posted
02/15/12
Hey, I get it. America’s economy isn’t what you’d call firing on all cylinders right now. Unemployment is high. Bank accounts are light. Morale is low. But don’t use our country’s semi-crappy financial situation as an excuse to have a semi-crappy body. There are lots of ways you can get ripped and lean for little or no money. Here are five great options. Yes, one involves a sledgehammer.
1. Try Out Gyms for Free
If you profess interest in joining them, most gyms will give you a week of free membership (or, like, five free day passes). Now let’s say you’ve got four or five gyms in your area. Space your free weeks a bit apart, and you’ve got a month and a half of high-end fitness right there. And it doesn’t cost you a dime.
Gym managers are like used car salesmen: they’re looking to make deals. So be a tough customer. Isn’t your body more important than a hatchback?
2. Don’t Hate, Negotiate
Gym managers are like used car salesmen: they’re looking to make deals. So be a tough customer with these tips: 1. The best time to join a gym is the last two weekends of the month. That’s when salespeople are eager to make their quotas. 2. Sundays are the best day—there are often fewer people at the gym, meaning more time to negotiate. 3. Ask if they’ll beat the rates of the other gyms you’ve visited. 4. Ask for extras—free personal training sessions, free smoothies, a free first month. You’d do the same if you were buying a car. Isn’t your body more important than a hatchback?
3. Work Out for Free at Home
Then again, you don’t even need a gym. Here are six great, short-burst exercises you can do for free in your home:
1. Do planks and push-ups on your bed.
2. Stand on a pillow and do single-leg squats.
3. Grab a towel, get into a push-up position on your linoleum or hardwood floor, and push the towel out to the side and back, or out in front of you and back. (It’s like a wobble board, and it’ll work your stability muscles and core.)
4. Grab a milk carton, fill it halfway with water, and you’ve got a homemade Shake Weight. Make another one, stand up and shake both of them for 10 minutes. Notice your arms burning.
5. Got some old tires? Throw them in the backyard and do tire drills like you’re at an NFL training camp, running and jumping through them.
6. Then grab a sledgehammer and pound one of those tires 25 times. See if you’re not out of breath. And feeling like a total badass.
Come on, if a horse can do it, you can do it.
