Working out at home can be as effective as working out in the gym if you choose the right exercises and do them regularly. If you want to lose excess weight, build muscle mass and improve your overall fitness, you can organise a full training programme at home. Let’s look at some examples of exercises.
How to organise home workouts?
Before you start training at home, it is necessary to determine the purpose of training. The goal will determine the structure of the programme and the choice of exercises.
Secondly, it is worth getting a minimum set of equipment that will make your workouts more varied and effective. Depending on your goals, you may need: dumbbells of different weights, a mat for fitness, rubber loops (espanders), a fitness ball, a jump rope.
If you don’t have the equipment, no problem. There are effective workout programmes that can be performed with your own body weight.
Example of a fitness training programme for a week
Monday – lower body strength exercises
- Squats with own body weight – 3 approaches for 15 repetitions
- Forward lunges – 3 sets of 12 reps for each leg
- Glute bridge – 3 approaches for 20 reps
- Plie squats – 3 sets of 15 reps each
Tuesday – cardio and abs
- Jump rope – 5 minutes warm up
- Burpees – 3 sets of 10 reps
- Plank – hold for 1 minute, 3 times
- Cycling (abs exercise) – 3 sets of 20 reps per side
Wednesday – upper body strength training
- Push-ups from the knees or from the floor – 3 sets of 12 reps each
- Dumbbell arm curls (can be replaced with water bottles) – 3 sets of 15 repetitions each
- Dumbbell pulling to the waist in an incline – 3 approaches for 12 reps
- Plank with knees pulled up to the chest – 3 sets of 12 reps.
Thursday – rest or light stretching
You can choose yoga, pilates or just stretching on a mat to release tension.
Friday – High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
- Burpees – 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest
- Sprints in place – 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
- Squat jumps – 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest
- Mountain Climbers – 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest.
Repeat this cycle 3 times. The workout only takes 15 minutes, but it’s great for pumping your cardiovascular system and helping you burn calories.
Saturday – full-body strength training
- Squats with jump – 3 sets of 12 reps.
- Push-ups – 3 sets of 10 reps.
- Lunges to the side – 3 sets of 12 reps for each leg.
- Plank with arm and leg pull-ups – 3 approaches for 12 reps
Sunday – active rest
You can go for a walk, jog or do some other light physical activity. The main thing is to let your body recover from the training week.
Benefits of home training
By working out at home, you save time and money. You don’t have to spend time travelling to the gym, paying for season tickets or expensive equipment. In addition, you can work out at a convenient time.
Another plus is flexibility in training. You can change the programme depending on your mood and state of health. For example, if you feel tired today, you can choose a light stretching workout or meditative yoga, and come back for a more intense workout another day.
Tips for motivation and discipline
It’s important to remember that regularity is key to achieving results. To make working out a habit, follow these simple tips:
- Make a clear workout plan. Write out a weekly schedule and follow it. This will help you avoid the temptation to skip a workout.
- Set specific goals. For example, aim to perform 10 push-ups without stopping or run 5 kilometres. Specific goals motivate you to work towards results.
- Find workouts that you enjoy. If you don’t like a particular exercise or type of workout, replace it with another.
- Record your progress, such as how many repetitions of an exercise you did or how long you held the bar for. Visible successes motivate you to keep going.
A balanced programme, regular training and paying attention to your progress will help you achieve your goals and improve your fitness in the comfort of your own home.