Snowed In and/or Training on a Budget?

I despise snow days. Not for the same typical reasons why most people despise them, but because these are the days I days I must put up with people's unacceptable excuses not to train (myself included, and I kick myself every time I let this happen). What constitutes as a good excuse to skip training? I don't know, but the clip below exemplifies the bad ones (I already posted this in the past, but definitely deserves a second posting).




Fortunately for me, being snowed in doesn't mean I can't have a good workout (neither does not having $$$). All you need is a little motivation, and a basic home gym. At the top is a photo of a gym my brother and I built a few weeks ago at my Mississauga home. It really doesn't take much time, and in the long run is more affordable than joining a club. Our simple yet effective home gym consists of a(n) treadmill, elliptical, ab machine, Bench press machine, free weights, a chin-up bar, elastic bands, 2 boxing bags, carpeted flooring, a few mirrors, and a computer consisting of only fight material for some inspiration! Of course you can't forget a timer to keep track of those rounds, here are online ones.

Timer #1: http://www.round12boxing.com/timekeeper.htm
Timer #2: http://www.speedbagforum.com/timer.html





It took us a while of course to accumulate some of these equipments, but we never did let the lack of training equipment in the early days prevent us from training. There's always something you can do. whether it's body based exercises, skipping, sparring, or shadowboxing, the important thing is to get off your ass and do something...anything.

Click here for an excellent article on "Budget Training."


If money to join the gym or buying weights is a problem, you can't fail with Roadwork, a tool used by health enthusiast, athletes, and your average Joe just wanting to stay fit. And it doesn't cost much more than a pair of shoes. Try to always plan your route ahead of time, figure out the distance, set a timing goal, and then record your run. This process of planning is crucial because it not only allows you to track you progression, but every time you make your goal, it gives you a sense of accomplishment thus boosting motivation. A good way of constantly improving your cardio is by either adding a minute more to each run, or try to run the same distance as before but 30 seconds or a minute faster. Overtime, you will be surprised by the gains. Mix things up, and have some fun.

Here is a Map Pedometer.

CLICK HERE

Click on the Map for instructions.