I love working out, but not in a gym. Is there anything I can do to tone up and better define my muscles without stepping foot inside one? I currently run, bike, swim, and do yoga.
— Mary Kay Reston, VA
If muscle tone is a major goal right now, you’re on the right track with yoga. Of particular benefit are the poses that involve balance and extension. Achieving proper form in these positions takes a great deal of body awareness and muscle control, and holding these positions takes power. While specific poses, or asanas, should be integrated together into a cohesive yoga session, some of the poses that may best address your specific goals include:
• Side Plank
• Warrior I, II, or III
• Downward facing Dog
• Tree Pose
In terms of other non-gym exercises that lead to muscle tone, consider some form of rock climbing or bouldering.
Do you have a question of your own?
If there’s not a lot of outdoor rock climbing to be done in your area, try a climbing gym. I realize you want to avoid gyms, but I believe the bigger issue you want to avoid is the dull repetition of lifting weights or running on a treadmill. You want to participate in activities that are enjoyable in their own right, not just means to an end. You may need to climb indoors because of where you live, but I’d encourage you to try it, because you can continually challenge your skills and it’s an exercise that addresses your goals.
Other activities you may want to consider include squash and racquetball. These high-speed racket sports involve a great deal of powerful side-to-side, front-to-back running (typically it’s more lunging than running though) and there’s a lot of twisting through the torso and use of the upper body for swinging the racket and maintaining balance. The best part about squash and racquetball is that the court is enclosed; you don’t have to spend a lot of time retrieving poorly hit balls because they generally come back to within a few steps of you.
Chris Carmichael
Founder, CEO, and president of Carmichael Training Systems, Chris Carmichael is the personal coach to seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. In 2004 he was awareded the USA Cycling Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in May 2003. He's been honored as the United States Olympic Committee's Coach of the Year and athletes under his tutelage have won 33 Olympic, World Championships, and Pan American Games. He is the author of the New York Times Bestseller "Chris Carmichael's Food For Fitness: Eat Right to Train Right" and "The Ultimate Ride," and co-author of "The Lance Armstrong Performance Program," with Lance Armstrong. Carmichael coaches a host of elite athletes including Discovery Channel rider and four-time Olympian George Hincapie and World Record Swimmer Ed Moses.
If muscle tone is a major goal right now, you’re on the right track with yoga. Of particular benefit are the poses that involve balance and extension. Achieving proper form in these positions takes a great deal of body awareness and muscle control, and holding these positions takes power. While specific poses, or asanas, should be integrated together into a cohesive yoga session, some of the poses that may best address your specific goals include:
