[supadupamikey]

It's been over 2 years since I was consistently working out and I want to get back with it.

Things are pretty tight financially and I'd like to avoid getting a gym membership if I can. I don't want the drive, or the drama. However, on the other hand, its hard to get motivated at home and I have very limited access to equipment.

I'm still in decent shape and I like bodyweight exercises so I'd like to base my exercises around that. Along with a strict budget, I've also got limited space for future equipment/weights.

A month or so ago, I made a wide-grip chin-up bar out of 1/2" steel pipe from Lowes and its hanging in my garage. Since then I've picked up a set of Power Rings and mounted them in the garage as well. [Note: I pulled off 13 chin ups (1 did 1 set until failure) on the rings a couple weeks ago and my body ached for 4-5 days afterwards.]

I was planning to do chin ups, dips and pushups on the rings. What other exercises would you guys recommend? I dont have any free weights or other equipment at the time and I'd like to avoid getting them if possible (just due to cost and lack of space to keep them). Depending how well the rings work for me though, I could see myself building some type of high-bar setup outside so that I could do muscle-ups and whatever else.

It's also been a few years since I've read anything about working out, so, please feel free to toss out any links where I can get some good reading. Reading things also helps to get me motivated.

Also, a couple years ago, I mainly stuck with major exercises (chins, dips, pushups, bench-press) and I usually did 1 set until failure for each exercise. If I didn't feel that I gave my all, I'd wait 60 seconds and then try to do the exercise again. I also tried to alternate higher-reps/lower-weights with lower-reps/higher-weights every few weeks or so. i liked to do chins/dips with extra weight too, but, for now I've got a lot of balancing/stabilizing to learn on these rings.

thanks in advance,
-mike

ps. i'm 25, 5'4", 132lbs.

[Willard]

Matt Furey's book has some really good bodyweight exercises:

http://www.mattfurey.com/index.htm

Good Luck!

[SouthernGal]

My hospital just started the following by building a walking track around our largest facility.

America on the Move

www.americaonthemove.org

$25 pedometers were offered for $5 at our kickoff event. They are pretty accurate and work well even when running.