Tag: Home Workout
Top 5 Tips For Keeping Up With Your Cardio Indoors
There are ways to keep up with your cardio while working out at home.
Cardio might not be the most appealing type of exercise in the world, but it’s an important part of a healthy and well-rounded exercise routine. Keeping with your cardio can be a burden, but there are ways you can incorporate it into your daily workouts to make it more manageable.
If you’re still working from home, this is a great time to think about how you could incorporate exercise throughout the day since you no longer have going to the office taking up so much of your time.
Tip #1: The kettlebell is your friend.
Weight is your best friend when it comes to doing indoor cardio. Since you don’t have that much space to move around, the best trick is to utilize weights to force your body to break a sweat. The kettlebell is one of the best workout tools in this respect. You can do rapid kettlebell swings to get your heart rate up while standing in living room watching TV or on a Zoom call.
Doing twists while holding a kettlebell, when done rapidly, can also increase your cardio and help you lose weight! If you want to get serious about doing indoor cardio, definitely make sure you have one of these on hand, or an equivalent weighted tool you prefer like a medicine ball.
Tip #2: Sneak cardio into your strength training.
If you’re one of those people that absolutely dreads doing cardio, there are ways you can sneak cardio exercises into your strength training workouts. Simple modifications to common workouts are key. You could try doing five minutes of HIIT in between exercises as a way of getting cardio in while continuing to do whatever workout you normally do and enjoy.
Tip #3: Try jumping jacks, jump rope, and other ways of working out that don’t use equipment.
One of the biggest challenges of doing cardio at home is that — if you don’t have a home gym — you don’t have access to any of the fitness equipment like treadmills or rowing machines that make indoor cardio a breeze. You can still get cardio in at home with some tried and true classics like the jump rope.
Make a commitment to do fifteen minutes of jumping jacks before you start your day or before you go to bed. A jump rope is a cheap and easy way to do cardio in your house whenever you have the time. Remember, it’s the man that makes the workout, not the equipment.
Tip #4: High knees will help you break a sweat.
High knees are a cardio fundamental. It gets the blood pumping and you can do it pretty much anywhere. Plus, it burns fat in a pretty fast amount of time, so as long as you do it rapidly and with intensity you don’t even have to do it that long. Better yet, do it in small but intense bursts throughout the day to burn the most fat.
Tip #5: Don’t rely too much on HIIT for cardio, since it will disrupt your gains in strength training.
Lots of people choose HIIT as their weapon of choice when it comes to getting cardio in and it’s easy to see why. It’s quick, effective, and it gets the job done. But HIIT workouts can actually slim you down and decrease your gains from strength training since the exercises are designed to make your body more lean. If you’re trying to do cardio without sacrificing gains, make sure to not overdose on HIIT.
Calum Von Moger Shares Latest Physique Update & Home Workout Routine
Been wondering what Calum Von Moger’s workouts look like these days? Now you have your answer.
Calum Von Moger is a bodybuilder and actor, among other professions, with a massive physique and accomplished career. He knows what it takes to be the best, and to compete with the best, and with a massive platform he uses it to inspire others so they too can see great gains.
In an exclusive Generation Iron video release, Calum Von Moger shared his most recent home workout routines, plus updates on his current physique. For those us looking to see great gains and work out like the best, why not look to those athletes like Calum to get great advice. His approach to training is unique and has proved highly effective in his own workouts and for those of us looking to see the same results, look no further than this great workout from Calum himself.
Calum von Moger has also detailed an in-depth bicep workout routine you can employ and you can also check out Calum’s previous home hardcore workout to double up on your bodybuilding motivation.
Full Name: Calum Von Moger
Weight
Height
Date Of Birth
245-255 lbs.
6’2’’
06/09/1990
Profession
Era
Nationality
Bodybuilder, Actor, Entrepreneur, Online Personality
2010
Australian
A Brief Look At Calum Von Moger
Calum Von Moger grew up in a small Australian town called Geelong. He was a skinny kid growing up. Calum’s first encounter with weights happened at age 14 when his elder brother asked him if he wanted to tag along to the gym. And by the gym, we meant an old warehouse with basic equipment and rusty dumbbells. Although people compare Calum to Arnold Schwarzenegger, his motivation for lifting came from watching Steve Reeves in ‘Hercules.’
His bodybuilding journey began and he quickly started winning shows, building up his reputation and catapulting himself into the spotlight of the bodybuilding community. Despite a few setbacks as a result of injury, Calum showed resilience and overcame those. While his road to recovery was difficult, he returned to training at full capacity and now looks incredible, as the GI Exclusive will show.
Calum Von Moger’s 2022 Physique Progress
Despite gyms being closed nearly worldwide, Calum Von Moger has been able to maintain a monstrous physique with his home workouts. Perhaps there is hope for bodybuilders during this long shutdown after all.
His physique at this point perfectly represents how a bodybuilder should look outside of competition. He’s ripped, but not the totally dehydrated shredded you would expect of a bodybuilder a few days out from a competition. Bodybuilding is all about cycling and making sure you hit the sweet spot of your peak physique right when a show is about to come. Clearly, Calum understands that, and is able to keep himself in good shape while preserving his best physique for when he really needs it.
It appears Calum hasn’t lost any gains despite being stuck at home, which is a difficult feat to accomplish. Only time will tell what he can achieve once he’s finally able to return to the stage. If his history is any indication, there are a lot more wins in the future for Calum Von Moger.
Here’s How To Train Like Calum
But Calum isn’t the only one stuck at home. We all are in the same boat until this global crisis ends. If Calum’s home workout videos are inspiring you, maybe now is the best time to start training like Calum himself. You can check out his workout training membership program right here, featuring a wide variety of training plans customized by Calum Von Moger himself.
As you can probably tell from the brief update he shared, Calum von Moger has been keeping up with his fitness at home and shows no signs of letting his physique waste away in quarantine.
Probably the most interesting fact he shared is that he warms up before his workout with 30 reps of dips before heading straight into some powerful bicep curls.
Warming up is definitely an essential if you’re serious about gaining huge mass, doing a light workout to activate your muscles (and help them metabolize better!) before a longer, more strenuous workout is a must.
You can also get an inside look into Calum Von Moger’s life in the feature documentary Calum Von Moger: Unbroken. Click here or the banner below to stream or download today!
Wrap Up
Calum Von Moger looks amazing and despite the recent world events, he hasn’t let that stop him or slow him down. With the right approach and attitude, Calum has been to keep us his massive and shredded physique to always be ready for competition time. His physique is one to envy but is attainable for you as well if you keep to all your goals. Check out Calum’s workout and see those results you want most.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Calum Von Moger
Try These Easy Exercises To Test Your Heart Health At Home
Selection of food that is good for the brain.
It can be a scary thought to visit a doctor these days, but there are still ways you can take charge of your fitness from home.
A lot of us suffer from vague anxieties about our health. Who here hasn’t had a headache and turned to WebMD to find out they have brain cancer or terminal encephalitis? Although the internet is riddled with fake news and bizarre fad diets and exercise trends that offer you too good to be true results, don’t panic: there are still ways you can take charge of your health that are based on science and are actually fairly simple.
Here are a few ways you can test your heart health from home without a trip to the doctor’s office.
How fast can you climb four flights of stairs?
A recent study done by the European Society of Cardiology found that being able to climb four flights of stairs in less than a minute is a clear indicator of good heart health.
“The stairs test is an easy way to check your heart health,” said study author Dr. Jesús Peteiro, a cardiologist at University Hospital A Coruña, Spain. “If it takes you more than one-and-a-half minutes to ascend four flights of stairs, your health is sub-optimal, and it would be a good idea to consult a doctor.”
Patients who were asked to climb four flights of stairs in under a minute and were unable to do so were far more likely to have undiagnosed coronary artery disease. If you have stairs in your house, this is a great and easy way to quickly test if your heart is relatively healthy. If you’re not able to complete this exercise, it may be a sign that something is up. However, there are many other ways you can measure your heart health from home.
Invest in an at-home blood pressure cuff or pulse monitor.
These are tools used by doctors to gather valuable metrics on the health of your heart that you can easily have in your own home. Blood pressure cuffs and pulse monitors can be used to check your heart rate and pulse before and after you work out. This can help you figure out if you’re in the optimal range for your age, gender, and weight group or not. This is also even more accurate than the stair test because it provides you with actual diagnostic criteria to understand how your heart is working.
This is obviously most relevant for those of us who work out with heart disease, but everyone can benefit from learning more about how their workouts affect their bodies. You might be surprised that your blood pressure is higher after working out than you realized — 1 in 5 adults who have high blood pressure have no symptoms and would never know without a blood pressure cuff check.
Do you find yourself getting out of breath during aerobic exercises?
This probably comes as a surprise to no one but aerobic exercises are some of the best for improving your heart health. Aerobic exercises improve the circulation of blood through your body and directly reduce your blood pressure and heart rate.
Although not as specific as the stairs test, aerobic exercises can be a great general indicator of your heart health. For example, if you find yourself unexpectedly out of breath during light aerobic exercise, you may have an underlying heart condition. This is also true if you feel extremely tired out by a light amount of aerobic exercise — there may not be enough oxygen in your blood traveling to your muscles. This isn’t an indicator alone that something is wrong, but it is something to keep an eye on.
With these three tricks in your back pocket, it should be easy to keep track of your heart health from home. But they aren’t a substitute for a real doctor if you are showing signs of having heart problems, so do make an appointment to see your doctor if it seems like something is wrong.
10 Best Bodyweight Home Workouts For A Chiseled Physique
Why go to a gym when you can build a Greek God physique with these home workouts?
Most people have come to believe that they need to work out with dumbbells and barbells to build muscle mass. This is why they get a gym membership when they could have conveniently trained at home.
On the other hand, some people miss out on being a part of the fitness lifestyle because their busy schedule does not allow them the luxury of going to the iron paradise.
These individuals give up on their dream physique because, by watching their favorite Instagram fitness athletes train at fancy gyms, they have subconsciously internalized that a gym membership is indispensable for a body transformation.
The Holy Grail Of Physique Transformation
All fitness enthusiasts need to hear this – Your muscles do not know if you are training at a gym or home. They do not know if you are lifting iron or using resistance bands. Muscle tissues are damaged during a workout, and they grow back bigger and stronger with the correct diet and recovery time. As simple as that.
But how do you damage muscles during a bodyweight home workout?
Progressive overload.
As your workouts advance and you get stronger, you should increase your reps, time under tension, decrease rest time between each set and exercise, incorporate advanced training techniques in your training, and push yourself to failure in every set.
Oh, so you want to know if this could lead to overtraining?
Here is the harsh truth – most lifters who train at a modern gym with fancy equipment cannot train hard enough (even if they wanted to) to hit the overtraining stage, let alone people who are training at home. So, give home workouts all you have got and forget about overtraining.
The day people learn to use their body weight as resistance, gyms will have a hard time selling memberships.
Related Read: Training Programming: Progressive Overload is Your New Best Friend
Before you begin your home workouts, make sure you:
Warm-Up
Just because you are training at home does not mean you are free to skip warm-ups. Stretching and warming up will help fire up your muscles during your workouts.
Reasons why you should never miss a warm-up session:
Lower risk of injury – According to a study, an elaborate warm-up routine can reduce your risk of injury as it relaxes and loosens your muscles.
Mental focus – With time, a warm-up routine turns into a ritual that automatically puts you in the zone.
Improves flexibility & mobility – Being more flexible can improve your range of motion.
Increased blood flow – Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to different parts of your body. Warming up loosens your muscles which results in an increased blood flow throughout the body.
Reduction in muscle tension and pain – Muscles that are warm and relaxed move with less friction and are less likely to stiffen during and after a workout.
Better performance – Studies have shown that warmed-up muscles can help you work out more effectively.
10 Best Bodyweight Home Workouts For A Shredded Body
Workouts laid out in this article are perfect for lifters of any experience level. They will help you in building muscle and core strength and losing body fat. It also includes an all-out 20-minute HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout.
#1 – Beginner Home Workout
Squat – 20 Reps
Walking Lunges – 10 Reps (each side)
Push-Up – 10 Reps
Single Arm Bent-Over Row (Resistance Bands) – 15 Reps (each side)
Plank – 30-seconds
Jumping Jacks – 30 Reps
Time: 20 minutes
Rest: 10 seconds between exercises
Circuits: 5
Firstly, this is as easy as it gets in the home workout program. Secondly, it is not that easy – as you will soon find out.
Perform each exercise for the desired repetitions and rest for 10 seconds before starting the next exercise. Make sure you are following a full range of motion while performing these workouts. Since this is a bodyweight workout program, you will be leaving gains on the table by performing partial reps.
In each workout, you will be doing at least one advanced exercise. In this workout, you will be performing single-arm bent-over rows with resistance bands.
Steps:
Stand with your right foot ahead of the left.
Lean forward so that your torso is at a 60-degree angle with the floor.
Place one end of the resistance band under your front foot.
Rest your right forearms on your right thigh.
Grab the other end of the resistance band with your left hand.
With your hand extended down, there should be no slack in the band.
While keeping your elbow close to your body, bring your arm up to your side.
Hold and contract at the top for a couple of seconds.
Return to the starting position and complete 10 reps before switching sides.
#2 – Core Workout
Circuit A
Skater – 30-seconds
Push-Up – 30-seconds
Shoulder Tap – 30-seconds
Forearm Plank Reach – 30-seconds
Circuit B
Skater – 30-seconds
Burpee – 30-seconds
Plank Jack – 30-seconds
Plank – 30-seconds
Time: 25 minutes
Rest: No rest between exercises in a circuit; 45-second rest between circuits.
Circuits: 5
After you complete all exercises in circuit A, take a 45-second rest before starting circuit B. Repeat until you complete five rounds of the circuits. One thing is for sure – your core will be sore for at least a couple of days after this workout. Core – sore. See what we did there?
#3 – 20-Minute HIIT Home Workout
Circuits X 8
Side Kick-Through – 20-seconds
Rest – 10-seconds
Circuits X 8
Skater Hop – 20-seconds
Rest – 10-seconds
Circuits X 8
Crab Toe Touch – 20-seconds
Rest – 10-seconds
Circuits X 8
Frogger – 20-seconds
Rest – 10-seconds
Circuits X 8
Curtsy Lunge – 20-seconds
Rest – 10 seconds
Time: 20 minutes
Rest: 10 seconds between exercises
Circuits: 8
The 20-minute HIIT workout is dialed-in to the T. You cannot afford to waste a single second during this training session. It might be a little harder for you if you are a beginner as you need good stamina, endurance, and cardiovascular health for this workout.
But do not use this as an excuse to skip this workout. Push your boundaries and go as hard as you can. Remember: There are no shortcuts to building your dream physique.
#4 – 7-Minute Home Workout For Ultimate Gains
Jumping Jack – 30-seconds
Wall Sit – 30-seconds
Push-Up – 30-seconds
Crunch – 30-seconds
Step-Up – 30-seconds
Squat – 30-seconds
Tricep Dips – 30-seconds
Plank – 30-seconds
High Knees Running in Place – 30-seconds
Lunge – 30-seconds
Push-Up with Rotation – 30-seconds
Side Plank – 30-seconds
Time: 7 minutes
Rest: 10 seconds between exercises
Circuits: 1
The 7-minute workout is for people with packed schedules. No matter how time-poor you are, you can always squeeze in a 7-minute workout in your day. In fact, you could even perform this training circuit on Air Force One.
According to a 2013 study conducted by the American College of Sport’s Medicine Health and Fitness Journal, this HIIT workout improves overall fitness levels and helps with weight loss.
#5 – Bodyweight Leg Home Workout From Hell
Squat (with a towel) – 10 Minutes 15 Reps
Bulgarian Split Squat – 5 Sets 30 Seconds (each side)
Squat Jump (with floor touch) – 3 Sets 15 Reps
Bridge Kick – 10 Minutes 10 Reps (each leg)
Superset
Burpee – 10 Sets 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Reps
Jump Lunge – 10 Sets 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Reps
Time: 45 minutes
Rest: 30 seconds between exercises
Circuits: 1
No, we are not trying to kill you. But even if we were, do not forget – what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.
In the first exercise, hold a towel with your arms extended straight overhead. The fact that this is a bodyweight workout should not stop you from mimicking Olympic lifts.
In the first (squat with a towel) and fourth (bridge kick) exercises, set a timer for ten minutes and perform 15 reps of the exercise at the start of each minute. After completing the desired reps, rest for the remainder of each minute. Repeat the cycle for 10 minutes.
#6 – No-Equipment Arm Workout
Decline Push-Up – 15 Reps
Up-and-Down Plank – 20 Reps
Crab Crawl – 10 Reps (each side)
Diamond Push-Up – 15 Reps
Inch Worm – 15 Reps
Tricep Dips – 15 Reps
Time: 20 minutes
Rest: 30 seconds between exercises
Circuits: 3
In the home workout program, you will be working on your aesthetics as well as functional strength. A chiseled physique without functional strength is as good as a Ferrari without an engine.
The number of repetitions in this workout is only for reference purposes. You are supposed to perform each exercise until you hit failure.
While performing push-ups, pause at the top of the movement for a few seconds, and contract your triceps as hard as you can.
#7 – Bodyweight Home Workout For Boulder Shoulders
Push-Back Push-Up – 12-15 Reps
Plank to Down Dog – 12-15 Reps
Pike Push-Up – 15 Reps
Wall Walk-Up – 6 Reps
Prone T (and Y) – 10 Reps
Pro: Handstand Push-Up / Bridge Push-Up – 10 Reps
Time: 30 minutes
Rest: 30 seconds between exercises
Circuits: 3
After you are done with the bodyweight shoulder workout, you will question the need for dumbbells and barbells and going to a gym for shoulder training.
The last exercise of this workout is only for pros. While most people know what a handstand push-up is, let’s go over bridge push-up.
How to perform bridge push-up:
Lie with your back on the floor, knees bent, and feet as close to butt as possible.
Place your right hand near your right ear and your left hand near your left ear. Your thumbs should be next to your ears, and your fingers pointing towards your heels.
Push up your hips, arch your back, and press hands into the floor to lift into bridge pose.
Once you gain stability in the bridge pose, start performing push-ups by bending at your elbows and lowering your head towards the floor.
#8 – Bodyweight Home Workout For A Stirated Chest
Resistance Band Push-Up – 15 Reps
Standing Chest Press – 15 Reps
Alternating Shuffle Push-Up – 15 Reps (7 on each side)
One-Arm Push-Up (on an elevated platform) – 15 Reps (each side)
Dynamic Push-Up – 12 Reps
Time: 30 minutes
Rest: 30 seconds between exercises
Circuits: 3
For this workout, you will need resistance bands that can be anchored to a door. We highly recommend the Serious steel resistance bands for this purpose.
How to perform resistance band push-up:
Wrap a resistance band around your back so that it is placed just under your armpits.
Loop the resistance band around your hands to tighten it.
Get into a push-up position, and perform 15 reps.
How to perform alternate shuffle push-ups:
Get into a push-up position.
Move your right hand to the left until both your hands are next to each other.
Slide your left hand further left until your hands are shoulder-width apart again.
Perform a push-up.
Repeat by moving to the right this time. Alternate between sides until you complete the desired reps.
You could also incorporate TRX in your bodyweight home workouts.
Related: How To Use The TRX To Build A Bigger Chest
Also, Check Out: Best Resistance Bands For Home Workouts & Gains (Updated 2021)
#9 – Bodyweight Home Workout For A Cobra Back
Pull-Up – Failure
Suspension Row – 15 Reps
Hindu Pushup – 15 Reps
Prone Back Extension – 15 Reps
Single-Arm Resistance Band Bent-Over Row – 15 Reps
Time: 30 minutes
Rest: 30 seconds between exercises
Circuits: 3
To annihilate your back with home workouts, you will need a sturdy pull-up bar that you can install in your doorway.
Best Pull-Up Bars For At-Home Gains & Convenience 2021
The best thing about a pull-up bar is that you can perform a range of exercises on it. By adding a TRX to a pull-up bar, you can use it to train your back, arms, chest, legs, and abs.
How to perform Hindu push-ups:
Get into a push-up position.
Push your hands into the floor to drive your weight back so your hips rise into the air.
Your back should be straight and your head behind your hands.
Lower your body in an arcing motion so that your chest scoops downward and nearly scrapes the floor.
Continue moving forward as you press your body up so your torso is vertical and your legs are straight and nearly on the floor.
#10 – Full-Body Finisher Bodyweight Home Workout
Side Plank Twist – 30-seconds AMRAP
Squat Pulse – 30-seconds AMRAP
Crunch – 30-seconds AMRAP
Lying Leg Raise – 30-seconds AMRAP
Push-Up – 30-seconds AMRAP
Mountain Climber – 30-seconds AMRAP
Bicycle Kicks – 30-seconds AMRAP
Time: 20 minutes
Rest: 10 seconds between exercises
Circuits: 3
This full-body bodyweight workout will make fat melt off your body.
For each exercise, you will perform as many reps as possible (AMRAP) in 30 seconds. You are allowed a 10-second rest between exercises and a 30-second rest between circuits.
Conclusion
Although these are home workouts, you could do these anywhere, even when you are traveling. You might have to purchase a few pieces of equipment (like resistance bands and a pull-up bar) for this workout but look at them as long-term investments. The dividends alone will be more than what you pay for the equipment.
How often do you workout at home?
Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Three Methods Of Increasing The Intensity of Home-Workouts
How To Build Strength Without Adding Weight
For many of us, the coronavirus outbreak has brought about quarantine. The gyms have now closed and most exercise is now restricted to the comfort of our own homes.
If you have a home gym that is equipped with barbells and weights, with a few adjustments, you will likely find that your training is relatively unaffected.
However, many people do not have a home gym or access to a range of weights. As a result, it is much more difficult to program your training and workout effectively.
This article will detail three methods that will help to effectively develop your strength without having to rely on weights.
The Importance of Intensity
By performing the same workouts continuously at the same intensity, your body will fail to adapt optimally as it can comfortably deal with the training stimulus.
With all physical training, you must gradually increase the intensity of the workouts which will consequently force the body to adapt and advance in strength (1).
The most evident method of increasing workout intensity is to increase the amount of resistance being lifted. However, with limited equipment, you will have to find other ways of doing this.
There are a number of manipulations highlighted below that can be used in your training to add intensity and facilitate strength and fitness improvements.
Method 1 – Increase Training Volume
The two most important training variables are volume and intensity. Intensity refers to the load that is being used while volume is the total amount of work performed.
With most training programs, the intensity is represented as a percentage of your 1 rep max whereas the number sets and reps constitutes volume.
It is very difficult to calculate the amount of resistance to use when the only training tools you have are bodyweight and bands. Consequently, the focus should shift to adding volume.
One great positive with this method is that it is very simple to apply to your training. Very simply all that you need to do is gradually add more reps or sets to each exercise.
With that being said, you may well reach a point where it may be counterintuitive to add more reps.
For example, if your goal is to improve strength, performing sets of 20 or more reps may not be best as a higher rep range appears to develop muscular endurance rather than strength (2).
If you do reach this point, it may be worthwhile finding another method that will increase training volume.Alternatively, instead of adding sets and reps, you could manipulate training frequency which is simply the number of times that you train per week.
Adding in an extra workout per week will significantly increase the total training volume for the week and facilitate strength progress.
If you were in the gym lifting extremely heavy loads, high-frequency training is not sustainable for most.
However, with many home workouts, do not subject you to extreme loads and high intensities. Therefore, it would be possible to train much more frequently without the risk of burnout or injury.
The following is an example of how to effectively add volume over a three-week training period:
Week 1 – Start with a standard 4-day powerlifting split program that contains two upper and two lower-body days per week
Week 2 – Increase the frequency to 6-days – three upper and three lower sessions per week
Week 3 – Double up on either upper or low body days so that you now train nine times per week.
Method 2 – Increase Movement Speed
Adjusting the tempo of a movement can also alter intensity. While this method is a little more controversial, if applied correctly, it can be highly beneficial for strength.
If you are performing conventional bodyweight and band exercise, this method can be quite challenging to apply.
For example, performing sets of two or three push-ups won’t achieve much regardless of how quickly you perform the reps.
Therefore, it may be worthwhile incorporating something known as plyometrics into your training. Very simply, plyometrics are explosive exercises that demand speed.
One of the best things about plyometrics is that they typically do not require equipment and they can be effectively used to develop your big compound lifts like the squat, deadlift, and bench.
If you do decide to add plyometrics into your workouts, exercise caution. Considering the explosive nature of the exercises, the body is subjected to a great amount of force.
Consequently, the risk of sustaining an injury is higher, especially for beginners. Ideally, you want to start off with the basics and gradually build up from there.
Here are three basic plyometric exercises that are highly recommended for the beginner:
Single-Leg Running – This is a superb exercise to begin with as it is low-impact and very straightforward to master. As the name suggests, simply attempt to run using only one leg.
To start by performing 3-5 sets of 10-20 reps per leg. As you improve, considering increasing the number of sets and reps.
Squat Jumps – Descend into a squat and hold the bottom position for a moment before powerfully exploding into a vertical jump. Land safely with core tight and repeat.
Start with 3-5 sets of 15-25 reps. Once you feel proficient, consider moving onto the box jump or depth jump.
Clapping Push-Ups – Drop the chest to floor as you would with a conventional push-up. Powerfully drive to propel the body up, quickly perform a clap, and land.
In terms of volume, focus on a fixed number of sets and attempt to increase the number of reps performed with each set.
Method 3 – Modify Exercises
Many of us are having to make adaptations during this quarantine period and the same goes with our training.
The final method of making progress is to modify exercises. There are a number of alterations that can be made such as performing new exercises & variations and adjusting technique.
Studies have shown that varying the exercises used in your training is a highly effective method for accelerating strength progress (3).
Therefore, experimenting with different movements and positions can allow you to make great progress despite the limitations that you face.
When doing this, make adjustments that enhance your range of motion or change the emphasis of exercise to weaker muscle groups.
Here are some examples to demonstrate how this method can be applied:
– You may start with conventional push-ups. As the weeks progress, you may want to move onto variations such as diamond, wide-grip, decline, or paused push-ups.
– For those who have a barbell, there are a number of squat variations that can be performed including high-bar, low bar, and front squats.– With resistance band exercises, you could move onto isolation exercises, such as flyes and pullovers, rather than performing compound exercises such as rows and presses.
Final Word
You don’t need to have barbells, dumbbells, and weight plates to build strength; it is possible to make significant progress with limited equipment. However, if you are looking to make changes, it is critical that the intensity is gradually increased by using these three methods.
References:
1 – Lorenz, Daniel S.; Reiman, Michael P.; Walker, John C. (2010-11). “Periodization”. Sports Health. 2 (6): 509–518. doi:10.1177/1941738110375910. ISSN 1941-7381. PMC 3438871. PMID 23015982.
2 – Schoenfeld, Brad J.; Peterson, Mark D.; Ogborn, Dan; Contreras, Bret; Sonmez, Gul T. (2015-10). “Effects of Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Well-Trained Men”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 29 (10): 2954–2963. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000958. ISSN 1533-4287. PMID 25853914.
3 – Fonseca, Rodrigo M.; Roschel, Hamilton; Tricoli, Valmor; de Souza, Eduardo O.; Wilson, Jacob M.; Laurentino, Gilberto C.; Aihara, André Y.; de Souza Leão, Alberto R.; Ugrinowitsch, Carlos (2014-11). “Changes in exercises are more effective than in loading schemes to improve muscle strength”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 28 (11): 3085–3092. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000539. ISSN 1533-4287. PMID 24832974.
Top 10 Ways To Naturally Gain Muscle Faster For Optimal Growth
We all know the old saying “work smarter, not harder”. But do you know how that applies in the gym?
It’s true that amazing gains never come overnight, but there are still things you can be doing to maximize the amount of muscle you get out of your workouts. Of course, we know that taking certain supplements and focusing on our training can be sure fire ways to see those gains we want most, but sometimes figuring out the best steps can be challenging and ultimately may put us in an overwhelming hole as we try and figure it out. With so many options, it can be difficult to nail down the best ways to gain muscle, especially naturally, but it is possible.
While many of these ways tend to be self-explanatory and potentially obvious, our busy lives and schedules tend to keep us from fully realizing exactly what needs to be done to achieve this. Sometimes just reading it and hearing it again can be exactly what we need to make sure we hear it through and can tackle all of these muscle building needs in a safe, effective, and natural way. Working smarter is very much a true saying in the world of lifting and while working hard is important, doing so efficiently is the key to success.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 ways to naturally gain muscle faster so you never need to worry about that vital growth again. Not only will some of these ways benefit your lifting goals, but other areas of your lifestyle will change for the better as a result of taking better care of yourself.
Top 10 Ways To Naturally Gain Muscle Faster
1. Training Volume Is Key
Too many people get complacent in the gym and stop trying actively to push themselves. The fundamental key to muscle growth is progressive overload – meaning you increase the intensity of your workouts overtime (1). If you aren’t getting that burning feeling from overloading your muscles, it means you aren’t building them, period. Increase the amount of weight over time and make sure to increase the volume, too – that’s the number of sets and reps you do for each workout with weights.
2. Be Consistent
The second biggest thing to remember about making massive gains is that it’s also a game of consistency. There’s only so much muscle that can be put on by the body in a day; one huge workout, or even one huge workout once a week, will get you nowhere. Make a plan and stick to it but be in the gym three to five times a week and make sure to do that every week. Muscle is gained incrementally. Even if you aren’t pushing yourself, it’s better for your body and overall muscle mass to do so after workouts five times a week than it is to really push yourself in the gym only once or twice a week. That’s a surefire way to lose gains.
3. Take Advantage Of Supplements
Depending on your unique needs as an athlete, different supplements will work for you. Creatine, casein, and whey protein are the three cornerstone proteins of making huge gains (2). Your muscles need to consume food to grow and develop, so you need to make sure you’re giving them all the fuel they need. In some cases, eating casein before bed can actually provide the muscles with enough amino acids to literally grow overnight while you’re asleep. Imagine waking up with more gains than when you went to bed.
Other supplements to know are pre-workout, which can provide for energy and insane muscle pumps, BCAA intra-workout products to burst through fatigue and keep you going stronger, and fat burners, which can shed that unwanted fat while maintaining lean muscle mass (3). Having a good supplementation routine can really work wonders for all of your gains.
4. Be Strict About Form
This is an easy one to forget. Exercises like squats, barbell presses, and crunches are all considered staple exercises for a true gym rat. But exercises only help you gain muscle if they’re performed correctly. Are you leaning forward when you squat? It could be a sign you overloaded with too much weight. When you do a sit-up, is your spine straight and your stomach flat? If not, it’s a sign you’re overloading a weak core. Take the time to do these exercises the right way. Otherwise, you’re only getting a fraction of the gains you set out to make.
5. Get A Full Night’s Sleep
This is another no-brainer people often don’t think about. Studies have shown that sleeping for eight hours instead of five can increase testosterone by 10 to 15%. That has a huge impact on how much you gain muscle when you work out (4). This is a really easy thing you can do to improve your performance in the gym and give yourself the best chance for a better tomorrow.
6. Recovery Is An Important Part Of The Process
If you go hard in the gym five nights a week every week for a year, you will absolutely destroy your body. Set aside cycles of rest so you can recover after tough workouts. Pushing yourself too hard will only lead to burnout. Trust me, your body will thank you. Recovery will also support things like mobility and an overall better mood, so don’t neglect this vital part of your workout and post-workout routine (5).
7. Stay Healthy Outside The Gym
It doesn’t mean you can’t drink or have fun with your buddies at the bar, but you should do your best to be generally healthy in your habits outside of the gym. This means no binge drinking and stay away from drugs and smoking, at the very minimum. You definitely won’t be maximizing gains in your workouts if you’re dehydrated and hungover from a long night out partying.
8. Keep Your Workouts Simple
You don’t need fancy equipment to get shredded. Remain focused on the basics and the tried-and-true exercises that have worked for bodybuilders for generations. Don’t get caught up in the promises of fancy equipment and “new breakthroughs” that offer shortcuts. There is no shortcut; just do the work.
9. Stay Organized & Manage Workouts
Huge gains are no easy task and getting organized definitely helps make the process smoother. Consider keeping a journal of your workouts and your meal plan. You’re less likely to slip up and cheat with a greasy cheeseburger at the end of a long day if you’ve already got a plan in place and food waiting prepared at home.
10. Lift Heavy While Being Safe
If you feel comfortable lifting, you probably aren’t pushing yourself hard enough. Lifting the heaviest amount of weight you can is a critical factor in making the most gains for it will work your muscles to grow, increase that time under tension, and allow for massive gains to your strength and size which is what you want most.
Wrap Up
While it may seem daunting to find natural ways to boost your muscle growth and gain that valuable muscle faster, following these simple yet highly effective steps can work wonders for you. Looking to the top ways to see gains while still making your life easier is a sure-fire way to get this done. Give these top 10 ways a try and see how your muscles grow bigger, faster, and stronger as you also promote a better lifestyle overall.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Mangine, Gerald T.; Hoffman, Jay R.; Gonzalez, Adam M.; Townsend, Jeremy R.; et al. (2015). “The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men”. (source)
Tipton, Kevin D.; Elliott, Tabatha A.; Cree, Melanie G.; Wolf, Steven E.; et al. (2004). “Ingestion of Casein and Whey Proteins Result in Muscle Anabolism after Resistance Exercise”. (source)
Jeukendrup, A. E.; Randell, R. (2011). “Fat burners: nutrition supplements that increase fat metabolism”. (source)
Dattilo, M.; Antunes, H. K. M.; Medeiros, A.; Neto, M. M.; et al. (2011). “Sleep and muscle recovery: endocrinological and molecular basis for a new and promising hypothesis”. (source)
Sands, William A.; McNeal, Jeni R.; Murray, Steven R.; Ramsey, Michael W.; et al. (2013). “Stretching and Its Effects on Recovery”. (source)
5 Home Gym Essentials To Build A Great Body
Introduction Home Gym Essentials
So far, 2020. was a hectic year, and it will undoubtedly be remembered in history primarily because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus took us all by surprise, and it hit many industries hard, including travel, airlines, but it also shook the fitness world. Gyms were always an oasis of health, but all of a sudden, they became unsafe, and in many countries, they are still closed. Even if they are open, exercising with masks and latex gloves is anything but pleasant. Because of all this, many people are turning to working out at home with Home Gym Essentials.
While you can do a lot with just your bodyweight, having some home gym essentials will make your workouts much better, helping you build a great body from the comfort (and safety) of your home. In this post, we will give you five pieces of equipment that will allow you to hit every muscle in your body but won’t hit your budget too hard, so make sure you read it through.
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#1: A Pull-up Bar
Buying a pullup bar is an absolute must for any home workout. Without it, doing pullups and chinups is next to impossible. Sure, you can try doing them on a door, or on a tree branch outside. But, considering that you can get a decent pullup bar for cheap and that it lasts a long time, it is one of the best fitness investments you can make.
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The most obvious thing you can do on a pullup bar is pullups and chinups. These exercises are hard and are one of the best ways to train your back, primarily lats. Having developed lats will give width to your frame. Besides lats, pullups, and especially chinups, hit your biceps and will help you build nice looking hands. Also, you can do scapular retractions on a pullup bar, which will help your posture.
Besides pullups, you can use the bar to do hanging leg raises, which is one of the best exercises to target your lower abs, but it hits the full six-pack.
And of course, you can use the pullup bar for hanging and stretching. Hanging from a bar is one of the best things you can do for your shoulders, as it decompresses them. It also stretches your lats and is good for your spine. Hanging from a bar is something you should definitely include into your routine, and if you install a bar in your doorway, you can do it every time you get in or out of your room.
#2: A Pair Of Adjustable Dumbbells
The most versatile piece of exercise equipment you can buy is certainly a pair of dumbbells. Even though you can technically do all the exercises with one dumbbell, it is not convenient, and a workout will take you twice as much time as you will have to switch sides all the time, so get a pair.
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A single pair of dumbbells will hit every single muscle in your body. Also, exercising with dumbbells enables you to do one side at a time, and will fix imbalances as the stronger side will never take over the load.
Also, it is very important to get a pair of adjustable dumbbells, unless you have the budget to buy a whole set of fixed-weight dumbbells. Adjustable ones will save you a lot of space, and will still allow you to perform the exercises with optimal weight. Yes, you won’t be able to switch between exercises instantaneously like when working out at the gym, as you will have to readjust the dumbbell. But if you plan your workouts well, you will be able to do more than one exercise with the same weight.
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#3: A Jump Rope a Home Gym Essentials
With a pullup bar and a pair of dumbbells, you will be able to hit all of the muscle groups in your body, which will help you gain size and strength. However, one big thing will still be missing from your workout – cardio. Unfortunately, most cardio machines such as treadmills, stationary bikes and rowing machines are very expensive, and they take up a lot of space, requiring a dedicated exercise room. But, there is one piece of cardio equipment you can buy for cheap, and carry around with you anywhere you go – a jump rope.
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Rope skipping is an excellent form of cardio which will burn a tone of calories, helping you trim down fat. Also, it is very safe, especially if you jump with two legs. Because you are not jumping high, the impact on the ankles and knees is minimal, and you won’t have any issues with a jump rope even if you are a bit overweight.
Also, jumping a rope helps your hand-eye coordination, and is an enjoyable activity, especially because you can try different jump rope techniques and figures.
Furthermore, you can combine it with other types of bodyweight cardio such as burpees, to create intense HIIT sessions that re guaranteed to burn a lot of fat, helping you get shredded.
#4: An Adjustable Exercise Bench
Although you can perform most exercises on the floor, yoga mat, or your furniture, an adjustable gym bench will make your workouts more convenient. You will be able to exercise correctly and with proper form, which will reduce the injury risk, and also promote muscle building.
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If you can, buy an adjustable bench. This will allow you to do more exercise by changing the incline. Training muscles from multiple angles will trigger even more growth, and you will start noticing results in no time at all. A good adjustable bench will allow you to go decline as well, which will open new possibilities, especially when training abs and chest. But, any kind of exercise bench is a much better option than using home furniture, as the improved stability will decrease the injury risks.
Also, if you get a foldable bench, as soon as you finish your workout, you can store the bench under your bed, or in the closet. That will save you a lot of space, which is important if you don’t have a dedicated exercise room.
#5: A Set Of Quality Resistance Bands
We talked about how dumbbells are the most versatile piece of gym equipment, and that is something you can say for resistance bands too. In fact, because resistance bands weight much less than dumbbells, they are an excellent travel companion, and you will be able to carry them anywhere with you. Also, they are much more affordable than dumbbells, which is also worth mentioning.
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What makes resistance bands unique is that the tension increases as the band stretches. This allows you to train your muscles in a new way, quite different than free weights. So, even if you own dumbbells, combining them with resistance bands will make your workout perfect.
Also, some exercises such as band pullaparts are a great way to improve your posture, and you can only do them with bands. Furthermore, bands are one of the safest ways to train your muscles, and the injury risk is minimal. They are an excellent option for rehabilitation and will help you work around your injuries, which is why you can see them in rehabilitation centres around the globe.
Conclusion
If you buy a pullup bar, dumbbells, jump rope, adjustable bench and resistance bands, all this Home Gym Essentials, you will have more than enough equipment to start working out from the comfort of your home. This will keep you occupied until the gyms reopen, at least. And who knows, maybe you will decide that you like working out at home more and decide to continue doing so even when the COVID-19 pandemic passes.
Of course, you can invest in bigger pieces such as home gym machines, but they take up much more space and are more expensive. There are also many other budget accessories you can buy, such as foam rollers, that are a good investment, but you can hardly consider them as an essential.
Overall
In fact, if you are really strapped for cash, get only the first three items from the list. With a pullup bar, two dumbbells and a jump rope, you will be able to do a great workout, building both strength and endurance. An adjustable bench and resistance bands will only push that workout to the next level, so get those when you can too. Just remember, hoarding the equipment won’t replace working out, so no excuses – get some Home Gym Essentials, and start working out today!