Workout tips?

[hepcat]

Looking for some simple workouts I can do at home that will help me tone up my stomach and overall get into better shape.  I don't have the time/money for a gym membership (unless I can find some kinda awesome deal) so I'm looking for workouts I can do at home.  I've already changed my diet by eliminating soft drinks and eating only lean meats like fish and turkey. 

 

Right now my workout routine consists of stretching, going for a 20 minute run, sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, and then finishing by stretching again.  I've heard sit-ups will build muscle behind your layer of stomach fat, actually making it look bigger, and that I should focus on losing the fat before trying to build muscle.  Any truth to that?  What workouts are best for burning stomach fat?

 

Feel free to share your workout routines and whatnot, trying to get as much info as possible.  Thanks!

[Darth Biscuit]

You got Time Warner Cable?  They got some exercise channels you can workout to.

 

Check Youtube as well.

 

 

Also talk to Cat, she's done a lot of those P90x type workouts and those work if you stick with them.

[Sapper]

Jump roping and swimming are great for cardio.  Quick reps with 10~ lb weights are good for tone.  

 

It seems like your regimen is pretty solid, though.

 

If you can cut out meat entirely and go with fish for protein then definitely try it - gave me all of the energy in the world, and the difference was notable when I went back to eating meat.

[Chimera]

Situps can do that, that's why you also build up your lower back and obliques.

Here's a moderately useful list of other exercises you could try.

http://m.askmen.com/top_10/fitness_top_ten/53_fitness_list.html

[davos]

My routine that's worked well:

 

Countless sporadic sets of diamond pushups throughout the day, Raw Veggie/Non Carb/White Meat diet, Mtn Biking, Yoga, and Craft Beer

[Cary Kollins]

Get a set of dumb bells and add some pushup-rows into the mix.

 

 

 

 

[Cary Kollins]

Also, if you can, play full court basketball once a week.  If not I would say find somewhere to do some sprints, where you can go all out for 20 yards or so.  

[OneBadCat]

Turkey is great for lean meat. There is also something to mustard that I believe helps in dieting.

 

Swimming is great. If you are trying to build muscle but not get ridiculously huge I would stick to push ups and pull ups. Pull ups help get your whole body in shape. I love punching bags too.

 

I did a 50 pull up and 100 push up routine nearly every day last summer and I was seeing results in a month easy. Do it for a while and you'll reach batman status.

 

If you want to burn some fat rather quickly you can do interval training. Which would be something like. Slow jogging for 3 minutes, then sprint as hard as you can for 15 seconds, then back to the slow jog for 30 seconds, then sprint again for 15 and you keep doing it until you can't go anymore. Do it 2-3 times a week, it supposed to help keep your metabolism up. You can also apply this to swimming, punching bag, etc..

 

Another work out in the weight room that helps your entire body/back is to do squats. They suck and everyone hates them but man they do work, You don't have to do a lot of weight, just enough that your comfortable with. Your legs will feel like jello.

[NCstoner420]

Anything and everything you want to know can be found here and it's all free. http://scoobysworkshop.com

[nickzz]

honestly going to the gym and dicking around is 10x better than situps/pushups/pullups or whatever else u can do at home.

 

and when i say dicking around i mean actually lifting even if you don't know all that much about it. i started going to the gym and i was clueless, but i've slowly picked up a lot of knowledge along the way. i tried pushups/situps/pullups and home exercises like you before that, but they were pretty useless in terms of gaining muscle. i noticed a huge different after about 3 weeks of lifting at the gym.

[88 Bronco]

You can also do some squats. Check you local small gyms, they usually have less amenities than something like ESAC, but are usually a little more affordable. Planet Fitness is cheap, but they lack free weights. Anyways, if your goal is to lose fat at your mid section, it's all about consuming less calories than you burn.

 

 

[Jeff L]

I have two words for you: kettle bells. Look up workouts on you tube.