Working out in the comfort of your home can be rewarding in many ways. It can save you money from a gym membership and the extra driving time to the gym. Converting a room in your home into a gym or clearing a small space in a spare room will give you and your loved ones a place to exercise and get healthy.
Equipment Required
A set of dumbbells or barbell with various weighted plates will be the core of your workout routine. Using this equipment, you will be able to perform many exercises and increase weight over time as you become stronger. A large open space is vital to perform your workouts. Clear the area of anything that is fragile or that may get knocked over. Also, a bench is optional, as many bench exercises can be performed on the ground.
Chest, Biceps, Abs
This workout will train many popular muscles on one day and should be repeated later in the week. Start with some chest exercises like a chest press, chest fly and push-ups. Next are the bicep exercises such as alternating dumbbell curls, hammer curls and concentration curls. Finish with abs by performing a bicycle crunch, reverse crunch and sit-ups. Perform each exercise for three sets of 10 repetitions.
Back, Triceps, Legs
The other weight training workout will target the back, triceps and legs. You can train your back with bent-over rows and back flys. The triceps can be isolated with a bench dip or chair and tricep kickback. The legs can easily be trained with various legs and lunges with either your body weight or dumbbells. In the space where you have your home gym set up, you can simply perform stationary lunges, either working one leg at a time or alternating legs between each lunge, says Bodybuilding.com. Each exercise should be repeated for three sets of 10 repetitions. Be sure to choose a weight that is challenging and will help you continue to see results.
Circuit Training
Another style of home workout is circuit training. There are usually between 10 and 15 exercises which are done for a set time, usually one or two minutes, before moving on to the next exercise, says MotleyHealth.com. For example, perform dumbbell shoulder presses for 30 seconds followed by squats with a bicep curl for 30 seconds. Circuit training involves alternating between opposing muscles groups, which means you work one muscle group while the other rests. This is effective for building muscle and burning fat, which makes circuit training a time-saving workout.
Alternative Equipment
There are other pieces of weightlifting equipment that can be purchased for home gyms but tend to be more expensive. A Smith machine, barbell set or bench press can be helpful with building muscle, but cost more then a basic dumbbell set. If you choose to expand your gym equipment, then consider your fitness goals. If you're trying to bulk up, then purchase machines that will isolate many muscles groups such as a Smith machine. Those looking to lose weight should invest in cardio machine such as a treadmill, elliptical trainer or stationary bike.
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