I’ve been using You Are Your Own Gym for a few months. It’s a bodyweight strength training program–i.e. no trips to an actual gym required. Today I finished the lowest level program and passed the “test” to move to the next level. I haven’t been as consistent as I’d like, since I find strength training mindnumbingly boring. There is no reason it’s any more boring than, say, swimming laps, but it is. Maybe because if I’m swimming laps I can think about something else, but with pushups and squats and such I’m focusing on how many I’ve done. Anyway, the book suggests doing the program 4-5 days a week, and I’m lucky to do it twice. Better than not at all, I suppose.
(I stick with it despite the boredom because a) strength training is really good for me and b) it made me happy to be able to move the washing machine out of the way of the sewer line cleaners all by myself, and I’d like more moments like that.)
Speaking of swimming, I’ve recently finished level 2 of Fitness Swimming. This week I plan to just swim laps, then next week I’ll start the level 3 drills. I’m not sure I’m getting any faster, but I think my stroke has improved. This is another case where the workout schedule calls for 4 or so a week and I’m only doing two.
I’d improve faster if I were only doing one or two of swimming, strength training, tennis, and running, but since that would lead to injury or boredom, I’ll putter along like this for a while.