No Gym Required

Of course, if you are looking to train for any "high performance" sports, there's really no substitute for joining a good gym. The equipment, the staff resources, the inspiration of your fellow enthusiasts, and just the general atmosphere all help to push athletes to peak fitness levels. When I was young and full of beans I trained at real muscle-freak gym, and there's no doubt that my physique and strength levels increased at a much quicker rate than if I had been a member of a less intense (read 'social visit hour in training gear') gym or had attempted to train at home. I was still actively involved in judo at the time, and I had very different goals for my levels of strength, endurance and general fitness.

However, now that I'm an old fart, my goals are to continue to be as healthy as possible and to look as good as I can for my age (who's kiddin' who, most people work-out more for aesthetic reasons than health reasons, and I'm no different). Due to the number of years I spent in the gym with people with a great deal of knowledge, I think I've been able to develop my own home training system that, while not as effective as a good gym, is still quite intense, and therefore effective. If I wasn't so shy, I'd post pics of myself, but at this point I just can't do it. ;)

Currently the only equipment I use consists of the following:

• Barbell (standard home BB, around 20 lb bar)
• Dumbells
• Two different types of chinning bars (a later post will explain why the need for two)
• Chair (any old utility type) for shoulder press
• Chair (comfy chair with padded armrests) for good mornings
• Stationary bike (air resistance, arm action)

My next purchase will be a set of Power Blocks!

I've used this blog as my training journal for some time now (a training journal is a necessity in my opinion), and now I thought I'd add blog entries on my training routine itself, as well as general posts about staying in shape. The next few posts will outline the rotating 5 day weekly schedule and each of the exercises.