As gyms remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, people are seeking alternate forms of fitness at home – and home workouts can still provide effective results with added benefits! Luckily, home exercises offer equally effective results as gym-based routines.
Progressive overload is an effective method for building muscle without equipment at home, meaning gradually making workouts harder over time.
Interval Training
For an effective cardio workout, interval training involving short bursts of high-intensity exercises like sprinting and walking/jogging at slower speeds is an effective solution. Interval training helps build endurance and burn tons of calories simultaneously!
Home exercisers frequently utilize bodyweight exercises or workouts that only require basic equipment (dumbbells, kettlebells or resistance bands). Tricep dips, the plank and mountain climbers are some great examples of conditioning exercises which work great with just bodyweight alone.
Increase the challenge of many bodyweight exercises by adding in additional repetitions or sets, depending on your goals. By customizing your at-home workout to meet them, you can easily meet them!
Bodyweight Exercises
Bodyweight exercises offer an effective home workout alternative for those without access to equipment, without the hassle of travel and gym membership fees. Bodyweight movements work the entire body and can be done anywhere without social distraction or financial strain – not to mention no risks like other fitness activities may involve should something go wrong!
Bodyweight exercises provide more of a total-body workout, than using equipment, by targeting multiple muscle groups at once and burning more calories. Furthermore, they’re easier on joints as well as more versatile – from push-ups on the floor to handstand variations; there’s plenty of variety here!
Prioritize mastery of correct form before increasing difficulty gradually. This helps avoid injuries while keeping workouts engaging for extended periods, increasing calorie burn.
Running or Walking Up and Down the Stairs
Running up and down stairs is an effective home workout to build leg strength, boost oxygen capacity, and enhance blood flow if the stairs are steep.
If your stairs feature handrails, try including plank exercises in your workout as an additional core challenge and shoulder stability training exercise. Or add another twist by performing squats on each step while switching legs every so often – according to Olson. For maximum accountability use a fitness tracker like Tonal to track progress and stay on course!
Maintaining an at-home workout requires discipline and dedication, but the rewards can be immense. No gym closures, class cancellations or inclement weather to derail your routine! Plus you’ll save money on memberships and equipment.
Strength Training
Although some may perceive home workouts as inferior alternatives to gym-going, working out at home is an effective training method in its own right. With the appropriate goals and equipment setup in place, you can achieve results comparable to that found at gym – regardless of fitness level or training experience.
Examples of effective 10-minute exercises could include burpees or explosive high knees performed multiple times throughout the day can be just as effective at burning calories and strengthening legs and core as one 30-minute gym workout. Furthermore, walking up and down stairs several times will build leg strength while simultaneously raising heart rates.
Strength training requires regular progression of your reps and resistance levels, according to Parolini’s principles of progressive overload, which involves gradually increasing weight and frequency during workouts to foster strength, power and muscle size growth.
