Author Topic: True Caveman Workout?  (Read 2723 times)

Offline Doglord

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True Caveman Workout?
« on: January 25, 2010, 02:16:20 AM »
Hello all, this is my first post so I hope you all can help me out.

I need a true "caveman" exercise routine. By this I mean a routine I can do with no weights, equipment etc. I am severely out of shape having worked in office jobs the last 10 years, and having gone through very rough financial times lately I simply cannot afford any equipment or gym membership. So what can I do with no equipment and in a small apartment.

Offline Tarlach

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Re: True Caveman Workout?
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2010, 02:53:50 AM »
Welcome  ;D (feel free to add a post in the introduction area).

Use your body!

Push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, parkour around you area, find a rock (or anything with decent weight and carry it around), tabata sprints, go to the local park or bus stop and workout, get some weight on your shoulders and hit the stairs, just get out and do it! Your options are almost endless  ;D
« Last Edit: January 25, 2010, 02:56:29 AM by Tarlach »
The "Seven Deadly Sins"

• Grains (wheat/rice/oats etc) . . . . . • Dairy (milk/yogurt/butter/cheese etc)
• Refined foods (salt/sugars etc ) . . • Nightshades (peppers/tomato/eggplant)
• Tubers (potato/arrowroot etc) . . . . • Legumes (soy/beans/peas)
• Modernly palatable (cashews/olives etc)

Offline phrakture

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Re: True Caveman Workout?
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2010, 09:43:35 AM »
To quote an old post I made on Metafilter

Quote
Body weight exercises are king, and they're completely free. The single greatest bang for your buck is going to be an over-the-door pullup bar. They are fairly cheap ($20-100) and easy to setup. Pullups and chinups are one of the best exercises for you.

Here's what you do: put the bar over a commonly used doorway. I have mine over my bathroom door (I live alone, so keeping the bathroom door open isn't a problem). When I go in there to shower, use the bathroom, brush my teeth, look in the mirror, etc, I do one pullup. That's it, just one. Resolve to do the same. You don't need a workout plan or anything just yet. Maybe do a few if you're feeling frisky, but REQUIRE yourself to do at least one every time your cross that door.

If you CANNOT do a pullup, then this gets harder. You need to get a chair, stand on it in a position like you just completed a pullup, and slowly descend. Do it is slow as you can, and if you can hold yourself there for a second or so, do that. Eventually, when you can do one pullup, stop with the chair.

Pullups work lots of muscles. To add more to the mix, try to raise your knees up so that your thighs parallel the ground. This will give you some upper abs work at the same time.

Once you're comfortable with doing a few pullups at a time (maybe 3-4) then you can start a body weight workout plan. I'd suggest simplefit solely because it's painfully simplistic.

The single best thing you can do is keep this easy and accessible. You don't need equipment, you don't need DVDs, you don't need crazy complex movements. Keep it simple



Offline Paleo Curmudgeon

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Re: True Caveman Workout?
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2010, 08:15:57 PM »
If you have been sedentary for 10 years start out slowly and go easy for the first few weeks and slowly build up strength and stamina.

Offline Doglord

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Re: True Caveman Workout?
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2010, 05:31:45 AM »
Thanks for the advice, loved the link to simple fit. Further question, getting a pull up bar wont be possible for the next two weeks or so, so I have begun doing push-ups and squats. Any other exercises I can do with no equipment at all?

Offline phrakture

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Re: True Caveman Workout?
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2010, 06:04:27 AM »
Thanks for the advice, loved the link to simple fit. Further question, getting a pull up bar wont be possible for the next two weeks or so, so I have begun doing push-ups and squats. Any other exercises I can do with no equipment at all?

Lunges, hindu pushups (search youtube for that one), handstand pushups, etc - there's TONS of bodyweight exercises available to you.

Personally, I'm a fan of burpies



Offline arthurb999

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Re: True Caveman Workout?
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2010, 07:02:56 AM »
Never Gymless by Rosstraining.com

Excellent guide... worth every penny.

Offline Il Capo

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Re: True Caveman Workout?
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2010, 12:42:18 PM »
You can try Janda situps. Wlfdg recommended them to me and they are really cool. Check youtube for instructions. You can replace the exercise ball with a couch or bed of appropriate height.
Any idiot can get on a treadmill and watch TV and then take great pride in the fact they've exercised.
Mark Rippetoe

CAVEMANforum - The most popular Paleo diet and caveman exercise discussion site

Re: True Caveman Workout?
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2010, 12:42:18 PM »