Strength training, which can also be referred to as resistance training or weight training, is an essential component of any comprehensive fitness program. You’ll see improvements in both your strength and your muscular endurance as a result of this.
When you engage in strength training, you move your body in ways that are opposed by some form of resistance, such as:
- Your physical weight.
- Free weights, such dumbbells or barbells.
- Resistance bands are also sometimes referred to as exercise bands or resistance tubing.
- Equipment that provide resistance include cable machines, single-exercise machines, and multi-gym systems, amongst others.
Workouts that focus on building muscle are extremely adaptable and can be performed virtually anywhere. You may construct a powerful strength training program that you can undertake in the convenience and privacy of your own home, in addition to the fact that it is a popular workout choice at many gyms.
This article will help you understand what you need to get started with a strength training regimen that you can perform at home. Additionally, it will provide you with some examples of exercises that you can include in your workout plan.
What Are The Advantages Of Participating In Weightlifting?
Research has shown that strength training may have a variety of positive effects on your health and fitness in a variety of different ways. Strength training may be beneficial for the following, according to the Mayo Clinic:
- Develop a strong and lean muscular mass.
- Minimize body fat.
- Even after you’ve finished exercising, you’ll be able to burn calories at a higher rate.
- Increase your body’s metabolic rate and making it simpler to lose weight.
- Boost bone density while simultaneously improving bone health.
- Increase your flexibility and your range of motion by doing these exercises.
- Enhance both the health of the brain and the cognitive functions.
- Lessen the symptoms of a wide variety of chronic illnesses, including back pain, diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease, among others.
- Enhance your posture as well as your balance and stability.
- Boost energy levels.
- Enhance one’s mood as well as their general sense of well-being.
What Are The Advantages Of Performing Workouts In The Comfort Of One’s Own Home?
If you want to get in a good workout but don’t want to go to the gym, you could find that doing exercises at home is a much simpler and more convenient alternative.
Benefits of Home Workout
- It is time efficient. There is no need to wait for machinery or equipment or go to other locations.
- It comes at a modest price. There is no need for pricey equipment or membership fees to a fitness center.
- You may work out at any moment. No matter what time of day or night it is, you are free to work out according to your own agenda.
- Privacy. You won’t need to worry about feeling self-conscious if you get some exercise.
- Proceed at your own leisurely speed. There is no expectation placed on you to keep up with the people around you or to challenge yourself beyond what is comfortable.
Way Of Starting Your Workouts
When you are ready to begin planning your strength training routine, the first thing you need to do is locate a space in your home where you will be able to exercise in a manner that is satisfactory to you. You will want to look for a location that provides you with sufficient space so that you may move your arms and legs without restriction.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on equipment, but if you do decide to buy a few things, the following are some suggestions for things that could be useful:
- A workout mat.
- Bands or tubes for exercising against a force.
- Dumbbells.
- A kettlebell.
- A balance or stability ball.
- A medicine ball.
You may improvise by utilizing water bottles, sandbags, or canned foods in lieu of the weights instead of dumbbells or a kettlebell to complete your strength training routine.
If you are just starting out with strength training, you might want to search the internet for a strength training routine that is designed just for beginners. This can assist you in learning how to do a variety of exercises with the appropriate form, as well as how to properly warm up and cool down.
Before Begin, Do Some Warmups.
Perform a series of warmup exercises for at least five to ten minutes before beginning your workout. This may be accomplished by activities such as brisk walking, running in place, or motions that work your legs, arms, and other main muscle groups.
Exercises that use just one’s own bodyweight as resistance.
After your muscles have been warmed up and are prepared to move, you may begin by doing a series of exercises using only your own body weight.
For bodyweight exercises, you don’t need any equipment, but you might want to invest in an exercise mat if the floor is very rough.
Make sure you perform each of these exercises with movements that are fluid, steady, and under control.
Lunges.
Your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves all get a good workout when you perform a simple lunge.
To Do This Exercise:
- To begin, you should stand tall with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Take a step forward with your right foot and squat down, bringing your hips closer to the ground until your right knee is at a straight angle to the ground and your left knee is parallel to the ground. Make sure that your front knee does not extend past your toes at any point.
- To keep your torso in an upright position, you should lengthen your spine.
- Keep your body in this posture for at least 5 seconds.
- The next step is to bring your right foot around to the left side of your body, and then repeat this action with your left leg.
- Perform this sequence ten to twelve times, then take a little break before moving on to the next set.
There are many different kinds of lunges, such as walking lunges, leaping lunges, lunges with a twist to the body, and side lunges.
Squat And Raise Your Arms Overhead.
When beginning strength training for the first time, a good exercise to begin with is just lifting your arms above without using any weights. As soon as you are able to do this exercise in the correct manner, you may go to using light dumbbells and then gradually increasing the weight as your strength improves.
This exercise targets not only the muscles in your legs and glutes, but also the muscles in your core, back, and shoulders, in addition to your triceps.
To Perform This:
- Maintain a stance in which your feet are slightly farther apart than your hips and your arms are at your sides.
- Bring your hips down into a squat position in a slow and controlled manner.
- You need to put some effort in to get back to standing, and then raise your arms above your head.
- Bring yourself back to the place where you started.
- Perform one to three sets of eight to twelve reps each.
Planks.
Planks are a fantastic exercise for building core strength and stability, and should be included in your workout routine. You may also strengthen the muscles in your back, chest, and shoulders by performing this exercise.
To Perform This:
- Rest only on your forearms and toes, maintaining a straight line with your body while squeezing your buttocks and contracting your abdominal muscles.
- Make an effort to maintain this posture for a full minute. If you find that too challenging, try beginning with only 20 seconds.
- Try to maintain the plank position for at least a minute as you get stronger and fitter. If you can, hold it for two minutes.
If you feel that you are ready for a more difficult variation of the plank, you might attempt lifting one leg at a time while you are in the plank position.
Pushups.
The pectoral muscles in the chest, as well as the triceps, shoulder muscles, and abdominal muscles, all get a workout with standard pushups.
To Perform This:
- Get into the plank posture with your palms squarely beneath your shoulders. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
- As you bend your elbows to lower your body, make sure to keep your back straight and your abdominal muscles braced. Continue lowering your body until your chest is almost touching the floor.
- Start pushing your body back up to the starting position as soon as you can.
- Repeat between 8 and 12 times. You should begin with one to two sets, and as your strength improves, you should work up to three sets.
By placing your weight on your knees rather than your toes when performing pushups, you may make this exercise more manageable for your body.
More tough pushup varieties include plyo pushups, close stance pushups, and decline pushups.
Free Weight Workouts.
The next two exercises call for the use of dumbbells. Begin with a pair of dumbbells weighing 5 pounds each. As your strength increases, you should go to utilizing dumbbells that are 8 or 10 pounds in weight.
You may also use canned foods or water bottles for the dumbbells in this exercise. Simply ensure that you have a strong grasp on them to prevent any injuries.
Shoulder Press Using A Dumbbell.
This exercise primarily works the muscles in your shoulders and arms, but it also has the potential to develop the muscles in your core and chest.
To Perform This:
- Maintain a shoulder-width distance between your feet when you stand.
- Take the dumbbells into your hands and lift them until they reach your shoulders. You can turn your palms either toward or away from your body.
- Raise the dumbbells to your shoulders and keep raising them until your arms are completely stretched.
- After holding this position for a brief period of time, lower the dumbbells until they are at shoulder height.
- Perform one to three sets of eight to twelve reps each.
Triceps Kickback Using A Dumbbell.
Your triceps and shoulder muscles will both get a workout from this particular move.
To Perform This:
- Take two dumbbells out of the rack and hold one in each hand.
- Your body should be bent at an angle of 45 degrees, and your elbows should be bent so that they create an angle of 90 degrees.
- The next step is to extend your arms behind your back in a straight line, working your triceps as you go.
- You have the option of working on each arm separately or doing both at the same time.
- Beginning exercisers should begin with one to two sets of eight to twelve repetitions and work their way up to three sets as they become stronger.
Exercises With A Resistance Band.
Another fantastic piece of equipment for your strength training routine is a set of resistance bands. It was demonstrated in a study conducted in 2010 that using resistance bands works your muscles equally as well as using free weights or weight machines, despite the fact that resistance bands are both lightweight and adaptable.
Resistance Band Pull Apart.
The muscles in your back, shoulders, and arms will all get a workout with this exercise.
To Perform This:
- Maintain a stance in which your arms are outstretched in front of you at chest level.
- Maintain a tense hold with both hands on a resistance band. It is important that the band is perpendicular to the ground.
- While maintaining a straight arm position, pull the band towards the direction of your chest while moving your arms out to the sides of your body. This movement should start from the middle of your back.
- Pull your shoulder blades together, being sure to keep your spine in a straight line the entire time, and then gently return to the beginning position.
- Perform 1–3 sets of 15–20 repetitions each.
Hip Extension.
The muscles in your hips and legs will get a good workout with this exercise. In order to perform this workout, you will need a band with a resistance ranging from mild to medium.
- Wrap the resistance band around both of your ankles and secure it with a knot. You might find it helpful to lean against a wall or chair for balance.
- Pull your left leg as far back as you comfortably can while maintaining as much of a straight line as possible between your torso and your left leg.
- Return to the starting location in a slow and steady manner.
- First do 12 repetitions with your left leg, and then switch to your right leg and do the same.
- Begin by completing two sets on each side, and as your strength improves, increase the number of sets you perform to three.
Leg Press With A Resistance Band.
Your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes will all get a workout with this exercise. This exercise forces you to fight against the pull of gravity, much like the leg press on a weight machine.
- Place yourself on your back and then lift both of your feet off the floor.
- Create a 90-degree angle with your knees by bending them. You should flex your feet and point the toes of both feet upward.
- Hold onto the ends of the resistance band once you have wrapped it around your feet.
- Maintaining a position in which your legs are completely stretched will require you to press your feet against the bands.
- Bring the angle between your shins back up to 90 degrees by bending your knees.
- Perform one to three sets, with 10 to 12 repetitions per set.
How To Take It Easy And Relax.
After your workout is complete, take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes to cool down. Your breathing and heart rate will be able to shift into a more restful state as a result of this. You also have the option of doing some light stretching or walking in place.
The Conclusion
Strength training for two to three sessions each week for a total of thirty to forty-five minutes per session is a fantastic strategy to increase your lean muscle mass, burn calories, and speed up your metabolism. This, in turn, can help you burn fat stored in your body, making it simpler for you to lose weight.
In addition, strength training may make your bones and joints stronger, lessen your chance of developing chronic diseases, improve your flexibility, posture, and balance, and raise your energy levels and mood.
Your own body weight or simple, inexpensive equipment can provide as resistance for a wide variety of strength training exercises that can be performed in the convenience and seclusion of your own home.
Before beginning a schedule of strength training at home, you should consult with your doctor or a professional personal trainer if you have any health issues or if you have sustained an injury that makes it difficult for you to exercise.