Working out at the gym is undoubtedly easier than at home because you have a wide range of equipments at your disposal, but the after work rush to the gym, the loud, crowded environment and the long wait for equipments makes is less and less attractive and interesting. No need to worry, because you can always use the things lying around your home to practice power packed home gym exercises that are as effective as gym workouts. All you need is a bit of innovation and great home gym ideas. In this article, we have explained some home gym workout for weight loss and muscle building.
Household Items that can be used for Home Exercises
There are various household items and furniture lying around that can be used as effective home gym equipments in order to maximize the output of the workouts.
- Books – Heavy books can be used as weights on your abs while bridges. This helps in enhancing the strength of the abdominal muscles.
- Liquid Filled Cans – Heavy cans filled with liquids such as hair conditioners or condensed milk can be used for triceps workouts.
- Bunji Cord – A bunji cord can be used as a powerful strength training equipment while doing bicep curls.
- Bottles of Water – Bottles of water can be used instead of dumbbells for biceps and triceps workouts.
- Chair – The chair is one of the most functional equipment that can be used for doing the perfect dips.
- Stairs – Who needs stair climbers when you have staircases in your home?
10 Functional Home Gym Workouts for the Perfect Body
With our every busy work schedule and growing pressure of commitments, working out in the gym seems to be more and more impossible. But you can always workout at your home gym by using your household items as gym equipments.
Push Ups
The floor of your house is the basic requirement to get started with the gym exercise routine and using your own body weight is the best way of resistance training. The push up is a time-tested workout for upper body conditioning. This exercise works almost all the major muscles of the body – right from the triceps to the pectoralis major and anterior deltoids. Doing push-ups on a regular basis helps in toning and strengthening the major muscles.
All you need for this exercise is some clear space on the floor. Start on your hands and knees, hands placed directly under shoulders and knees under your hips. Keep the abdomen engaged and stretch out the legs to bring the body to plank position. Now, lower your body towards the floor by bending your elbows and then press upwards by straightening your elbows. Repeat 15 to 20 push ups at a stretch for best results.
Front Plank
The plank is one of the most popular core strengthening exercises included in gym exercise routine. You can also include this workout in your home exercises list because it requires no equipments. This exercise engages various muscle groups at the same time and helps in toning the back and abdominal muscles. Planking strengthens the inner core muscles and works as the basis for developing the six-pack abs.
Lie face down with your elbows placed close to your sides and directly under the shoulders. Your palms should be placed on the floor and toes tucked in. Now, slowly raise your torso off the floor with the support of the arms and the toes so that the back of your body forms a straight plank. Keep your core muscles engaged at all times. Stay in this stance for 30 seconds and come back to the starting position. Repeat it 3 to 4 times at a stretch.
Squat Jumps
Squat jump is yet another popular gym exercise that can be done easily at home. It is versatile movement that works all the muscles of the body and helps to enhance strength, speed and power. It is an amazing warm-up cardio that helps in fast weight loss. It is often included in the exercise routine of athletes like power lifters and sprinters.
Stand with your feet placed hip width apart and arms are resting on your sides. Now come to a squatting position by bending your knees, pushing your hips back and moving your arms back. Explode into a jump by extending your knees and hips and land in a squatting position. Repeat this move 10 to 15 times at a stretch for best results.
Bent Knee Crunches
Bent Knee Crunches is a popular gym exercise that helps in developing ultimate core power. It helps in strengthening and toning the abdominal muscles and also improves posture that enhances functional efficiency and lowers the chances of muscle injury and back pain. In addition to toning, crunches can also help in burning calories and merely 10 minutes of vigorous crunches can help lose up to 100 calories.
Lie down on the floor with your palms under your head and your knees bend and feet resting flat on the floor. Pull your elbows back and raise your head and shoulders off the floor by keeping our abdominal muscles engaged. Hold the position for 5 seconds and return to the starting position. Continue for 45 repetitions with 15 reps in each set.
Pull Ups using Bar attached to Door Frame
A sturdy bad that can be fixed to the door frame is one of the best home gym equipments that you can purchase for your workouts. The bar can be used to do pull ups. Pull ups are the fundamental upper body exercise that works various muscle groups at the same time. It tones the lats, rhomboids, arm muscles and abdominal muscles. Attach the bar at a convenient level on the door frame so that you can perform the complete pull up with ease.
Grab the bar with your hands, palms facing away and hands placed shoulder width apart. Now suspend your body to a dead hang by extending the arms. Pull your body up by engaging the muscles of the core and upper body and continue to pull till your chin moves over the bar. Stay in that stance of 2 to 5 seconds and come back to the dead hang.
Bicep Curls using Water Bottles
Bicep curls are the time tested way to get those solid bicep muscles. Bicep curls are essential for toning the arms and increasing the amount of lean muscle mass in the arms. Regular practice of bicep curls helps in developing tighter and more defined arm muscles. No need to use dumbbells for your bicep curls, 1.5 liters water bottles available in the home is good enough to do the trick.
Stand with your feet placed hip width apart, holding two 1.5 liter water bottles in both hands.Now, bend your right elbow and bring the bottle up to the level of your chest slowly, then again lower the bottle to the level your waist. Now, bend your left elbow and bring the bottle up to the level of your chest slowly, then again lower the bottle to the level your waist. Continue to repeat the curls with alternate arms as long as you can.
Forward Lunge
The forward lunge is a popular gym exercise for toning and strengthening the legs. Forward lunges help in toning and defining the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps and also boosts the metabolism process so that the body continues to burn fat long after the exercises are over. This is the best workout to shed excess fat from the lower body.
Stand with your feet close to each other and core muscles engaged. Now, step forward with your right leg and bend the right knee so that your left knee rests on the floor and left toes curled. Now, push your body up from the floor with the help of your toes and return to the starting position. Repeat the same on the other side.
Hip Rotations
The hip rotation is one of the best home gym exercises for the hips that gives you the perfectly toned butt and strengthens the buttocks, lower back and pelvis. This exercise also helps in increasing the mobility and flexibility of the hip joints and pelvis which enhances athletic performance and provides relief from back pains and aches.
Kneel on all four and stretch the legs behind. Come to the starting position of a pushup by supporting your body with your arms and toes. Gently draw the right knee up towards your arms while exhaling, rotate your right hip to move the bent knee out and away from the body. Wait for 5 seconds and bring it back in and repeat the same with the other leg. Repeat this move 20 times with both legs.
Triceps Dips Using Chair
The chair is perhaps the most functional home gym machine that can be used in various innovative ways to perform various exercises. The triceps dips are one such exercise that can be done in the comfort of your home using a chair. Dips are intense isolation exercises that help in developing powerful triceps.
This workout engages the shoulders, forearms, chest and lower back. Sit on a chair and grip the edge of the chair with both hands. Keep your feet close to each other and legs stretched straight. Now, lower your body down from the chair and push back up powerfully using your arms. Repeat this exercise 20 to 30 times at a stretch.
Stair Climber on Stairs
What better way to do the stair climber exercise than using the staircases of your house. Stair climbers are one of the most important parts of gym exercise routine that improves and cardiovascular and muscle conditioning.
This exercise boosts up the heart rate and enhances oxygen uptake for optimum functioning of the muscles. It works as a form of resistance exercise for the leg muscles such as glutes, calves, hamstrings and quadriceps. It is best not to hold the railing while climbing the stairs. Use quick and even steps to climb up and down the stairs smoothly. 15 minutes of stair climbing is enough to promote calorie burn in the body.
Now that you know the various household items that you can use as the perfect home gym equipments, get started with your workout routine and get the perfect figure you always dreamt of.