How many times have you wanted to get the perfect body, slim and strong, but your time and budget stopped you from going to gym? If you think expensive and fancy equipment is necessary to build muscle, think again! There are a plenty of other ways to build muscle without using those costly machines. You can use your body weight for building your muscles. This article attempts to explain, in detail, some of the major workouts you can do from the comfort of your home to get yourself into shape. At the end of the article, a routine is also given for you to follow which will help you achieve maximum “at home fitness” without going to any gym.
The basic principle behind resistance training exercise for increasing strength, gaining muscle, and losing weight is that repeated work is done against some resistance. In the gym, this is provided by equipment. However, bodyweight training, which uses a person’s own weight to provide resistance, can have similar effectiveness. Some of the most effective body weight exercises along with their procedures are given below:
Push-Ups
Doing push-ups is one of the best workouts for the upper body. The primary muscles that are empowered by this exercise are the chest, shoulders, and arm muscles. To do a push up, get into position by placing your hands flat on the floor and extending your legs with only the toes of your feet touching the ground. Then bend your head and neck slightly. Slowly begin lowering your chest towards the ground and keep lowering it till your chest has almost touched the ground. After remaining in this position for one to two seconds, push yourself up by straightening your arms. Repeat this procedure until failure. Try doing 4-5 sets.
Pull-Ups
Another great body workout for strengthening the muscles of the upper body is pull-up. The main muscles which are strengthened by doing this exercise are the biceps and the middle back muscles. To do a pull-up, find bar somewhere that is strong enough to support your weight. This could be in a park or on a playground. The bar should be of such a height that you can reach it only with your arms fully stretched. Then, keeping your feet in steady position, grab the bar and lift your whole body upwards with the help of your arms. Try to pull yourself as high as you can; ideally your chin should reach above the bar. Remain in this position for a second or two. Lower your body till your arms are almost fully stretched. Do not drop down so that your arms are locked out, because this could cause hyper-extension or injury. Keep repeating this until you no longer can.
Crunches
These are good and easy exercises to reduce weight quickly and gain abdominal muscles. The muscles which are strengthened as a result of this exercise are, mainly, the abdominal muscles. In order to do crunches, you have to lie flat on your back on the ground or any other surface which is comfortable for you. Once in this position, you should bend your leg slightly. Then, place your hands on your chest. In one famous variation, hands are placed behind the neck; however, this puts excessive stress on the spine. So, after placing your hands on your chest, lift your shoulders above the ground and push yourself towards your knees. After continuing this position for one or two seconds, again move back to your lying position. Repeat the exercise as many times as you can. It is important to go slow and focus on the contraction of your abdominal muscles. It is not about doing as many crunches as possible, but rather, giving your abs the best workout. Many people often try to do as many crunches as they can, but they do them with poor form. Always emphasize form over the amount in exercise your do. This will work the muscles better and allow for faster results.
Squats
Doing squats is an important exercise for building stronger leg muscles. The main muscles which are strengthened are the leg and the abdomen muscles. The method for doing a squat is: Initially, stand with your feet parallel to each other. After this, start to crouch slowly, bending your hips and knees till the thighs are parallel to the floor. Maintain this position for as long as half a minute. Then get back up and repeat it as many times as you can.
Other Exercises
In addition to the above mentioned exercises, you can do the following exercises to strengthen your muscles and build your body.
Wall Sit
This is a slightly different exercise. It is somewhat similar to squats. It is quite helpful as it builds the leg muscles. To do this exercise, slowly slide your back downwards on a wall until your thighs are parallel to the ground. In this position, your knees should be above your ankles. While keeping your back straight, remain in this posture for about half a minute. Then stand up and repeat after some time. Basically, act like you are sitting in an invisible chair against the wall. This is a great workout for the hamstrings and glutes.
Broad Jump
This is another way to keep yourself fit and in shape. As the name suggests, in this exercise you are required to perform a jump. Initially, stand up straight and drop your body into a squat position. Now, extending the knees and hips, jump in the forward direction. Land with both feet and stand up straight immediately. Repeat the exercise as many times as you want.
Bench Dip
This is an important exercise for the triceps muscles. To do a bench dip, sit inside of one of two benches which are placed parallel to each other. You can also use to chairs. Next, place your hands on edge of one bench, straighten your arms, slide your rear part off of the bench on which you are sitting, and position your heels on the other bench keeping your legs straight. Now lower your body by bending your arms until you feel a stretch in your shoulders and chest. Raise your body and repeat.
The best bodyweight workout routine will include a variety of body-weight workouts that will build your muscles and help you lose weight. These include push-ups and pull-ups for strengthening your upper body and back muscles, and squats and crunches to lose body fat and build your legs and abs. Also, warming-up before starting the body-weight workout is essential.
Sample Bodyweight Workout
Warm up (3-5 minutes): This should include jogging, jumping jacks, or simple jumping to warm your body up. This will reduce the chances of injury during the workout. Then perform the following exercises one after the other (with a maximum of 30 second gap between successive exercises)
Pull-ups (2-3 minutes as many as you can)
Push-ups (3 minutes as many as you can)
Jump Squats (2-4 minutes as many as you can)
Bicycle crunches (1-2 minutes)
Chin-ups (same as pull ups with arms pronated (facing upwards) 2-3 minutes)
In conclusion, as pointed out in this article, expensive equipment that is usually considered necessary for building large muscles and losing weight, may not be necessary. A good body-weight workout routine, based on body-weight exercises, can be just as effective.