You don't need to join a gym to get long, lean and strong. You can instead exercise your muscles in the convenience of your home. Several at-home muscle exercise options are available, and you should start any of them with a stretching warm-up. Leave at least one day of rest between workouts for the muscle groups you work.
What They Do
Muscle exercises use resistance to work major muscle groups or a target muscle, such as the biceps. They strengthen, tone, elongate and can even bulk up your muscles, depending on the type of equipment and exercise you choose. The general rule for muscle exercises is to complete two to three sets of eight to 15 repetitions of a specific exercise for best results. You can move on to higher resistance once you can complete three sets of 15 repetitions without fatiguing the targeted muscles.
How They Differ From the Gym
At-home muscle exercises differ from those at the gym mainly because of the type of equipment used, but the movements and muscle groups you work are the same. Rather than gym machines, however, you can do home muscle exercises without equipment and instead rely on gravity. You can also invest in minimal equipment such as resistance bands, resistance cords with handles, or a weight bench and dumbbells or barbells. Another option is using homemade weights, such as milk jugs filled with sand or even the phone book.
Muscles They Work
Muscle exercises are generally grouped into categories based on the muscle groups they work. Upper body exercises include those that work the chest, shoulders, arms and back. Lower body exercises target the legs, hips and butt. Abdominal workouts strengthen your core muscles, which include those in your abdomen and lower back. Other exercises incorporate both your upper and lower body, giving you a full-body workout.
Examples
At-home upper-body exercises include pushups, chinups, chest and shoulder presses, biceps curls and triceps extensions. Lower-body examples include lunges, squats and limb raises in which you lie on your stomach and repeatedly raise your legs and arms. Abdominal at-home exercises consist of a variety of crunches as well as sit-ups, trunk rotations and one-legged stands. Full-body muscle exercises include lunges with arm movements, deadlifts, squats with weights and one-legged pushups. Muscle exercises for one group often overlap and work muscles from other groups at the same time.
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