Home Workout Ideas

Shape up at Home without the Gym!

Resistance Bands vs. Free Weights: Which is Best?

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Which is Best?If you are starting to think about setting up a home gym or workout space where you live, then one of the biggest questions facing you will be what home weight training equipment to get.  If you had unlimited space and a large budget, then kitting out your spare room or garage with a full set of free weights and a cardio machine or two would be the preferred option. However, for most people that isn’t a realistic scenario. Some people have limited funds, don’t have endless space or might only want to acquire one or two pieces of fitness equipment. So if you want to get it right and buy the best gear for you then it is a good idea to compare some of the options available.  As with most things there are two sides to every story and when looking at resistance bands vs. free weights, this is very much the case.

Why Resistance Bands are Best

Cheap Resistance BandsIf you just want some home training gear to allow you to have a quick workout at home on the days when you can’t make it to the gym then opting for some resistance bands is the best idea.  As you won’t solely be relying on the bands to get in shape at home, they will be good enough to tide you over until your next gym visit. If you are travelling a lot, perhaps with work or on an a gap year, having a good set of resistance bands in your backpack can really help you keep in decent shape while away from home and the gym. As the bands are light and don’t take up much space they are ideal for someone on the road a lot. They don’t need either equipment like benches or hooks to function and can be used almost anywhere. The amount of exercises you can perform with them is bigger than you’d expect and you can train all the major muscles groups with them easily as well as most of the smaller ones too. Here are some reasons why resistance bands are better than free weights:

  • Cost a lot less
  • Take up less space
  • Can be used anywhere: at work, on holiday, while travelling

Why Free Weights are Best

As we covered earlier, in an ideal world you’d have a home gym equipped with a full set of free weights. But in reality this isn’t often possible.  However, that doesn’t mean you can’t train with free weights at home without taking over the house and burning through your savings. You don’t need a full set of weights and benches to get in shape at home and do a proper workout. You can make do with just some inexpensive adjustable dumbbells or even, if you have the room, a simple bench, a barbell and some plates. Kettlebells are also free weights and men and women can train with them to get a great physique and get out of the skinny fat rut. With just a set of kettlebells you can start training at home to overhaul your body by developing some lean muscle mass and shifting that stubborn fat. In fact, kettlebells are probably the most versatile type of free weights available to home trainers with limited space and budget. You can train all of your body with the right bells and get in a good leg workout with kettlebells at home.  If you chose to get a barbell and some weight plates for your home gym you can increase the longevity of the gear by buying more weights as you get stronger.  Let’s take a look at some of the positive reasons why free weights are better than resistance bands:

  • Can be loaded up with more weight as you get stronger.
  • Free weights will almost always give more resistance than a band.
  • Allow you to perform more exercises (depending on the type of free weights).

So as you can see comparing these two types of popular exercise equipment isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. It all comes down to your budget, how much space you have and whether you want a portable training option.

  • If you want to setup a home gym with lots of options for different types of training, free weights are best.
  • If you want to be able to train while away from home or with a very small amount of equipment, bands are best.
  • If you want to be able to continuously increase the heaviness of the weights, then free weights are best.
  • If you don’t want to spend much money, resistance bands are best.

There is no easy answer to the question of free weights vs. resistance bands but hopefully this article helped you see the pros and cons of each and make a decision as to which to buy.

Me personally, I like a small selection of free weights at home, but I also love being able to fit a small, inexpensive piece of equipment in my bag that allows me to train when working late in the office, on holiday or away from home.

Going on Holiday? Don’t forget your Resistance Bands!

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Holiday Workout with Resistance BandsIf you’ve got a holiday planned in the coming weeks or months, or are going to be away from home and on the road for a while, then something like a set of resistance bands or tubes should definitely be in your suitcase. There is nothing like a holiday to interrupt your workout routine and cause you to miss valuable workout sessions.  What makes matters worse is that holidays are often times of overindulgence when it comes to eating and the new and interesting foods on offer make it hard to stick to a clean and healthy diet.

All this can add up to an increase in your body fat levels as well as making it harder to get back into your training schedule upon your return.  If you are looking for a skinny fat solution a holiday isn’t the place to find it!

Nothing Wrong with Having a Break from Training

While there is nothing wrong with having a break from training and your diet from time to time, if it happens too regularly it could really slow down your progress. I know from personal experience that when I’m away on holiday or off on a training course with work I tend to eat a lot more processed foods than usual.  Plus, I find it hard to get back into working out again when I get home.  Sometimes you will have access to a gym when you are on the road, but often than not, there won’t be one to use, it might not be good enough or you just don’t have the time to use it.

How to Train While Away from Home

Suspension Straps for a Hotel Room WorkoutSo if you won’t have access to a gym that you can consistently use when away from home what should you do? One option is to take a set of suspensions straps like the Jungle Gym XT with you. These suspension trainers are pretty portable and often come with their own carry bag which reduces the size a lot. They are very versatile, allowing you to perform numerous exercises to help you meet your goals, whether they be toning up, losing weight or putting on some quality muscle.  You can easily connect them to a door in your hotel room and start doing some suspension exercises.  However, with prices starting at $99, they can be quite an expensive option, especially if you aren’t that serious about getting in shape.

Travel Light with Resistance BandsAnother option is to get some resistance tubes or bands. These might look a bit similar to suspension straps as they have a handle on each end but they work in a different way. Think of them as a strong piece of elastic with handles on the end. By pulling on the handles, trying to stretch the band, you can give yourself a great workout with just one piece of equipment. They are lighter than suspension trainers like the TRX, making them easier to carry around with you. While they don’t give you as many options as a set of suspension trainers, they cost a lot less and are great for trips when you need to travel light. For most of the resistance band exercises you can perform with them, you don’t need to attach them to anything and simply stand on them for extra resistance. They are great for doing a quick workout in your room and you can perform muscle building and fat loss workouts to help you meet your goals.

  • Top tip: If you want to look your best by performing a quick hotel room workout before heading off to the hotel pool or beach, having a set of resistance tubes in your room is the answer.

Start your Budget Home Gym with Resistance Bands

Building your own home gym is a great idea, but for most people it’s just not practical. There are space issues to be taken into consideration, as well as the cost involved. However, with just a few inexpensive pieces of equipment, like a set of resistance bands you can give yourself the ability to start working out at home.

Which Resistance Bands to Get?

There are quite a lot of different makes and types of resistance bands on the market which can make using one to buy a bit of a daunting prospect. If you look at the top best-selling exercise bands on amazon.com you can see there are many varieties to choose from.

Cheap Resistance Bands from Black MountainThe number one best-seller, the Black Mountain Resistance Band Set costs more than some of the other products available but at $30, can still be considered cheap resistance bands, especially when compared to other home exercise equipment like barbells and kettlebells. The more elaborate set of bands come with a selection of handles, clips and different strength bands.  A set that keeps things simple, with just one band and two high quality handles attached, is the Reebok Resistance Tube which also doesn’t cost too much either.  The Reebok resistance trainers are excellent for taking away with your on holiday as they are light, portable and take up very little space.

To take a look at the best-selling exercise bands on sale click here now.

How You Can Improve Your Push Up Count

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One question I hear a lot from those working out at home is ‘how can I improve my push up count?’ There are many reasons why someone might want to improve their press up count, ranging from improving their strength or feeling more confident about themselves. But there are some things that being able to do more push ups won’t help.

The Best Way to Improve your Push Up Count

How to Do More Push UpsWhen it comes to being able to increase the number of push ups you can do, the best advice I was given, was to make them more difficult to perform by increasing the intensity of the push ups you are doing.  Instead of trying to do more and more regular press ups, increasing the amount by a couple of reps each time you do this exercise, it is much better to change the way you do them. Slowly adding a few extra push ups isn’t going to give you the benefit that doing more intense push ups can give. If you only continue to do regular push ups, your body and the muscles used, will get used to this exercise and will stop growing or getting stronger.

In fact I would say, once you can comfortably do three sets of 12 reps of regular push ups, it is time to make them more difficult. Not only will this change shock your muscles into growing again but it will make your training sessions more interesting and less drawn out and boring. If your home workouts are fun, then it is much more likely you will stick with them instead of giving up due to being bored to death!

Also, once you have mastered the more difficult versions of the push up you will able to do more regular push ups which was your original goal.

How to Make Push Ups More Difficult

There are a number of ways to increase the intensity of regular push ups, which I covered in some depth in this article on making push ups more difficult.  But to cut to the chase some of the best ways are as follows:

  • Work your way up to doing one arm push ups
  • Put a weight or heavy object (or small person) on your back
  • Raise your legs off the ground to perform elevated push ups
  • Use a Swiss ball to either support your arms or your legs
  • Use a suspension trainer like the Jungle Gym XT to support your arms or legs
  • Practice doing a clap between each press up
  • Strengthen the muscles involved by doing other exercises

Stop Doing Push Ups to Get Better at Them

Kettlebell Training for Better Push UpsThis might sound like a paradox, but one way I found that helped to improve my push up count was to stop doing them all together. Once I started working out with weights, I stopped doing body weight exercises like push ups.  If not saying this is the right or wrong thing to do but after a few months of solid weight training, doing chest and tricep exercises like the bench press, dumbbell flies and dips, I discovered my press up count had improved dramatically.

Stopping doing press ups for a while, and focusing on weight training is something you should try if you want to improve your press up count.  Not only will it increase the number of push ups you can do but it should also increase your all-round strength and result in improve muscle gains.

I understand why you want to be able to do more push ups, I really do. There is nothing like having to admit you can do barely ten, but if you want to get the most out of your exercise routine, whether you train at home or not, then chasing numbers on just one exercise shouldn’t be your ultimate goal. Even if you only train and exercise at home you can still get in a perfectly good workout at home without loads of expensive equipment. This article I wrote on working out at home with just a set of kettlebells should give you some ideas on what you can achieve with a good home workout routine.

How You Can Increase the Intensity of a Push Up

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Make Press Ups Hard AgainIf you are working out at home without access to much fitness equipment then the push up is a great exercise that should be part of your home workout routine. Whether your goals are to gain muscle, lose weight or improve your strength, push ups are one of the best ways to succeed without building your own fully kitted out home gym.

The only problem with push ups is that once you have been doing them for a while they become too easy and you can find yourself doing 30 or more push ups per set to feel the same level of exertion as you did when you first started. This is a problem because doing lots of reps of an exercise isn’t going to help you once you get past the 10 or 12 rep range. To make them effective again you need to make them more difficult.

So How Can You Increase the Difficulty of a Push Up?

One way to make the humble push up more difficult is to work your way up to doing the one armed version. Doing push ups with one arm is almost impossible the first time you try (I know it was for me) but if you follow this guide to doing one armed push ups I wrote recently you can see that, if you follow the right route of progression, you can work your way up to doing single armed push ups without too much of a problem.

How Elevated Push Ups Can Increase Exertion

Elevated Your Legs for Extra IntensityAnother way to increase the intensity of a push up is to put your legs up on a step, bench or chair. These are called elevated push ups and they are a great way to make this exercise more challenging and therefore more effective.  The higher your feet are elevated off the ground, the more difficult the exercise will be. If you are just starting out then I recommend you don’t elevate your feet too high.  However, as time passes and you get stronger you can really increase the height for maximum rewards.

Try Swiss Ball Push Ups for Extra Intensity

Press Ups on a Swiss BallThere are two types of Swiss ball push up you can try.  The first type works on the same principle as the elevated push up as you place your feet on the ball. But not only do you get the benefit from increasing the intensity by having your feet off the floor but the issue of stability comes into play.  The whole point of the Swiss ball is that your attempt to control and eliminate the wobble created by resting on the ball forces your core muscles to work even harder. Using a Swiss ball in this way makes this exercise even more difficult!

Another way to use one of these balls is to place your hands on the ball when doing the push up. You will lose the benefit from your legs being elevated, but the muscles in your shoulders will have to work extra hard to keep you stable.

Suspension Push Ups

Another way to make push ups more difficult is to use a suspension trainer. These are excellent pieces of fitness gear that can massively increase the number of exercises you can do at home and on the road while traveling. Check out this article I wrote on the products available to find out which is the best suspension trainer for home workouts.

Suspended Push UpsBy placing your hands in the suspension trainer you can make your press ups much more difficult as you will have to work harder to keep your upper body stable.  The lack of stability that occurs when using suspension straps is what makes them such a powerful piece of equipment to have in your training arsenal, and when it comes to suspended push ups they are no exception!

Another option to increase the difficulty when it comes to doing push ups with your suspension straps is to put your feet in the straps. For this version you will get the extra benefit of doing elevated push ups as well as having to try and prevent your lower body from swinging and wobbling around. This is a great way to work your core muscles even harder when doing push ups.

Add Some Weight to Increase the Intensity

Put Some Weight on Your BackEven if you aren’t lucky enough to have some weights at home, you can make do by wearing a backpack filled with heavy objects. It could be water bottles filled with sand, pebbles or even plain old water. You could stuff all those worthless health and fitness magazines into your bag or even a stack of books. Whatever you have lying around can be made into a weight that can be used to increase the difficult of a regular press up.  You can even ask a friend to sit on your back while doing your push ups, just make sure they aren’t too heavy!

Over to You

So that was a quick list of the various ways you can increase the intensity of the classic push up exercise. Some didn’t require any extra equipment at all and some relied on some effective pieces of home exercise equipment you might want to think about investing in such as the Swiss ball and the suspension straps.

Do you know of any other ways to improve this exercise? Leave us a comment with your home exercise tips and tricks.

Bust Out of the Skinny Fat Zone at Home with One Arm Push Ups

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Use them to Build Muscle and Burn FatIf you are stuck in the skinny fat zone, like I was once upon a time, a great way to bust out of this zone is to start doing some simple exercises at home. If you can join a gym and get a good, well qualified, personal trainer who understands your predicament then fair play to you. However, if you are short on time and don’t want to commit to an expensive gym membership then there is no reason why you can’t start your body transformation and put an end to being part of the ever increasing skinny but fat demographic.

It took one of my friends to point out to me how I was no longer just skinny but was starting to get fat too. Once this public observation (thanks dude) had been made I took myself off to the nearest gym and started working out like mad. Unfortunately I didn’t have a clue about what I was doing and didn’t really make much progress for the first year, until I started doing some research into nutrition and working out. Luckily you won’t have to make the same mistake as me.  If you are ready to start working out at home in order to prevent yourself from getting (even more) skinny fat, half the battle has already been won!

You Don’t Need the Gym to Win

Now if you told me you wanted to become a professional bodybuilder or fitness magazine cover model, I’d tell you to turn off the computer and get down the gym. But if your goals are a little more modest and you want to look good with your top off and obtain that lean, athletic look then signing up at the gym isn’t necessary. You can perform a great workout at home with hardly any equipment and in some cases no equipment at all! One great exercise to burn calories and put some lean muscle on your chest, shoulders and triceps is the push up and the best news of all is that it requires no gym equipment.  Diet and nutrition also play a big part in getting in great shape and something like the Lean Ape Living book can help you get this aspect of your life sorted without any pain.

But Doing Endless Push Ups isn’t Going to Help

Before I started going to the gym I was a proper weed! I doubt I could do more than five push ups in those days. If you are struggling to get into double digits don’t worry, you can quickly remedy this. But one big mistake people make when they start working out at home is to do as many reps of an exercise as they can. In a few months you will probably be able to do 20-30 push ups in one go, but just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should.

If you want give your muscles enough of shock so that they grow, you need to make sure the exercise you are performing is difficult enough so you can only do around 8 to 12 reps. Once you get good at push ups you will have to start finding creative ways to make them difficult again. Once such way, that I am utilizing myself at the moment is the one armed push up, or at least working my way up to it!  You can read about my current fitness challenges in my series of monthly goals.

How One Armed Push Ups Can Help you Avoid Skinny Fat Syndrome

How to Avoid Skinny Fat SyndromeIn order to put on muscle and transform your body from soft and flabby to hard and toned, you need to keep your muscles working hard when exercising. Doing push ups at home is a great way to exercise without any fitness equipment but they can quickly become too easy to really challenge your muscles. In order to make this exercise useful again you need to make it harder. Once you can do three sets of 12 push ups you should start working your way towards one arm push ups. The extra tension the one armed version of this classic exercise puts on your chest and triceps will have them growing in no time. The extra muscle will help speed up your metabolism and you will be burning more calories than ever before, helping to keep your body fat levels down.

The First Step Towards One Armed Push Ups

Even though I can now do a good amount of regular push ups, when I first tried a one armed push up I couldn’t even manage one rep! How can you practice something you can’t even do once? Well the answer is you have to build up to them slowly. Try the exercise below for a few weeks until you can easily do three sets of 12 reps. If you already exercise your chest muscles, then perform these push ups on the same day. If you are not regularly working out then try these three times a week with a least a day’s rest in between.

  1. Get in the regular push up position with your arms just beyond shoulders width apart and your feet close together.
  2. Take one arm, and move it out to the side keeping the fingers of both hands pointing ahead of you.
  3. Start doing a push up. You will notice that the side of the body of the arm that you didn’t move out to the side is doing most of the work. Although you haven’t jumped straight into a one armed push up, one side of your body is definitely doing most of the work.
  4. Once you’ve done 12 reps, or if you can’t do this much yet, as many as you can, change your arms so that the other one is now out to the side and the other arm is back in place.
  5. Try and do 12 reps and then swap over arms again

Aim to do three sets with both arms. As they get easier, move your arm out further to the side until it is hardly helping your other arm at all. Keep trying this until you can comfortably do three sets of 12 reps.  This is the first step of how to do one arm push ups.

The Second Step to Mastering Single Arm Push Ups

Now that you are doing three sets of 12 reps with one arm out to the side, and your working arm is taking most of the weight, it is now time to move to the next level of difficulty. For this you will need some kind of prop, something like a small step or study box will do perfectly. Whatever you choose it should be about six inches high off the ground and stable enough to hold some of your weight.

  1. Get in the regular push up position. Remember to keep your legs close together and avoid splaying them out to make the exercise easier and therefore less effective.
  2. Take one arm and move it out to the side but this time rest your palm on top of the step or box you are going to use.
  3. Do your first push up. This time you will find it even harder than before to complete the exercise. As one of your arms is raised off the ground your working arm will be taking even more of the weight.
  4. Try and do 12 reps or if not, as many as you can start with.
  5. Swap arms so that the other one is up on the step or box and complete another set.

Again, aim for three sets of 12 reps and then move onto the next step.

Moving on to Single Arm Push Ups

Now you have done the prep work you are ready to try a single armed push up with a good chance at success.

  1. Get into the regular starting push up position with your arms just outside shoulder width, fingers facing forward and your legs together.
  2. Take one arm and place it on your lower back.  Keep it out of the way to avoid succumbing to temptation and using it when things get tough.
  3. Do your first one arm push up!

You might only be able to do one or two to begin with but keep at it and you will soon be doing three sets of 12 reps with ease. Once these become too easy try doing them with your legs elevated by resting them on a step of piece of furniture. Once this also, becomes too easy, you will have to invest in some weights or find a heavy object you can rest on your back to increase the amount of weight you are lifting.

A Simple Home Exercise to Zap the Fat and Build Muscle

As you can see, you can transform this relatively easy exercise into something much harder and useful by following a few simple steps. There are three reasons to work your way up to one armed push ups in order to change your body composition and say goodbye to skinny fat syndrome:

  • They become a difficult exercise that really helps to build your chest, shoulder and tricep muscles.
  • The extra muscle you grow will increase your body’s metabolism which means it burns more calories per day than it did before. With your new faster metabolism you will soon be on your way to getting rid of stubborn fat deposits around your waist and belly that give you the appearance of being skinny and fat at the same time.
  • They also make a great party trick!

Although this is a great exercise to have at your disposal it is essential that you don’t neglect the other areas and muscles groups of your body.  Doing so will ensure you end up with an unbalanced body which could be almost as bad as how you were before! The good news is you can give your entire body a workout at home with barely any equipment at all. You can even do squats at home for toned, athletic legs and by adding a few dumbbells or kettlebells to your collection you can do even more great exercises without ever setting foot in the gym.

Join up with me on Facebook and let me know when you can do 10 one armed push ups, I’d love to hear from you.

How to Workout your Hamstrings at Home

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Home Hamstring WorkoutBefore we get started let’s quickly cover what the hamstring is and why you should be giving it a regular workout at home or in the gym. The term hamstring refers to a group of muscles and tendons (ham and strings) that are located on the back of the upper leg. Their main job, along with the quadriceps, is to allow the knee joint to move. While the quadriceps are found on the front of the leg, the hamstrings are located on the back of the thigh and interact with the knee and hips joints. As well as their main responsibility, which is knee flexion, they are also involved in the extension  of the hip.  The hamstrings also have other jobs related to running and walking which makes them a very important group of muscles.

Why Workout Your Hamstrings?

This muscle group is very important and when damaged, can severely affect your ability to walk or run. For this simple reason it is a very good idea to ensure you have strong and healthy hamstrings. Having strong hamstring muscles makes daily tasks like walking up stairs much easier and as these muscles make up a large part of your upper legs, developing these muscles can go a long way to giving your legs that healthy, athletic, toned appearance. Also, if you want to avoid the dreaded torn hamstring injury, read on!

How to Get Great Looking Legs

How to Get a Toned Lower BodyWhether you are a man or woman, if you want to look your best then you need to make sure your legs get as much attention when you are working out as your upper body. If you want strong, healthy looking legs that don’t wobble when you walk, building up and toning the hamstring muscles should be your number one priority. Not only will this give you great looking legs but they will be less likely to get injured should you partake in any strenuous activities.

The Best Hamstring Exercises at Home

The good news is that you can get a decent hamstring and leg workout in at home without splashing out on expensive fitness equipment. Squats are the best leg exercises out there when it comes to strengthening, sculpting and powering-up your lower body and as we covered in a recent guide you can easily do squats at home without the need for a squat rack or expensive Olympic barbells. So apart from squats what other exercises should you be doing for getting your legs in great shape?

Stiff Legged Deadlift

Romanian Deadlifts at HomeWhile the regular deadlift works the hamstrings somewhat, the muscles in your back do most of the work and therefore reap most of the rewards. If you want to give your legs and hams a great workout you need to change to the stiff legged deadlift or Romanian deadlift as this lower body exercise is sometimes called. To do this exercise at home you will need some kind of weights to get the most out of it. But you don’t need a full set of plates and a barbell; some low cost dumbbells or some kettlebells will suffice. This is how to do this great leg exercise at home:

  1. Hold the weights in your hand, arms by your side and with your feet shoulder width apart.
  2. Keep looking forwards and bend at the hips keeping your back straight. Lower the weights slowly until they are as low as you can comfortably go. Bend your knees slightly while doing this so they are not locked but don’t squat down. You should feel this in your hamstrings.
  3. While focusing on your hamstrings, lift the weights while keeping your back straight to return to the starting position. Make sure you keep looking forward as you complete the movement.
  4. Keep your shoulders pulled back to prevent your back from bending or arching: it should be straight.

Remember to keep your back straight at all times. Keep looking forward, don’t look down as there is a good chance your back will start to round and bend.

Lunges

How to Do Lunges at HomeYou can do lunges with no weights at all although a pair of handheld dumbbells will enable you to reap the rewards of this exercise more quickly. Alternatively hold something heavy in your hands like a water bottle filled with gravel. Lunges are great because they not only work your hamstrings but also your quads and glutes, putting you on the right path to a toned looking lower body. Follow these steps to start doing lunges at home:

  1. Hold a weight/water bottle/shopping bag in each hand, letting your arms hang by your sides.
  2. While standing straight and looking ahead, take a step forward with one leg, keeping your other foot in place.
  3. Bend the knee of your back foot so that the knee is almost touching the ground.
  4. Now push off with the front foot to return to the starting position.
  5. Pause and get your balance back and then step forward again but this time with the other foot.
  6. Push back again with the front foot to return to the starting position.

To make sure you perform these dumbbell lunges properly, do not step too far forward with the front foot and never bend your front leg so that the knee is beyond the toes of the front foot. This is the same for squats and will prevent your knees taking too much of the weight which can lead to injuries.

Fitting These Home Hamstring Exercises into your Routine

These are just a couple of exercises you can easily do at home with simple weight training gear or homemade equipment.  As they are training your lower body you can fit them into your routine on the day that you work your legs and lower body.

If you want some more ideas for working your leg muscles in order to develop a strong and aesthetically pleasing lower body have a look at the kettlebell leg workout page.

November Goals: How Many Workouts Will You Do This Month?

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Right! Its a new month so its time to set some goals. This is a new addition to the site where I will be posting up my goals for the forthcoming month in order to inspire me and maybe some of you too!

My Goals for November 2012

My health and fitness goals for this month are pretty simple.  They are as follows:

  • Go to the gym eight times
  • Do 10 home workouts on my exercise bike
  • Work on my one handed push ups
  • Loose 1kg of body weight
  • Eat zero Magnum ice creams
  • Read the Lean Ape Living ebook
Nothing too ambitious there I’m sure you will agree. I plan to visit the gym each weekend day for a weights and cardio workout. There are four weekends this month so I will go eight days. I can’t really make the gym during the week due to other commitments so I plan to workout at home at least 10 times by using my exercise bike.  I will try to do more then 10 sessions on the bike but I don’t want to be too unrealistic with my goals. Doing cardio at home is pretty easy to do as you are already at home! But it can be easy to skip as you can put it off for later that day or tomorrow.  I’ve started playing the PS3 while riding on the home exercise bike which makes the time really fly.

How to Do a One Handed Push Up?

Can you do a one armed press up?I saw a cool set of videos on another website recently, covering how to do one armed push ups and how to work your way up to being able to do them. I can do about 30 regular push ups but wouldn’t mind being able to do a few one handed ones too. I’m going to give it a serious go this month and hope to be able to do at least a few by Christmas. Can you do them?

Lose 1kg of Body Weight

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Hopefully my sensible eating and workouts this month will result in me losing 1kg or 2.2 pounds of weight which will be fat rather than muscle.  My main goal is really to lose inches off my waist and drop my body fat percentage levels rather than my weight going down on the scales but this target will do for now.

Eat Zero Magnum Ice Creams

How Many Magnums Can You Eat?Man I love these ice creams! Over the past few months I’ve been slowly getting addicted to them where at one point last month I was having one a day. A Magnum Original contains 260 calories which is a lot when you start eating them on the regular.  I’m going zero tolerance on these for this month at least!  What naughty foods are you currently over-enjoying?

Read the Lean Ape Living ebook

I’ve been following the Lean Ape site for a while now and have picked up their ebook as I like the ethos behind the site and its interesting to watch the site grow as its a similar age to mine.  Now I’ve got the book I have to actually read it which I hope to do this month. I’ll do a review of the Lean Ape Living book on this site when I’m done.  Read any good (fitness) books lately?

Over to You

If you have any goals for this month leave a comment below or add them to my Facebook status here.

How to Do Squats at Home

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Power Rack for Squats

If you don’t have this at home don’t worry

One of the best exercises you can perform in the gym is the squat but what if you are training at home with limited equipment? When doing this exercise in the gym you would typically use a power rack or a squat rack as well as an Olympic barbell and some weights.  However if you are training at home you probably won’t have access to that sort of equipment unless you are lucky enough to have a well equipped home gym.

So how can you do squats at at home? Well, the good news is that with just a couple of dumbbells you can perform this excellent exercise and get your legs and lower body in great shape in no time at all.

Why Even Bother Doing Squats?

If you are new to working out and are just starting out on the road to getting in shape you might be wondering why a normal, sane person would do the squat exercise. It can look quite dangerous from a far, seeing someone tottering about with 100’s of pounds of iron resting on their neck while they squat down lower than you probably ever do even without any weight on your back! So why bother doing this lower body exercise? Well there are a few good reasons for doing squats:

  • If you fail to exercise and develop the muscles in your lower body, your upper body won’t improve as well as it could as your body has a natural tendency to keep both your halves in proportion.
  • Despite the above your upper body will develop somewhat and if you don’t work your lower body you will end up with chicken legs propping up an out of proportion, muscular upper body: not a good look!
  • If you want your lower body to be toned and beach-ready then you need to exercise your leg muscles and the squat is the best way to do it. No one wants to see a flabby backside at the beach and the squat is one sure-fire way to eliminate any unwanted wobble.
  • The more muscle your body consists of the more calories it burns during the day and night. As there are lots of muscles in your legs and lower body, developing those muscles can help increase your overall daily calorie expenditure meaning its easier to lose weight and you can get away with eating more of what you like, not just the food that is good for you.

Dumbbells Squats at Home for Powerful Legs

So now you know why you should be doing squats its time to look at how you can do them at home without lots of expensive gym equipment. The best way to do this exercise with the least equipment without going totally DIY and doing water bottle squats or building your own rack is to use a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells and do this exercise that way.  As dumbbells tend to be lighter than an Olympic bar and some plates you probably won’t be able to go as heavy as you can in the gym but you can do more reps and go deeper to make up for this shortcoming.

How to Do Dumbbell Squats:

  1. Dumbbell Squats at HomeGet into the starting position by standing up straight with your legs shoulder width apart and your toes pointing out ahead of you but with a slight turn out to the sides. Take a weight in each hand with your palms facing in and your arms relaxed by your sides.
  2. Start to bend your legs at the knees but keep your back and neck straight, while you look out, straight ahead.
  3. As you begin to squat down make sure that your knees are above your toes and do not move forwards, past them. You should not be leaning forward but lowering yourself as if sitting down on an imaginary chair.
  4. When you get to the point where your thighs and upper legs are parallel with the floor you can stop there and return to the starting position by breathing out and pushing up from the heels of your feet in an explosive a manner as you can manage.
  5. Alternatively, if you are using a weight that is comfortable and you don’t have any heavier dumbbells, or you just want to push yourself further you can continue squatting past where your upper legs are parallel with the floor and go down as low as you can. This is known as ‘ass to the grass’ and makes this exercise even more effective and challenging.
  6. Once you get back to the starting position take a moment then do it all over again.

How many reps? If your goal is to build muscle and tone and develop your lower body then we recommend doing 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Personally I’d go for one warm up set with a light weight of eights reps and then three sets of heavy squats for eight reps each. However if you only have light weights at home then do more reps and sets until you can do no more.

Going Deep vs Using a Heavier Weight

For some people going down as low as parallel is enough for them and they prefer to add more weight to this exercise instead of going down as low as possible. Personally, I always always opt for doing an exercise as well as possible before increasing the weight.  So for me, I’d recommend you go down as low as you can rather than doing a half-squat and increasing the weight.

Over to You

So whether you are male or female, training because you want to lose weight, get in shape or just get stronger the squat should be at the heart of any routine you follow. If you are training at home there is no excuse not to do this exercise as a pair of dumbbells or a set of kettlebells are more than adequate. Even if you don’t have any weights you can still do this exercise and get some benefit from it.

Chest Exercises for Suspension Training

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You don’t need a bench press or a heavy set of barbells to get in a great chest workout at home. In fact all you really need is a set of suspension trainers and a bit of space. Of course you can simply do body weight exercises but if you want to make your workouts more time and effort efficient using something like the suspension straps is the best way in terms of cost, space and time requirements.

What are suspension trainers? Suspension trainers turn any space, indoors or out, into a fully functioning gym capable of giving your whole body a workout. Whether you want to lose weight, get toned or put on some quality muscle a suspension trainer should be your first port of call. Check out our suspension trainer round-up for the pros and cons of the different models available.

Right let’s get down to business. Here are some of our favourite chest exercises that can be performed with a set of suspension straps like the TRX Pro or the Jungle Gym XT to name just two.

Suspension Strap Push Ups

Are regular push ups too easy for you? Want to ensure your chest gets enough of a workout? Then the suspension push ups take one of the most popular exercises in the world to the next level. Let’s go:

  • Setup the straps so that the handles are about 6 inches from the floor.
  • Put your hands into the handles and hold on!
  • Lower your body into the regular press up or push up starting position.
  • Now perform a push up but try to keep your hands as still as possible preventing the straps from moving about.
  • Keep a straight line from your toes to your shoulders: don’t bend your back.

If you want to make this exercise a bit easier raise the height of the handles to take some of the weight off.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7MZFe5dqW4

Suspension Trainer Chest Press

This is similar to the above push up exercise but the greater height of the handles makes the range of movement more akin to the incline bench press exercise.

  • Set up the trainer so the straps or handles are about waist height.
  • Hold on to the handles and put your arms slightly out in front of you.
  • Lean forwards on to the straps lowering your body as low as you can.
  • Keep a straight line from your head to your ankles and avoid bending your back.
  • Straighten your arms and push back from your chest to return to the starting position.

To make this exercise more difficult stand further back so the distance you travel as you lean is greater.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAeY1Uh4D30

Suspension Strap Chest Fly

This is similar to the dumbbell chest fly exercise except you don’t need any weights and the potential wobble of the suspension straps makes it much more difficult to perform!

  • Setup the straps so the handles are about waist height.
  • While standing take a strap or handle in each hand and walk forward with your arms out in front of you until the straps are tight and your hands are just below shoulder height.
  • Lean your body in towards your hands and then extend your arms out to the side of you.
  • Bring your arms back to your sides while keeping any wobble to a minimum.
  • Perform the rest of the reps and then push yourself back to the starting position.

You can combine the chest fly with the chest press if you want to make things more interesting. To do so do a press back to the starting position after each fly. Then lower yourself again and perform another fly.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mBhCvQXqHE

Suspension Strap Chest Exercise Routine

These three exercises will give you a good chest workout at home without the need for any gym equipment (apart from the straps of course). Change the order you do them in each week to ensure that each exercise gets a turn of going first at the start of your chest workout when your muscles are fresh and ready for a good workout.

Aim to do between 8 and 12 reps for each exercise and do three sets for each one so your workout looks something like this:

  • Warm up
  • Suspension Strap Pull-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps
  • Suspension Trainer Chest Press: 3 sets of 10 reps
  • Suspension Strap Chest Fly: 3 sets of 10 reps

Remember to change the order each time you do this workout so your muscles don’t get complacent from doing the same thing week in week out. Read our article on changing your routine to enable new muscle growth for some good reasons why a change is as good as a rest.

If you are interested in taking up this type of exercise at home, why not check out our round-up of the best suspension trainers.

Suspension Trainer Exercises For a Great Ab Workout

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How to Get Abs with a Suspension Trainer

Suspension Trainer

If you’ve recently picked up a suspension trainer or are lucky enough to be a member of a gym with one of these hugely dynamic and versatile pieces of fitness equipment then you might be wondering just what exercises there are out there for working your abdominal muscles in order to get a flat and toned stomach or if you are dedicated enough, a six pack.

If you haven’t got your own suspension trainer yet then take a look at our report on the most popular models on the market by clicking here now.

Well you will be pleased to know there are a good selection of suspension trainer ab exercises out there. This means you can choose from a range of effective exercises to ensure that your muscles don’t get used to the same exercises that are performed week in, week out.  Say goodbye to boring floor crunches and check out some of these fun and challenging exercises:

The Reverse Crunch Knee Tuck

  • Assume the press up position but hook your ankles into the handles of a suspension trainer.  Your feet should be about a foot from the floor.
  • Lift your knees away from the ground which will bring them into a tucked position under your chest. Breathe in as you do so and tense your core muscles while performing the exercise.
  • Return your feet to the starting position to complete one rep of this exercise. Breathe out while doing so.

The Suspension Trainer Plank

The plank is hard enough but imagine doing it with your legs suspended off the floor. Well thanks to your new suspension straps you can add this even tougher version of the plank to your ab routine.

  • Place your feet into the handles or straps of your suspension trainer so the laces or top of your foot is resting on the handles.
  • Get into the plank position with your body supported by your forearms.
  • Keep your glutes and core tight at all time and try to keep your body as still as possible. Preventing your body from moving is what takes this already difficult exercise to the next level.  How many minutes can you last for?

Suspension Trainer Obliques Assault

  • Lie on the floor on your back and hold on to the straps with both hands.
  • Lift yourself up from the floor so only your feet are in contact with the ground keeping your back straight and a straight line from head to ankles.
  • Pull on one strap to lift one side of your body up and then pull on the other side to change sides.
  • Keep doing this while tensing your core to really hit those oblique muscles that make up the side of your midsection.

These are just a few of the great many core muscle workouts available to those of you with access to a set of suspension straps. Keep tuned for more great exercise ideas for a powerful home workout.

To help you pick the right home workout equipment for your take a look at our reviews of the best suspension trainers.

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