Physical activity is a fundamental component of daily well-being, although it is always difficult to find the time and in some cases, the desire, doctors, and professionals tend to recommend specific movements to prevent joint pain and unexpected muscle injuries. However, not everyone has the opportunity to join the gym, perhaps due to lack of time or simply for an economic discourse, and it is therefore advisable to adopt alternative methods capable of guaranteeing good results even if comfortably within the walls of the house.
Because it’s important
Exercising at home or in the gym is important for an infinite number of reasons, the main ones being: keeping fit, preventing cardiovascular disease, saving costs, and above all strengthening muscles and joints. We have also talked about bodyweight exercises in our article.
Requirements and precautions
When you decide to take the road of exercises to do at home or in the gym, it is very important to take precautions and take into account some minimum requirements. While it is true that the exercises at home do not require special precautions, it is equally true that you need to define a fairly large area where to perform the repetitions. It is therefore smart to circumscribe an area appropriate to the size of the exercises to be performed and to remove all potentially harmful objects with which they can accidentally collide.
The minimum requirements to undertake exercises in your home are largely to be found in yourself, constancy and the desire to get in shape are the first steps toward a path of well-being and psycho-physical tranquility.
Basic gym exercises to do at home
The time has come to get to the heart of the exercises, once the area of competence has been established, having removed all the potentially annoying objects and wearing the right comfortable clothing, you can begin the training path.
The importance of heating
In many cases, the warm-up is not considered a physical exercise, it anticipates the exercises that are usually performed in the gym. This is instead a fundamental component to start training. The warm-up, a minimum time of 10-15 min is recommended, helps the muscles and joints to wake up from the state of rest and introduce them to the imminent state of effort. It is the link between mind and body and is therefore very important in order to avoid injuries in the short and especially long term. There are several warm-up exercises, today we will see: jump in the jack and skip.
This exercise you can perform at home mainly affects the muscles of the legs, back, and shoulders. It consists of keeping the feet together with the legs extended and the arms at the sides. This first position is followed by a movement of the arms above the head and at the same time, a jump is made by spreading the legs. This jumping mode must be repeated in a synchronized manner in a periodic way so as to move all the muscle groups coherently. Don’t make the mistake of jumping on tiptoe or hitting the floor violently.
Skip
The Skip is nothing more than a warm-up in which running is simulated with the lifting of the knees. It can be compared to traditional running but with the addition of a high knee movement, this technique can increase the skills of speed and coordination.
Training card without tools
Not everyone at home has gym equipment and it is advisable to focus on the exercises that give the possibility to train the free body, let’s see what is full body training (for the whole body) can be done without tools.
Exercises for full body workout
Front plank
Among the most interesting and perhaps most hated exercises is the front plank, which consists in positioning oneself on the elbows on the ground and forming a straight line with the body. Paying particular attention to the pelvis and hip that must not rise, you must maintain the position according to your physical preparation. In this exercise, you have to listen to your body and push it to the limit as long as you have the strength to do it. It can last a few seconds or whole minutes depending on the aptitudes and preparation you have. For a light exercise, 3 total sets of 20 seconds are good, with a 45-second pause between one series and the next.
Side plank
The position to be performed for the side plank consists in positioning the body with straight legs resting on the elbows, one arm will remain bent on the elbows, the other instead positioned high or next to the body so as not to lose the center of gravity. Once in position, it is important that the pelvis is raised and that it forms a 30-degree angle with the floor and body. The repetitions for a light workout can be 2 total per side, holding the position for 15 seconds and interspersing the pause with 45 seconds.
Bodyweight Twist
The twist is an exercise that helps tone the muscles, as per the English translation it is literally a twist or rotation of the body. The execution does not require special attention, especially if applied to a toning exercise of the waist muscles. It is usually performed with a wooden stick resting on the trapezes and the hands that without traction help the rotation of the body as a central pivot. The pelvis must remain immobile and use the kinetic force of the stick to tone the muscles of the abdomen and hips. If you do not want to adopt the wooden stick, you can opt for the free body execution with your hands on your hips and wide elbows.
Burpees
Among the most complete bodyweight exercises is the burpee, this is very useful for strengthening the joints and is very tiring. Performing burpees is not for everyone and consists of first positioning oneself in an upright position, and from this basic position one must then squat on the floor on the false line of a squat; It is essential at this stage that the center of gravity is moved forward before placing the hands on the floor. The second phase is to lean forward and place your palms on the floor with your arms outstretched. At this point you have to bring your legs back and rest your toes, the position is very similar to that of the plank. Burpees are very useful for blood circulation and breathing regulation.
Mountain climber
One of the most beautiful exercises to perform at home or in the gym is the mountain climber. This is ideal for those who want to have toned abs and eliminate abdominal fat. It mainly deals with the abdominal belt and the back muscles, simulating the climbing usually performed by mountaineers and climbers. It is performed starting from a basic plank position and bringing the knees to the chest alternately, literally simulating a climb. Excellent for warming up or in the cool-down phase at the end of the exercises.
Abdominal & Core Workout
Among the simplest exercises to perform at home are those related to improving the abdominal belt, especially crunches.
Crunch
This is cataloged as a monoarticular exercise and to perform it you just need to start from a supine position on the floor and with your knees flexed so that your feet are resting on the ground with the whole plant. The legs will be completely still during the exercise while the head initially in contact with the floor will rise to reach the knees. The position of the hands depends on one’s physical preparation, they can be held along the body or on the chest.
Legs workout
Even if the space at home is not that of a gym, it is possible to perform exercises for the legs that are very useful for toning and firming, let’s see some of them.
Push up
This bodyweight exercise is not only used to strengthen the leg muscles but also the whole body. To perform a push-up correctly, you must position yourself with your hands on the ground, spacing them slightly wider than the shoulders, the forefoot firmly on the floor, and the lower limbs with a few centimeters of distance between them. The position of the nape, pelvis, and trunk must be on the same line and in the movement phase (up-down) you have to look towards the floor. This will help the buttocks and the back of the legs.
Squat
The squat is synonymous with firm buttocks and toned legs, but it is also ideal for those who want to improve lower body mobility and keep bones and joints healthy. Squatting is not difficult but doing it well requires small adjustments. The first step is to find a comfortable and stable standing position, the feet can be parallel to each other or with the toes slightly out. The distance between the feet should be that of the shoulders and the toes slightly protruding to increase stability. By contracting your abs as if someone were about to strike, you must look forward and stay straight as you descend to your knees.
Jump squat
This exercise certainly increases the difficulty of the execution but is great for the glutes and legs. It follows the same dynamics of the traditional squat but during the push position, you return to the top with a jump. It is usually done with a dumbbell in your hands which greatly helps in stability while running.
Lunges
To complete the exercises for the legs there are lunges, these are performed starting from a standing position, setting the feet shoulder-width apart and through a forward movement of the leg, you find yourself forming a 90-degree angle between quadriceps and calf. By alternating the movement of the legs, all the muscles of the lower limbs are trained. It is important to have the torso erect, perfectly perpendicular to the ground and the knee must not exceed the tip of the shoe.
Arms workout
Lateral raises
If you do not have weights or dumbbells, you can also do this exercise with water bottles. By holding them in both hands and assuming a cross position while standing, it is possible to strengthen the shoulders and triceps by making a movement from top to bottom.
Exercises To Do At Home | Infographics
Exercises To Do At Home | Video Explanation
Conclusion
Although the gym is a more suitable place to use equipment, you can buy some at home to improve your workouts. Among the most purchased are jump rope, dumbbells, barbells, flat bench, and mat. Each of these tools can be useful to your needs, depending on the type of training and daily physical activity, adapting perfectly to new types of exercises.
Hi, I am Matt Storace and I am a former personal trainer and founder of Beast Biceps. We had to find ways to train at home. When I started looking for the equipment I needed, I quickly realized that there were no good resources online. So I created Beast Biceps. It is a treasure trove of information developed from my experience and research. Read More Here
