Training at home has many benefits. As someone who works shifts myself, it’s great to be able to get a workout done within a 30-40 minute time window. Not only do I save time on the logistics and gym membership, but the food cupboard is just yards away, so no need to pack a the pre, intra, and post workout nutrition in your work’s bag in the morning.
If you’ve been contemplating embarking upon a home workout for a while, but aren’t sure where to start, here are some useful steps to follow:
Step 1 Define your training goals
This is the hardest part.
In 3 months time, what do you want to achieve?
Be specific, and make the goal measurable. If you want to lose weight, what pair of jeans would you like to fit into, what size waist do you want to have (realistically) in 3 months time?
Make 2 or 3 of these goals. These are ‘Outcome Goals’ and will be a result of your hard work.
Next, set some ‘Process Goals’; these are daily and weekly goals, that need to be adhered to, in order to achieve your outcome goals.
Some examples –
- Workout for 20 minutes every day
- Stop eating whilst watching TV
- Cut out chocolate and sugar drinks
Write these goals down on a piece of paper. Then stick them on the fridge door. There is some further information on goal setting in this great blog post.
Step 2 Create some space
All you need is a room that has enough space for you to do press-ups. It’s easy to say that you have no room to train at home. Don’t let this become a barrier. Find a space, and keep the area clear so that you can get on with a workout immediately if desired.
Step 3 Create 2 Workouts
Create 2 basic workouts, so that you’ll have a set plan so that you can crack on with training, whenever you have a spare half an hour. Bodyweight exercises are great – press-ups, squats, lunges, plank and yoga poses can all be combined to create a great workout.
For a beginner who has not exercised for a while, ‘Workout 1’ could be 2 sets of press-ups, 2 sets of bodyweight squats and 2 sets squat thrusts. Press-ups could be performed on the knees rather than toes if necessary. Complete as many as possible per set. For squats and squat thrusts complete as many as possible in 30 seconds.
Workout 2 could be based on core exercises, like dorsal raises, leg raises (beginners use bent legs for this), plank and crunches.
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Step 4 Buy some basic equipment
You certainly don’t need equipment to get going, so again, don’t let this be a barrier and something to contemplate too long. Having said that, it is pretty difficult to train your back muscles without any equipment. PullUpMate is perfect for a home gym, and not only enables someone to train their back muscles and biceps effectively; it also opens up a whole range of exercises for other body parts like the chest.
Step 5 Get going!
Don’t overthink and procrastinate. You’ll never ‘get round to it’ unless you start putting things in place now. Establish your goals, and then get started today. Even if you can only spare ten minutes each day, there are dozens of studies showing that ten minutes of high intensity exercise, 3 times per week, results in numerous, significant health benefits including a change in body composition.
Drew Griffiths MSc is a self-confessed fitness fanatic. He has a 1st Class Degree in Sport Science from Loughborough University, a masters in Exercise & Nutrition from the University of Liverpool and a diploma in Digital Marketing from the Oxford College of Marketing. It’s safe to say, he knows what he’s taking about. If you have any questions, you can contact him via his blog, Twitter or Google+.
