Can I get toned and muscular without going to the gym

Not completely true although progressive overload is a key driver of hypertrophy. Body weight exercises can be great if you leverage time under tension, for example. More time under tension = more metabolic stress + muscle fibre recruitment = hypertrophy. TUT is also great for getting a good 'feel' when working out and developing a good mind muscle connection. It's also easier on the joints and allows you to use a lower weight.

Yes, a few bar bells and a bench aren't expensive (compared to gym membership). You can look online for exercises that suit your goals, exercise when it suits and shower in private!

Yea sure (I'm a PT). Just get a couple of second hand dumbbell sets, a mat and some resistance bands for home. In a perfect world an exercise bike or similar piece of cardio equipment too. Then follow some decent strength training workouts online and bike in front of the TV. Make sure you do strength training and some decent cardio weekly. Its amazing what you can achieve with bodyweight exercises and the basics of home exercise equipment.

A 'toned' body needs you to have 2 things. A reasonable amount of muscle mass and low enough body fat % so that the muscle countours can be seen.

You need to lift weights for the first part and have a good nutrition plan for the second.

Anybody saying you can build muscle just as well with body weight exercise is talking rubbish.

Yes, technically you can get in great shape with fat loss and body weight only exercises.
push ups, squats, ab exercises. Add some weights or a kettlebell for different variations.
Depends on your motivation/ boredom threshold though.

Yes I do 30 day shred everyday and my figure is transformed.

You can just keep buying bigger weights to progress if it gets too easy. The limitation in the end is often grip strength so get some straps. I think that if people don’t get the results they want with at home work outs it’s often poor diet, lack of consistency or not progressing the weights. I prefer the gym myself because I oddly find it easier to motivate myself to go somewhere to work out than to fit it in at home but many people feel the exact opposite

Do you have any park gyms in your local area? Some of our local parks have a free outdoor equipment area, or a circuit of outdoor equipment around the park.

Yes, I think you can. I used to be a member of a couple of gyms over the years. A couple of years ago, I bought myself a small set of dumbells and have been very pleased with the result, as I'm now very well toned and got some good muscles. I also walk at least 10k steps per day which helps the lower body of course. It's amazing what exercises you can make up with just dumbells - I have managed to recreate most of the exercises I used to do in the gym using their purpose built weight machines.

You do see a lot of people cheating a leg press by doing a really partial range of motion. I have been amazed myself when I thought a weight was easy but my PT came along and adjusted the seat a bit and suddenly it got much harder! Free weight exercises are much more functional as well ie they mimic stuff you do in real life like picking up shopping bags and kids

Nothing will get you sculpted in five minutes a day

This is true. Abs are made in the kitchen and all that.

Yeah, I'd largely agree with this. Sounds a bit paradoxical but I tend to recommend previously untrained people avoid the machines to begin with. It's really important to learn proper form when carrying out key movement patterns ie (full depth) squat, hinge, push, pull and press. The leg press definitely will feel more pleasant than a squat in many ways as the squat is pretty much a full body exercise. I use the leg press machine if I really want to blast my quads by loading up the weight and manipulating angles and foot placement but I know how to do this safely and use it as an accessory move alongside other bigger lifts.

You won't look sculpted if you have excess body fat and exercise won't help with that. Just saying.

Go an ask your most local farmer / horse yard if you can help them out. You’ll be absolutely hench in no time. My back and shoulders are ridiculous from having horses and I don’t really go near the gym.

Machines are more pleasant cos they are easier which is not what you want when building muscle. You want time under tension and for the last few reps to feel really difficult.

They often do not encourage correct form because they aren’t adjustable enough for all bodies and are largely designed for men. The weight increments are often too high to easily progress.

Learn to do free weights and you’ll never look back. A set of dumbbells and ideally some kettlebells and a pull up bar would be great at home. That’s what I had in the pandemic with gyms closed

Source: YouTube https://share.google/mMRxsY1QrESEDolbZ

I like Tracey Mallett

Any you can recommend please? A Youtuber name to have a look at. I have been told Pilates would be great for me but it's just not something I've "got into" as I don't really know a good person to follow.

Yes. I won’t go to the gym because I find them incredibly frustrating environments. They’re always rammed, you end up wasting time waiting around for people to finish on equipment, most people seem to be sitting around idly on their phones or gossiping with their friends and I also find the majority have no natural light. There’s two gyms I have attempted to go to where the treadmills face a wall, I just can’t run on the spot looking at a wall.

I now run 3 times a week regardless of weather (only time I won’t if it’s icy for obvious reasons) and I have dumbbells so follow a routine 3 x a week with those. Saving money and just feel better about it.

Yes. I've built a lot if muscle doing Caroline Girvan. I've also spent a hideous amount on weights but at least no monthly gym costs.

Second this!!

I never go to the gym. I do a mixture of ballet barre, pilates, yoga and treadmill running and I'm really toned. People automatically i assume i lift weights, which I don't. I'm 55.

I trained with a couple of dumbbells and a kettlebell all through lockdown using FIIT type classes (having been a gym fiend) and I stayed really fit - so yes totally doable!

The weight needs to be challenging though and you need to push yourself, which is harder without anyone watching.