The circuit training facility in town went out of business in June. It was about 8 blocks from my house. I usually biked over and back when the weather was nice.

I'm

Yes, I can find another place 15-20 minutes away, but I don't have an extra 40 minutes in my day in addition to the actual exercise time!

Eek!

I want to find something I can do at home and not just aerobic; I want strength-training too! I don't have a lot of extra cash or space so I'm looking for low-cost, compact options for strength training and aerobic exercise at home.

Suggestions?

Get yourself some free weights and/or resistance bands. There's strength training programs you can check on on the internet, i.e. Body RX or Body For Life. Also, you might check into The Firm dvd's. They incorporate both cardio and strength training.

Also check out:

http://www.stumptuous.com/ A well-written site about weight lifting for women.

http://www.exrx.net/ A great, comprehensive site on how to do specific exercises, including animations.

Carey
thanks for the links, I know after this week is over, I will be looking at them
sandi

I have two DVD's that I really like. Tae Bo Aerobic will get the blood pumping but also helps you build strength. For a more gentle strength training I like Pilates. There are several good DVD's and books out there you could use.

Hope this helps some!

Thanks, Carey and Amy!

Our business is always taking me to garage sales and thrift stores, so I decided to just buy the first things I found and then see what worked best for me.

First, I found a Reebok Core Strenth Kit (new) at Goodwill for $20, but since I already have a ball and found weights later in the weekend, I'm going to sell this one.

I found a Pilates Gaiam Toning Ring with an Ana Caban DVD (new) for $20. Haven't tried this one yet, but I will. I have done Pilates b4; I might alternate every other day with my other set-up, below.

After that, I stopped at a garage sale and found a Body by Jake Ab Scissor, which I love and really needed for $15 and a Lateral Thigh Trainer (sorta like a stepper) for $10. They're in great condition and I like them a lot.

Finally, I found a York 20# Fitbell Set--vinyl covered free dumbbells, like new, for $10. (2 each of 5#, 3#, and 2#)

Today was my third day spending 30 minutes a day on the last two paragraphs--hehe--and I'm really enjoying it!

Oh, and I got CDs from dynamix.com (Curves Hymns and Freedom Fitness Music); this is just the kind of music I like to exercise to!

So for about the same price as 3 months at Curves, I'm ready to go! I'll miss circuit training and visiting with the other members, but this will be good for me too!

Good for you on all those great acquisitions! Now that you have your dumbbells, you actually can set up your own circuit training. You don't have to do circuit training on machines. At my gym, they actually set up the classroom in the mornings so you can come in and do your own circuit. A different resistance exercise at each station, and cardio in-between, whether it's marching in place or working the step. Always a good workout, and you're switching up so often, the time flies and it makes it fun.

Carey, that was my thought exactly and that's what I'm trying to do!

Guess what? Every day this week I've had a 30 minute workout with my new toys. I'm working out in the basement where my husband works....

"What time do you have?"

"7:28"

"Okay, tell me when it's 7:58."
.............

"What time is it?"

"7:40"
...........
"What time is it?"

"7:48"

So the next time I *want* to ask, I just sneak over to his computer and PEEK because I don't want to ask again....

It seems like soooo long when I'm down in an empty, quiet, unfinished basement looking up at the cobwebs between the floor joists!

But today I got my fun CDs from dynamix.com.... I'm telling you, the music really helps *me*!! Forty-five minutes after my workout started, I was still going and hadn't asked for a time check yet! LOL.

That's great Valerie! I have to have something to occupy my mind too, or time just drags. I love gearing music to my workouts, but I've also been known to walk thru an entire baseball game or television show.

Sounds like you're settling into a routine quite nicely! Keep workin' it girlie!

how about something like this?

Circuit #1: Upper Body
1. Warm-up on the treadmill. (5 minutes at a comfortable yet brisk pace)
2. Standing Military Press with dumbbells
3. Jump rope 20 seconds
4. Standing shoulder shrugs
5. Jump rope 20 seconds
6. Standing Bicep curl
7. Jump rope 10 seconds
8. Bent over tricep kick-back
9. Jump rope 10 seconds
10. Standing lateral raises
11. Jump Rope 20 seconds
12. Laying down chest press
13. Jump rope 20 seconds
14. Repeat starting at Step 2
15. Repeat starting at Step 2
16. Cool-down on the treadmill comfortable pace 10-15 minutes.

Circuit #2: Lower Body
1. Warm-up on the treadmill. (5 minutes at a comfortable yet brisk pace)
2. Standing calf raises
3. Jump Rope 20 seconds
4. Lunges
5. Jump rope 20 seconds
6. Chair squats (stand in front of a chair and squat down until your bum just touches the chair seat)
7. Jump rope 10 seconds
8. Deadlifts
9. Jump rope 10 seconds
10. Prone straight leg raises
11. Brisk treadmill 20 seconds
12. Supine leg raises
13. Brisk treadmill 20 seconds
14. Chair sit pillow squeeze (sit on the edge of a chair and place a pillow between your knees – squeeze your knees together)
15. Jump rope 20 seconds
16. Repeat at step 2
17. Repeat at step 2
18. Cool-down on the treadmill comfortable pace 10-15 minutes

Looks great, JustKim! THANKS for sharing!

Valerie:

Don't forget pushups, situps, planks and pullups. These are the absolute best exercises because they work multiple muscle groups. If you have a swiss ball, you can do some great core strengthening exercises to get those abs ready for the beach. Pushups and planks can be performed on the swiss ball and the instability works your core much better than flat on the ground. You can buy a pullup bar from a sporting goods store and it's very easy to install even in a door frame -- like the one I put up in my teenager's room.

What? Can't do a pullup? That's okay, you can hang from there, you can do the hanging leg raise which is great for the abs and many other things. These exercises are all free (with the exception of the pullup bar) and they take very little space, but you'll see major gains in strength. Many trainers prefer body weight exercises because the muscle formation is much more natural. In fact, my workout is predominantly these moves. I only use a machine for tree-choppers.

Best of luck to you,

Charles