Working out at home is often more convenient than dragging yourself to the gym after a long day. It is also usually cheaper. At MayoClinic.com, doctors recommend doing strengthening exercises at home, if your biggest challenge to working out is not being able to afford a gym membership. Portable, relatively inexpensive fitness equipment such as resistance tubing and dumbbells make working out at home an even more viable option.
Tubing Program
You can find resistance tubing at any sports store and most large department stores. The various colors represent the amount of resistance. The most common color scheme codes from the lightest to the heaviest resistance go from yellow, green, red, blue to black. However, some manufacturers may use different color schemes, so make sure to check the packaging.
You will need to have at least three levels of resistance. The heavier tubes are used for squats, rows, and chest presses. Medium tubing is more appropriate for tricep presses, overhead presses, biceps curls and crunches. For lateral raises and other isolation work, you will want some light tubing. With just a few bands and a small space in your living room, you can get in a great full-body workout, says the American Council on Exercise.
Dumbbell Program
Dumbbells aren't quite as portable as resistance bands, nor are they as inexpensive. But for a moderate investment, dumbbells provide you with almost unlimited exercise options. You will want to have a range of weights. Heavier weights will be needed for compound exercises like squats and chest presses. Lighter weights are used for the smaller muscle groups like the triceps and biceps.
Many exercises that you may think require a barbell can be done with dumbbells. Squats, bent over rows, and chest presses can all be performed with dumbbells. Set up a circuit of lunges, bent over rows, squats, chest presses and overhead presses. Perform each exercise for 45 seconds with no rest between stations. With this simple dumbbell workout, you will hit every major muscle group.
Bodyweight Program
Although it's good to overload your muscles with progressive weight, you can challenge the body with different movements and explosive work as well. For this bodyweight program you mix traditional strength exercises with plyometric exercises. Use furniture, stairs, and outdoor structures like deck railing to perform such exercises as step-ups, modified pull-ups and stair hops.
Push-ups, burpees, squat thrusts, shoulder pike presses, and crunches round out the program. Superset a traditional exercise with a plyometric exercise for an even more intense workout. Do a set of step-ups immediately followed by a set of burpees. Push-ups immediately followed by squat thrusts is another energetic superset. Use what you have around your house to create a fun, challenging workout.
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