You can build lean muscle tissue fast without stepping foot in a gym. However, you will need discipline and commitment to see results. Plan to spend five days a week lifting weights. While you can see results by lifting weights just two or three days a week, you will have to do more to see results faster. Before each workout, warm up for five to 10 minutes by doing cardio exercise like walking or jogging in place, doing some jumping jacks or jumping rope. Stretch your muscles for about five minutes at the end of each workout.The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of exercise a day, most days of the week.
Step 1
Train your upper body two days each week. Your upper body contains large and small muscles groups, including the chest, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps. Choose one or two exercises per body part. If you are new to exercise, consider hiring a personal trainer to come to your home and teach you some basic exercises. If you need to save money, go to your library and check out a free book or video about strength training to learn the moves. Some examples of upper-body exercises are push-ups, rows, overhead shoulder presses, bicep curls and dips. Do three sets of eight to 12 repetitions per exercise.
Step 2
Train your lower body two days each week. The lower body is primarily large muscle groups such as your butt and your legs. Find several exercises that work these body parts. Examples of these exercises that you can do at home include wall sits, squats, forward lunges, calf raises, reverse lunges and walking lunges. When doing squats and lunges, make sure your weight is centered over your heels and that your knees don't extend past your toes. This will help to protect your knee joint. Do three sets of eight to 12 repetitions per exercise.
Step 3
Train your abdominals and core muscles two or three days each week. The muscles of the core include your abdominals, your lower back and your hips. Some examples of exercises to work your abdominals include the plank, sit-ups and crunches. To work the lower back, do exercises such as supermans or back extensions. You can do this on the floor or on a bench if you have one. To work the hips, try doing side-lying leg lifts. You may also use a dumbbell or medicine ball to add resistance to these exercises. Do three sets of eight to 12 repetitions per exercise.
Tips and Warnings
- Don't work the same body part on consecutive days. Instead, leave your muscles time to recover. For example, work your upper body Monday and Wednesday and your lower body Tuesday and Thursday. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, train your abdominal muscles. On your off days, add cardiovascular exercise, such as walking or jogging, to help burn any excess fat that may be covering your muscles.
- Consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise plan.
Things You'll Need
- Dumbbells
- Exercise mat
- Sneakers
Member Comments