WHY DID I CHOOSE THIS TOPIC?
After having written more than 70 articles within my niche – workouts at home – I have been able to glean the following from my audience:
- Many people are very knowledgeable about exercise programs and their comments add to the article
- Others realize the importance of exercise and fitness, but have little or no experience in such training
- Still others are beginners and seem to want advice in the very simplest terms
In my experience with new ideas, I always want things to be broken down into the very simplest concepts and with the most easily understandable wording.
Emerson,Thoreau and other transcendental essayists and poets thoroughly understood the value of simplicity and self – reliance, as did Longfellow.
Simplification of exercise programs seems aligned with Longfellow’s words above, i.e. that simplification is not “dumbing down”, but a pursuit of excellence.
The following strengthens my thoughts:
- There is much contradictory fitness advice on the Internet and elsewhere
- Many new devices are advertised as “changing the fitness world” and rendering everything else obsolete
- Instruction can sometimes be complicated because of “gym jargon”
- I have seen advertising for pills or dietary supplements which suggest that “workouts are unnecessary” for weight loss
- Regarding the above- perhaps so, but it seems doubtful to me. And who wants less weight with no body sculpting or toning?
My topic, “EASY, EFFECTIVE HOME WORKOUTS” is to suggest that the movements will be easy to understand, not necessarily easy to perform.
At least, not without challenges. Energy and dedication are needed for progress in any exercise venture, as are more rigorous forms of resistance as gains are made.
BODYWEIGHT EXERCISE
Here is a brief 5-step program that requires no equipment:
- PUSH – UPS – are great upper torso movements for development of the chest, triceps, shoulders and back. Do them slowly, with a pause at the bottom. Do as many as you can do correctly and try to increase that number in time. If one is difficult to perform, begin with your knees on the surface. The beginning is not so important; progress is the key.
- PLANKS – here is another floor exercise. Support yourself by your forearms and toes. Maintain a straight alignment of your body and hold this isometric position for 30 seconds to a minute – or whatever time limit is comfortable. This will strongly engage your core (abdominal area) and back.
- JUMP SQUATS – with feet shoulder width apart, back straight and eyes straight ahead, squat down until thighs are parallel. Then jump straight up, springing from the balls of your feet. This is great for your upper legs and glutes.
- BUTTERFLY CRUNCH – this abdominal exercise is my personal favorite. It specifically engages the lower abdomen. Begin with knees bent and hands behind your head. Raise your legs and shoulders toward each other and return to the beginning position. Do these quickly, while maintaining tension. Be careful to begin with only a few reps. I now do 2 sets of 50 reps daily, but my ribs were very sore when I began with only about 20 reps.
- TAKE A 30 MINUTE WALK AROUND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD – walk briskly and enjoy nature. Do this after the various floor exercises are done. A good rule is to always do resistance movements before cardio exercise. Save your energy, since the cardio can be more challenging.
INCORPORATING A COUPLE OF EQUIPMENT ITEMS
Here are a couple of suggestions to make the above program more interesting, to possibly substitute for a couple of movements at times. These links are to Amazon. As an Amazon associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases:
- A TREADMILL – will provide an option for inclement weather. Your speed and elevation may be raised to present more challenges. I use a treadmill daily, and exclusively during winter weather. It can be quite pleasant to work out on my treadmill as I listen to music in the morning. Distances, speeds and calorie expenditure are recorded for my convenience. My treadmill is shown below –
This model, as updated since my purchase, is shown here. Many models are more expensive, but this one has lasted for years with heavy usage.
- POWER PRESS PUSH-UP SYSTEM – this is a device to enhance the value of push-ups. Handles are provided to allow for deeper dipping, more in line with parallel bar dips. The handles may be inserted into color coded and recessed plug positions. Thus, there are hand positions to specifically engage the chest (pectorals), arms (triceps), shoulders (deltoids) or back (latissimus dorsi). You may choose the upper torso body part to especially work. The Power Press is shown below, as it sits on my living room floor –
The Power Press is very reasonably priced. Check it out
NEED VARIETY? CONSIDER RESISTANCE CORDS
Resistance cords are excellent vehicles for muscular development, with lower “impact” than barbells or dumbbells. The “weight” of the cords provides varying resistance. Packages come with handles, door anchors and a choice of cords with different weights (or resistance levels). A few exercise movements are shown below:
- CURLS – this provides a means to develop the biceps of the upper arm, not afforded in any of the movements shown above. You may stand on the mid point of the cord and raise each handle upward by “curling”, as you keep each palm up and bend your arms.
In the image below, the lady’s right arm is approaching the top of her right shoulder and she is alternating arms as she works.
- CHEST PRESS – the pectoral muscles of the chest may be worked thoroughly by anchoring the resistance cords to a door, facing the opposite direction and pulling the handles across your body to meet in front of your chest. Note the stress on these muscles as you complete the pull and allow the handles to return to the starting position
See another image below. The man above seems to be elevating the pull, while the woman below is pulling on the same plane. Either version will work
- LAT PULL – this movement activates your “lats”, or latissimus dorsi, the muscles of your back that fan out to give you a V- shaped upper body. The woman below is sitting and anchoring the cords by her feet. You may also stand and pull the cords to your side from a door anchor.
I am quite fond of resistance cords. They offer lots of variety for home workouts and can be employed in any bodybuilding movement that I know of. They lessen the chance of injury and provide several levels of challenges because of differing thicknesses of the cords within the packages.
Here are a couple of options. Both of these packages include everything you need at reasonable prices:
CONCLUDING
This has been an attempt to simplify home workouts, while offering exercise choices for a full body program. It is important to allow a day’s rest between resistance workouts. Outside walking or inside treadmill workouts may be done every day.
The equipment options shown are items that I have personally used and found effective, of good quality and reasonable in price. But bear in mind that you may work out very effectively with no equipment whatsoever.
Please leave any comments or questions in the “Comments” box below. Or e-mail me, richard@myworkoutathome.com.
I have a special request: please suggest any topics for home workouts that may interest you. I need to know what you consider important and worthy of your time and attention.
Be well!
