Gymless Training

It is with great regularity that I hear people say they hate going to the gym.�For some people a gym membership is too costly. For others, the gym atmosphere is intimidating.�Or maybe one just likes the great outdoors. For whatever reason, training outside the gym is on the rise, and there are a lot of options for everyone.

Train at Home

With all varieties of workout DVDs, all you need are a TV and a large living room.�You will need a few tools to follow specific workouts, but their cost is small.�If you are interested in training in yoga or Pilates, you will need a yoga mat, a strap, and maybe a yoga block.�Pilates DVDs require a mat and toning ring.�All of this is easily stored and portable, in case you want to work out in the park.�

If weightlifting is more your style, you can buy adjustable weights like Bowflex or PowerBlocks, which are popular among weightlifters; if you're just starting out, buy light hand weights. If space is a concern, skip the weights and use resistance bands. A doorway pull-up bar will come in handy, as will a yoga ball.�

Homeowners who don't have to deal with the restrictions of apartment life might go a step further by turning their garage, basement or spare room into a home gym.�Of course, the upside to being an apartment dweller is that you don't need a treadmill -- there's a staircase to run up and down, and it is really effective.

Train Outdoors

Where there's a park or a playground, there's a gym. All you need is open space and a gym bag with some accessories.�When training outdoors, I use park benches to do step-ups, jungle gyms to do pull-ups, and I run on the track.�I travel with an agility ladder, a jump rope, resistance bands and a medicine ball.�You can put together a great interval circuit using these tools to work legs, work the upper body and do cardio.

The resistance bands come in handy because you can wrap them around a tree or a jungle gym to do standing presses, or hook them over a tree branch or jungle gym to do pull-downs. You can do a bicep superset by doing resistance band outside curls and jungle gym bicep pull-ups. You can do a tricep superset using a park bench for dips and the resistance bands for overhead extensions.�The great thing about training out of doors is that you set the tone of your work -- it can be anything you want -- and you get fresh air in your lungs and sun on your face. It's like playtime, only as a grown-up.

Take a Class

Thanks to LivingSocial and Groupon, there are tons of inexpensive classes you can take that won't include buying a gym membership. See if you can hook a boot camp class. It's fun, you will learn new things, and the people there aren't your usual gym fare.�They, like you, went in search of this specific learning experience and will be there to learn, not to judge. If you can get an outdoor boot camp, it is doubly beneficial.�Take a yoga class, a Pilates class or a boxing class. You will usually get around 8 or 10 lessons for your $30, and you might make some new friends while in the process of learning something new.

Personal trainer Dan Tracy is an expert on gymless training. He offers the following advice from his upcoming book:

"It's much easier to procrastinate your workouts if you exercise at home, so it's crucial to establish a schedule beforehand and stick to it.�Turn your phone on airplane mode, turn off your Internet; do whatever it takes to force yourself into a routine. If you can, do it in the morning too. Most people have a lot more willpower earlier in the day."

Model Patrick Cronen left the gym life five years ago and is more built than ever. He says: "If you're not venturing out to a gym, your kitchen is always right next door. Grab water and apples on an empty stomach, and space out your meals three to four hours with an alarm. Keep your meals 70 percent leafy, and you'll still see great gains. Your rest day is so that your body can recharge, reorganize and regrow stronger. Take a walk, take an Epsom bath, but leave the weights for your next lift day."

As for me, when I began my life in health and fitness, I bought a copy of The United States Marine Corps Workout by Andrew Flach and Peter Field Peck. I was thinking about the drills they do outside and how an outdoorsy guy like me could make the most of my time away from the gym. The book set the tone for my gymless training, and I cannot recommend it enough.�The exercises are timeless classics, tried and true, and without gimmick. Time in the gym is great, but some days you just gotta go outside to play.