Working out at home can offer a number of advantages. You can workout whenever you want, there are no expensive gym fees to pay, no queues for equipment and no need to waste time traveling to or from the gym. You can develop a good level of all-around fitness while working out at home and without any exercise equipment. While there are no specific exercises that are better for men than women, there are some exercises that do have a masculine appeal as they target areas of the body men are often more interested in developing.
Push-ups
Push-ups develop your arms, shoulders and chest and also strengthen your abdominal muscles. You can perform push-ups just about anywhere including your home. Bend over and place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor. Keep your arms straight and walk your feet back until your legs and body is fully extended. Keep your abs tight and your neck long. Inhale, bend your arms and lower your chest to within an inch of the floor. Exhale and extend your arms to push your body back up. You can make push-ups less demanding by bending your legs and placing your knees on the floor or more challenging by elevating your feet on a step or sturdy chair.
Knee-Up Hip Bridge
The knee-up hip bridge will strengthen your hamstrings, butt, thighs and lower back and is based on a Thai boxing leg exercise. Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross your arms over your chest. Lift your left leg so that your foot is just off the floor. Push your right foot into the floor and lift your hips and butt up while simultaneously driving your left knee toward the ceiling. Lower your hips back to the floor and repeat. At the end of your set, change legs and then repeat. Make this exercise more challenging by holding a weight across your hips.
Prisoner Squats
Prisoner squats are an effective leg exercise that, like push-ups, can be performed almost anywhere. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands clasped behind your head. Press your elbows back and lift your chest. Keeping your chest up, push your butt back, bend your knees and descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push down through your heels and stand back up. Continue for the desired number of repetitions. You can make this exercise more demanding by performing prisoner squat jumps and leaping into the air between repetitions.
Rolling Planks
The rolling plank targets your abdominal and waist muscles and is two exercises -- the side plank and regular plank -- combined into one. Kneel and place your left elbow and forearm on the floor to your side. Extend your legs and hips so that your weight is resting on your arm and the side of your feet only. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds. On completion, roll onto your front and support your weight on both forearms and feet. Hold your body off the ground using your abdominal muscles. Maintain this second position for 30 to 60 seconds. Finally, roll over onto your right arm and hold the side position for 30 to 60 seconds. Avoid holding your breath during this exercise as this can elevate your blood pressure.
Jump Rope
Jumping rope is a popular exercise with boxers, martial artists and most other fighters. To jump rope effectively, make sure your rope is the right length. Stand on the middle of your rope with your feet together. The handles of the rope should just reach your armpits. If the rope is too long or too short you will find that you trip more often and this will disrupt your workout. Jumping rope will develop your cardiovascular fitness, your eye-hand-foot coordination and is also an effective fat burner.
Start off with slow, two-footed jumps and, as you become more adept, try a alternating heel to toe action and jogging on the spot. Build up the duration of your jump rope sessions gradually and, to minimize your risk of lower limb injury, perform your jump rope on a forgiving surface and wearing supportive shoes.
References
- "Training for Warriors: The Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts Workout"; Martin Rooney; 2008
- "Never Gymless : An Excuse-free System for Total Fitness"; Ross Enamait; 2006
- "You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises for Men and Women"; Mark Lauren; 2010
- "The Fighter's Body: An Owner's Manual"; Loren W. Christensen and Wim Demeere; 2003
Member Comments