Want to build muscle but can’t afford the gym fees?
Perhaps you just want to develop strength you can use anywhere, at any time?
I’ll tell you a little secret. It doesn’t take a million trips to the gym to build strong, powerful muscular tone.
Not to mention, there are many healthier ways to build natural strength than pumping iron.
Here’s the thing: it can be done right from the comfort of your own home.
Have a look to see why you REALLY ought to be working out at home.
The Benefits Of Working Out From Home
Time Efficiency
If time plays a factor in your workouts, getting your training done at home can be a great way to save time.
There’s no commute to the gym, no need to waste time in the locker rooms, no painful gym music thumping out of speakers.
Get a BETTER workout at home and spend that valuable time on things you’d rather be doing.
Money Talks
Why spend your extra dough on an expensive gym? Gyms have a lot of overheads for you to pay for: staff, expensive equipment you probably don’t use, facilities, parking… cut your losses and just do your workout at home.
No need to buy attractive gym clothes or a gym bag either- workout in your underwear if you like!
Planning
It can be overwhelming walking into a gym and seeing a jungle of equipment. Where to start?
Planning a home workout takes care of this- you’re getting targeted, planned results.
There’s no need to hop onto the next machine. You know what muscle groups you’re working on during your home workout.
Why You Don’t Need Expensive Equipment
Gym equipment just manipulates nature to give you a workout. ALL gym machines rely on things found in nature like weight, gravity and terrain.
Gym gear companies have cunningly put these together into a package that sells.
Here’s the thing:
You can get all the benefits of nature without the shiny, sophisticated mumbo-jumbo. The reason this stuff sells is because people don’t know the simple techniques to work their Body properly- so they buy the package.
It’s just like getting a meal at a restaurant versus making it yourself. Sure, you might be eating off a fancy plate next to a water fountain, there’s no reason you couldn’t make the meal at home.
Why Natural Is Good
Ever heard about bodybuilders being useless fighters?
There’s a reason that the likes of UFC fighters don’t have those bulging, bronzed thighs and triangular frames.
Let me explain.
A big reason you don’t need weight machines is that they aren’t all that natural. Machines target your muscles in one very specific way. Your muscles are being strengthened to perform that one task, but that one task only.
Think about it, how natural is that? The only situation I can think of where bench-press strength is useful is if you were trying to lift an enormous rock off your neck.
Wouldn’t you rather have a well-rounded strength that you can use in any way?
Getting your strength training through more natural techniques that use your own body weight will build this well-rounded strength.
All you need is the right ingredients.
If what you’re looking for from your workout is results, you can throw the rest of the stuff in the trash.
How does that sound?
If you’re interested in getting killer strength workouts from home, read on.
25 Exercises To Get You Fit Without Leaving Your Living Room
Shoulders
Shoulder day at the gym usually involves the same tired old routine. Overhead Press. Dumbbells. Yawn.
You truly don’t need a full gym set-up to build up your shoulder muscles.
Here are some techniques you can use to build the shoulders of an ox (if that’s what you’re going for).
Stair Push-ups
With a little creativity, you can tweak the push-up to work your shoulders. This method raises your feet, altering where your body feels the strain in the push-up. Be warned: even if you’re no stranger to push-ups, remember that you are working a new muscle group, so these will be difficult at first. But persist, and you will soon see results.
1. Place both feet on the bottom step and get into push-up position (facing away from stairs).
2. Keeping back as straight as possible, complete a set of full push-ups.
3. To increase the gains, place feet on the next stair up. Slowly work your way up the stairs, one day or week at a time.
Pike Push-Ups
This is another altered form of push-up, changing the weight distribution of your body.
1. Get into a push-up position.
2. Lift your hips and fold your body, form an up-side down V.
3. Bending your elbows, lower your head as close as possible to the ground.
4. Push yourself back up using your arms.
Side Plank
A version of the plank (see exercises for ‘Abs’); these are great work for your obliques and shoulders.
1. Turn onto your left side with your legs straight, feet stacked on top of each other.
2. Put your left elbow directly under your shoulder, forearm on ground.
3. Moving your hips, straighten your body. The only points of contact are your left foot and left forearm.
4. Hold for as long as comfortable; building up duration over time.
Arms
There aren’t many strength junkies who don’t target their arms as part of a workout. Whether you want to tone, build or strengthen, it can all be achieved at home.
Getting great arms can be done without access to dumbbells or any other weights.
The two main muscle groups are the triceps and biceps. If your arm workouts only use one of these groups, things will get out of balance pretty quickly.
If we target both groups equally, we are bound to get good results.
Let’s have a look a look at some exercises that target one of these groups.
Triceps
Diamond Push-ups
These are the same idea as regular push-ups, but your arms are in a slightly different position. This targets your triceps effectively, making them work to move your body weight. Like pike push-ups, chances are you will be able to do far fewer of these than regular push-ups.
1. Get into push-up position
2. Placing each hand at a 45 degree angle, create a diamond shape with your thumbs creating the bottom of the diamond
3. Complete full push-ups, keeping your hips in line with your spine and your legs straight, legs locked.
Bench Dips
Dips are one of the best exercises to target your triceps, as your body weight is being supported by them.
If you don’t have a bench, don’t worry. Just take two regular chairs; the flatter the seat, the better.
1. Place two benches or chairs about a metre apart (adjust accordingly).
2. Place feet on one bench, hands on the other, fingers facing towards your feet, thumbs pointing in to your body
3. Keeping chest and back straight, slowly lower your body into the gap between the benches
4. Stop when your elbows are at a 90 degree angle
5. Push back up to straighten arms
Biceps
Chin-ups
Biceps tend to be a little more complicated to work out without equipment- a chin-up bar can really help. Look for a suitable place in your home where you can build one, or order a doorframe-mountable bar- these are cheap.
Chin-ups are very effective as you are utilising all of your body weight- this exercise gives them a real run for their money.
1. Hold the bar with your palms facing you, slightly wider than shoulder width.
2. Use your core muscles to keep your body straight as you pull upwards
3. Stop when your chin is level with the bar
4. Slowly lower yourself and repeat
Handstand Push-ups
Here’s another way to tweak push-ups to target muscle groups.
1. Get into handstand position with your feet against a wall for balance
2. Lower yourself down using your arms until your head touches the ground
3. Lift yourself back up
Bicep Curls
You can perform bicep curls with anything that increases resistance- you don’t need dumbbells. Of you don’t have a resistance band or dumbbell, get creative! Use something around the home to hold to increase the work your biceps are doing.
1. Hold your arms at sides (palms facing forward)
2. Bending arms at elbows, raise arms until fully folded
3. Lower arms to starting position and repeat
Chest
Tired of waiting your turn for the bench-press? Believe it or not, targeting your chest can be done without one of these.
What’s more, the bench press isn’t an exercise that works your chest all that effectively. While you grind out rep after rep, you’re only targeting strength, but not speed.
Piqued your interest yet?
Try some of these simple, equipment-free exercises you can do at home to build your chest.
The Original Push Up
No need for any explanation I suppose? Anyways, this is a fantastic exercise working your core, shoulders and triceps aside from your chest.
Gorilla Push-ups
No, these don’t involve eating a banana.
1. Start in standard push-up position
2. Lower yourself at a normal push-up pace
3. Launch yourself upwards, slapping your chest
Shuffle Push-up
These are similar to clap push-ups, with more of an explosive element.
1. Position yourself in a push-up position, with one hand planted in front of your shoulder, one behind
2. Complete a push-up, keeping torso and legs straight
3. At top of push-up, walk or jump your hands to swap positions
4. Repeat
Decline Stair Push-Ups
Like the regular stair-push up, but your feet are lower than your hands. Doing this, we can target a different part of your chest.
1. Place both hands on a stair, bench or chair and get into push-up position, so your feet are lower than hands.
2. Keeping back as straight as possible, complete a set of full push-ups.
3. To make this exercise more difficult, raise the height of your hands- place on the next stair up, etc.
Abs and Core
Think of an exercise. Chances are, you use your core muscles for it. Whatever you want to do, having a strong core will help you do it faster, easier and for longer.
This is why building up a strong core is an investment in your fitness.
Ab workouts have to be one of the easiest muscle groups to target. So now you know the importance, and how easy they are to do, what’s stopping you?
You will see massive results from these ab workouts.
Plank
These work your whole core, and if you do it right, you’ll really feel the burn. They have to be one of the best all-round exercises for your abs and core.
1. Resting on your front, prop yourself up using your forearms with your elbows directly beneath your shoulders. Clasp hands together.
2. Keep your spine as straight as possible, hips in line. Look directly forward.
3. Hold for one minute.
4. Increase hold time as you build strength- for a real challenge, hold until failure.
Leg Raises
You know those leg raise machines they have at the gym? You can get the same workout lying on the floor.
Leg raises build strength in the lower part of your abdomen. At first you will only manage a few reps, but soon enough you’ll be pumping them out.
1. Lie on the ground, arms at sides.
2. Lock your knees to keep legs straight.
3. Pivot at your waist, raising your legs. Stop when legs perpendicular to ground.
4. Pause for a second, then slowly lower legs to ground.
Bicycle Sit-ups
Regular sit-ups are great, but this variation works the sides of your abs in addition to the front. Aim to start off with 10 reps in a set before you start to add more.
1. Lie flat on the ground.
2. Keep hands behind ears, elbows out.
3. As you sit up, pull your left knee towards your chest
4. Twist your torso and head to the left and touch your left knee with your right elbow.
5. Rotate back into natural resting position; as you lie down put your leg down.
6. Repeat process with right leg/left arm.
Back
We’re spending more time than ever sitting down and our backs have something to say about it. The office life can wreak havoc on your back.
Take control. Aside from looking good, a well-formed back helps with good posture and preventing injuries.
Reverse Snow Angels
Your scapula, rhomboids and laterals work together for this effective toning exercise.
1. Lie on the ground, face down.
2. Raise your shoulders and hands slightly off the ground by bringing shoulder blades together.
3. Keeping arms straight, rotate your shoulders to bring your arms around in an arc, hands meeting above your head
4. Bring arms back to start and repeat.
Superman
Does the name give you any clues? You’re going to look like Superman flying when you do this exercise properly. Not only does this work your back, but it also stretches out your core- this is a great one to work as many muscles as possible.
1. Lie on the ground, face down.
2. Squeezing all your muscles, lift your chest, arms and legs off the floor.
3. Hold for 2-3 seconds, squeezing your lower back and exhaling.
4. Slowly lower yourself back into a relaxed position.
5. Repeat.
Pull ups
This killer back exercise is surely one of the greatest back-builders out there. And you know what? You actually can do them even if you do not have a pull-up bar (but I recommend you to get one)!
By using a door and a solid piece of wood, pin the piece of wood under your door to make the door sturdy. Voila, you suddenly have your own pull-up door ready for action!
1. Grab the top of your door/ pull up bar, arms a little bit wider than shoulder with apart – palms facing away from you.
2. Keep your core tight and shoulders low.
3. Using your lat’s, pull yourself up until your chest almost touches the top of the door/ pull-up bar.
4. Slowly lower yourself down to the starting position.
Legs
Aah legs, legs, legs. The bane of every gym junkie’s existence.
There’s a reason leg workouts are the essence of a healthy exercise routine. One of the largest muscle groups in the body, working out your legs stimulates the hormones that build muscle EVERYWHERE.
Feeling guilty about skipping all those leg sessions yet?
Don’t worry, rest easy knowing you can get great legs working out at home!
Jumping Squats
The jumping squat gets your heart pumping, but somehow if it’s not difficult enough, try rotating 180 degrees in the air during your jump.
1. Standing a shoulder-width apart, keep your hands by your ears (hold them if easier).
2. Slowly squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
3. Jump as high as comfortable, landing with legs at 45 degrees.
4. Repeat.
Hop Tuck
Similar to the jumping squat, but arguably harder- the Hop Tuck also works your butt and arms.
1. Standing a shoulder-width apart, hold arms at shoulder-height, palms facing floor
2. Slowly squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
3. Jump as high as possible, grabbing just below your knees when they are close to your body.
4. Land back with legs at 45 degrees.
5. Repeat.
Sissy Squats
This version of squats might sound and look stupid, but it is deadly as box jellyfish!
1. With feet shoulder with apart, stand straight up and down while holding one hand on a study chair or something similar to hold your balance
2. Breath in while knees are tilted forward and torso backwards. The body should form a straight line from head to your knees. It might look like your doing the limbo, but you are actually giving your quads the punishment of their lives!
3. Pull your knees in and lift your torso back to the starting straight up and down position.
Full Body Exercises
I don’t need to tell you why full body exercises are great, do I? Glad to hear it!!
Kill many birds with one stone. When it comes to full body workouts, you have ZERO reason to go to the gym- there are almost unlimited options for home techniques.
Word to the wise: you’ll figure out pretty quickly doing these that you are getting a full body workout!
Burpees
1. Standing a shoulder-width apart, keep your arms by your sides.
2. Push hips back, lower body into a squat.
3. Place hands on floor in front of feet, putting body weight onto them.
4. Jump back to land in the plank position (see above).
5. Jump forward, feet landing outside of hands.
6. Jump upwards, raising arms above head.
7. Land, ready to repeat.
Mountain Climbers
1. Get into plank position.
2. Pull one knee forwards, foot off ground and knee bending.
3. Pull forward as far as comfortable, then place back into plank position.
4. Repeat with other leg.
Walkouts
1. Stand a shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend at waist and place hands on floor just in front of feet.
3. Putting more and more weight onto your hands, start to walk them forward.
4. Keep walking hands forward until they are beneath your head.
Killer At Home Workout Program
Now, let’s put it all together, shall we?
Workout routine #1:
INSTRUCTIONS
Once you have done each circuit, have a 2-minute rest. Set a workout length before your program- start with 20 minutes.
1. Jumping Squats (legs) x 20 reps
2. Diamond Push-ups (chest) x 20 reps
3. Bicycle Sit-ups (abs/core) x 20 reps
4. Hop Tucks (legs) x 20 reps
5. Stair Push-ups (chest) x 20 reps
6. Plank (abs/core) 1 minute
Workout routine #2:
INSTRUCTIONS
This is one of my own favorites… I try to do this program with high intensity, using the principals of MYO reps.
In short, I do 6 sets each exercise. In Set 1 I do as many repetitions as possible, followed by 5 sets where I do 2-6 repetitions. I only rest for 10 seconds between each set.
NOTE! You need to add enough resistance for you to only be able to do max 6 repetitions after the “warm up set”. You should struggle to do the last repetition, if you manage to do 7 you need to add more resistance. 6 is the magic absolute maximum!
As I’m in relatively good shape I utilize a weighted vest to make sure I challenge my body properly.
The theory behind this methodology is that all of the repetitions you do will be effective. While only resting for 10 seconds your muscles do not have the time to recover during the brakes, making them really work hard trough the 2-6 repetitions you do.
Have a one minute brake between each exercise.
THIS TEQUINICE IS TME EFFICIENT AND WORKS AS H***!
Ok, the workout:
Push ups: 12-20 reps, followed by 5×2-6 reps. 10 seconds rest between each set.
Pull ups: 12-20 reps, followed by 5×2-6 reps. 10 seconds rest between each set.
Hop tuck: 12-20 reps, followed by 5×2-6 reps. 10 seconds rest between each set.
Chin ups: 12-20 reps, followed by 5×2-6 reps. 10 seconds rest between each set.
Bench dips: 12-20 reps, followed by 5×2-6 reps. 10 seconds rest between each set.
Plank: 6 sets, keep in plank position for as long as possible without loosing your form.
This workout will hit your whole body, challenging every single muscle in your body while sending your heart rate trough the roof.
Boom!
Workout routine #3
Play around with the exercises described in this article. If you have some resistance bands, a suspension trainer or dumbbells, – put them into the mix!
Making your own exercise program can be both motivating and fun, – and it might even be what you need to get your a** in shape!
Investing 20 minutes a day to exercise will do wonders to both your fitness level and mental health!
Investing 20 minutes a day to exercise will do wonders to both your fitness level and mental health!
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Final Words
These are but a few of the exercises that are easy to do at home. Research more exercises for a limitless supply of information- the internet makes it easier than ever to get inspiration.
Working out at home is JUST as effective (if not more) than heading in to the gym to use the machines.
It’s more natural. For a lean, versatile and sustainable form of fitness, develop a home workout routine.
If you don’t feel fighting fit after persisting at a home workout routine, what have you lost? Money? Nope. Time? Not really. Fitness? I doubt it.
So ditch the gym pass and get fit, on your terms.
Further Reading
Recommended Resources
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