear gloves for cushion.
Walk around the chairs clockwise and counterclockwise.
I tried turning 1 chair around. The plus is it creates variety, forcing you to think and adapt. The minus is it works your legs more. I like the symmetric because it evenly distributes your weight throughout 4 limbs.
That's a great weight bearing cardio exercise I just invented.
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onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
The upside down table "crawl" is awesome! I'll have to give it a try!
Here's some improvised stuffs. Damn! Ballet dancers sure are elegant.
https://www.vogue.com/article/dance...w-york-city-ballet-joaquin-de-luz-sara-mearns
https://www.vogue.com/article/dance...w-york-city-ballet-joaquin-de-luz-sara-mearns
I just invented something in my head: A chain of partner assisted gyms called The Ambiguously Gay Duo Gym, with minimal equipment: chairs, broom sticks, ropes, stability ball, etc.
Harry_Wild
G.O.A.T.
You do not need to have any equipment to get in and stay in top shape! Many people in solidarity confinement like POW and people in incarceration use their own body weight to develop their muscles by doing many types of push ups, burpees, sit ups, squats, jumps, etc...
sredna42
Hall of Fame
Really good thread.
I'm currently starting to think along similar lines, and am aiming to try and set up a minimal gym at home, revolving around body weight, stretching, resistance bands, etc.
I can no longer bear going to the gym. It is like going to a zoo, but the animals are wandering free and aren't in cages.
I'm currently starting to think along similar lines, and am aiming to try and set up a minimal gym at home, revolving around body weight, stretching, resistance bands, etc.
I can no longer bear going to the gym. It is like going to a zoo, but the animals are wandering free and aren't in cages.
I just invented a word: Buddyweight Training. I call dibs on this.
I went to the mall get a hair cut at Hair Cuttery. The line was long. I signed in. I went to eat at Subway. Went back in, there's 4 still people in front of me.
I used the stairs to do my 12 different ways to walk the stairs for 10 minutes.
Pull 2 chairs together and did parallel dips.
Did incline pushup on the steps.
Did reverse table pose hamstrings on the steps.
And on the fly at a 45° rail, I improvised an incline commando row.
Nobody said anything. The security guy was standing 3 feet in front me talking to another guy.
There was a low horizontal bar, but I was not strong enough to do inverted row.
By the time I was done, I'm up at the queue at Hair Cuttery. That's the first time I worked out in public using the structures available.
On the subway home,
I did rows and
biceps on the bar on the seat in front of me.
That was a great work out. I should have been doing this ages ago. "Better late than never" is the saying, I guess.
To steal from Rocky 5, "My gym is outside."
I used the stairs to do my 12 different ways to walk the stairs for 10 minutes.
Pull 2 chairs together and did parallel dips.
Did incline pushup on the steps.
Did reverse table pose hamstrings on the steps.
And on the fly at a 45° rail, I improvised an incline commando row.
Nobody said anything. The security guy was standing 3 feet in front me talking to another guy.
There was a low horizontal bar, but I was not strong enough to do inverted row.
By the time I was done, I'm up at the queue at Hair Cuttery. That's the first time I worked out in public using the structures available.
On the subway home,
I did rows and
biceps on the bar on the seat in front of me.
That was a great work out. I should have been doing this ages ago. "Better late than never" is the saying, I guess.
To steal from Rocky 5, "My gym is outside."
At work I use the stairs railings as a sit up anchor. It's a couple of inches above the ground and it's perfect for holding your foot. I'm going to need a cushion like a bathroom towel or a yoga mat. Very few people take the stairs so I have some privacy. And the people who take the stairs take the stairs to exercise.
Crawling is the most efficient form of cardio exercise. I had to "invent" it. I "invented" it when I was bed-ridden for a month in a hospital and I can't even stand up. Every animal (and cars) walk on 4 legs. We are the exception and we forgot. Since I don't have children, I forgot once I crawled on 4 points.
I wanted to invent the upside down version of crawling, 4 points hanging. And I did. My computer desk.
Costway 5 piece Dining Table and 4 Chairs. Mine was a glass top. It was less than $130, really cheap. I bought a cheap foldable metal and cardboard table to substitute my computer desk. And use this table as a structure to exercise.
By itself, it's a dip bar, parallel and wide. You can do dip, inverted row, knee raises. It's also a bar for stretching and balance.
I tried to hang on 4 points, but the legs are not long enough. Hmm.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/lateral-steppers.619005/page-2#post-12404518
I cut 4 used tennis balls into Pac-Mans for footing of the table.
I put the table on 4 chairs (that came with the set!). I put a barbell (22 lbs total) across the diagonal to weigh it down. It does not budge an inch. And I did it! I created the structure!
You grab with 2 hands (duh), and 2 feet hooking under (dorsiflexion) and go around the cage, clockwise and counter-clockwise. Unfortunately I'm not strong enough to use my invention. 2 times around and I am exhausted. That's it. Maybe it will work for you. As you know, all bets are off when you are trying to be Wile E. Coyote.
The structure itself has other uses. I'm going to come up with a few.
I wanted to invent the upside down version of crawling, 4 points hanging. And I did. My computer desk.
Costway 5 piece Dining Table and 4 Chairs. Mine was a glass top. It was less than $130, really cheap. I bought a cheap foldable metal and cardboard table to substitute my computer desk. And use this table as a structure to exercise.
By itself, it's a dip bar, parallel and wide. You can do dip, inverted row, knee raises. It's also a bar for stretching and balance.
I tried to hang on 4 points, but the legs are not long enough. Hmm.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/lateral-steppers.619005/page-2#post-12404518
I cut 4 used tennis balls into Pac-Mans for footing of the table.
I put the table on 4 chairs (that came with the set!). I put a barbell (22 lbs total) across the diagonal to weigh it down. It does not budge an inch. And I did it! I created the structure!
You grab with 2 hands (duh), and 2 feet hooking under (dorsiflexion) and go around the cage, clockwise and counter-clockwise. Unfortunately I'm not strong enough to use my invention. 2 times around and I am exhausted. That's it. Maybe it will work for you. As you know, all bets are off when you are trying to be Wile E. Coyote.
The structure itself has other uses. I'm going to come up with a few.
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Costway 5 piece Dining Table and 4 Chairs.
I did it! I invented an exercise that this structure is meant to be. I call it the 4 x 2 x 2 x 2 + 3 x 2 x 2 x 2 hands cardio pull machine.
The 56 pull cardio machine. Pulling is different from pushing.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...tal-gym-for-leg-presses.623519/#post-12589314
You do assisted sit up by pulling yourself up on to the 4 bars. That's the base of 4.
4 bars
2 hands (overhand, underhand)
2 sequence (right first, left first)
2 times the difficulty with wrist weight (I recommended 1 lbs for women [I weigh about 125 lbs])
Lie on one side of the body, and do an assisted oblique sit up.
3 bars
2 grips (overhand, underhand)
2 sides (left and right)
2 times the difficulty with wrist weight (which frees your hand to grip)
Ta da! The perfect cardio pull machine. The perfect complement to the 12 steps, now times 2 with wrist weight and ankle weights.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/lateral-steppers.619005/page-2#post-12417359
The perfect cardio push machine is crawling.
The perfect cardio 4 points standing vertical, barbell clean and press. (Don't use momentum).
Gold's Gym pedal exerciser, for hands and feet. I'm going to buy this from Walmart for $24 USD. I am skeptical of the product.
1. The limited mechanical path of motion.
2. The mechanism of resistance. Is there one? What is it? How durable is it?
3. The small range of motion.
On the plus side.
1. It is modeled on a bicycle, and that has been a proven technology for centuries.
2. It can go forward and backwards.
3. Maybe I can adapt it to be weight bearing. Standing platform, push up platform
4. I've seen it before. (1) bicycle, (2) Rocky IV hand pedal, (3) American Gladiator, hanging hand pedal.
5. Maybe I can adapt to a hanging platform too.
6. Different platforms, for legs and arms, sitting, lying, standing, hanging, incline, decline.
7. Walmart sure has the best price.
I ordered it. Can't wait to see how it works.
It did come in the mail today. One thing they can improve is have the foot grip Velcro. It would be more snug.
It is as it is advertised. For your legs, you can do sitting, lying. For your arms, you can do it on a table. It is useless for me if the resistance is friction. It has to be weight bearing.
To see what it can do well, I have to look at the bigger picture, comparing to other methods.
Obviously, you can stand on it and place your hands on the wall for balance and pedal. 1) I don't know about the weight. I don't think it can withstand the full bodyweight for the long haul. 2) The form is bad. Walking up and down the stairs is better.
Legs, lying, lift you butt off the ground in a bridge position, pedaling. Working reverse gravity, working the glute and hamstrings. Much better. This is this mechanism's forte. The device is too short. You have to put up against the wall at a 45° to clear the leg.
Kneeling push up position. Hands. Works great. This device is better for hands than feet. That's in front of you. Put it on your side, side plank, left and right. Works great. Put it behind you, dip position, sitting. A dip position behind you is very bad mechanically, you don't even need to lift your butt off the ground for adequate resistance. That's 4 on the ground, 8 if you count backwards and forwards.
Hang it up on a TRX (or clones) off of a 2 joint door pull up bar. Pushing (redundant with ground push up). Pulling. Now we are talking. This is the only pulling weighted mechanism (besides something out of Rocky 4 which costs thousands of dollars (Cybex UBE Upper Body Ergometer, $4,000 USD)).
Sitting, hang it above your head on a TRX. You don't need all that much weight for pulling. You have yourself an American Gladiator hand bike.
This complement the 12 ways walking the stairs very well. Mostly arms.
This is a good piece of the pie of cardio, which will be my next post.
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Best cardio: Walk on 4 points, like animals do. Left, right, forward, backwards, clockwise, counter clockwise, turn over (left, right), x 2 for crab walk (reverse table pose), that's 14 ways to crawl right there. And if you are strong enough and the the structure to do it, do it upside down.
Legs: Walk the stairs 12 ways, with 2lbs ankle weights and 1lbs wrist weight.
Arms, reverse gravity legs. The pedal exerciser (I believe it's origin is physical therapy).
Sit up, oblique sit up, pull. Metal table frame.
Push up, side step. 3 chairs walk.
4 points pull: MaxiClimber®. Front and back. Underhand and over hand. And the bar, front and back. I can improvise 10 different exercises.
4 points push: barbell clean and press.
I have to get The Firm DVD #1 to get its principles.
All of this is cardio (4 points) is modeled on bodybuilding, which I believe is the greatest physical art. All athletes use the body building curriculum, almost verbatim.
Legs: Walk the stairs 12 ways, with 2lbs ankle weights and 1lbs wrist weight.
Arms, reverse gravity legs. The pedal exerciser (I believe it's origin is physical therapy).
Sit up, oblique sit up, pull. Metal table frame.
Push up, side step. 3 chairs walk.
4 points pull: MaxiClimber®. Front and back. Underhand and over hand. And the bar, front and back. I can improvise 10 different exercises.
4 points push: barbell clean and press.
I have to get The Firm DVD #1 to get its principles.
All of this is cardio (4 points) is modeled on bodybuilding, which I believe is the greatest physical art. All athletes use the body building curriculum, almost verbatim.
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This is a masterpiece.
I saw on YouTube someone hook the handles to the foot and improvised the old school 45° bench. Genius.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/lateral-steppers.619005/page-2#post-12405152
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Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Use this strap as a beltI got a 10' yoga strap for $10. It's great for iso-metric exercises and to pull a limb of your body for weight. The locking mechanism is ingenious.
Marius_Hancu
Talk Tennis Guru
All you need:
100+ Ways to Use 10 Pound Dumbbells
100+ Ways to Use 10 Pound Dumbbells
Riddle: What is better than bodybuilding?
Answer: Nearly nothing. The bodybuilding curriculum is used by every athlete, almost verbatim.
Answer: A close second is ballet. In the movie Conan the Barbarian, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the bodybuilder, Sandahl Bergman is the ballet dancer.
Riddle: What is better than bodybuilding?
Answer: body re-building!
I have found The Mother Load of Wile E. Coyote ideas!
https://www.chinesport.com/brochure
Answer: Nearly nothing. The bodybuilding curriculum is used by every athlete, almost verbatim.
Answer: A close second is ballet. In the movie Conan the Barbarian, Arnold Schwarzenegger is the bodybuilder, Sandahl Bergman is the ballet dancer.
Riddle: What is better than bodybuilding?
Answer: body re-building!
I have found The Mother Load of Wile E. Coyote ideas!
https://www.chinesport.com/brochure
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Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Used a book under my desk to raise and stretch toes,At work, I use a heavy duty metal power strip to improvise the old-school calf block.
I use phone books at home. But phone books do not seem to exist anymore.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Few I see are as thin as an iPhone. Also use thin plywood and a can or bottle for wall stands. Achilles stretch.
I take the Weider Total Body Works. At it's highest elevation, it is 30°. I put it on a chair, and now it is a 45° bench. It can only be used as a bench, not for any motion. I can adjust the position of the cushion by hooking the handles to the knobs. Setting up up, however, is an exercise in and of itself.
That's how the old school body builders made the first incline bench, by putting a bench under a block. Genius lies in simplicity, and it lies in old school.
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Setting it up is doing a T-bar row.
I also use the corners of the structure for dips. I did not know it, but I re-invented a concept, a variable dip bar with a natural angle. I also use the corners of my desk at work.
The dip is assisted with my feet on the ground.
2 chairs, yoga blocks, broomstick
Place the broom stick on 2 chairs. The height is above the knee, below the groin.
Step over the broom. Right first, left first. Forwards, backwards. Sideways. Clockwise/counter clockwise.
I have not tried this for duration, but it's a great exercise I just invented.
This can be done on a Smith Machine.
Place the broom stick on 2 chairs. The height is above the knee, below the groin.
Step over the broom. Right first, left first. Forwards, backwards. Sideways. Clockwise/counter clockwise.
I have not tried this for duration, but it's a great exercise I just invented.
This can be done on a Smith Machine.
Use the different heights of the bar on the Smith Machine for body-weight pull/push motions: pull up, push up, inverted row, dip.
The steppings work the legs, the pull/push work the arms.
I used a thick, short elastic loop band to hold a 2.5 lbs dumbbell on my foot to improvise an ankle weight.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/gym-musings.633938/post-13052894
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/gym-musings.633938/post-13052894
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Harry_Wild
G.O.A.T.
This guy is the “best” at training fundamentals plus he is a beast in term of muscle and strength!
Kettlebell leg extension.
Lie on the floor. Use a kettlebell for leg extension. Use a towel for cushion and locking mechanism.
Advantage:
simple
cheap
instability
mechanical disadvantage
full range of motion
safe. The foot hooks the kettlebell, the heel support the weight.
Disadvantage:
cannot be done heavily
slightly less safe than machines or cables
This can also be done with no equipment using the other leg for weight.
Lie on the floor. Use a kettlebell for leg extension. Use a towel for cushion and locking mechanism.
Advantage:
simple
cheap
instability
mechanical disadvantage
full range of motion
safe. The foot hooks the kettlebell, the heel support the weight.
Disadvantage:
cannot be done heavily
slightly less safe than machines or cables
This can also be done with no equipment using the other leg for weight.
Bed inner thight/adductors
Using the bed as a decline platform allowing leg to be much lower than horizontal, 0°. It is an improved version of this.
Lie on the bed with your hip at a corner of a bed. Put the other leg on a chair. Do the adductor. This can be done with no weight as your leg is a lot of weight and this is a single joint exercise to there is great mechanical disadvantage. Or it can be done with ankle weights, formal or improvised.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/improvised-gym-equipment.620612/post-13051216
Using the bed as a decline platform allowing leg to be much lower than horizontal, 0°. It is an improved version of this.
Lie on the bed with your hip at a corner of a bed. Put the other leg on a chair. Do the adductor. This can be done with no weight as your leg is a lot of weight and this is a single joint exercise to there is great mechanical disadvantage. Or it can be done with ankle weights, formal or improvised.
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/improvised-gym-equipment.620612/post-13051216
Connect weights to feet is an old concept. I guess that concept waned with the invention of the gym and machines. Hmm. I'm re-living bodybuilding history. I'm re-inventing everything again, as I should be. You don't know where you are unless you know where you've been. This is body-building archaeology done in my imagination. It's reversing genetic history, trying to turn a chicken back into a dinosaur.
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