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Ask HN: I hate gym. How to stay in shape?

110 points by throwaway_43793 ↗ HN
Inspired by this discussion[1], I want to start working out. I'm in my mid 30s, and my age starts to show it's signs. I do train in boxing once a week, but I feel like it's not enough. Most of the week I stay seated.

I have an on-and-off relationship with gym for multiple years. I came to a conclusion that I simply dislike the format of the gym. I don't like wasting time by getting to the gym, getting from the gym, and waiting for my turn for the equipment.

I don't want to invest a lot of time. 30 min max a day. I prefer to workout from my home, without being dependent on the weather.

What will be a good way to stay in shape, given the above constraints?

[1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34689709

273 comments

[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 238 ms ] thread
dsq
You can do pushups, pull-ups and chin-ups at home with only your floor and a bar.

These exercises may sound like something out of high school, but they are excellent for all upper body. Biceps, triceps, shoulders, back. Even abs get definition.

For legs do squats, walk and take the stairs.

mytailorisrich
If the outdoor environment around your home is nice enough you could try running. Yes, it is dependent on the weather but I've found that the fresh air is a bonus even under the rain and a welcome break from being indoor all the time.
voytec
Home is a good place for exercising, too. Pushups, crunches, Roman/Russian twists, squats, dumbbells lifting, triceps extensions, latteral raises, a whole bunch of core exercises don't require gym. Just self-discipline.

Also, go for a walk, jog or biking. Home or gym movement won't replace fresh air and some sun.

screwturner68
There's really very little need to go to the gym period, you can put together a nice little home gym for a few hundred dollars and craigslist. Personally I like the gym but it's not always convenient so I have a pretty decent home gym that I've put together over the years. The best exercise is a 1h walk 3-4 times a week....in the summer I'll move some of the home gym out into the yard, my wife gets grumpy but working out in the sunshine is pretty great.
gadders
Buy your own squat rack, barbells and weights. You won't get much done in 30 mins though. Decide whether this is a priority for you or not.
yellow_lead
In 30 mins you can do a pretty decent strength training workout IMO (once youve gotten accustomed to it). You can easily hit one body part (chest/shoulder/bicep/back/legs/etc) in this time, if not two.
gadders
Not when you get to heavier weights and spending 5mins+ rest periods between sets. To be clear - I'm talking about compound movements like squats, presses, deadlifts. If you're just doing bicep curls or something use a rest-pause DogCrapp-style training and have at it.
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brmgb
30 mins a day is fine. You have to use split training instead of doing a full session with a rest day in between. That’s less beginner friendly but that’s not a big issue.
mbeex
Ouch. Try classic bodyweight training (e.g. Mark Lauren's programs, they generally fit into this time frame) three or four times a week. Not to mention tabatas. Those 4 minutes can get very long...
xcubic
Feels like you are talking about me. What happened after I was in that situation was:

I decided to forget gyms ever existed and during the first year of covid, got myself a remote personal trainer.

So now, 3x/week he calls me on zoom, and for 1h beats my ass into shape.

Best decision I've taken in a long while.

gardenhedge
I would say Kettlebells. I would say some kettlebells exercises like swings would compliment your Boxing training while being different. They will also take up very little space in your home in terms of storage and working out.

Also, walking is outside and dependent on the weather but I would really recommend walking daily to counteract sitting.

niemandhier
I found kettlebells to be the most time and space optimal exercise, the only downside is that you really have to get someone to show you how to do it properly, but after this you can burn 300-400 kcals in a 20 minute workout.
drakonka
+1 to kettlebells. A few hundred high-intensity swings a day can be a proper workout and can serve as a great combo of both strength training and cardio.
artemonster
Which weight to start with for a 90kg guy with little experience and poor shape?
gardenhedge
I'm just a casual kettlebell user rather than a trainer or anything but the recommendations I see for adult males is always 16kg/35lbs. If you're completely untrained/weak then it might be better starting with a lower weight.
elliottkember
This is pretty good advice. I bought some adjustable ones. They're fairly expensive, but you can start with a lower weight and work your way up. You can also do other exercises at lower weights to work smaller muscles.

The kettlebell reddit (/r/kettlebell) is a very good place to learn from - lots of people helping each other get the technique right. Seems the most common mistake is "hinging too early" in the swing.

screwturner68
For a man a single pod (16kg) is a little on the light side unless you are doing lots of reps -I like to keep my kb workout at 100rep, it's quick and an easy number to remember. For swings I,like to use the 2 pod KB and then the 1.25/1.5's for snatches and cleans. You can also use the 2pod for farmers walks and TGUs. This assumes you have multiple KBs if not the 1pod is your best bet to start with and you'll know when it's time for heavier weights.
epistemer
16kg is pretty standard for a male. Personally, with getting older I really love higher reps for conditioning with a 12kg but they all have their use.

I think most people are delusional though to believe they are going to stick with home kettlebell workouts if they don't like the gym. Most likely the kettlebell will be an expensive door stopper in a few months.

I have just met so few in shape people in my life that don't go to a gym. I have a pretty decent home gym and a good assortment of kettlebells but the external gym I go to just has so much more.

nanomonkey
This will go against the normal advice, but I suggest getting a 25lb kettlebell to learn the movements, and then move up from there. 32lbs tops. The key to kettlebells is proper form and explosive movements. You'll steadily get hooked on the activity and want a larger one, but it's always nice to have a lighter weight to learn a new movement on. When you grow out of it entirely you can pass is on, or loan it out to folks so that they can try it out.
nanomonkey
Kettlebells, yoga stretches and daily walks are the best daily combination that I've found.

The Quick and the Dead by Pavel Tsatsouline is a great book and routine (100 push ups and 100 kettlebell swings spread out in 15 second intervals over 30 minutes).

pawelduda
I second kettlebells :) Look up Simple and Sinister. You can squeeze a workout into 20 minutes if you crank up intensity. Ideally you do it almost every day. The idea is that it becomes your system rather than being goal-oriented.
trumbitta2
Nintendo Switch + Ring Fit Adventure.

If you like being around people, martial arts.

benj111
Alternatively, if you don't like people, martial arts.
AdilZtn
I would advise you to ride a bike, of course if it's raining it's less pleasant but in reality you don't notice it too much. I've been cycling a lot for the last two years, I'm in good shape with a good cardio, I've also visited my region and discovered some beautiful places.

If you prefer to be indoors I recommend Zwift [1].

[1] https://us.zwift.com/

comprev
Get a bicycle :)

Gyms are not for me either so I'm always out on two wheels

aatd86
A home gym?

When I used to not work from home, I was enrolled at a gym 2mn from the workplace.

Would go after work while other were having drinks.

Some of my colleagues would pause around noon.

Some people can go before work and shower there.

So the commute time is essentially eliminated.

But lifting weight is the best way to be in shape. Better than just cardio. (and it also works the cardiovascular system, just a form of hiit)

But if you don't enjoy strength training, perhaps you need something that motivates you more. I don't know what that could be that would have the same effect to be quite honest.

With consistency and results, people tend to feel good and it feedbacks into them not wanting to skip the gym, instead of relying solely on pure discipline. Gotta play with dopamine and the reward system.

lofaszvanitt
Just watch the documentary Pumping iron. And do exactly what Arnold says. While in the shower, shout like a gorilla, the higher your arms are, the higher the pitch should be.
shaftoe444
Prefer the Ronnie Coleman school of just shouting "lightweights baby" before, during, and after each set.
lofaszvanitt
That guy is insane... doing squats with close to 400 kgs. He has successfully ruined his body with those absurd weights. Nonetheless his copyright scream is awesome.
huepfebein
Indoor rowing: Does not reqire to much space, can also be done outdoors, and provides a full body workout with variable intensity. 20 minutes every other day can be enough to get/stay in shape.
bob1029
I strongly recommend that anyone with a spare bedroom own a Concept2 rower. You can put thousands of km on them without replacing a single part. Nothing beats the consistency.

If you can find the discipline to do 5+km/day, you probably don't ever need to go to the gym. There are a few movements that would be beneficial as a supplement, but you can use bodyweight for most of those. The simple pushup gives you about 80% of the missing picture. I typically do a 5km row and then 2-3 sets of pushups and call it a good day.

I strongly believe the barbell squat is the best exercise by miles. But, its the biggest pain in the ass in terms of logistics. Rowing feels like a really happy compromise, especially considering the continuously-variable intensity and the mechanism of action.

kerrsclyde
Mine has 10 million meters on the clock - all I’ve done is oil the chain occasionally.
LeSaucy
Concept2 are the gold standard of indoor rowers. You can find them used for cheap and they are built to last a lifetime. There are tons of rowing program channels on YouTube to follow and keep it interesting.
apwheele
Just as an alt perspective, gained quite a bit of weight in mid 20's-30's. I tried various things -- I did Judo in college before gained weight, but doing BJJ after I gained weight I could never keep up even though I loved it. Did the gym, tried running, etc. I hated it, and especially as I got older they all had noticeable impacts on my body.

The only thing that significantly impacted my weight over the years was a more restricted diet. Currently I do not eat food after 6 pm, and have almost cut 100% of fast food out of diet. (At worst BMI 34, now BMI 25.)

So I loved BJJ (did not hate it the same way I hated the gym), but I physically had a hard time with it post 30 years old. Caveat emptor, I should probably not be giving anyone health advice.

cosmodisk
Well, you are right. My BMI is off the charts,but not because I don't go to the gym,but because I overeat in the evening. There's no exercise on the planet that can offset multiple trips to the fridge before you go to bed. And the reason why people overeat is different for everyone: lack of sleep, stress, anxiety, boredom, poor nutritional choices and so on. So it's crucial people fix this part if they really want to change how they look and feel about their body, because otherwise you sign up to the gym and quit 3 months later, because there's no progress at all.
bojan
What helped me is brushing teeth a quarter after what is supposed to be the last meal of the day.

Then I know that, if I get a snack, I'll have to go through the teeth cleaning routine again, and the desire to not have to do that is stronger than the desire for the snack.

KVFinn
Agree overall for weight loss. But even after losing the weight I keep up the cardio because it clears my head.
bob1029
If you are mostly concerned with staying healthy and really really hate the gym, then I'd recommend focusing on your dietary habits instead.

In my experience, working off bad calories is a lot harder than simply not consuming them in the first place.

Also, certain meal patterns like one-meal-a-day and intermittent fasting (i.e. eat every other day) can provoke exercise-like effects in participants.

Which do you hate more - not having that 2nd cookie, or driving to the gym?

I'd still recommend getting off your ass as much as possible in any arrangement. Standing desk and what not.

herr_gurke
Calisthenics is the way to go. You can start without any equipment and you can do it indoors and outdoors. There are plenty of calisthenics tutorials on youtube. Apart from that I suggest making a 20-30 minutes walk around lunch break
damjanv1
yes get some olympic rings. look into the (free) app You are your own gym(Yayog) Buy overcoming gravity (or join the reddit group where the author answers many of the questions). Working out with bodyweight is fantastic imo
shaftoe444
Strong recommend for the Dan John book Intervention [0]. An easy read and you should be able to grok the principles and apply them to kettlebells, bodyweight, barbell, whatever you choose.

I followed it for a while with just dumbbells and bodyweight and later on joined a much more intense olympic weightlifting gym and found I had pretty good movement and strength compared to most people who just walk in off the street (or maybe the coach was just being nice!).

[0] https://www.otpbooks.com/product/dan-john-intervention/

rewsiffer
I am in a similar (age, mobility) situation and I got into indoor rock climbing about a year ago. Since then I have lost weight and gained a ton of muscle. I go around twice a week.

I always hated going to the gym because it was boring, but rock climbing is fun and challenging, like solving a puzzle. Also, I find I work a bit harder because it triggers your animal instincts of not wanting to fall. I do mostly top rope climbing(bouldering scares me). If you have a rock gym nearby, setup one or two trial sessions and see if you like it.

js8
I had a friend who I used to go jogging with, he also hated the gym. We had a circuit in a nearby forest (park), and he always found a suitable branch along the way to do pullups, or we did pushups, or belly lifts from hanging down, and stuff like that. Some parks even have benches or exercise bars which you can use. You can do a lot completely for free, and it's more pleasant environment too.
TiredGuy
Agreed. The OP mentions not being dependent on the weather, but I find jogging can be done regardless of the weather, it just depends on what clothing you can put on. Also, playgrounds seem to abound here in the U.S., and they're great for catching a quick round of pull-ups or other hanging exercises. I would say most are usually not crowded, and are often empty in the mornings or late evenings.
dodyg
I run for 20 minutes every day at 6 AM. I also walk to my office 45 minutes each way.
b212
Cheat yourself.

I’m not a fan of gym myself, I’m also a terrible swimmer but I love water and found out I can easily backstroke for an hour at a time and this is fun. Even tho I can barely swim any other style (working on it!).

I hate running but taught myself inline skating when I was 25 and now, 10 years later it’s super fun.

I love walking but most of the time it’s not enough, but I love sightseeing even more so I try to travel to new places a few times a year and if those places happen to be in remote mountain regions…

And when I can’t go out and want to do a quick cardio I simply start some interesting vid on YT/Netflix/whatever and start hula hooping. If the content I’m watching is good I simply forget I’m working out.

Also hula hooping while playing FIFA makes it way more fun and immersive.

Just do the stuff you like, there has to be something.

z3t4
Increase intensity. Hit the boxing bag hard for 5 minutes twice a day will burn more calories then walking for five hours.