Home Cardio and Weight Equipment -- what do you use?

I built my own kettlebell using some tubing and the weights I use anyways for my dumb bells. Super easy to build and instead of several kettlebells you only need one that can be quickly adjusted to different weights.

Huh, that’s a pretty good idea.

My work office used to have a few of those - they’re great. Can get maybe 90min/ day in at a 3mph pace. Perfect for light work (reading docs, writing e-mails) but maybe not for something that you need to really concentrate for.

The one I used had a range from 0.5-6.0 km/h. I found 1.5-2.0 km/h to be the sweet spot for work that required constant mouse and keyboard input, and anything from 4-6 fine for simple consumption (reading, video). You can rack up quite a few steps over the day even at that slower speed.

For more serious composition, i.e. writing a long report, I would stop the treadmill - that was mostly due to mental concentration, so your limits may vary.

I ended up developing a habit where I would use it during my morning and afternoon blocks of emails and saved work reading, and then sporadically during the day besides that when the right task came up. This was at a home office, so I would also use it when passively watching ~1 hour of media each evening too at a faster speed, or gaming at a slower speed.

Thanks for all the suggestions! For now, I’ve gone with a well-reviewed cheap smart bike ($599) that support the Peloton and Zwift apps. That was based in part on my son being excited to use that as well.

With the remainder of the $ I’m going to pick up an inexpensive standing desk for my work laptop, and then down the road possibly pick up an inexpensive under-desk treadmill. I hadn’t really thought about the “focus while using it” issues, and that made me think it’d better to just dedicate some exercise time.

I realized somewhere in my closet I have resistance bands from when I was working out with a personal trainer. I need to find those. Do I still need weights? :)

I mean, need? For what purpose, really. Bodyweight exercises can be great. If I had somewhere to hang them from I’d probably just get some rings and not worry about anything else. That’s not really true, because I’m some kinda freak and I’d probably still have bought a mace and some clubbells, but I do wish I had somewhere to hang some rings or even just the pull-up bar that’s collecting dust under the bed because none of my doorways will hold it. :-/

To get started, no you do not NEED weights. Start with body weight exercises
pushups
step ups
squats
lunges
plank
leg raises/crunches/sit ups
etc (lots of ideas and videos for these)
Get a routine going, then add weights later

Also note bands can get old and prone to break, depending on how old those bands are.

Great call, rings are awesome! But too advanced for beginners. Heck even for people who’ve been doing strength exercises for a while the stability aspect adds a totally new dynamic. I remember the first time I tried flys - just about dislocated my shoulders - and ring pullups - ha what a joke! And I had been doing weighted pullups for a while.

This is great advice.

We got a Sunny magnetic rowing machine for Christmas (model SF-RW5515). A solid mid level model that was about $250. 20 minutes on that plus 30 minutes on a stationary bike gets me through an episode on Netflix and is a good workout.

I alternate every other day with core workout exercises using a mat and elastic bands. I recommend seeing a physical therapist or sports medicine doc as they really helped me put together a training program for distance running and maintaining good form. Bad form can mess you up I learned the hard way.

This. And shoes, if you’re running. Several years ago I started running on a treadmill in the gym (I was in pretty good shape from lifting weights), and after about a month of that in my old, worn-out shoes, I had the most agonizing aches down one of my legs for several weeks. Definitely don’t skip the shoes. I’m sure people who run regularly can give you some advice. (I’d rather swing the kettlebells, so I got some shoes but haven’t worn them much.)

Ditto. I’m not using them currently, but would recommend them.

I don’t go above 2.8 - anything faster and I can’t get anything done. I also had to switch to a track ball instead of a mouse. I found it a bit easier with the walking motion, but switch back to a mouse at the desk. If I have to do precise mousing I just straddle the sides and stand still for a few seconds, happens a couple times a day.

I can type just fine but if somebody calls or I have a meeting I usually pause if I have to talk, it’s just too loud otherwise. Have had it for… wow just looked it up. Since Jan. 2013. I perform regular mainten… hahaha I haven’t done shit. It’s just worked almost every weekday for 2-4 hours.

The only issue now is I have a degenerative hip issue that is just getting worse as I get older. I knew it was coming but it sucks now, because for the past year I frequently can’t hit 2 hours a day without it bothering me. So I am looking at alternatives like a desk bicycle or something but I am pretty skeptical about it. Was looking at something like this model because I don’t need the desk.

I thought I was screwed 20 years ago when my feet started hurting. A friend recommended a local running shop so I went, but was basically expecting snake oil. They watched me walk and run for a few minutes then said here, buy these. Either they knew what they were talking about or got very lucky because I haven’t had any pain since with my feet and lower legs.

[quote=“Gendal, post:32, topic:150905”]
A friend recommended a local running shop so I went, but was basically expecting snake oil. They watched me walk and run for a few minutes then said here, buy these. Either they knew what they were talking about or got very lucky because I haven’t had any pain since with my feet and lower legs.[/quote]

This absolutely they way to pick out running shoes. The staff at a good athletic shoe store can analyze your gait and then pick out a couple of models that are designed for absorbing impact where you naturally land. My wife dragged me into our local shop so I could start running with her some when she was training for marathons, and I was shocked by the reduction of knee and leg pain from the right shoes. Plus, I wear a a size 14 shoe, so finding the right ones in the right size is normally nearly impossible, but they always have a couple of choices in stock. Lotta big feet around here, I guess.

My true love is biking, though. Unfortunately we have no protected lanes nearby, and a lot of crappy drivers, so a couple riders a year are killed or injured most years and I gave it up a few years ago.

So my wife got me an interactive bike trainer for Christmas. An Elite Suito,which is kind of a top of the middle range model. Took a bit to get it set up. It has an 11-speed cassette on the back, but my bike had an 8-speed, so I had to buy a narrower chain and adjust the bejesus out of the derailleur to get the shifting working (I’m too lazy to install new shifters and retape the handlebars so the 8-speed shifter sometimes skips a gear, but I can live with it. Then I had a 720p TV we were going to donate or toss, and a newish Chromecast that had lost its purpose when Roku added an HBO Max app, so I can screenshare from my phone.

Elite has their own training software (€20/year), but I’ve found I like Zwift much more despite the additional cost ($15/month). Tried a new course tonight that had way more vertical than I thought, but I’m really having fun. The challenges on the courses are either fun or make you want to die (uphill sprints - please God no) The community is very supportive, since we’re all there to ride, have fun, andssee howbbadly the pros in winter training destroy us (I put all I could iinto a level sprint challenge and managed to do it in 38 seconds, getting me 72nd place - the record for the evening was 16 seconds. Where was this when I was young?). I generally find myself riding much longer than I intended (my 11km circuit this evening turned into 25km), so I have to be careful as I train back up to a reasonable level. The software has built in training regimens, anything from a sort of “C25k” to race training or “Training for your first Century.”

So if you see “O.ldButNotDFL” out on the virtual road, give me a wave and we can do some riding together.

Okay, my final tally on exercise equipment is:

  • RENPHO AI-Powered Exercise Bike – arrives today. @Supertanker, see you in Zwift once I get up to speed, so to say. :)

  • Adjustable 5-to-25 pound dumbbells (to get started, I haven’t worked out in a couple of years)

  • Folding weight bench

Plus somewhere in the depths of my office closet is a factory-sealed set of resistance bands; cleaning my closet will be a good warm-up. :)

In the past I’ve had personal trainers show me how to do curls, etc. but I need a refresher so I guess YouTube will be my PT for the home training.

I feel an angel gets its wings every time someone gets started on a training regimen! Tell us how it goes!

I train weights regularly but during COVID one of my finds was doing just one round of 5-minute no break tabata if I had no time for full session that day, and ending every exercise session with a five-minute ab exercise, both Youtube-able.

Let me know if this gets going. I picked up a Bowflex C7 last week (basically a Bowflex C6/Schwinn IC4 with a crummy 7” android tablet bolted on as a display). I would have just bought an IC4 and saved myself about $300 CAD but I’d have had to wait at least six weeks and I wanted to start riding now now now!

I’m working my way through all the free trials of fitness services available, and started with the Peleton digital offering. It’s very good, I’ve enjoyed the three classes I’ve taken so far, primarily due to the quality of the coaches. Either Zwift or Apple Fitness+ are next on my list to try, so if there’s an actual, motivating community of Qt3 riders, that might help me make a final pick.

For now I’ll plug away at Peleton, switching between the C7, our decade old Pacemaster Silver Select XP treadmill and our even more ancient, creaky elliptical a FreeSpirit Club FS530. Quite the cardio heavy setup we’ve got in our basement!

Zwift actually kept me going longer on my first ride because I wanted to see what was coming up down the road. Was feeling like 15 minutes was plenty for the first ride, but ended up going 30 due to Zwift.

Plus I was heartened by how all of the fit people riding by me at high speed kept giving me thumbs up. :)

Peloton pulls an “oopsie” and reverses course after trying to fight the CPSC about a recall. This was after 70 injuries and a death attributed to their design.

I’m going to guess that the CEO coming out and telling the CPSC to pound sand was not taken in the hilarious spirit it was intended, and that the “intense negotiations” were basically them saying it’s either a recall or a lawsuit.