If you have been exercising for a while, you know there are many different exercises you can do to help you reach your goals. Everyone has different goals they want to accomplish when it comes to exercise and weight loss, but there is something that everyone needs to help them move the process along at a faster pace.
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Strength training can benefit you in numerous ways and keep you on track to reaching your goals a lot faster than you would without it. Strength training is also one of the fastest and most effective ways to lose weight if that is your main goal for exercising.
The Best Home Strength Training Workouts
Strength training can be a scary thing if it is something that you are not used to doing, and it can be difficult to get started if you aren’t sure what you should be doing.
In reality it is a very simple process that can be done at the gym or at home, and it doesn’t matter the level of experience that you have when it comes to strength training. Thinking about starting a new exercise routine and adding in things that you have never tried before can be overwhelming; this is the main reason why people keep putting it off and never get started and then regret it later.
The first few times you try strength training will be the worst, and it will only get better the more often you do it. This is why it is better to just dive in head first and make sure that you stick with it and allow the strength training to work for you and your fitness goals.
If you are new to strength training, then you may want to consider taking a class or getting together with a personal trainer who can help show you the ropes. Even if you do not plan to train at the gym, you can still take personal, one-on-one classes with a trainer to get your started and moving in the right direction.
Once you are comfortable with your routine and what you are doing then you can move your workout to your house and continue your training from there. Not only will working with a trainer get you started, it can also give you the confidence booster that you need to keep going after your sessions have ended.
Most people will start an exercise routine and stick with it for about two weeks, a month at the most, and then they fall off the wagon and don’t continue. If you lay down the right foundation and get the training and confidence that you need early on, you will be more likely to stick with it on your own.
3 Methods Of Strength Training
Before you begin strength training, you need to figure out what kind of training you want to do, and what your goals are for the outcome. Once you have figured that out, you can move into programs and what type of exercises you need to do.
There are three popular choices when it comes to strength training: bodyweight, barbells, and dumb bells. Body weight training is using little to no equipment, while dumb bells focuses on equipment.
Using body weight as a starter gives you the freedom to strength train from literally anywhere in the world, whether you are at home, at work, on vacation or at a business meeting.
You won’t need any extra equipment to carry around and it will allow you to still get your workout in with a minimal amount of fuss. Using dumb bells on the other hand is a great strength training workout. You can start with small 5 pound weights and move up from there depending on your comfort level and your goals.
The only issue with using dumb bells is the fact that you will need them to complete your workouts and more often than not, you won’t be able to carry around weights with you wherever you go.
Barbells are similar to dumb bells, you need equipment and those aren’t cheap if you want a good set. You can use them at home, but you will need the barbell, squat rack, a bench, and a strong enough support in your house or garage to maintain the weights that come with the barbells.
This one is an expensive investment and most people tend to only use barbells at the gym where they are covered by the membership fee. You will certainly need to do some research on each of these areas before you choose the one that is right for you. You don’t want to jump into something too quickly and end up making the wrong choice for you and your goals.
If you are looking into training more so at home, then you probably will be better off with the bodyweight training or the dumb bell training as those will be easier to maintain at home than the barbells.
If you have the investment, time, and space for barbells, then go for it, but know that it isn’t cheap and shouldn’t be your first choice if you are not going to be using them on a daily basis.
Have A Plan
When it comes to strength training and working out in general, you need to have a game plan. You need to know what exercises you are going to be doing that day, for how long you are planning to train, and what, if any equipment you will need.
By creating a plan and sticking to it, you are more likely to see results than you are if you just bounce from exercise to exercise with no clear reason why. This is especially important if you are training from home and could easily be distracted by laundry or other things around your house.
Make a clear schedule, have a separate workout room, and make sure you follow your plan exactly. Once you have chosen your workout game plan and are ready to get started, you will need to come up with your workout program.
You are taking tips, tricks, and moves from other workout programs and forming them to your own plan. You want something that is going to work for you, and it is okay to ask for help from friends or people at the gym to help you get started.
Seeking help from people who are constantly strength training is great for someone who has never done this type of training before. Recommendations for beginners? Consider a plan that starts off at three times a week; you don’t want to over work your body and expose yourself to injuries.
Reps and the type of exercises that you are doing play a large role in the types of results that you are going to see. When you are starting out, you are looking to gain muscle strength and not muscle mass.
You want to gain endurance and stamina, not look like the Hulk. Try combining some of these common exercises that are great for getting you started in strength training:
- Squats
- Push ups
- Walking lunges
- 15-20 second planks (Start out small and work your way up)
- Jumping jacks
- Dumbbell rolls (You can also use water or milk jugs)
You will want to rotate these workouts and rest for a few seconds in between each rep.
Research shows that performing these exercises will help beginners, and pros, to build their strength up before they begin to tackle the more difficult exercises. These are also great fall back exercises for squeezing in a quick strength training when you are running low on time.
There are a few additional things that are important to remember when it comes to strength training at home. You want to make sure that you are getting constant tips from outside sources, so do some research at the gym, online articles, videos, and help from friends.
Workout Plans
Always have a workout plan in place and stick to it. You will want to increase the level of difficulty every few weeks to keep your body from stalling.
You can add yoga, hiking, running, or even walking to your plan to give you more strength. Change your plan up every week or two and add in different workouts and take some out to keep your body guessing. You want to make sure that you are using the proper techniques and exercises at all times.
Adding Weights
Even if you only start out using a 5-pound dumb bell, use some type of weight to help you increase not only your strength, but also your endurance.
Since you will be mainly working out from home, get your children involved, if you have a smaller child, lift them instead of the dumb bells! Not only will they think it is a fun ride, you will also get the added weights that you are looking for.
Need heavier weights for those walking lunges? Try using water or milk jugs instead, they will give you added weight on both arms without having to rush out to buy more weights. You can also tape small cans or socks weighted down with rocks to your ankles to improve your workout too.
Dieting
It doesn’t matter what type of workout you are doing or what type of goal you are trying to accomplish, dieting is going to be the main component to your workout. This is especially true when it comes to strength training, you will be building muscle mass every time you work out.
The more muscle mass you have, the more your body is going to be burning calories, which means you are going to be hungry more often. Having a diet plan already in place before you begin your strength training journey will help you to stay on track as your workouts get more and more intense.
A healthy diet also accounts for around 80% of your success when it comes to exercising, so you want to make sure that you are getting the proper amount of nutrition that you need to keep your body going.
Best Home Strength Training Workouts Conclusion
Strength training at home is fairly simple, and there are also online articles and videos out there that can help you along the way if you get stuck or when you are first starting out.
The important thing to remember is that you need to choose exercises that are simple in nature but can give you the biggest bang in the end. Walking lunges are great for building strength in your leg muscles, while planks and jumping jacks help build strength in your overall body. Combing exercises, reps, and rest periods will help you to create the plan that works best for you.
You need to plan on those strength training workouts lasting around 30 to 60 minutes a day, three times a week when you are first starting out. Not only will the difficulty level increase as you progress, but so will the amount of time that you are training. Your body will not bend to the exercises so easily once you have been at it for a few weeks or months, and you will need to constantly be changing your routine to keep your muscles from stalling.
Before you begin strength training, even at home, consult with your medical doctor to make sure that you are healthy enough to start a new exercise routine. You will want to make sure that your body can handle the exercises that you are going to put it through and since you will be at home and not under the supervision on a trainer at the gym, you will want to report any pain or discomfort to your doctor.
Strength training from home can be a great experience and can give you the freedom to train without going to the gym and paying for expensive equipment that you aren’t sure you are going to use.
At home strength training is an amazing resource that you can take with you anywhere you go, which is great since we are all so busy with our professional and personal lives and may not have the time to train at the gym.
