With the new year rolling around, more people will be working out than ever before. During a pandemic, that's not great news for the gyms! There are also new lockdowns starting in several major cities here in the U.S. and abroad. So I figured it's the perfect time to review home workouts!
Working out at home can be tricky because there are so many possible distractions, but if you're able to get into a good rhythm it can be a great solution to be sure you're always able to get a workout in, whether you have access to the gym or not!
Some Tips Before You Start
Be flexible. You Probably won't be lifting weights as much at home as you would at the gym, and that's okay. Change your workout to include more cardio or power/plyo moves instead or use your body to learn how to do a pushup or pull-up, two very challenging bodyweight moves. Challenge your body in a different way to keep your progress moving forward.
Mitigate distractions. Designate an area of your house for workouts like the garage or guest room or even just a corner of the living room. Make this area sacred and treat it like the gym. It's for working out only! Put your headphones in and then set your phone aside. Only use it if it's to look at your SWEATT App workout program so you can follow along!
Plan your workouts. If you're not using the SWEATT App, make sure you prepare a workout ahead of time. Write it down or at least have some structure to follow to avoid quitting early or not starting in the first place.
How to Write A Home Workout
Now let's talk about how to actually plan a good home workout and the different elements you'll need to make sure you're getting in a great sweat-sesh no matter where you are!
The Warm-Up:
Just because you're at home, doesn't mean you don't need to warm up. Your body probably needs it now more than ever. A good warm up will prepare you for the exercises you'll be doing during the workout, so choose some moves that will activate those same muscles that you're about to work. Here is an example of my warm-up for a full body workout!
The Workout:
The best approach to working out at home is to go the full-body route. That's how you'll get the best bang for your buck by burning the most calories and activating the most muscles. You can realistically do 3-5 full-body home workouts a week safely and designate the other days for other exercise modalities like yoga, biking, running, walking, or sports. I have several videos of full-body home workouts on my Instagram if you need an example, but the goal is to hit every muscle group at least once. I'd recommend using maybe 2-3 good leg exercises, 2-3 upper body exercises, or combos the use both legs and upper body, and then add in some abs and cardio/plyo moves to finish it off.
The Cool-Down:
After your workout you can cool your body and heart rate down with some static stretching. These are similar to yoga stretches where you hold the pose and try to lengthen the muscles. You could also do some foam rolling if you like.
Now you're ready to start working out at home with a good exercise program! If you need help planning or want to follow a program written by a trainer, don't hesitate to contact me or checkout my website for more info on my programs. I have programs for all budgets and skill levels, so don't hesitate to let me know what you need and I know we'll find something that fits.