It is a common misconception and a delusion that you can’t get great workout results without actually getting a membership and going to the gym, and that home workouts just don’t pack enough punch needed to get in awesome physical shape. If done correctly, home workouts can get you both the muscle definition and the strength/fitness you strive for. Also, there are many benefits to choosing training from the comfort of your home, and not going to the gym. First of all, you can be very flexible with time, work out between other activities, do multiple shorter exercises instead of pumping everything into a single hour or two. You also rid yourself of the pressure of having strangers looking at you, making you feel self-conscious. As we said, when done right, these strength and fitness workouts can do wonders for your physique and health, so now we’ll proceed to give you a few pointers on how to have an efficient home workout.
Warming Up/Stretching
The first thing you should have in mind when starting any exercise routine is the importance of a good warmup. If you go on and start forcing your muscles too much while skipping this part, you can get injured and the workout will be generally less effective because you’re not working on your muscles at a healthy pace, you’ll just end up straining them. Here are some of the great exercises you can incorporate into your warmup routine:
- Arm reach (standing with your legs apart and swinging your arm across your chest, while twisting your torso in the same direction, and then repeat the process with your other arm)
- Hip rotations (placing your hands behind your head and lifting/circling your leg around while bending your knee, then returning and repeating with the other leg)
- Jumping jacks (simultaneously raising your arms to be at the sides over your head and jumping slightly up and widening your feet out wide to more than shoulder-width)
- Squats
- Push-ups
- Arm circles
- Shoulder Shrugs
- Lounges
There are many more exercises that will help get that blood flowing and get your muscles ready for an intense home workout, so feel free to explore, just make sure you’re doing them the right way. If you’re unsure, you can always go on YouTube and watch some videos of properly executed exercises.
Don’t Skip On Cardio
When it comes to cardio, an essential part of any workout routine, there are more than plenty of exercises you can do at home with minimum or no equipment. You don’t need to hit the gym to start burning calories and getting fit. Here are some of the exercises you can incorporate into your routine easily:
- Jogging in place
- One-leg stand (10-15 seconds each at a time)
- Squat jumps
- Jumping rope (very effective)
- Climbing stairs (providing you have stairs at home)
Indeed, there are many cardiovascular exercises to include in your home workout routine. Generally, cardio exercises are crucial for many reasons. Aside from burning calories, reducing pain, and managing some diseases, they can also be used to improve your glutes workout routine. For example, squats can be an excellent cardio exercise for your glutes because of the different muscles used during physical activity. You can even incorporate various squat variations, aside from squat jumps, to target your glutes and obtain a more favorable result.
However, if you want to know more about how to get a round butt while working out at home, you may check some reliable websites and other resources online to explore more exercises for your glute routine.
On the other hand, it’s also important to know that you can do cardio exercises in several ways. For instance, another thing you can do if you want an even more effective cardiovascular workout is to get an exercise bike. It doesn’t have to be this huge apparatus, there are amazing fold-away exercise bikes that will provide the same quality workout, and when you’re done just fold it and put it away somewhere where it bothers you the least. Just make sure you don’t skip oncardio, strength building is great but needs these exercises plus the warmup we already mentioned to make for a full well-rounded routine.
Strength-Building
Every good home workout routine includes both cardio and strength-building exercises. The good news is that you can do the latter without or with minimum equipment (some hand weights or dumbbells). Using only your body weight can also be more than enough for an effective workout, but as you get stronger you should consider including weights from time to time. According to researchers, 2 or 3 days of strength-building exercises a week are perfect for muscle-building. We’ll recommend a couple of great exercises to get you started with building those muscles:
- Push-Ups (they provide almost a full-body workout)
- Burpees (Coming down to a squat from standing position, laying your hands on the floor wider than your feet and then jumping up and landing into a plank position, then go into a squat with your legs, after which you must jump explosively to stand up while rising your hands in the air) Burpees are one of the best all-round exercises you can do.
- Planks
- Dips (from a chair or countertop)
- Squats
After building up some strength doing these no-equipment exercises, you can move on to getting those weights and starting more intensive workouts.
Remember to include a cool-down period in between all exercises, so you don’t strain your muscles. A minute of rest plus shrugging out and stretching after every exercise will ensure an effective and healthy workout. If you are persistent and create your very own routine while following all the necessary steps and precautions, you’ll be feeling much more fit and healthier in no time. And, of course, you won’t just feel it, but also see the results sooner than you expect.
You can become exceptionally fit without ever setting foot in a gym (not that we have anything against gyms, but breaking the stigma around home workouts is very important). Of course, you’ll need to be persistent, laziness and skipping out on your set routine often will render your overall attempt to get fit almost useless. Set your mind on the goal of becoming healthier, stronger, and more energetic, and don’t hesitate to keep trying out new exercises every now and then.
After some time, you can even dedicate more space in your house for your training (maybe even a whole room), which will become your very own personal gym. A couple of weights, plus that fold-away bike and some additional devices will give you the professional workout you may aspire to from the comfort of your home. And remember, decompressing and resting after each and every exercise and making sure you’re giving your muscles enough time to avoid straining.
Conclusion
Indeed, a home workout routine has several benefits. Because you don’t need to go out to perform your physical workouts, you’re able to save time, money, and energy. Not only that, but you also won’t have to miss an important training session regularly. However, performing a home workout routine can be challenging if you have no idea how and where to begin.
Thankfully, by keeping in mind the tips mentioned above, you’ll know exactly how to improve your workout routine at home and get the most out of it as a result. Remember, the more you know what to do, the more you organize your routine for better outcomes.
So, have fun getting in the best shape of your life!